Okay, new plans. The slate roof on the New Bedlam Farm is a wreck, it turns out. Scores of pieces broken, thousands of dollars to fix the leaky roof. New plans, new decisions. This is a side view of the new farm. From the front, the farmhouse looks small, but the house isn’t small, it stretches out in the back and the rooms are spacious and gorgeous. But lots of slate roof. All kinds of new decisions and calculations. I’m exploring some tarpaulin or heavy plastic tens to use as shelters for the donkeys and sheep this winter. A lot cheaper than a Poke Barn, we think, although Ben is giving us an estimate tomorrow morning.
These are my priorities,and Maria doesn’t agree with all of them. We must do new electrical wiring, upgrade to 200 amps, put in new outlets, wire the house with cable (Time Warner cable – Internet, TV, phone all for less than $100.) The electrical stuff will cost several thousand dollars. The next priority is shelter for the animals before winter, that means shelter for three donkeys, a pony, three chickens, two barn cats.The chickens and barn cats will go into the barn (yes, I know how to acclimate the barn cats). We’d like to build a wood and tin overhang, out 18 feet from the barn. Might not have enough money, especially with the roof rehab, so we might have to turn to one of those nice plastic tents farmers use for cows and sheep in the winter, just for one year. About $500 a tent and I’d need too. The Pole Barn will probably cost five or six thousand. And we need to get about 200 bales into the barn loft for the winter. We don’t have a water plan yet, there is no frost-freeze out there as there is at Bedlam Farm.
Don’t know if we can take out the collapsed barn this season, maybe we can take some whacks at it.
Then the Studio Barn. Maria says it can wait, she can work in the house or some other space, but I don’t think it can wait. Maria needs her own space, her own place to work. She fought for it for years, loves having it, and it is part of our love, our creative connection, her sense of purpose. She just hired her first helper for her business, and it is growing. Need to keep it that way, so we are slugging it out about that.
The fences are another must, Todd Mason begins work after Labor Day. Todd is great, and we have some creative fence plans for the new pastures. We are on a busy road, so fences are important. Todd and I will be posting photo updates of the fencing once it begins. Believe it or not, this is one of the most interesting and important things about having animals on a farm. I’ll be going there daily to photograph Todd working. He works like a fiend, outdoors every day of the year.
Once the fences go in, we can begin moving animals over. We hope to move in mid October, and I haven’t even thought about moving costs. Ben Osterhaudt is going to rent a truck with some buddies and we’ll move that way. In between, a national book tour for “Dancing Dogs” – Cambridge, N.Y., Manchester and Wilmington, Vt., Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Corte Madera and Santa Cruz, Calif.
No vacation this year, looks like, but I can hardly wait for our first night in the new place. A lot to happen between here and there. Saturday, some people coming to take a second look at the farm.
Note: Battenkill Books is giving away free signed Bedlam Farm notecards with the purchase of any of my books this year, as long as supplies last. 518 677-2515 or go to www.battenkillbooks.com. They take Paypal. Thanks for supporting me and a terrific independent bookstore.