I think I should explain why the blog posts are always dated for weekends. You see Francis works and lives in Ottawa during the week (which is 1 1/2 hrs away from home) as he is posted there at the present time (he is in the Canadian Armed Forces). Therefore, the fact that he gets so much accomplished is an amazing feat- or at least I think it is. Once he has a project in mind, he goes at it with complete gusto and enthusiasm. Despite the fact that mother nature has tried its best this spring to be challenging with heavy snow falls ( and I mean up to 20 cm) on two occasions over the last 10 days, he has persevered.

Alternative hay wagon and hay being removed- My ex-husband, Dave,  has been very helpful with loaning equipment and helping draw wagons full of hay with his big 4 wheel drive tractor when the ground has been wet and mushy and Francis' little tractor was not up to the task - that is Francis' little tractor in the picture

So on Friday and Saturday morning this week more hay was emptied from the hay loft and driven across to the neighbouring farm as the ground refroze. Last weekend Francis got the hay wagon stuck in a huge puddle and then the wagon got frozen into the puddle when the weather turned nasty. But he was loaned an alternate wagon and so he continued on emptying the loft. He did look a sight with all the dust on his face ( yes he wore a mask), but unfortunately his eyes did not fare so well- they were very red and teary by Saturday evening.

Before- although the whole left side was also full with hay when he started

After- hay all gone! floors "vacuumed" with the lawn vacuum- not a speck of hay anywhere!

And look at what was discovered under all they hay- MASSIVE timber frame beams! These must have been from another old building that was taken down at some point. We know that there was the remains of an old stone foundation /cement floor located just behind this barn. Francis had a bulldozer come in last summer to move all those stones so he could properly "lawn mow" around the barn. He loves to keep to the grass looking pristine no matter where its growing! I will add pictures of that being done when I find them (hmmm, they are on the computer somewhere).

So Saturday afternoon Francis came back from a "hay run" to find our new hay that we had ordered sitting on a trailer in the driveway. So he took on the job of putting that away in the barn. For now, it is located down in the bottom of the barn. He removed an old window and threw all the bales in through the opening and then piled them on pallets. He thought it would be easier for me to get hay from there as opposed to having to go up to the top and bring it down when I need. He says this way I can load onto a wheelbarrow( or cart)to feed....He thinks we need to buy a new cart for this purpose-- I said I can manage to carry a few flakes of hay-- we'll see who wins the argument in a few weeks when the horses come home.

Sunday was spent working on Pippa's stall. This leads into a segway about the horses that will be living here this summer in this wonderfully restored barn.

