It Could Have Been Bad

Well, dear reader, we almost suffered a major calamity here on the farm. This winter and spring, we have experienced winds unlike any I remember. If you remember back to last May, our county had high-velocity, straight-line winds that blew through, taking out our 100-year-old arborvitae trees, a flowering crab apple tree, and a very large branch from the 200-year-old hickory trees in the backyard. We were very fortunate that our house and outbuildings were safe. Over the last several weeks, we have experienced constant, damaging winds that battered our farmhouse, barn, and trees. 

Our barn was built in the late 1800s. It is built of old timbers and held together with wooden pins. There are very few nails in the original framing, and the architecture and artistry are amazing. They quite literally do not build barns like this anymore. I have a strong affection for our barn and consider her a wonder of ingenuity and skill. When we moved to the farm in the early 1990s, my dad replaced the rotten beams with steel beams, replaced the roof, and had her resided with fresh wood. Saving her was his top priority. I can still remember him standing with his hand resting on the steel beam at the bottom of the barn and proudly announcing she would stand for another 150 years. He also reinforced her with steel cables to help with the old frame and braces' shifting and swaying. 

We try to take good care of the barn. We had her reroofed with a lifetime steel roof this past year. We have replaced flooring in the upstairs, and quickly complete any maintenance projects. She needs a new coat of paint, and I plan to have her sided with steel siding to further protect her from the elements in the next few years. Now, with all this in mind, imagine our shock, fear, and panic when we entered the upstairs of the barn and saw the main wall facing the pasture swaying drastically with every wind gust that blew through. Eric was panic-stricken. Upon inspection, he saw that one of the braces near the roof had slipped out of its joint. Eric immediately jumped into his truck and made a beeline for the Amish contractor we use for our outbuilding maintenance. He returned quickly with our Amish hero. 

Watching this little slip of a man scale the wall of the barn and balance on a thin beam while trying to push the brace back into place was harrowing. He lifted his leg, balanced on one leg, and gave the brace a solid kick. At this point, I could not watch any longer. I was sure this half-man, half-spider monkey with a red beard was going to fall to his death. That was not something I wanted to witness. With a "nope, nope, nope," I walked out of the barn and awaited the outcome. 

Fortunately, the Amishman was able to get the brace back in place, replace the pin, and not fall to his death. The barn is once again solid and sound. There is no swaying or blowing in the breeze. Seeing that wall move with that much force was frightening.  It could have been bad, dear reader, very, very bad. However, the crisis was averted, and all is safe and well. Thank goodness!

We have scheduled a routine maintenance and a thorough checkup of the entire barn. I would never forgive myself if my dad's pride and joy toppled over on my watch. There is always something going on, something to maintain, or something in need of repair. Farming is a never-ending job of projects, maintenance, and keeping a keen eye peeled for potential problems. I am not surprised that we had an issue with the high winds we have been experiencing over the past several years. I am grateful that Eric saw the issue before it turned into a catastrophe and that he acted so quickly. 

On this overcast spring day, stay safe, be smart, keep an eye out for problems, act quickly, and keep washing your hands.