Pole Barn 9: Dirt n Stuff

Here's the mailbox! Yep, there it is.

And below is a functioning source of heat! The first time it was fired up, we wondered if there was a leak in the piping because there was a bunch of smoke inside the pole barn! Upon closer inspection, the smoke wasn't a wood-smoke smell, and it was coming directly off the sides of the pipes, not at the joints. It was the burn-off from the special paint they put on those things, and it was done smoking a few minutes later.

 Below is the first investment we made for the future house (besides a building permit, and the well that will be shared between house and pole barn). There's a scratch 'n' dent appliance store nearby (obviously) and I found a fridge that's not much deeper than counter-depth. The kids really really wanted a fridge with ice/water dispenser, however long it will last, and I wanted one that is efficient and not huge. I managed to talk the price down even more. :) It's now in the pole barn with our washer and dryer, waiting.


As promised, electricity has arrived!! I think they decided to put in a transformer because it will be serving multiple buildings. It was fun for the kids to watch the machines from right inside the pole barn patio door while I put up the first layer of...

Insulation in the walls! On a sunny day, it's really quite comfortable inside now, even without a fire. Teddy was a good helper (thanks, Oma, for the "work gloves"!) and pulled the batting up the cavities from the deck, and I finished the rest to the floor, cut, and we did the next cavity.


This is the ground-view of a big hole.

This is what was put in the big hole!

And this is what we connected to run to the big hole.

Teddy is applying the purple PVC primer,



 With the spray foam finally painted, we could start moving all the stuff from the "store/office" room up onto the deck, and then the wiring and first layer of insulation in that room can be finished. Teddy is busy sweeping the deck, and Bridget is getting a new perspective.


On the way home one day, we made a stop at "the pumpkin house" and used my $20 (because that's what I had, no change) and got 14 pumpkins! We had a carving party with Vlad and Lexi, and some of the "pumpkins" are these big, green squash, so I baked one to see what it tasted like and it was edible! I think I'll be baking some of the pumpkins too.

To get to the pumpkin house, you have to drive over this questionable wooden bridge. I know it's used all the time, but I still stop for a moment before going over. It doesn't creak or sway, but there's something about having NO side rails and only a couple feet to spare on either side of the vehicle that makes it a little more nerve-wracking. It spans a pretty deep, fast part of the river, so I open at least one window.

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