I guess we weren’t paying attention, or perhaps we were distracted, or maybe we just didn’t want to face it, but it appears our Pole Barn slipped into disrepair and potential disintegration over the last year.

The donkeys had gnawed big holes in the Pole Barn wall, and the North side of the PB had bowed out so badly it was about to blow apart.

We had to get Vince Devecchio in here with his digger and Ray Telford with his shovel, they had to dig out both sides of the wall and try to push the wall back into its proper place.

This will also require inserting posts and attached beams into the foundation to keep the animals from pushing it out again. They lean against the wall at night.

The sight of three skilled laborers and a huge tractor working out in the barn for hours definitely makes me uneasy, this will not be cheap or easy.

We realize that it is imperative that we do this work now, especially in advance of the Open House. We thought were were simply flattening out the gravel for the winter, but that is the least of it.

We already rebuild the boards in the back and two of the gates to the pasture. I see we are not done. One thing connects to another, and we want the Pole Barn to last a good long time. No big vacations this year.

On the other hand, we are fortunate to have been alerted to this mess in time. And you can’t do better than Vince and his son and Ray. The barn is in very good hands. I think I’ll go take a walk.