The Barn Built with Love

It amazes me how my husband went from urban warrior, to a farmer & barn builder extraordinaire so easily. When he said he wanted to build the barn himself I must admit I was a little skeptical. Then as I watched, from design to finish, I had no doubts, this man could not only build a barn, but the barn of my dreams. Boy do I have some more projects for him…always wanted a really cool tree house…
p.s. It has been 18 years since the barn was built…still no tree house, but
we do have a pole barn, 4 more alpaca “tiki” huts….AND…he is in the process of building me a Greenhouse!

It all started with some large beams sticking out of the ground like a bad work of modern sculptural art. But before long it really started to take shape.
a shape somewhat like an upside down ark…

It is the small details that make the barn extra special. The stairs and
deck were originally made with logs that my husband and his friend Reed cut in half lengthwise with a chainsaw. Unfortunately the weather took it’s toll on them over the years and we had to replace them with treated wood. But it was fun while it lasted.

The cupola, was made with old house shutters by our good friend Teddy Weinroth, who also kept us in stitches (and nails). Also, our good friend, Reed “Big Piney” Wislar, a fantastic photographer & metal artist put some unique touches on the barn, like the Gothic window treatments & of course our “lasso the moon” sign out front. A big thank you to you both for all your help and the good laughs had by all during the process…NOW GO GET SOME NAILS!

It was so nice to have the option to build the barn our selves. We took notes while visiting other alpaca barns and built what we thought would work best for us and our herd. It was not easy, but there is great satisfaction when we see the finished product while reflecting back on the days we spent working on it. The plumbing & electrical was admittedly no fun, and some things we had to do twice before we got it right, but it was all part of the experience, a very rewarding experience!

The Specs:

We have 4 good sized stalls with the option of 5 if we need it, plus room for our homemade stantion, scale, feed bins, sink and cabinet space for paper work and storage of sterile items. We chose to keep the floors dirt, because of the ease on the animals joints and the more natural look of it. It’s surprisingly easy to clean because the dirt becomes very compact and smooth, yet it still has a nice cushion to it. The animals love to roll on it and it keeps them cool in the summer.

Upstairs is my glass bead making studio, fiber education room, bird nesting ball making station and the gallery/farm store. Oh, and two studio kitties that are super sweet and love visitors. Higgly Wiggly (aka: professor Higgins from “My Fair Lady”) and Big Daddy (think Burl Ives in the Movie “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” with Paul Newman & Elizabeth Taylor. Both true classics.