Two weeks ago after we finished putting away the sugaring equipment we started emptying out the sugar house. The plan is to tear down the old sugar shack conserving as many materials as possible, and to build a fiber processing building on the same spot. The fiber building will be larger, and will provide space for washing, dyeing, and carding wool as well as space for workshops and a farm store. A new sugar house will be built behind the fiber building and back toward the cow lane.
Our daughter Kim was visiting with her 4 children...and friend Keith. We carried the sugaring equipment to the first bay in the barn beginning with the buckets, and ending with the evaporator.
We made piles. A pile of all kinds of metal stuff, piles of boards, piles of things to give away, and a pile for the dump. Dan came by and picked out the steel, which he can use in his blacksmith shop or to build things. Steve picked a few things they could use out of the dump pile, and Lee took some metal and copper pipe.
First the side supports and back shed came off. We wondered if the building would still stand, as these were put on to stabilize it's leaning to the side years ago. It seemed stable enough.
Then Kim, Kieth, and James tackled the roof removing the metal panels one by one and stacking them back by the fence. The chimney from the arch came down, too rusty to keep. Strapping came off and 2x4's and old boards. Kalyn and James helped Mary Ann and I to remove nails from the better boards stacking them back by the fence. We filled a 3 pound coffee can with nails over the 3 days that we worked.
Mary Ann cut down the 2 mostly dead trees to the east, and cut a hole in the west wall to protect the water hydrant from damage when the building fell. We cut holes near the top left corner through which we put a big chain, which was fastened to straps with hooks on the end, and attached to the frame of the truck. We made sure all the children and animals were safe while Marty slowly drove the truck forward in low gear and boom....the building came down with a crash. The roof was sitting on the ground still intact. It would have been easier to dismantle the roof here had we known it would hold up.
Jim came over for half a day and cut down the poplar trees where the tree house used to be. The trees would would have shaded the solar panels that will generate hot water for washing wool and a radiant floor. Jim made the trees fall right where we wanted them and efficiently cut them into manageable pieces. Mark came and spent a day with Mary Ann splitting them by hand with a maul. We have a pile of 3-4 cords of wood to use as firewood and sap wood.
Gary was driving by and stopped in to offer his time and equipment for crushing the roof and hauling it away. The offer was attractive, and later in the week in about 3 hours the whole thing was gone.
Now we are moving the iris, clematis, strawberries to new homes. We have moved "stuff" like the crooked fence, the cap for the truck, and the forecart out of the way in preparation for the "digger" to stake the footprint and dig for the foundation beginning next week.
We plan to keep you posted...stay tuned.
