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drop ceiling at the farm! :: completed february 2008

In the unpredictable winter season, we often keep a few major farm projects on hand in case of snow days.  During a couple snowstorms in February we were able to install a brand new drop ceiling in our living room.  The incredible home-repair finesse of our volunteers yielded a beautiful result; the ceiling in our dining room is next!

photo: the panels slid into place and filled in the skeleton of the frame.  Our living room looks great after its makeover!

maple syrup in the making :: in progress this winter

We're always looking for ways to "tap" into our resources around the farm!  Allison is heading up this year's batch of homemade syrup.  She has already tapped several trees, and has stored up several gallons of sap.  We still have a ways to go, however, since we need to boil 40 gallons of sap to yield just 1 gallon up syrup!

photo: continuing Chappy's tradition of fine Nazareth Farm foods, Allison empties one of our jugs of sap into a bucket for storage.

drop ceiling at evelyn's :: completed january 2008

As winter returns to the holler, we look for more and more indoor sites to get out of the cold!  Evelyn lives out in Clarksburg and after we installed a brand new tin roof over her addition, she needed insulation and a ceiling.  Now that she has both, her whole house is toasty and ready for the season!

photo: a work crew poses beneath the skeleton of the ceiling.  The insulation went up in November, and the ceiling was installed in January.

wood splitting :: january 2008

Not all our winter sites are indoors, but the ones that aren't surely keep us warm!  We used the Farm's hydraulic wood splitter to help Butch cut some of his firewood down to size for his stove.  If moving the blocks of wood didn't make us break a sweat, then trying to split them by hand certainly did!  We had a great time swinging away and stacking the wood high.

photo: volunteers operate the hydraulic splitter, which easily cuts even the toughest wood.

rolled roof at sharon's :: completed november 2007

What we thought might just be a patch-up job with tar became a roofing project to prevent the possibility of future leaks at Sharon's house in Clarksburg.  While the shingles challenged us in the cold and the drizzle, we were finally able to roof the entire addition to make it guaranteed leak-free!

photo:  adult week volunteers use long 2x4s and wide pieces of plywood to press down the shingles while the roofing cement dries.

siding at penny's :: completed november 2007

Penny was thrilled to see her house completely sided--it was certainly a big project that spanned many weeks!  After we installed greenboard on the outside of her home to help insulate it, we covered it with siding.  Now her heating bill is dramatically lower, and her home has a beautiful new exterior!

photo:  view of the rear of Penny's home after all the siding had been installed.

ramp at liliana's :: completed october 2007

Liliana, a resident of Greenwood, enjoyed the volunteers not only for their help in building her ramp, and not only for their company, but also because she could cook huge Italian feasts for them!  With full bellies and eager attitudes, the volunteers built this ramp in less than a week, even overcoming the challenges of sloping and rocky ground.  Wow!

photo: one day to set out, two days for joists and handrails, and one day for decking and balustrades.  This ramp really flew!

tin roof at evelyn's :: completed september 2007

Encompassing an entire staff week, this project came accompanied by gorgeous sunshine and perfect temperatures for roofing.  We didn't know what we were going to find when we pulled up the roof, but we certainly didn't expect... a snake!!  Fortunately, it was only a harmless black snake, a common creature in these parts.  It didn't stop us from changing the pitch of the rafters and installing the roof.  Don't you just love the sound of rain on tin?

photo:  the staff puts the final touches on the roof: a few more sheets of tin, a bit of flashing, and some silicone caulk to seal the deal.  Moments after we finished, the sky opened up and poured hard for the first time all week.  Great timing!