The Big Daddy of Before and Afters- Cowfeathers Farm from cow byre to feathered nest.

Interesting that my last posted blog was a re-do of a room. I like those entries, because I enjoy the process and the new life breathed into a room, home or space by effort and creativity.  Shortly after that blog I re-injured my back and spent some weeks coping with that mess, but I am mending, and returning to doing most of the things I enjoy in my life.
So, I wanted to share another re-do. A grand-daddy of a re-do. So much more than that, it was a restoration. 
A rebirth of an important place in my world, Cowfeathers Farm. When folks come to our home, many say "you did an amazing job with this place." For the people who knew it 30+ years ago, they are truly impressed with where we live because Cowfeathers had been left for dead. But it wasn't Huz and I who gave it resuscitation. We took a lovely home and made it our own, we have added on, redecorated and maintained, but we did not restore.
That leap was taken by a young couple in the mid 1980's. We had heard their names from the people we purchased from, and I had marked "Meet Tom and Leslie" on the bucket list of my life. I had contacted them once years ago, but all being busy, we never connected. Then, in late winter, they drove down the driveway on their way to The Big City. I was at work, but Youngest greeted them, and got their address. And I was thrilled! I couldn't wait to get them here and hear the stories of the resurrection of our little homeplace.
We found an evening, and they drove up from the town farther south where they now live, and brought themselves ( big gift!) and their stories and even photos.
One of the highlights of my spring to meet these lovely people and connect a little more history on our home.

This is Cowfeathers this spring, the view from the front gates.

And this is what that intrepid, optimistic couple saw from the road 30+ years ago.

The bones are all there, they just have some flesh on them now. But it took some real strength to get there!

 The barn today...

 And the barn in the mid 1980s.

Behind the main barn you can see another building that blew over in a storm more than 20 years ago.


The house today....

 And the house when it was saved from its neglected and abandoned state. The couple purchased it, and the day they closed arrived and sat in the drive, in their car and cried. There was not a thing about this place that said "move in". The depth of the project was, undoubtedly, terrifying. And they had never attacked a project of this magnitude before. They say the optimism born of naivety was soon blown away by reality. I loved the photos of where they started, and the wonderful photos of the true friends that showed up weekend after weekend to work. Hard. Cowfeathers was restored by blood, sweat, tears, hope and friendship.
The house had raccoons, cows, plenty of bats, legions of spiders, a really, really big snake and generations of mystery stirred in with 20 years of abandonment. It came with broken doors and windows, the ubiquitous plywood paneling and lots of possibility.

I would have been excited, and terrified too!

Inside was room after room of work. Painstaking work, as they were embarking on a restoration, not a renovation. So they worked hard to make the home liveable without losing the original character.
This photo of the front stairs is a good example.
The walls are damaged, peeling, cracking and very dirty. the floors are there, but there is dirt, cowpoop, and who knows what on and under the glued on treads.

The same views of the front stairs, taken today.

Every inch of the house needed care, and thought and restoration!

Check out the "kitchen" upon purchase in the 80s. the fire place has been bricked up, and there is a metal shelf on the wall. Otherwise, it is the same today. The fireplace has been restored, and the window on the right of the photo now opens up into our sunroom.

We love our home. And, I have always appreciated the people who didn't let it fall down. I am so grateful to now know them! I look forward to having them back, as often as they can come, to enjoy this place they put themselves into, allowing us to do the same years later. What a joy to have them see their work is well loved. Tom and his friend opened up the fireplace. Tom created the gorgeous mantle that is there now, with this soft curve along the top. I am glad to know that!  And thankful to be the current steward of Cowfeathers Farm. I hope it is loved and lived in for many generations to come.