Now, well into November 2010 the weather was closing in on us and only a few days remained before we had to vacate the house in Stowe. Most of our personal items had been packed and stored leaving all furnishings, linens, dishes etc for the new tenants. It was clear that the cabin, even in it's roughest state was not going to be ready in time.
The structure, an old barn, had to be reconstructed from the inside out. Two young, strong men stepped in to help. Sandy and Scott, taking a break from their stair building business willingly worked long hours with Frits, to get it done. First the posts and beams were fitted back together and then the original barn boards were nailed in place just as they had been when first this barn was built in the 1860's.
We then added a small section to one side to allow room for an entry, utility room and a bathroom.
Once the interior structure was done we needed to be able to insulate the building from the outside to preserve the look of the old barn on the inside. Time was running out.
Our good friends and neighbors in Waterbury Center offered us a roof over our heads for the month of December, and for this, we were very grateful. Fortunately our two dogs were welcomed too.
Snow was falling by the time the roof went on. By now we had the help of Ernie and his sons, some of the hardest workers you'll ever come across. Day after day they worked outdoors in freezing temperatures and all kinds of precipitation to make sure our cabin was protected from the elements, so we could move in.
January 1st, 2011 was our target date but even that was optimistic. The guest house at our Stowe property was rented through December but a two week period after New Year's was open. One more temporary move was necessary and then on January 15 we lugged our few possessions that had not been boxed up, through the snow to our new home.
We felt like the early settlers in our primitive conditions. We had no plumbing at all, just a portalet in the yard. Our only water came from the barn in a bucket. An extension cord ran from the barn to provide us with a few drop lights but best of all we had a wood stove and we were toasty warm.
The sleeping loft did not yet have a floor so sheets of plywood were laid over the joists so we could at least have our air bed in a somewhat private place. Ernie and the boys were still arriving at 7:00 to finish the outside siding but by then we had been up for a couple of hours. The downstairs was still the workshop, full of beam parts, sawdust and lots of tools. Our makeshift kitchen was also in the loft and consisted of a sheet of plywood on saw horses with an old shelving unit attached to the wall. We had a microwave, a crock pot and an electric skillet. The refrigerator was in the barn so we had to run out in the snow every time for all perishables and to go to the loo. Surprisingly, we didn't mind it at all. It was temporary and each day we were to be a little better off than the day before.
Once the outside was complete and Ernie and the boys had moved on, Frits and I settled in for a very snowy winter.
Never had we thought we would be roughing it like this in our 60's. Our friends all thought us crazy but we were having an adventure. More to come.
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