The one real surprise about the house we recently bought was that it has a four-stall barn on the back part of the property. Heidi knew about it, but I didn’t know until I was actually looking at the house with the realtor. I had Heidi on FaceTime as I walked around the place.
When we were looking over the backyard, she asked that question that made the deal: “where’s the barn?”
“Barn, what barn?”
“The listing says there is a barn on the place, near the back fence.”
I looked and all I could see was a fence that was covered with heavy overgrowth. I started walking toward the fence, peering though the limbs, trees, vines, and overgrowth. There it was. The outline of a small barn.
I was ecstatic.
“We have to get this place.”
So we did.
Since we closed on the house, I’ve made two working explorations towards the barn, with loppers, hedge trimmers, and a bowsaw. I’ve cleared overgrown areas before, but never for a place that was my own.
As you can see, the barn is almost completely covered. My first concern was poison ivy, and then poison oak. I don’t think I’m allergic to either, but I still wanted to be careful.
My biggest concern were the ticks. So far, haven’t see any.
However, there is a very large vulture living in the first shed. Did I tell you that there are two sheds on either side of the barn, along with a chicken coop? I didn’t did I. But there are.
Apparently the owner of the house, when they built it back in 1935, had plenty of room for chickens, and horses. I think the pen on the right side of the place might have had sheep or pigs in it. But more on that later.
As you look at the picture above, realize that I had yet to step into the barn. I didn’t know if I was going to find… well, junk, rot, dead bodies, whatever? I wasn’t even sure how big the barn was. There was way too much brush and vines covering it to get a clear look of it.
Since we had yet to close, when I took the above picture, I didn’t dare go inside. I wasn’t supposed to be there. But I had to take a look. What you see, is what I saw: a door open to a stall.
All photos copyright © Timothy J. Hammons, 2026.
