Alberts Barn Burn

This post is not for the faint of heart.  Or at least not for those who see a decrepit old barn and want to load all of it's wood in the trunk.

(Now that would be funny - someone trying to fit a whole barn in their trunk).

Old Alberts Farm

My regular readers (like Andi from Delusions of Ingenuity who is very regular-at least this week), as opposed to those of my readers who are not regular - have seen me type of Albert before. 

He has chair backs made in his honor.....

He has literally tons of stones incorporated into our home and yard from the rock pile we inherited where he stacked them in his pasture.  

Two stone fireplaces, two outdoor rock fire pits, rock driveway pillars, a rock bathroom vanity, patio pond landscaping and countless other landscaped areas where the rocks Albert picked from his field year after year have been put to good use.

The wood trim throughout our house is made from a big old maple tree that was

cleared and sent to the saw mill.

Everywhere around here are remnants of Old Alberts farm.  Albert was a bachelor who lived in the same house from the day he was born and he cared for his only brother who was handicapped.

Never married nor had kids, he milked cows and plowed fields back when his farm was the only one on all the lake.

Albert drove a pickup truck till well in his 90's and he told Brawn one time if he sees that truck coming down the road he better move out of the way because he can't see so well anymore, only about 10 feet in front of him.

We bought 25 acres of Alberts land from him, a farmer bought the 80 acres of tillable land, and Albert kept his house and 10 acres around it along the lake shore.  When he got too old to care for himself - I think he was 98 - he went to the nursing home to finish his days.

Barn Burning

When Albert died he only had distant family left, and they didn't want his house or barn.  His distant family, some of whom never even met Albert, decided to sell the acres that the house sat on, knowing someone would make the investment in a new home overlooking the lake and thought the land would sell faster without the old buildings.

Our View, the original homestead is out of the picture to the left

The distant relatives arranged for a controlled burn by the fire department.  That means the fire department can use it for training, like a mock emergency, which made me feel better knowing the fire might at least help someone sometime along the way.

 People gathered to watch the house burn.

I was probably one of the few who found it hard to watch, and it still bothers me to look at the pictures.

Before the barn went up in flames, Brawn asked the distant relative if we could have a few old boards.  Brawn was told to take what he wanted.  We ended up with a metal cupola from the top of the barn, the old hayloft ladder, some boards and barn doors.

You might recognize the old doors, one of them became a barn wood coffee table.

The metal cupola from the barn is on our little shed.

Way too big for it, but you know..... every day when I stand at my kitchen sink I think of Albert because that cupola is within view. 

It was spring, the trees were just starting to bud.

The big apple tree on the right in the photo was covered in blossoms.

Before the fire, the distant relatives had torn apart the interior walls in hopes Albert had hidden millions there.  He probably hid them in the barn.

The apple tree still blossoms every spring, though the apples are really tart, almost too sour for Brawn who likes them that way. 

 The guy in the gray sweatshirt is Brawn along with two of our boys in red.

When Brawn and I were dating we used to fish for our dinner after work on nice summer days.  The California city girl learned to like fishing, the taste of pan fried sun fish, and the slower pace of country life.

We'd get word the fish were biting on a lake here or there.  Alberts farm was about 3 miles from town on a gravel road, and he had an old rickety dock on the lake.  Brawn went to the door and asked if we could fish from his dock.  He leaned out of the door and looked me over as I held my fishing pole and cooler and had only one condition, don't leave any mess behind.

15 years, two houses, and 4 of the 6 kids later, Brawn stopped in again to chat with Albert to see if he was interested in selling some land.  Albert said he remembered Brawn and that he used to fish with his dark haired girl from the old dock.  Albert asked Brawn if he still had me around, and then he answered Brawn's question about selling some land by saying, "you know, I think I just might".

Well Albert... we are still fishing on your side of the lake, and we don't leave any mess behind.  We also put your trees, your rocks and your land to good use.

After the buildings were burned I was sad, it was as if Albert never existed.  That is to anyone else maybe.... but he lives on to us. 

Albert, we have not forgotten you, we just added a half dozen more fishermen around your farm.

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