Vince Vechio is a neighbor and friend; he is also an excavator and brings us a massive truckload of gravel for the Pole Barn.

The sheep and donkeys lie in the Pole Barn and pee there sometimes.

When it’s cold, the urine pools don’t sink into the ground; they must be scraped and shoveled. After a year of lying around, the grave turns very hard, and there are puddles and holes, and ridges.

We are their stewards and want them to be clean, dry, and comfortable. The gravel makes for softer beds.

We get the gravel and start shoveling. For the past two years, three young Amish women have come over and helped dig the rock and spread it into the barn. They are inexpensive and very hard-working.

Vince Vechio is a good friend and neighbor in his favorite truck.

It’s taller than the farmhouse roof. He brings gravel to us every summer for the Fall Pole Barn. Vince is an invaluable friend and neighbor and a genius with a tractor. He helped us build the Lulu bridge to the back pasture and buried Simon, the donkey, when he had his stroke.

He wouldn’t accept any payment.

He is from New Jersey originally, and I think he looks a lot like the late Tony Bennett. He’s just as lovely. He works hard, does excellent work, and takes being a neighbor seriously. He’s one of those people we would not live without in the country.

The truckload of gravel costs $400. We’ll get to work shoveling once it cools down a bit.