From Sunday about noon until today about 4pm two of us knocked down all the interior walls, mangers, and gates in eight of the ten long-wall, outside bays of the barn in New Albany. The two pictures below show some of the results.
We also pulled nails and stacked lumber that we might be able to reuse, and sorted the unusable lumber into nail-free and with-nails piles. Maybe we can find someone who could use the wood for campfires or some other purpose. Otherwise it will all likely be burned without fanfare.
The barn still has thousands of feet of Virginia creeper, despite our having removed three times as much last weekend. When the only wood floor on the first floor of the barn was mostly removed today (see extreme lower left corner of "Most bays now empty" below), Virginia creeper was found still alive under the boards. It's nasty stuff to get rid of, but it looks nice on the side of the barn when it's alive.
The entire floor of the first bay couldn't be removed because there are posts on top of some of it. These should not be structural, but there is a post and a beam that may not be reusable due to dry rot, so we left some of the secondary beams in place just in case. In the same picture, the second post shows about two feet of dry rot at the bottom and the one to its left is literally hanging from the beam.
On the next trip to the barn site we'll finish the last three interior walls, knock two large containers apart, remove some large pieces of plate glass, and start removing siding and maybe start on the roof. The barn has five neat old lightening rods, but, alas, they have been reserved by the owner. After that we'll be ready to hire the crane to take down the big stuff.
Over the next few weeks the barn owner-donor will have the barn valued for her charitable gift, and will prepare a "Waiver of Liability" form to be signed by everyone who volunteers at the site for us. The appraisal may not be done for a few weeks, so the timing for our next work day should be just about right.
We think we have access to enough "extra" posts and beams from a few other barns we've been offered to replace any rotted ones we have found. This likely will be done by cutting off the bad part, always at the bottom of the posts where they have been subjected to some standing water over the years, and putting the better post below the cuts. These will be "scabbed on," meaning we will bolt on two or more long wooden strips that will tie the two parts together, or possibly just use some iron straps that will do even better without the added thinkness of the extra boards.
It's getting late, and there's much to do before our vacation starts, so I'll stop now and post this entry. If you have questions or comments about the barn, send me a note.
Monday, May 30, 2005
Saturday, May 28, 2005
A few weeks off
Tomorrow and Monday we will be working at the barn. On Wednesday, yours truly is off on vacation until June 17th. If we see anything that might be useful for Raccoon Creek --permaculture sites, straw bale or other natural buildings, intentional communities-- and if I can access a computer while away, I might slip in a posting or two. Aloha.
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
One weekend down...
This past weekend, Friday evening through Sunday afternoon, four of us began the work of cleaning out the barn in New Albany. The picture below shows some of the junk we removed.
So far we have removed a few dozen old house doors, about 40 old windows, dozens of steel panels that we think may have been from the facade of an old gas station (visible in the right foreground below), a cast iron bath tub (also below), doors from some public restrooms, an old overhead garage door set, quilting frames, over 25 large metal shelving units, dozens of wheeled platforms (original use unknown), various pulleys, hinges, and barn parts, plenty of boards of various sizes, thicknesses, and quality, and enough hay to cover the floor of the entire barn about a foot deep.
The organ (see "Do you need an organ?", May 19th) was taken apart for the wooden panels on the outside by friends of the property owner, and, sadly, the rest of the organ's "innards" were burned to get rid of them. We also helped the owner dispose of a huge pile of tree branches that burned for 44 hours and was still burning when we left the property about 4pm on Sunday.
New Albany is on Eastern Daylight Savings Time but we were on Eastern Standard Time. That didn't make much difference to us except when one of us asked the time of one of the family members.
We still have a lot of things that can come out of the barn before we begin to remove the siding and the roof. There are a few parts of the lofts that are too badly rotted to be used. They will be burned on site or removed for firewood.
There are lightening rods on the roof, but they will be kept by the owner. Other farm items, like a tiller, rain barrels and some hand tools are being kept by the owner also. Metal items with scrap value as seen in the picture are being sold. We still have to dispose of all the old doors and the steel shelving.
We hope to work a bit more this coming weekend, and then we'll step back for a week or two while the owner finishes the steps to assign a value to the barn for tax purposes. We have found smaller barns for sale and will provide some pricing data to help determine a fair market value.
Let us know if you'd like to help. It's real work, but it's been fun too.
So far we have removed a few dozen old house doors, about 40 old windows, dozens of steel panels that we think may have been from the facade of an old gas station (visible in the right foreground below), a cast iron bath tub (also below), doors from some public restrooms, an old overhead garage door set, quilting frames, over 25 large metal shelving units, dozens of wheeled platforms (original use unknown), various pulleys, hinges, and barn parts, plenty of boards of various sizes, thicknesses, and quality, and enough hay to cover the floor of the entire barn about a foot deep.
