The west side of the ME farm barn had a sill kick out, needing attention.
A foundation component, something supporting anything of importance or as big as a barn is a very critical element to not neglect. Without maintenance, protecting with vital repairs the big old Maine farm barns go to their knees. That is why many have become extinct like large lumbering dinosaurs that used to roam the Earth.
But the repair, rebuilding requires you to put down whatever you are carrying. To free up your arms, open your heart and mind to study the under pinnings. To undercover what caused the barn to squat, the wall sill plate to kick out of alignment.
Because if you don’t address that wall foundation issue crying out for repair, the other three walls, roof and intrastructure all tied to it are affected.
Will go in to decline faster because all of the parts of the barn work in harmony, unity, oneness like a good marriage. Other areas of your life are like that if too much focus is on this area, none or very little on these other critical sections is not provided.
Do you measure twice, three times or more and cut once? Take, make the time to talk over with others in your life affected by a strong or weak foundation? To build or repair it together? That you need input from to seek answers to what others think is needed. The how and why of how come the foundation is crumbling, moving beyond how the original creator build it so perfectly.
Foundations put in right, protected from water seeping in around it that in a climate like Maine can freeze.
Pushing a structure apart with great brutal force need your full attention. Help from above. So do protective roof eaves that are designed to shed water away from the foundation. Or when shingles, metal coverings wear out and fail if not renewed, kept healthy, maintained begin to leak.
Seeping water can rot, decay, cause mold and mildew and create from little holes large openings from the top down if not addressed. And then eventually attacking the root of the problem, a vulnerable foundation in trouble caused from neglect, lack of loving care.
Have you spent enough time on your knees, digging, probing, removing sharp stones and rotten debris that can surround, build up around your most important foundation? To make sure proper drainage, filtering of the storm run off does not pool, fester, remain causing an under water, soggy, stagnant environment.
You need high and dry conditions in life to rest, recharge when under attack.
To keep from getting water logged or from being sucked under if it gets too deep and you no longer can touch the bottom.
I fixed the barn west wall sill the right way. Expensive up front, but an investment that will last in the long run to protect the old Maine barn. That my family has cross cabled, hurricane braced for extra support to protect the old girl. The big tall barn, the cornerstone of the entire collection of Maine farm buildings.
The repair was not done without study, thought, consideration because of the tremendous weight it is expected to support. Knowing life, weather does not get easier in Northern Maine, that you and I have to become stronger instead.
The relationship foundations you are entrusted to build, maintain, put on this Earth with the purpose of serving are sacred.
Do you put the time and attention, the initial groundwork in to them to make sure they survive, thrive?
Relationships are fragile, delicate and need strong protective skeleton bones of the building in place. Carefully hand hewn beams carved out to intricately fit together with pegs, dowel fasteners.
Made to last, with no gaps, nothing out of square and true, arrow lazer line straight. To exact tolerances engineered not to need rebuilding if treated with respect. Like the pyramids of Egypt that still stand and look like the day they were finally done after years, decades, lifetimes of effort.
When your foundation gets out of whack and you open up your heart and soul to see why.
Not retreat to blaming others in your life for sadness. Where you neglected, had blind eyes and closed ears. Missed the cues because no blue print, no couseling or education, instruction going in happened. You had no idea of how important this foundation was, needed to be to survive the storms of life.
The foundation you build your marriage, family, life around has to be planted on convictions bed rock solid. And you never getting comfortable or letting anything slide, missed that signals the warning signs you are braced for because of critical planning going in.
Take the time needed to keep that foundation you build on healthy. The one you don’t want to tear down, start over. Have to replace down the road. It needs to be kept high and dry, protected, sacred. Maine, a little more aware because we keep life simple. Revolving around what matters most… Foundation relationships with others around you.
I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker
207.532.6573
info@mooersrealty.com