Scenes from a family barn raising.
Written By Nicholas Larkins
With my family and friends, any gathering is liable to result in a good amount of high spirited back-and-forth banter. And when you’re gathered for something difficult and strenuous, such moments can help keep the mood light and working relations pleasant. This is, after all, not worth the effort if we can’t do it amicably. Despite the intense schedule of the work, some downtime is inevitable, and my brothers need little excuse to fill such time with play. Below is a series of photos taken during the shop build that capture some of the candid, wholesome, or humorous moments from the week.
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Playing with the hi-powered chip ejector.
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Riding to the shop in a truck with one passenger seat.
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Same shirt, different levels of responsbility.
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Friends drop by with dinner and a chisel to help out.
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One of the pleasures of digging in a backfilled lot are the many fun obstacles.
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"Squaring up": not just for joinery.
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One day's worth of pin shavings.
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John blocks traffic so we can pull out with our trailer.
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Attempting to intercept a cookie toss.
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The same cookie, un-intercepted.
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Mr. John, neighbor of 20 years from NC, arrives midway through the week.
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Midnight, day three: exhausted but happy.
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A friendly touch sparring match during a lull while raising.
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Getting creative to pin a brace from the hillside.
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Mid-air timber surgery for a brace that just barely wont fit.
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For some, the work is not quite strenuous enough on its own.
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While for others...
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Learning to walk on 32" centers.
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Playing a traditional game of "timber frame bowling" with stones and cans.