July 14, 2017

Dan's Workshop: Second Thoughts

Or maybe it's third, fourth, sixth, or tenth thoughts; I've lost track.


It started when the hay mow in the goat barn started to get full.


We designed it to hold about six round bales of hay. But our own hay harvest has been abundant this year (plus wheat) and since we stack it unbaled, it's beginning to look like the mow may not be able to hold all we can harvest. (Which we would rather do than buy hay.) What to do?


You may recall that what I've been calling "Dan's Workshop" was originally supposed to be my new goat barn. The current goat barn (then the "Little Barn") was to become the workshop and storage building. We changed those plans after a lament that we seemed to be stuck permanently in the building/establishment stage of our homesteading. Getting established (fencing, housing, gardens, storage, etc.) does take some time (especially when homesteading can't be a full-time endeavor - I know many of you can relate!), but that wasn't the main goal in becoming homesteaders. The main goal is to live closer to the land and develop a lifestyle of seasonal living.


I figured we it would be easier and faster to streamline the building process by skipping the hay loft and making the structure Dan's workshop. Then we could move on to other things.


In discussing where to store the rest of the summer's hay harvest, Dan convinced me that this building is going to be a job of work either way. He felt that with a hay loft this structure would be better for the goats, and that the "Little Barn" would be better suited for a workshop, plus equipment and lumber storage.


I admit the Little Barn is not the most convenient set-up for goats, but I was willing to live with it so that we could finally reach the end of this tunnel of trying to get established and move on. We spent no little time discussing it, with the result that Dan got started on a hay loft. He had already cut most of the lumber for it anyway.

So, the original goat barn, then Dan's workshop, is now the goat barn once again. Confused? Well, I can't say "me too," but I can say that deep down I'm kinda glad.

Next - a little progress. 

15 comments:

Goatldi said...

Clear as , er, mud. lol Is then the old goat barn the now new goat barn and what is to become of the structure in progress? Is it to be another new goat barn with hay loft or just an extra barn/building with a hay loft to accommodate the windfall of hay. Congrats by the by.

Yes I am confused but after several issues that came up today I think I am entitled to be. Enlighten me please Leigh.

Michelle said...

Yay!

Leigh said...

Goatldi, we've gone back to our original plans. :)

Michelle, thanks!

DFW said...

Yay for you! Plans change around here all the time too. I guess that's just part of life in general.

Leigh said...

Well, I was willing to change our plans because adding a hay loft would have taken more time and I know Dan gets frustrated with how slow progress can be sometimes (due to his work schedule). But it's progressing well enough that I think he's feeling good about it. We both want to be done with all the major building projects and get on with simpler living!

Ed said...

Well what every you are building looks great and I can't wait to see more pictures.

Leigh said...

Thanks Ed!

Mama Pea said...

This "discussion" that you and Dan worked through sounds an awful lot like many, many of them between my husband and me. I'm more willing to "make do" with the imperfect and be done, done, done with working on BIG projects. On with simple living and having a balance in life, right here, right now. Dear husband of mine, on the other hand, is always thinking and looking to change things so that they are more efficient, all-round better, the ultimate for whatever purpose intended. (Drives me nuts!) Consider yourself lucky as you and Dan have been working on it a lot fewer years than we have . . . even though it's been a lot of work . . . and you're not done yet. On a homestead, are we ever done??

Leigh said...

Mama Pea, I agree! Things are never truly done on a homestead! Interesting that you all have similar discussions and decision-making. I think I tend to over-simplify and Dan tends to think in terms of complex. Most of the time we end up somewhere in the middle, which is almost always for the best.

Chris said...

Well there you go! Someone else who turns their out-buildings into refugee camps, of sorts. One chicken coop of ours became a potting area, then a vegetable growing area, after it was done being used for chickens. But then I had a need to store chickens, so the plants were turfed outside (in the ground where they belong) and it became a coop again. Only to recently be turned back into a plant nursery. Hopefully for good, this time. ;)

I think it makes life interesting, and certainly better mileage on the original investment, in building. Are you going to install some kind of lift and pulley system, to get the hay, up and down?

Leigh said...

Chris, definitely makes life interesting, LOL. And there's a lot to be said for creative thinking and versatility. I do have to say that I've learned a few things from our current arrangement which can hopefully be improved upon with this one. I know the project is still going too slowly for Dan, but now that it's beginning to take shape, the sense of progress is a comfort.

Donna OShaughnessy said...

I can feel your pain AND your pleasure. I often wonder, as Keith and I take something down, rebuild and repurpose something else, if we'd be like this if we had tons of money to work with? Yes, I think we would. Already we've changed the plans of our new (old and repurposed)barn about six times, and just dug the first post hole today!

Leigh said...

Donna, that's just the way things are! Always trying to make sure we get the most possible mileage out of everything. Good thing there's no law against changing our minds. LOL

Kev Alviti said...

The infrastruture stage seems to last forever. My dad has been on his farm 35 years and he's still building things!

Leigh said...

Kev, I'll have to tell that to Dan. :) I know he says this is the last building project, but every now and then something else slips out. So I suspect we'll be in the same boat as your dad!