Memorial Day weekend seemed like a good time to go off-grid and reflect on the sacrifice that was made by so many so that we may be free and live in peace. So Friday afternoon, we packed up and headed to the farm. Then we spent the weekend building a pole barn.
While we are still very primitive, no plumbing, no electricity, bare bones type of camping, we love the quiet and slow pace of being disconnected from everything. We are making progress and this past weekend was a big step toward having running water. Saturday morning dawned warm and sunny with a trailer full of building materials.
Our friend, Tim Greuter, had leveled the pad and spread the gravel for us the week prior so we could get started first thing in the morning. So we started measuring and laying out boards so that we could begin the build. First we laid out the square, then measured for the uprights. We brought out the post hole auger and got to serious work.
Then we started building up… and up.
Not bad for a day’s work. Then it was time for steak over the campfire and beer.
We did have very remedial creature comforts… solar panels charged the batteries that powered a box fan overnight. So while we were hot and grimy from a long day of work in the sun, we did have a little breeze to provide slight relief overnight. But that is how we are planning on powering the farm. This system is going to be dedicated to the spring pumps and water system, but this weekend was a good test run of how well it will work. We will have to build racks to mount the panels and a box for the battery storage of course.
Sunday morning was a little cooler, there was a nice breeze to start the day. But there was a LOT of work yet to be done. We finished framing out the roof and the ties around the structure, then started on the siding. Hot metal on a hot day…
Early afternoon on Sunday we ran out of the fasteners to secure the metal to the frame so we had to call it for the day. There are still some things to do, finish mounting the last of the wall and roof panels, add corner caps and the roof cap, figure out something to cushion the water tank so the gravel doesn’t damage it, and hang the sliding barn door. I’m sure there’s more to it but I don’t have the list in front of me.
While we were there, we checked on the garden. I’m not sure we knew/know what to expect but there are some things that have survived the heat and predation from wildlife. Plus we know we are going to have to work the soil much more than we have to this point. We’ll have to do some amendment and enrichment as well as a lot more tilling. One thing I didn’t get a picture of was the sprouts of corn. It’s all so exciting.
Carrots 
Squash 
Turnip Greens
At the end of the workday Sunday, sycle decided to bring up two 5-gallon buckets of water from the spring. It turned out to be a fabulous idea and much better than the sponge bath from the night before. The water was so cold that it literally took your breath away for a minute. Okay, more than a minute, but it was so refreshing. I think we have truly found heaven on earth at our little farmstead.
City Girl on the Farm 