My very own...truck...to love!

When I bought my horse this summer, I hadn't really thought thru the logistics for getting supplies.  I never HAD a truck to help with such errands, but they sure do come in handy when you're picking up quantities of grain, shavings, and hay.  Not to mention lugging around random fencing materials, which I have been doing quite a bit of.  So, when I was lugging around 5 bales of hay at a time in my car (and making a mess of the car) these ideas all started to gel, and I thought "how great would it be if I had a truck?".  My neighbor had a truck that he didn't need, so I offered to get a plate and insure it, in exchange for using it.  I drove it for 3 days and had to get it towed TWICE.  Hmmmm.  Ok.  Not the truck I want.  So...today...I bought an old beater.  A 1996 F-150.  8 foot bed, standard shift, plenty of dings in it.  I paid off my car a few weeks ago (yay!), paid for the truck with cash, and have high hopes for its usefulness.  :)

No more of this funny business!

Before and after

All that's left is rubble.  The silo came down yesterday, and cleanup is going to be done in a few days. 

Fieldstone Farm: photos from 1997

Fieldstone Farm, farewell to the barn

The old dairy barn at Fieldstone Farm is slated to be demolished next week.  The last calendar in the barn is from 1981, the newspapers in one of the apartments are dated 1978.  Ever since about that time, the barn fell into neglect...the roof wasn't kept up, and time and weather has had its way with the old barn.  Before it comes down, though, I couldn't help myself, and I went in for one last round of documentary photos.  The barn was used for both dairy cows and pigs, and had 2 apartments in it, which I assume house some of the farm workers.  It's an extensive property...290 acres remains from the original 1,000+ acres that Ruth Smith owned.  This is the end of an era for the farm in general, too, as the barn demolition is part of a bigger plan...putting the farm on the market.

Looking out from the front apartment to Rt 62 and the farmstand.

The front wall of the barn is completely detached from the building.

The double bed frame up in the loft of the front apartment.

This hand carved tree trunk served as the stairs to an upper bedroom in the front apartment.

Old breeding records.

"died in crate- before farrowing"

The smaller apartment above the center of the barn.

Paperwork left in the middle apartment.

The back of the barn.  The silo will be demolished, as well.

This collapsed a few months ago.  We were all home when it happened, which was kinda cool.  For a couple of hours, all we heard were pops, cracks, moans, and crashes.

Boze

Boze has become a great part of my life.  These photos are from the other day, when I brought the real camera to the barn.

Boze

I got my new horse today.  This is Boze.  :)