This old barn has fabulous wood, both structurally and well aged siding. However, it appears to have been re-shingled only once since the original shingles were put on almost 100 years ago. Moisture is causing problems in a couple of areas. So, here we are, a few hours ago (in 2016), adding sheet steel roofing.Continue reading “Renewing the 96 Year-old Barn”
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96 Year-old Barn
This barn was built in 1920. It is in five distinct sections. The far end (the small door) has a concrete floor, and I suspect it was designed for pigs. The next section (bigger door) has got a raised floor, just like the milking section of the barn where I grew up. The next sectionContinue reading “96 Year-old Barn”
Yellow Rose
This rose is quite historic. About 20 years ago, Bev dug it up from the garden at the Boyle Homestead near Colgate. I remember that it was at the west end of the garden, and I think that Mom actually acquired it herself (an accomplishment in a yard filled with things acquired by my grandmother).Continue reading “Yellow Rose”
The Wooden Wagon
We also brought this wagon from the Boyle homestead in Saskatchewan. This design was used very widely in the U.S. and Canada during the 1800’s and early 1900’s. I have no memory of seeing it in use. However, I like to think that it was part of my grandfather’s homesteader’s effects. My grandfather, C.J.(Charlie) Boyle,Continue reading “The Wooden Wagon”
The Hay Rake
This hay rake came from the Boyle farm in Saskatchewan. At some point it was modified from the original in order to be pulled by a tractor. I remember my Dad using it in the 1950’s with a rope pull in order to trigger it to form the windrow. Originally it would have had aContinue reading “The Hay Rake”
The Klann Place
When we first moved here we began to meet people in the community: at the store; auction sales; community events … We discovered the easiest way to describe where we lived was “On The Klann Place”. We had purchased this farm from a Klann estate. That summer one of the members of the family cameContinue reading “The Klann Place”
Lakeshore
In Southern Manitoba lakeshore property is coveted. Here is ours! However, property values plummeted when the lake suddenly drained after a dam failed due to #GlobalWarming. I should note that this incident occurred about ten thousand years ago when an ice dam on Hudson Bay broke and Lake Agassiz emptied very quickly. At that timeContinue reading “Lakeshore”
Glacial Depression
We have several places that have sunk about 2 feet below the surface of the surrounding area. These were caused by chunks of ice that were trapped in the mud and sand as the glaciers receded. These chunks subsequently melted causing a sink hole. It is interesting to note that big, powerful glaciers also hadContinue reading “Glacial Depression”
Big Rock
This is a glacial erratic, moved perhaps 100’s of miles by the last glacier and then deposited when the glacier melted. There is another erratic south of Calgary, also called Big Rock, and it has a brewery named after it. Ours probably isn’t as large, but we can’t be sure since we “can only seeContinue reading “Big Rock”
The Birch Bench
Bev and I both grew up in Southern Saskatchewan, so we did not see a lot of trees. When travelling, we came to love the birch. We owned two houses in Regina, and, at each, we considered, but never got around to, purchasing a weeping birch. We bought our Manitoba property in the winter ofContinue reading “The Birch Bench”