Remodeling

 

Not bad for 72

Yesterday Ralph, Becky, and I rebuilt the stalls in the pony barn. It took the three of us all day and there are still a few bits that need attention.

The stalls were built 34 years ago when the boss got his Belgians as colts. The first two were Dick and Dan and they were beauties, but useless. Later we sold Dan and bought Tim, who was the nicest, and my favorite of the three. Dick on the other hand lived up to his name and was the only horse who ever kicked me. (Cows more than made up for that.) Tim I got along with okay.

Eventually, along about the time they tore down the fence and half killed a filly I was raising they went on their way. We kept saddle horses and my driving ponies in the stalls when I was still riding horses and driving ponies.

They were altered many times to fit their occupants until now they hold two registered Shetland ponies, and magical wee Jack, purchased for fifty bucks some many years ago. He's well over 20 now, but fit as a knight's charger and about as athletic. Wish you could have seen him when we turned him out to work on his house. All four feet off the ground and a lot of daylight under there. I wouldn't want to ride that buck.

Please excuse the burdocks

Anyhow, the big uprights of the stalls had moldered away to powder and the stalls were about flapping the in the breeze. The entirety of Jack and Diamond's stalls had to be taken down, the bottoms of the uprights cut off, repositioned in their respective holes in the floor, and walls rebuilt.

Not being wired that way I couldn't envision how that job would progress. The boss, however, had it all planned out in his head, and other than time spent looking for tools and running to Glen for nails and the like. it went smoothly. One pole had to be concreted in place and even that is done. I can't lie...I am out of shape. Woke up a couple times in the night with throbbing shoulders and had a hard time going back to sleep.

Very satisfying though. When we were farming with cows we undertook jobs like that without a second thought...all the time. Heck, we built the original stalls in an old garage, built chicken houses, calf pens, cow sheds and all manner of such. It was a great feeling to be doing it again. We work pretty well together, which I suppose we should after all these years. 

The biggest frustration for me was a couple of bird phone calls. A friend was after the White-rumped Sandpiper we found day before yesterday and got a Greater White-fronted Goose and a couple of Snows as well. I have both for the year and actually saw the same Snows a couple of days ago, but the temptation to chase was strong in me. We did go down during one of our nail getting trips, but missed the GWFG.

All in all a very satisfying day though. Maybe today we will cement up those holes in the foundation.....

White-rumped Sandpiper