Before and After: Barn

When we bought Oak Creek Ranch, there were pens and paddocks everywhere.  I'm sure they were all put to good use in its years as a riding school and boarding facility but we sure didn't need a million pens -- and it looked like a cluttered mess next to the barn.

First step, shortly after moving in, was taking down the pens.

We thought the area would be perfect for tacking up the horses since there is a door directly into the tack room along the barn wall and a nice deep area under the eaves.  Brett started digging post holes for the tie rails but it was slow going.  The ground is very hard with a road base type layer around the barn.  After chipping away at the holes for weeks, he got them dug and the posts installed.  He needed a small chain saw to finish the job -- he wanted to notch out the poles to complete the tie rails.  Guess what he got for Christmas (early):

While I was at work, he was busy working on the tie rails.

After completing construction of the tie rails, he brought in a load of decomposed granite and spread it out, leveling the ground a bit.  Then he put down stall mats and, voila, we have an awesome area to groom and tack up the horses.  Does he do exceptional work or what?

Random 5 Friday

First answers to questions and then a few random things to fill out my random 5:

1.       Gunner asked what brand and color the blue paint is in our great room.  The paint is Clark-Kensington (Ace Hardware stores brand) and the color is “Uptown Girl.”

2.       Juliette wondered if we are able to ride among the vineyards at wineries behind our property.  Hmmm, would that be cool or what?  I’m guessing the wineries wouldn't be thrilled with us in there but it sure seems like a question worth asking.  …if I ever get confident enough to take Winston back out on the trail again, that is.

3.   Achieve1Dream asked for a link to Inger’s post about deciding not to have kids and her thoughts about it now that she is in her grandma years.  She kicked off quite a string of reflective posts in blogland.

4.       We had a great time at the wedding in San Diego of our nephew Pete last weekend.  The wedding was large, with a traditional Catholic mass.  But not dull.  Oh, no.  The priest brought a stuffed monkey into the pulpit and we clapped while it played “if you’re happy and you know it.”  Not to be outdone, one of the groom’s sisters arranged a flash dance as part of her toast.  The wedding party and family had dark glasses stashed which we whipped out and wore while line dancing.  Well, most people were line dancing.  I mostly crashed into people in the back while my husband was shaking his hips in the front.  Did I mention it was a really fun wedding?

Our nephew, Pete, and his lovely bride, Jen.

Brett's brother, Kurt, and his wife, Krista.

Kurt and Krista's son Carl, and his girlfriend Rachel

5.  My daughter, Camille, dressed up like a zombie for Halloween and went with her friends to West Hollywood.  I can see why she opted to stay in Southern California when we moved up here.  There really isn't anything like West Hollywood around us.  I do miss her though.  A lot.  I think she did an awesome job with her costume.  The bloodshot contacts make it extra creepy.  I told her that her grandmother reads this blog and would be impressed with the costume.  Right, mom?

LLinking to A Rural Journal for Random 5 Friday.