Work is well underway at The Bunkhouse!
The accessory dwelling/retirement home is taking shape. The foundation was poured, walls are up, and the second floor is going on.
It is neat to watch a home be built from the ground up - less neat to be waiting for it to be done to have a place to live no doubt - but still, a neat process. The exterior finishes are going to compliment the other outbuildings on the ranch, keeping with the bold red and white trim. for a classic "barn" style look. We all looked at colors for quite some time - not an easy decision to make! We wanted things to be cohesive and classic, while still making a statement. I believe this will do just that.
(Internet photo for aesthetic ✨️)
Once the structure is fully standing, the siding, trim, windows, doors, and roof will be installed, and then it moves on to adding decks and porches, along with the utilities before interior finishes.
I'm very much looking forward to the interior portions of this project - and let me just say that the views from each window are not too shabby - overseeing the round pen for horse work/lessons, and a partial view of the new front pasture from both the kitchen and living room, along with a tranquil view of the wilderness from the master bedroom.
The centerpiece of the home - a beautiful cozy fireplace has been acquired, and all of the appliances/cabinets/counters are ready to go! Mom & Dad are working their tails off bringing all the pieces together - I know the effort will pay off for them in the end.
We also were gifted a wonderful surprise! As part of the house build, we were required to update our long driveway to a private road with the addition of the new house. Our neighbor's held the ultimate decision, and one afternoon brought us down for a big reveal at the road. We are now the proud and gracious residents at Magnolia Way (a nod to our angel baby, Magnolia). We are elated and look forward to planting more magnolia trees all along the driveway. This was such a thoughtful selection and it has made us smile every day we drive through.
The front pasture - our side project to The Bunkhouse - is also coming right along!
The land is totally cleared, leveled and now we are working on grading and fertilizing it. We're using composted manure from our very own herd to add nutrients to the soil. Once that is spread evenly, we will seed it for grass grazing, and fence it in. A lot of moving parts...
Cost is a prohibitor from getting it all done at once, as nice split rail or white equestrian fences are a bit pricey. This project may take us into next year, but it will be worthwhile. It has helped to open up our driveway so much and provides more of a front yard than we thought we'd ever have. Plus, the trees we cleared, we are now splitting into logs to heat our home for the next couple of years! Plenty of work going on around here.
We scored a free shed (needs some TLC but overall nice size/shape - will paint to match the other outbuildings) that will be put together for hay storage, grains, and more tack space at the front pasture. We will need to build a shelter for the horses in this same space as well. That will likely be a spring/summer project for 2023, too.
Providing this new pasture space for our horses will provide the barn paddock some rest to be cleaned out and potentially grow some grass. We need to do some leveling and grading in that paddock so we have less puddles (mud) and better drainage - a lesson learned from building.
Summer has floan by with all of this positive change going on and I'm not sure this year is quite done changing yet... there are still a few months to go - who knows what will happen next!
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