The Barn Raising

It was little bit like an old-fashioned barn raising.

Well, at least there were some similarities. And most important, the barn got raised. Well, the side walls got raised and the vaulted-style customized roof got attached.

It began early in the morning, neighbors gathered, refreshments were served and the work got done. But pholks, that's about as far as the resemblance to actual old-fashioned barn raising went at Ray and Sally Loyd's property just north of Woodlake last week.

Most of those who gathered were senior citizens and the majority didn't have to lift a finger to help in the construction project, a 34 by 60 steel framed barn which will serve mainly as a shop area with a small apartment-like section. Several of those who arrived around 7 a.m., including Mac Roam and Bill Ferry Sr. are old enough to remember when a barn raising was a more common occurrence and a way of life among farm families. Others were drawn to the site to watch the equipment, two large cranes, do the work of several dozen men. Some had been keeping track of the projects progress and getting weekly and sometimes daily progress reports over coffee and donuts at PR's Donuts in downtown Woodlake.

Longtime concrete expert and building erector, Gary Bodine, had drawn numerous sketches on donut shop napkins as he explained specific aspects of the overall project. Gary's etchings are, of course, a little more simplified than the kind Ray Loyd is used to. That's because Ray has a number of degrees and lots of years experience architectural computerized drafting which he teaches at College of the Sequoias. The roof-raising came less than two weeks before his retirement. Just a coincidence. The raising originally was scheduled several weeks earlier but minor adjustments had to be made to ensure that the huge top structure would fit just so.

The fact that the huge roof structure was fabricated at ground level, thus eliminating ladders and scaffolding, was the primary reason the Friday morning event drew so much attention. Lifting a basically completed roof of that size and weight and setting it down on steel pillars is a far cry from the way ranch barns were put together decades ago. Just watching such an event was enough to draw the attention. Of course, there's always the question of "Will it work?"

After all pholks, this is just not some little metal storage shed.

In the old days, such a project lasted a whole weekend, sometimes two or three weekends depending on how many farm families were able to help. Everyone worked long hours. Men and boys sawed wood, used hammers and nails, climbed ladders and all the others tasks required to create the structure. Women and girls did all the farm chores in addition to preparing meals for the whole group.

This time the lifting of support columns and bolting them into place once the two-cranes working in unison lifted the roof structure about twenty feet off the concrete pad, took only about a half hour. The basic roof-raising was over in less than two hours. No need for cooking three meals for the workers. They were done and gone well in time for lunch. The donuts, maple bars, and cinnamon rolls were just right. So was the fresh brewed hot coffee, chilled milk and the fresh orange juice brought by Bill Ferry Sr. The plastic juice containers are labeled with a photo of Bill Sr. The local juice is becoming a hit and is selling well and production is at about 300 gallons per week. This, of course, added even a little more local flavor to the Friday morning event.

There was nobody there to paint or sketch a picture of the event, but Sally Loyd took a dozen or so digital photos. And Denny Bearid, who has followed the project daily at the donut shop, snapped a roll or two of film with his camera, outfitted with a telephoto lens. The barn is up and standing and will be for a long, long time. And perhaps the best part of the whole deal is that nobody is likely to have to clean up any manure or hay.

No Animals allowed.

But, a good time was had by all.

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