August 21, 2018

Carport Clean-Up, Dan's Workshop, and the Milking Room

It's been years since we kept a car in the carport. Instead it has been a storage area for tools, equipment, lawn mower, wheelbarrows, welding equipment, and everything else that needed a home. And as if that wasn't bad enough, there were several piles of building scraps and other paraphernalia that really gave the yard a cluttered, unkempt look.

Carport as it used to be

Funny how you know something is an eyesore, but as time passes you get used to it. We lamented that from time to time, but it wasn't until we got the goatie girls moved into their not-quite-finished new barn that we could do anything about it. Then it was time for a change.

It started with me moving the old milking room out of the former goat barn (aka "The Little Barn") and into the new. More space and a different room shape kept me busy for quite awhile, trying to figure the best place for everything and getting organized.


It hasn't worked out like I planned on paper, mostly because I hadn't planned on such a large drying rack for herbs (the shelves you see on the left in the photo above). I planned on a standard 18" x 36" shelving unit, until I found those shelves on craigslist for just $50.


They measure 24" x 48" so they take up quite a bit of room, but I'm not complaining!

While I worked on that, Dan tackled the carport. Everything got pulled out and either moved to the Little Barn or discarded. It's amazing how much junk can be accumulated over time; stuff that potentially might be useful someday and broken things that theoretically could be fixed.

His next step was setting up a proper workshop in the old milking room. His make-do space in the carport was finally at an end.

Dan's new workshop, still in the organizational phase.

And the carport?

Almost cleared out.

Well, the girders and ceiling joists are in pretty bad shape (photos here). They need repair, but it's still standing. I was pretty sure the only thing holding it up was the tarps we'd attached to serve as walls! The plan is to use it to store firewood on the pallets you see on the ground on the left.

All of these changes seem huge: the piles are gone, the junkiness is gone. It's a big visual change and a psychological one as well. All very welcome. 

23 comments:

Jean said...

Looks good Leigh!

M.K. said...

A psychological change - yes! So true. Getting rid of the junk shows me that the accumulation was indicative of "junk" on the inside of me. It's very helpful.

Mama Pea said...

FAN-tastic! I can relate because we've been doing our share of cleaning out, sorting out, and rearranging this summer, too. We got several storage shelf units at an estate sale a few weeks ago at an unbelievably low price and having them has made such a difference for us. We needed them and were to the point of building some with wood, but that would have been so much more expensive and time-consuming. Dan must be in heaven with his new workshop space in which to work. Your winter will be so much more enjoyable with the new space changes. Your milking room looks huge to me!

Theresa said...

Lovely spaces for all and yes, there is nothing like paring down clutter inside and out!

Woolly Bits said...

I have had a similar "problem"... we re-built a very old cowshed into a "studio" (right now only a storage area for firewood, but very fancy, with tiled floor and timber ceiling - and chimney for a stove - later:) and at the same time a coal shed aka bike shed... which turned out to be dry and bright, so we did a few shelves that were supposed to go into the studio once finished... but there was so much firewood that year that no space was left! and anyway, I didn't want to store my fibre stuff in a "studio" with damp firewood and an open door! of course we stuffed bit by bit into the coal shed - until we barely got the bikes out:) took us two days to re-organize, throw out old stuff etc... studio still firewood storage, but bike shed is organized and cleaned up - with space even for a work table for me:) feels good... until clutter creeps up again:)

J.L. Murphey said...

It's getting there. We've recently started in our "barn" revo also."

Renee Nefe said...

It looks great. and it gives me even more inspiration to get my stuff organized. Now that kiddo is in school full time and I have quit sewing for two of the theaters...the third probably won't bug me until Feb, I can work on getting my sewing room back into shape.
I have already a plan to give old scraps to a gal who requested them on Nextdoor (neighborhood version of Facebook)...she wants to pick up sewing again. So I won't feel quite as attached to keeping all those scraps.
I'll have to post pictures of my hubby's handiwork in raising my cutting table and making two desks out of the cutting table's (formerly a dining room table) leaves.
Lots to catch up on...maybe one day soon I can tackle all the other catch-alls and get this place presentable.

Cockeyed Jo said...

Leigh, in case you didn't know, J.L. Murphey is Jo from the Cockeyed Homestead. I forget to swap out accts.