The organ (see "Do you need an organ?", May 19th) was taken apart for the wooden panels on the outside by friends of the property owner, and, sadly, the rest of the organ's "innards" were burned to get rid of them. We also helped the owner dispose of a huge pile of tree branches that burned for 44 hours and was still burning when we left the property about 4pm on Sunday.
New Albany is on Eastern Daylight Savings Time but we were on Eastern Standard Time. That didn't make much difference to us except when one of us asked the time of one of the family members.
We still have a lot of things that can come out of the barn before we begin to remove the siding and the roof. There are a few parts of the lofts that are too badly rotted to be used. They will be burned on site or removed for firewood.
There are lightening rods on the roof, but they will be kept by the owner. Other farm items, like a tiller, rain barrels and some hand tools are being kept by the owner also. Metal items with scrap value as seen in the picture are being sold. We still have to dispose of all the old doors and the steel shelving.
We hope to work a bit more this coming weekend, and then we'll step back for a week or two while the owner finishes the steps to assign a value to the barn for tax purposes. We have found smaller barns for sale and will provide some pricing data to help determine a fair market value.
Let us know if you'd like to help. It's real work, but it's been fun too.
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Do you need an organ?
The old organ pictured below is currently in the barn in New Albany. If you know anyone who could make use of any parts in it, let us know.
We are obligated to remove everything in the barn so it will be sent to the dump after June 22nd if someone hasn't asked for it by then.
We are obligated to remove everything in the barn so it will be sent to the dump after June 22nd if someone hasn't asked for it by then.
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Nature-deficit disorder
I read an article Tuesday from the New York Times News Service published in the Indianapolis Star. In it author Richard Louv is credited with coining the term "nature-deficit disorder". The article, Kids today losing touch with nature, laments "society's whole attitude that nature isn't important anymore."
By creating Raccoon Creek Community I dearly hope to encourage our grandchildren, and lots of other children, to visit and learn where food comes from, that spiders are OK, that the woods are not to be feared, that every person and creature has a place and a right to it, that things that do not plug in can be fun too, that there are still places to just be a kid.
By creating Raccoon Creek Community I dearly hope to encourage our grandchildren, and lots of other children, to visit and learn where food comes from, that spiders are OK, that the woods are not to be feared, that every person and creature has a place and a right to it, that things that do not plug in can be fun too, that there are still places to just be a kid.
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Unexpected Sunday visitor
Lest anyone think Raccoon Creek Community's site is just a lot of pretty flowers and trees, take a look at this fellow. When we returned from a group hike on Sunday morning, we found what I believe to be a black rat snake.
See the entry for the black rat snake on the Center for Reptile and Amphibian Conservation and Management's web site. It is also called cow snake, chicken snake, timber snake, black snake, and black climber. This last name makes a lot of sense since we found the snake lazily lying on a warm card table we had been using for our meetings.
By the time I got his picture he had been spooked from the table and was moving away from us. I couldn't believe he had gotten up to the table. He had to climb either a smooth metal table leg or, more likely, the shorter leg of a camp chair and from there up to the table. A good picture of the black rat snake's climbing ability was found on another web site.
See the entry for the black rat snake on the Center for Reptile and Amphibian Conservation and Management's web site. It is also called cow snake, chicken snake, timber snake, black snake, and black climber. This last name makes a lot of sense since we found the snake lazily lying on a warm card table we had been using for our meetings.
By the time I got his picture he had been spooked from the table and was moving away from us. I couldn't believe he had gotten up to the table. He had to climb either a smooth metal table leg or, more likely, the shorter leg of a camp chair and from there up to the table. A good picture of the black rat snake's climbing ability was found on another web site.
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Where do we go?
There are no "facilities" at Raccoon Creek yet, so we tried a sawdust toilet. It was as easy to set up as it sounds, and it was as odor-free as promised.
Earlier in the week we stopped at a local saw mill for a trash barrel full of sawdust, an easily found, and usually free, local by-product in our hardwood forest area. A scoop for the sawdust was made from a plastic milk bottle with its bottom cut off.
A seat was made from an old wooden chair with its padded seat removed. A five-gallon bucket, like paint or drywall joint compound comes in, was placed under the opening with an initial scoop of sawdust covering the bottom. The seat was set on a piece of plywood leveled with a few small logs. A roll of paper on a stick completed the setup. All of that was wrapped in, and covered by, a tarp strung inside four trees.
There were signs to the facility ("His" and "Hers", though there was only one seat) and a stretch of rope leading from the road to help find it after dark.
Users were told to cover their "contributions" with just enough sawdust to hide them, and we were ready to go -- no pun intended.
