The Barn Part 4

*Before we made the barn into more of a shop area this was the main area, and their was a loft. Dad tore the loft out so he could fit the case tractor in their to work on it, so he didn't to out in the cold and wet or mud or whatever. Kayla

*So picture a hay loft or "upstairs". I remember being young but helping fill the loft with little square bales. It's hard to picture and describe since it has changed so much, but there used to be a pen area. for more calves or sometimes pigs to the right, and milking stall to the left and another stall that could be accessed from outside so the cows could have some shelter occasionally. Kayla

*That milking stall reminds me of this HUGE cow we had. Seriously she was like 6 feet tall. We named her 'BIG'. She's the one who died and froze and we had to saw off her leg to pull her out of the stall. Sorry if this is TMI, just sayin it how it was. One time our dog fudge jumped out of the top window fetching after a rock. There were baby kittens born up there in the loft. They were so little and adorable when we discovered them. There was a ladder on the outside that we could climb up into the hay loft with- so cool. Without the hay loft this became Dad's mechanic area. Kayla 

*I remember the old house part the stove on the left and kitchen on right.The two rooms up stairs. Then the milking stalls,pig pen, hay loft. Remember when Kayla and I came out to milk Big that morning we found her there dead and we were thinking how to tell Dad we felt so bad,it wasn't our fault but just to go in and tell Dad that the cow was dead was just hard. Yes Dad cutting her leg off and pulling her outta there with the tractor.Helping Dad fix things and rolling all the grain in the roller mill for the pigs. Tyanna

I think I have only seen the barn like this a couple of times.  Seems so weird to me that its the same place we lived  Kitchen was on the far right.  Picture would have been taken on the stairs, right by the living room.  There used to be a big beam that ran across the ceiling between the living room and the kitchen, I remember being so mad at the boys I was chasing them with the broom once and I knocked off one of the pictures hanging on the beam and broke it.  We stopped fighting IMMEDIATELY and made a truce! Teija

* this is the way the barn has been for most of my memories. The pigs that we used to have in the corner there and the huge pile of grain that was right up next to the door that we rolled every morning for the steers and pigs. I slightly remember the stairs being there and always being scared of how far the ground looked from the hay loft. or the calves that ran up the stairs and would never go back down. And the one that jumped out the loft. I am pretty sure teija's memory and mine are not the same though. Did two cows go out the loft? I always remember throwing fudge's rocks out the loft and she would jump out after them. The tractor was always parked in there so it was ready for when dad and i had to feed the cows. Janae

The barn has way too many memories to write down. I remember sleeping up there, my bed was against the wall that faced the house, I remember sleeping with my green care bear and the old record player on the same wall. I have fond memories falling asleep the the sound of the rain hitting the tin. Aaron and Amron slept along the other wall. After the addition Amron had the water bed that was so cool.

Stacking hay in the barn and kicking it out to feed the cows and horses. The dumb dog jumping out of it after a ball when I was sweeping it out. I recall sitting up there looking over the fields and mountain and just listening to the cows and horses chew the hay, it was so peaceful. We also built hay forts up there and had tunnels through it. A phrase that takes me back the barn, "Amos Lee that temper of yours is gonna get you in a lotta trouble some day-TEMPER . . . trouble some day-TEMPER . . . trouble some day-TEMPER . . . trouble some day-TEMPER."

I remember the Christmas tree up by the stairs, and the old pantry under the stairs with that dark brown door. Getting Expo's PJ's and cap-guns. I also remember the Birthday when Mom made us invite Stephen Adam's. We didn't really want him to come but learned we needed to be nice and invite everyone. We had a big dark table, but I don't remember that well, and the old photos on the beam above. I always marveled how fat Amron was . . . and Teija's sweet glasses. I think I remember Christmases the best there of anything and the old TV we would watch cartoons on in the morning. Also Aaron and I got those sweet green tonka trucks that we played out in the front of the barn in the dip for hours and hours in the dirt out front. 

I can't forget the pigs either. I remember when we made the fence in there and couldn't believe dad just knew how to build a pen, even with those sweet waterer things the pigs would suck on to drink out of.

Also, falling down the stairs too many times to remember . . . something to do with blocks . . . and chasing the cows back down the stairs when they would get in the hay loft. Ezra

There is so much here. Christmas was always the best. Out stockings could fit like 10 gallons of stuff. Those things were awesome. The Christmas tree was also down by the stairs there.

Hiding under the stairs to avoid work was a great past time and sneaking some food ever now and then.

I miss the old stove. It was always so hot. I can't believe more of us did not burn ourselves on it. Remember putting snow on it when it was hot? That was fun. 

I miss the brown carpet. Coming down from the stairs and jumping from about 1/2 of the way down and catching the overhang and swinging on it.

Chasing cows out of the loft was always fun. How about doing dishes without a dishwasher there? 

The old table was awesome as well. The one with the two benches. That was really nice.

Also remember mom reading Owls in the Family to Ezra and me when we lived up in the loft. Also, laying there in bed and listening to rain storms on the tin roof.

Having the pigs in the old kitchen was fun. Sweet pen. Feeding Mario's pigs in there, all the old food from the CO-OP.

Hauling hay and filing up the loft was always fun. Using Arnold's hay elevator and riding bails up to the top.

Then the time where one of the calves attempted suicide out of the hay loft. It landed on an eaten-down round bale that was in a feeder. The dumb thing got up and kept running.

I also remember shooting the horses with the BB guns out of the new house or somewhere outside. I will plead the 5th on whether anyone shot the barn with the .22.