Time is drawing near to the barn raising. I have really enjoyed my time working with these oversized tools. They have become somewhat comfortable in my hands over the last several months and it seems almost sad to know soon they will be put away, but not for good. I know better than to sell these tools for another timber frame addition or building is always possible.
After months of planning and cutting timber and now putting the bents together the excitement of the raising is starting to build and at times a sense of panic sets in. The frame is of red oak which is extremely heavy. Hundreds of years ago a bunch of farmers would get together who were use to daily hard lifting and work and raise a barn by hand as a necessity. Now days we have cranes which can take the place of many people. Can a hand raising of red oak still be possible today? What fun would watching a crane do all the work be anyway? As these thoughts pass through my mind I can't help but think a community of people from many different backgrounds can come together and make the impossible possible. I think a lot of us would like to go back to see what it was like hundreds of years before 9-5 jobs and fast food chains. Maybe those who come to this barn raising can get a taste of what it may have been like back in "the good ole days". Maybe we can prove our "good ole days" are now.
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