Funny, no one volunteered to dispose of the bucket contents when we left, so yours truly took the job. In fact, the task was not as disgusting as it sounds. The bucket contents were thoroughly covered by and mixed in with the sawdust and there was still no odor. After dumping the contents on the compost pile, the bucket was rinsed with water and the water poured on the pile. Then it was covered with more sawdust. (Straw or grass would be better, but none was available. We'll have some next time.) A scoop of sawdust in the bucket makes it ready for the next visit.
Everyone agreed the system worked very well, but we also agreed we should build a more substantial structure to house it until permanent buildings are constructed. A tarp might not be all that pleasant if it were pouring rain. We will plan a work day at Raccoon Creek for June 25th. Maybe we can construct something then.
Earlier in the week we stopped at a local saw mill for a trash barrel full of sawdust, an easily found, and usually free, local by-product in our hardwood forest area. A scoop for the sawdust was made from a plastic milk bottle with its bottom cut off.
A seat was made from an old wooden chair with its padded seat removed. A five-gallon bucket, like paint or drywall joint compound comes in, was placed under the opening with an initial scoop of sawdust covering the bottom. The seat was set on a piece of plywood leveled with a few small logs. A roll of paper on a stick completed the setup. All of that was wrapped in, and covered by, a tarp strung inside four trees.
There were signs to the facility ("His" and "Hers", though there was only one seat) and a stretch of rope leading from the road to help find it after dark.
Users were told to cover their "contributions" with just enough sawdust to hide them, and we were ready to go -- no pun intended.
Funny, no one volunteered to dispose of the bucket contents when we left, so yours truly took the job. In fact, the task was not as disgusting as it sounds. The bucket contents were thoroughly covered by and mixed in with the sawdust and there was still no odor. After dumping the contents on the compost pile, the bucket was rinsed with water and the water poured on the pile. Then it was covered with more sawdust. (Straw or grass would be better, but none was available. We'll have some next time.) A scoop of sawdust in the bucket makes it ready for the next visit.
Everyone agreed the system worked very well, but we also agreed we should build a more substantial structure to house it until permanent buildings are constructed. A tarp might not be all that pleasant if it were pouring rain. We will plan a work day at Raccoon Creek for June 25th. Maybe we can construct something then.
What a weekend
Our first "open-field" weekend is behind us and everyone seems to have both survived and had a good time.
At least 25 people came by over the weekend. Some just dropped in for a while. Others camped overnight. (See "Tent city" picture.) Folks roamed the trails while community members held a few meetings, and we led three organized hikes, though I use the term "organized" loosely.
Some joined us for meals made by our members while others made or brought their own. Saturday lunch was an assortment of the makings for turkey roll-ups, salad and fruit. Dinner was a great chili, with corn muffins and assorted drinks and desserts.
A world-class fire pit was dug and ringed with rocks and we had a great evening around it on Saturday night. (See "Campfire" picture.) One visitor was our barn "consultant" who spoke to the assembly and answered questions for nearly an hour. He talked about the process of dismantling barns and the choices we need to make as we move forward.
The coals left from the campfire were used to start a fire for breakfast -- oatmeal with lots of things to add. I liked the dried cherries best. Cathy Moore joined us for breakfast and talked about her home and other projects she has built. (See her link in the "Sunday school" entry below.)
Another hike in the morning and a brief meeting for our resident members and it was lunchtime again. Then everyone took down their tents, packed up, and headed home.
We agreed that we should have another open-field later in the summer or fall. I'll announce it here.
At least 25 people came by over the weekend. Some just dropped in for a while. Others camped overnight. (See "Tent city" picture.) Folks roamed the trails while community members held a few meetings, and we led three organized hikes, though I use the term "organized" loosely.
Some joined us for meals made by our members while others made or brought their own. Saturday lunch was an assortment of the makings for turkey roll-ups, salad and fruit. Dinner was a great chili, with corn muffins and assorted drinks and desserts.
A world-class fire pit was dug and ringed with rocks and we had a great evening around it on Saturday night. (See "Campfire" picture.) One visitor was our barn "consultant" who spoke to the assembly and answered questions for nearly an hour. He talked about the process of dismantling barns and the choices we need to make as we move forward.
The coals left from the campfire were used to start a fire for breakfast -- oatmeal with lots of things to add. I liked the dried cherries best. Cathy Moore joined us for breakfast and talked about her home and other projects she has built. (See her link in the "Sunday school" entry below.)
Another hike in the morning and a brief meeting for our resident members and it was lunchtime again. Then everyone took down their tents, packed up, and headed home.
We agreed that we should have another open-field later in the summer or fall. I'll announce it here.
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