Updates at the farm

It is difficult to live away from our farm. My heart is there, but we are still in the city. Most of the time I can satisfy myself with lingering thoughts of someday when we're all settled there, sending the kids out to gather eggs, strolling out to the meadow or harvesting berries from the raspberry patch. Lately I've had a hard time just thinking about the farm because I'm worried about the barn. Make that, was worried about the barn.

The previous owners dug the pond a little too close to the 100 year old barn which has compromised the foundation of the old beaut. The soil next to the barn and under a concrete slab that overlooks the pond has been eroding from time and also from faulty (read: missing and broken) gutters. Thus, the water pours right off the tall metal roof, straight off on the slab and slides down into the pond, bringing with it piles of dirt, and potentially, the foundation of our barn. Ron did some research into having it repaired and discovered a man with a super bobcat, or some sort of machinery that has treaded tracks. He came a week ago with the big rig and put my mind to rest.

For those of you who have been to the farm, you'll recognize the big berm that was once on the east side of the pond (originally the dirt from digging the pond). He moved a substantial portion of the berm back towards the barn, backfilling under the concrete slab, then filling up at least 10 feet in front of the slab. Up next? Figuring out the correct way to landscape/riprap/protect from future erosion. It may look like just a pile of dirt, but I envision French doors overlooking that pond and a deck being built on top of the slab, beautiful flowers and native grasses tucked in between boulders and rocks on that beautiful 10 feet of dirt.




Can you see my deck and landscaping? The French doors? Step inside to the artist studio. Squint, really hard. Oh, and try to imagine the neon green algae disappearing too. Let me know if you have any ideas for that.