Thanks for inviting me to the BTS forum! I'm flattered.

So, What I Did This Summer:

Well, the biggest thing was moving a barn to the property. It's a long story, but we've been desperate for a new barn here at the sanctuary for several years now. Started a fund-raising campaign a couple years ago but never got past the $20,000 mark. And you guys probably know, 20G won't buy much barn. :(

Then, in April, when I was in a state of complete frustration and self-pity over the whole issue, our neighbor across the street said, "Hell, take this one!" See, her husband had built a brand new, gorgeous barn last summer, just before he died. It was to be his retirement hobby shop. The strangest thing about it was, it was exactly the barn we had designed for our sanctuary. I mean, EXACTLY. I can't tell you how wierd it was last summer while we watched him build it; we kept saying, "He's building our barn!" And then, to have the rest of the events unfold the way they did, (the neighbor's death, the new friendship that we found with his widow, and then her saying "get this barn outta here, I'm sick of looking at it!") well, it was either a fabulous coincidence, or God working miracles.

So anyway, we took the $20,000 we had raised and put it toward moving the barn across the street to our farm. We spent 10G on a 4 foot high block foundation, so that the pigs and cows can't push the walls down. The house movers cost only $6,000. Then there were all sorts of incidentals; excavating, permits, etc. But the bottom line is that we now have a FABULOUS BRAND NEW BARN for our animals. Our neighbor spent $100,000 to build it originally, and it is more than we ever dreamed of having.

It's a two story (we'll eventually convert the upstairs into an apartment for ourselves) gambrel roofed barn, 60 feet long by 36 wide. Full of light fixtures and power outlets, windows, etc. (It was to be an auto restoration shop originally.) The gentleman built it to withstand a hurricane! All the contracters who worked on the move were just amazed at the sturdiness of the building. I have been assured many times that this barn is going to last forever!

So, that's the biggest & best thing that we've been up to around here. I have to head out now, but a couple people have asked about the horses here. The Belgian colt is fine, you may remember that he kicked me in the chin (dislocated my jaw & had to get 11 stitches on top of it!). We had a cooling-off period of about 2 months where we did not go near each other, but have since resumed our friendship and are doing well with more training. The other rescued colt (the starved & crippled one) is also thriving, though we continue to fight hoof abcesses.

Look at the time! Later! :)

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2002

Answers

Shannon, you make all tuckered out just listenin to all that work ;- )!!! Sure glad you finally got your dream barn though! It sounds like it was worth all the hard work and effort to move it too.

Sorry to hear about your "close encounter" of the bad kind with the colt, they just don't realize how big and powerfull they are compared to us wimpy, flimsy humans, " Gee Mom, when I kick Bubba that way, he don't even flinch, why are you laying on the ground like that screaming and flopping like a fish???". For the colt with the chronic hoof abcesses, try adding garlic ( for the sulfur compounds) and kelp to his diet, you can find the garlic cheap at a Sam's Club type store, and the kelp from health food store or animal supply type catalogs, add a tablespoon of the garlic once a day, and a heaping teaspoon of the kelp once a day. It is a combo I always used to great effect to improve hoof quality in my endurance horses back in the days I did that kind of stuff ( read: younger and had a higher pain tolerance!!!).

Happy trails :-)!

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2002

I wish I had moved onto a place that was already up. House, barn, fencing, pasture - instead of doing it as I went along. My barn is actually a run-in shed that I closed in and put another up against it.

Good luck with your new barn. Sounds wonderful..

-- Anonymous, September 15, 2002

Well that is one wild story about the barn! You mean this woman just *gave* you a $100,00 barn? Are they rich? What about the resale value of her place? That is really somethin'!

It did occur to me to wonder..........Shannon, just how did your poor neighbor die, anyhow? Under mysterious circumstances perhaps? ;)

Seriously though, so glad to hear of your good fortune.......seems you were about due some what with all your good works!

-- Anonymous, September 16, 2002

I know, Earthmama, it doesn't seem to make sense! The neighbor is comfortable, but not filthy rich. She WAS able to take a nice tax-deduction for the donation of the barn. Mainly, though, she is a "good Christian woman" and apparently she felt led to do this. She's also contrary, so the people who told her she was nuts to do it, unknowingly helped her make the decision. She loved the fact that her friends & family couldn't figure it out! ;) She has since moved into town, and is letting the realtor handle the sale of the house. Her attitude is, "don't bother me with details, just send me the check when it's all worked out." She honestly was not worried about resale value and all that. She basically said, if they don't want the house the way it is (without the barn), to hell with 'em!

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2002