Leigh said...

Thanks Jean!

M.K., that's so important, isn't it? And then we wonder why we held on to it for so long!

Mama Pea, any time you can find a deal on storage shelves it's a blessing! It's a good feeling to get organized, isn't it?

Theresa, agreed! It just amazes me sometimes how willing I am to put up with piles of stuff. Eventually, though, I reach my limit and go through a purge. Always feels better afterward.

Bettina, you all sound like us, LOL. And you're right about clutter creeping in again. I blame the second law of thermodynamics. :)

J.L., it's always wonderful to do something major like that, even though there are so many little steps with plenty of chaos along the way. Worth it in the end though.

Renee, my yarns, fabrics, and fibers are always the hardest to part with, although I have done it! Sounds like you'll get a well deserved break from your busy schedule. And I'm with you on hoping to get it all caught up someday!

Leigh said...

Jo! Thank you for that! After visiting your blog(s) I've started to piece some of all that together, but didn't make the connection with the screen names and avatars. I'll be very interested in following your progress.

Donna OShaughnessy said...

I hate piles of junk and yet...we have several here. When there is not enough storage space one makes do with outside piles and tarps. But, like you as the barn gets closer to completion and the old house closer to destruction we have all this "opportunity for improvement". We held a huge garage sale two weeks ago and participated in a "Junk in the Trunk Event" this last weekend. Slowly selling and giving away what we no longer need. I see glass walls on your carport and a huge Greenhouse!

Goatldi said...

Wow what a difference vision and hard work make!

I certainly understand why you snagged those racks. Better to change gears in the planning department than pass on perfection.

Good use of the new carport as a wood shed. If you plan to continue on with you can "temporarily permanent " for the winter and make permanent when good working weather returns.

As always life is never dull at your place!

Pricket said...

Looking very good. Cleaning up clutter and throwing out unusable items gives physical and psychological freedom. Doing the same with my barn and sheds this year, feels so good. Using my old carport for firewood also. Due to termites I sprayed the dirt under the pallets with termiticide first, has helped tremendously.

tpals said...

I'm impressed! Just not enough to tackle my own disorganized spaces yet. :)

Leigh said...

Donna, it just comes with the territory, as they say. I'm pleased that we've straightened up so much, but I have no false hopes that it will last! LOL.

I'm not sure if I'll get window walls on the carport, but we've been saving all the old windows we've replaced in the house and I'm trying to talk Dan into using them to build me a greenhouse! I've got a sunny spot all picked out, but no action in that direction yet.

Goatldi, eventually (assuming the carport can be beefed up) we'd like to see it become an outdoor kitchen with attached wood storage. Another "wel'll see!"

Pricket, thanks! That's a good idea about treating the area under the pallets for termites. We have plenty of those!

tpals, if only it would last! LOL

Ed said...

Your efforts to improve your homestead remind me of an old saying. The best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. You have made several bites since the last post on the subject!

Toirdhealbheach Beucail said...

Looks good and very inspirational. You are correct, neatening something up brings a psychological burst of energy.

Leigh said...

Ed, one of the hardest things to do seems to be to take a large project one step at a time. We've been anxious to do clean-up for a long time! What a relief to finally get to it!

TB, thanks! A very welcome lift in spirits I must say.

Quinn said...

I know what you mean about the psychological effect of a clean-out or reorganization. I'm picking away at things here, but whenever I can look at even a small area and see real improvement, I sigh with satisfaction!

Mark said...

It is amazing how tidying something up had gotten to be a perpetual clutter lifts your spirits every time you look look at it! It looks nice, and so does Dan's shop.

Leigh said...

Quinn, I've always figured that if I can at least keep area/room semi-organized I can keep my sanity!

Mark, thanks! If only we can keep them this way, :)

The Wykeham Observer said...

You did a nice job! Sometimes we see all the work to do, we have this generalized anxiety about all the work. Then when we finish one project, we realize that was the one that made all the difference. When that gets done, it's amazing how much better we feel. I like your idea of turning it into a combo summer kitchen and wood storage! Phil, MN

Leigh said...

Phil, thanks! We've been looking forward to these projects for so long that it's almost hard to believe it finally happened!