The Barn

The barn on my acreage is no longer being used for any real purpose; it houses some junk, hundreds of five gallon pails, and other miscellaneous items which I have not yet been brave enough to investigate.

West side of the barn.

I'm a bit unsure what I shall do with this barn; my options are to paint it in its original colors and do some minor repairs, leave it just the way it is, call the local volunteer fire department and have them burn it down for teaching purposes, or sell it and have it moved it off the property.  The last option seems a bit unrealistic as I doubt it could withstand the physical demands of the move.  I'm most likely to leave it the way it is for a year or two while I concentrate on the house and then, if it is still standing, paint it and do some minor repairs.

On the south end of the barn is a rather large pile of dirt which I believe came from when my father dug the basement for the house with his own loader.  My sister-in-law frequently drives over with her garden tractor and fills her birthday present (a large shiny black wagon) with soil for use on her yard.  Its a good thing its a big pile because I think I'd like to use some of it myself.

South end.

As far as landscaping and the area around the barn, my mind has gotten as far as cleaning the area around the barn and being able to mow right up against the barn.  What you can't see in these photos is that the front, or east, of the barn has Manitoba Maple trees growing right up to the foundation of the barn.  Those trees will be among the first on the yard to be removed. 

There is also remnants of a rabbit hutch on the front of the barn that will be completely removed.  It used to house my grey rabbit, Fluffy, when I was a pre-teen, but its long since been partially removed.  

In general, I'd like to open up the area around the barn, and make it more of a showpiece than an eyesore.  

If you've got any suggestions or pointers, I'd love to hear them.