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| Looking south from inside the house through the frosty window |
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| House--south side with porch built in. South porch was built somewhere in the middle to late 50s, and the north porch--you can't see in the later 60s. The ramp and covered deck built in 2003 for Dad to get outside when his parkinson's made it difficult to get around much. The house was built about 1918. I don't like the dormers on the roof as they complicate the roofing and make it harder to keep from leaking. It has a brand new roof under the snow! |
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| From the road looking south |
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| From the house looking mostly SSW The barn (1917), with feed grinder leanto (1971), the youngstock barn (1958?), machine shed (1986). The barn cinder block lower wall was put in to replace wood walls about 1951. The youngstock barn was the product of a winter of logging and spring sawing lumber from the north 60. Dad built all the buildings after 1941 with himself as the main carpenter. Initially the main barn had wood shingles that lasted for about 50 years, then has lock-tab shingles that are probably good for a year or two more, but in need of replacement too. Last painted in 1975 when Margo was pregnant with Scott--and up for the summer. She didn't finish the last 8 feet--as the ladder was too short, even standing on two barrels. |
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| The garage with granary above (1949) built from green elm freshly sawed lumber and basswood. Addition to the left for extra tractor built about 1964. Corncrib to left of garage is falling down-- built about 1950 (also home-sawed lumber). Behind the garage and out of site is the 1951 outhouse and the 1960(?) corncrib. |
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| Small storage shed about 1980, and the playhouse about 1960. Playhouse was made of extra basswood from the north 60 sawed one spring. |
Lots of maintenance needed to fix up the buildings. One problem is that, without cattle, we really don't need most of them. Guess we will have to get some cattle--a herd of holstein baby bull calves to raise might be a good hobby for Margo.
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| The orchard at one time had 100 full size apple trees--good for a 1000-2000 bushels of apples in a good year. It has died off and down to about 20 trees, many falling apart. Even the martin house has seen better days. |
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| Some trees, like this Wolf River, hold their apples all winter. They are frozen hard--wonder if they would make a pie?
In the 50s-80s, when Dad and Mom were in their prime, the farm was very well kept up--painted, groomed and attractive. It is in need of a lot of upkeep to bring it back. My neighbor, George Gullickson, has gradually been re-doing some of the many buildings on his farm, and rather enjoys the process. Maybe we will try it here. Brother Marv did his remodeling of the old farm buildings on Grandpa's place with a bulldozer, however they were farther gone then the ones here.
Time to study the seed catalogs now.
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