Pippa-what a beautiful lady

Pippa is a little Andalusian/French Canadian mare owned by my friend Marina. Pippa is coming to spend the summer holidays with Raphael (Raphi). Funnily enough over the years, Marina and I have had horses at the same time, and then were horseless for a long period and fell out of touch. Our children had been best of friends while they were growing up. Our horses for some reason have always been as good friends as we have been over the years. In fact, I would have to say Marina was the catalyst for me getting a horse again. I knew something was missing and I hadn't been completely happy for a long time. I have had a lot happen over the last 12 years and losing my best friend, Romy, was part of it. As we were talking one day at her house over  a cup of tea, she helped lead me to a self-discovery. This was February 2015- she was telling me how she came to buy Pippa- how it happened, and why. We hadn't really chatted in years, and yet there we were chatting again. The universe had brought us full circle..I suddenly had a moment of enlightenment- what I was missing- a horse. THAT is my passion!! That is what I needed back in my life. Yes I have a wonderful life full of family, children ,partner etc but there was still this little niggle telling me something was "missing". I had resigned myself to never having another horse. I couldn't afford it. Marina taught me how important it is is "visualize" and "manifest" what we want- the universe is listening and we can draw things to us. So I asked my self a question--- I couldn't afford it in the true sense but could I afford not to? NO was the answer. She said when we dream and visualize and think positively, things will transpire- we "pave our road with intentions".....So I went home and posted an ad on a horse site that said "looking for Mr. Right" which then included all my wants in a horse. Someone actually replied to it saying I was not realistic, that horse did not exist..........well they were wrong. Someone else sent me a video and still shot of Raphi. And that is how I found Raphael.I talked at length via text to the current owner about him.... He was over my budget so I kept looking. I actually almost bought another horse but suddenly she developed a tooth abscess. So figured I would steer clear. Then I made arrangements to look at Raphael ( who's name was Gary at that point), and another horse. One was located in Hamilton and the Raphi was near Sarnia. And so I dragged Francis to look at horses. You should know Francis is not a "horse person" and does all he does out of his love for me (PS I am a very lucky lady). So we went to Hamilton ( 7 hrs away)and that horse was not only crazy/high strung and bad mannered, but had an abscess that had developed the day before draining from his gum.Hmmm. I'm sensing the universe is guiding me here.... So off I go to see Raphi-- well love at first sight! I watched him being ridden and then  I rode him,(although can't really call what I did riding- I walked mostly-those that know me know this is my favourite gait) and then.. before I even got on I told Francis he was coming home with me. I hadn't ridden for over 10 years....He was over my original budget but at that point it didn't matter- I was going to make it work and trust the universe to make it be ok. And that as they say is history. On the drive home, I decided his name was just so unsuitable for the magnificent horse that he was. Gary was for  a western horse- too plain-- he needed a name that reflected what he meant to me, his magnificence. So name searching kept us busy on our journey home. He had been shown under the name "Engelchen" which means angel in German. He registered name and the name he raced under was Privy Council. Well, keeping in line with the angel theme, I felt I had been guided to this horse by the angel of my old boy, Romy. I had asked Romy for help in finding a horse- yes you all likely think I'm crazy, but I talk to my animals and believe in angels and that they are there waiting to help if we but ask. I looked up guardian angel names- and I found Raphael-- the guardian angel of happiness,health and nurses! Well that could not be any better --- Raphi represents all those things to me ( yes I am a nurse). And so he became Raphael...........or Raphi for short! ( NO he is not named after the Ninja turtle).

Raphi and I at Canyon Creek

And you know Marina was right- since I made that decision to buy a horse, the universe has provided me with what I need to make this work. My happiness has changed other parts of my life including my relationship with my son and his wife and my two darling grandchildren, Rowan and Brynja. Even my feeling about my job has changed. I can deal with the stress of work so much better than I did before. Going to work means I have the means to feed/support my passion. I don't go shopping for clothes for me, but my horse has a full line of blankets and fancy tack. He even has a recent addition- a bling browband for his bridle with amber stones and pearls. Any clothes I do buy are riding related- riding breeches, riding boots, etc... 

And if you don't believe in being guided by the universe how's this for you.... I had boarded Raphi at two different stables since I bought him in April 2015 to October 2015-- he just didn't seem happy and was getting very thin. So I finally moved him to a place called Canyon Creek late October. He is much more content now. And I did a search of his pedigree after I moved him to CC...his sire was called Canyon Creek! 

So now you know a little about why we are restoring the barn- yes it needed to be done for years but I had found the barn a sad place. One that held all my old memories of my past life, my past horse.... Now I see it through different eyes... ones looking forward with hopes and dreams and seeing possibilities and a future with happiness/challenges instead of sadness and memories. The barn itself seems to have different energy- like it knows we are trying to bring it back to its former glory- that it is loved again. Again, most reading this will likely think me a bit "batty", but this blog is about my journey as much as it is about the barn itself. My journey with life.... what I have learned and what I am learning as we go along. 

Back to the restoration.....

So Sunday afternoon saw Francis working on Pippa's stall- my contribution was helping hold up the track for the sliding door while he secured it...

Pippa's stall-- just needs a few more boards on the side and the grill work added

So this is the front view..at present you will see Raphi's stall is home to some of Francis' tools. The stalls are awaiting the wood for the floors, which will be tamarack. There will also be a new window going in at the top of the wall in Raphi's stall- currently that window is broken and boarded up to keep the snow out.

So that's all for this week... Sorry if I bored you with all the details not directly related to the barn restoration, but it is all still part of the story.