Anyhow, now that I've destroyed the poetic entrance of this post, I'll get on to my reason for writing.
I find it absolutely amazing how a structure that stands and provides shelter and warmth for over 100 years can be reduced to dust in almost no time at all. In December, we watched an excavator take down the original farm house on our yard in under an hour. I'm sure he could have done it faster, but he had to pause and clear rubble and debris as he went.
Did you notice how much dust flew out of those walls as they came down??? As we moved out, we found extension cords that were browned near the socket and I can't help but thankfully praise the Lord that our house never burnt down on our heads.
I know there are people who are saddened at our decision to take the old house down. There is a rich heritage and history that lived in that house and that fact is not lost on us. It was a good house/home, but the reality is that it needed a LOT of work and we aren't the people who can make that happen. Quite frankly, with a busy farm operation, it's not the priority. I did write a blog post that made light of the many shortcomings that old house possessed. If you're interested, you can check it out HERE.
As the original century old farm house came down, there was a somber feeling in the air. I'm glad my father/mother in law were away, because I think it would have been hard for them to watch. I couldn't help but think about how temporary things built by "man" are. One hundred years is a long time, but really just a drop in the bucket in light of eternity. It's the things that God builds that last.
We really did try to sell (or give away) the house to someone who would re-locate it. We had it listed on Kijiji for a year and there were several inquiries, but it just wasn't a viable option economically. The moving costs were MUCH higher than for a new house and most towns have by-laws to regulate houses that are moved in (electrical work etc.). They are leary of a hundred year old farm house and any of us who have watched even a little bit of HGTV have a pretty good guess as to why.
SO, down it went.
(We did remove most doors and re-usable things inside.)
The spectators were kept captivated while the excavator worked. Crazy to think that my kids will hardly remember ever living in the old house! And yes, I think that is a smile on Mitch's face. He was actually pretty excited to see the house come down. We had hoped to have the house gone several months sooner. Our sight lines from the new house to the barn significantly improved (by 100%) when the old house was gone.
Reduced to a pile of rubble. Things did get cleaned up fairly well, but I know we'll have a mess to deal with come Spring.
 |
| Have no fear, the whole is filled in :) |
I think we are going to love our HUGE front yard. Mitch was fairly quick to get a rink flooded for our little up and coming hockey player.
While it is sad to think of the original farmhouse being gone, we are truly SO thankful for our new home. It is very comfortable and more than adequately meets the needs of our busy family. Life really is easier in our new space.
We begin a new legacy.
Doesn't our new house look like it fits on this yard?
No comments:
Post a Comment