Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Back to Business

I guess we are back to business on the farmstead.

For the past two days, friends have been here to help with a very big project. We were given four bunk houses currently located at a family camp about four miles from our farm, and the work has begun to try to get them moved.

Below are two of the four structures still in place at the camp:

This is a closer view of what the cabins look like:



I wasn't at the camp while the work was being done, so my information is second hand. Jim borrowed jacks and planking, and by late Monday night the men managed to move one of the cabins off from its foundation and onto the planking in preparation for a move.

Of course there were complications along the way. As the cabin was being jacked up the middle of the floor began to sag, so Jonathan and Adam had to crawl under the building to brace the area.

Yesterday the second cabin was even more complicated to move. I guess as they tried to jack up one side the wall became disconnected from the base, so they had to stop the procedure and now are trying to figure out how to keep the building together. These cabins are 20 feet by 30 feet, so it's no easy task. They will be such a blessing to have for all kinds of uses once we get them onto our property.

Work has stopped for a while, as there are other things that need to be done around the farm and our friends needed to go home to work on their own projects.

Another big factor is the mud.

We've had some very nice weather days, and now we are full steam into mud season. Our driveway is so bad that all the vehicles had to be parked on the gravel road and everything walked in -- the driveway is a quarter mile long, so it was quite a procedure for Donna and I to carry lunch down the driveway and into the vehicle to bring it to the work site. We had some very willing helpers, though, as the little boys were great to carry things as well.

At the end of the day Paul brought his Bobcat over and worked to smooth out the deep ruts in our driveway. We won't be driving on it for a while, at least until it dries out. Jim has plans to have the county come in and do some work on the driveway. Hopefully by then the area will have dried out from the warmer weather and windy conditions, and work will resume to bring the much anticipated cabins to our farmstead.

6 comments:

Tracy said...

What do you plan to do with the cabins once you get them relocated?

Looks like they will be a fine addition to the farmstead! :)

Anonymous said...

Now we will have a place to come and sleep on your property! Or better yet, can we live with you?

Okay, just kidding.

Your far away friend.

Marci said...

What a blessing. I hope you get them all there safe and sound.

Lynn Bartlett said...

Hi Tracy,

We have lots of suggestions for using these cabins. I would like one to stay a bunk house, and we really need a wood shop so our tools could be removed from my future bedroom on the main floor. We'll just have to wait and see if it works to bring all 4 over here, and what shape they are in when they come.

Susan said...

I really enjoy reading your blog. I was born and raised in North Dakota, but now live in Texas.

I love the pictures and I can remember the muddy springs.

Lynn Bartlett said...

Hi Susan, thanks for your comment. I was born and raised in MN, so I am a transplant, too! Thanks for checking out my blog. I looked at your website, too, and it looks like you have a very interesting life down there.