Barn Renovation Complete

 Here are photos in chronological order of the barn from when we first purchased it through the renovations all last year to the completion of the painting this week.

The barn shortly after we moved in December 2020.

The back side was not completely painted.

Dan removed one of the lofts and lifted the floor boards on the side that was to be the garage.

The barn had sagged so had to be lifted on this side.

Concrete floor poured so it could be used as garage.

Driveway graded and filled with hardpacked gravel.

Winter 2021-22 Sill work on other side of barn.

Clapboards replaced.

New garage doors and garden room door installed.

July 2022 Barn painted.

Compare above photo to bottom photo and you can see how much work we have put in.

Visit to the New Hampshire Coast

New Hampshire's Atlantic Ocean coast line is miniscule - 18 miles only in length with Massachusetts to the south and Maine to the north..

I took a day trip there on Monday with Emily and granddaughter #2.  Granddaughter #1 had gone with Matt to Annapolis, MD to a family reunion.  Emily stayed home with #2 because she had a fever, not Covid.  They tested her. By Monday fever was gone for 24 hours, hence our excursion.

Our first choice in beach was a town park in Portsmouth but sign at kiosk where we were to pay said no swimming because of fecal matter contamination.  So we traveled south to Wallis Sands State Park instead.

It was a blue sky day, the tide was going out but the water was frigid.

More people on the beach than in the water.

#2 considers and then goes in.

Emily went in with her.

 

Me?  I got my feet wet.  Water much too cold plus wind was blowing off the water which made it cooler.

This rock jetty divided the bathing area from the rockier section of the coast.

One of the children in the group in front of us left his bag of chips.  The gulls found it to fight over it.

The last time #2 went in she took her boogie board and did a good job with it.

It was a two hour trip each way.  Coming home we stopped at Wendy's for dinner. A nice day and out of the ordinary routine.

Some Additions and More Blooms

Here's the Sculpture Garden with a new addition under the category Garden Art.  We went to several yard sales last Saturday and I came home with some pots and some garden art.

[A side note: notice not much growing in this bed.  The hosta I planted which are supposed to be mammoth size are much smaller than I expected.  I'm wondering if under the hemlocks is a problem or if the bed is just too dry? Gardeners out there please weigh in.]

Actually we came home with two of these - each $5.  The second one below is in the Maple Garden.

Both are made by Planet Jr USA.

See more about the company here.

Found some on eBay selling for a lot more than $5!

They each has a different uses but don't ask me what.  I think the one below is missing a smaller wheel and a seed cup.

More lilies opened up.

Also this lovely that Emily shared with me from her garden has produced blooms..

I have this volunteer plant.  Beatrice though the blossom on my earlier post was a zucchini or squash.

Here's what's growing.  Not sure what it is. The seeds came from my compost. It's so lush that I hate to pull it out though it crowds some new daylilies. I'm just curious as to what it is but need to keep it off the grass.

 

Some More New Faces ...

 ...in the garden.

Our barn in the background has not been painted white.  That's the primer on the clapboards.  Painting to begin next week.