Our barn crisis seems to be expanding. This wall is bowing, and needs to be straightened and shored up. To do that, Vince and Ray had to dig out both sides and then shovel them out further, to expose the wood.
We’ve been putting fresh gravel in the Pole Barn every year, but in the process, raised the dirt level too high, it was causing the wall to bow and leaving ruts along the back wall.
They have to be flatened, the dirt level lowered. Vince and Ray keep asking me what I think, and I keep looking at them blankly. Frankly, they are both vastly more knowledgable and confident then I am, and I told them to do what they think is best.
Looks like the whole Pole Barn has to be dug out. I’m retreating into my study with Red.
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.
At night, Fate likes to sleep downstairs, by the door, so she can keep an eye on the sheep and the pasture. My dog Rose used to do this. When the sun rises, she comes upstairs and hops onto the bed and sits quietly in the hope we will get up and to out to work.
Maria and I are both early risers, so very often, we do get up when Fate comes, she is a kind of alarm clock.
When the sun bursts through the window, and silhouettes this very special dog, it’s usually time for us to get up.
My territory is usually the little things that people need and that they need help in getting. Sylvie is a passionate letter writer, she reads every letter she gets very seriously and struggles to reply to them all. I try to help her.
She told me yesterday that she needed envelopes and so I brought her some today. Sylvia is the busiest resident in the Mansion, she is always on her cell phone, reading her mail (Sylvie, 11 S. Union Avenue, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816), writing letters, poring over religious texts.
She is one of the most colorful and inventive dressers I know,I love her scarves and flowing skirts and blouses. And I love supporting her letter writing. She is unique.
Envelopes, stamps, seasonal clothes are the things I am most asked to buy, by now, I am an expert at women’s shoe and bra and underwear sizes. I have a network of thrift shops that help me.
If you wish to support the Mansion work, we could use your help. You may, if you wish, send a donation to Jon Katz, P.O. Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816, or via Paypal, [email protected]. Please mark your contributions “The Mansion.” Thanks.
I’ve been meaning to buy a lava lamp for the Mansion residents, and this week, I finally did. It cost $21.36 and today, I brought it into the Activity Room and plugged it in, it will take two or three hours to warm up a bit and get the lava moving.
I always try to bring color to the Mansion if I can, and this is a simple and inexpensive way to do it.
Lava lamps are believed to be relaxing to the people who look at them, and just colorful and soothing to others. The Mansion residents were happy to see it on their table.
One of the Mansion parakeets died last week, and we are trying to figure out whether we should get another one, or wait until the survivor dies and get two. The parakeets were much loved by the residents, Mary, who cared for the birds, was deeply upset.
We need to gather more information and do more research before we replace one or both.
An aide told me today that one of the residents is walking in and outside of the Mansio with shoes that have large and growing holes in them. She has no family to help her, so I ordered a pair of Clark’s Slip-on loafers from Amazon. A local shoe store had nothing appropriate in her size.
The shoes cost $69.95. As some of you know, I am an advocate of small acts of great kindness. We don’t and can’t perform miracles.We fill the small holes in people’s lives and make sure they are comfortable and have the basic items of dignity – soap, brushes and combs, shoes, underwear, jackets and shirts.
We need your help to continue this work. You can contribute by sending a donation to this address: Jon Katz. P.O. Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816, or via Paypal, [email protected].
Please mark your payments “Mansion,” if that’s where you want your money to go. You can also help Sakler Moo with his tuition payments (“Sakler Moo”) or the refugee soccer team (“soccer team”).
