So I'm not going to start this with what week of renovation it is. Let's just say it's in the 30s. We've had some set backs for sure, but what we ended up with is beyond our imagination of what it could be when we started. We have gone from critter-infested horse stalls, to a stylish, modern farm style gathering space. Have there been some surprises along the way? Of course. Who could have anticipated a complete loss of power to the building (probably the result of electrical storms in the area), or the need for a new stretch of road leading to the barn. Not us. But persistence is the name of the game. What can you do? Stop in the middle and call it quits? Well, I guess that's an option, but not for us or our construction team. So this weekend, we celebrate!

An exciting aspect of our Open House party is that we are able to showcase both the art and music that Mark and I are involved with. In addition my own new paintings on display (Space of a Place), our friend Rosie Carter has her art up as well (Divergent Boundary). Her art is the perfect compliment to mine. Hard lines, vs soft. Paper vs canvas. And for both of us, our subject matter is about our fascination with the landscape we live within. The trio Mark plays with (Ravensong) will be providing the soundtrack to our celebration. Join us if you can!

Everyone knows what electricity can do. It can run cities, industries and homes. It is at once ubiquitous and unseen. When power is disrupted, it can cause chaos. In this last week or so, we have witnessed first-hand the power of power. As the monsoon season continues (hallelujah) it has brought welcome rains, but also lightning. Lightning can cause forest fires and it can fry transformers. We had a lightning strike close by our property last week, and this week a transformer in Mancos blew up, cutting off power to hundreds of nearby residents – including us. We lost power for nearly 18 hours before it was restored. And in the middle of that, the barn and the guest apartment completely lost power. Not because of the transformer problem in Mancos, but from a failure of our own system. At our house we get electricity from a nearby transformer box. Then we send the power from our house to the barn. It wasn’t a great system, and we knew we would have to fix it eventually, but out of the blue it just quit working. We have had to relocate guests and cancel reservations. Something no vacation rental host EVER wants to do. The upgrade that we planned in the future is needed now. And the work will have to be done by the local electric utility company. So now we wait.

The loss of power did not stop our eveready crew. Using a portable generator, they were able to keep plugging away on the final items to make the barn space complete. They created the most wonderful barn-style doors for the kitchen door, the pass-through space, and a crawl space opening in the ceiling. They were even able to repurpose the hinges from the original dutch-style stall doors. They also touched up paint and other refinements. Still some to go, but like I said in my last blog, “So close!”
 

When you were a kid did you ever go on a road trip with your family and in response to "are we there yet?" your parents would say a "couple more hours," or "a couple more miles?" Two hours or two miles later they would say the same thing, again and again until miraculously, it seemed, you were there. That's were we are with the Harmony Barn renovation. We are two hours, or two days, or two weeks away from everything being finished. In the meantime we were able to host three writers who turned out to be the most patient, easygoing and enthusiastic guests. Two people stayed upstairs and we created a bedroom area downstairs in the barn for one. When we scheduled them months earlier, we didn't anticipate that the barn wouldn't be quite done yet. But Patrick, our contractor, made sure we had electricity, water and a toilet downstairs. Delays are inevitable in any construction project, so we are just happy that the crew was so responsive and that our writers were so gracious. After their week at the Harmony Barn was done, we are happy to say they loved it! Janet, Shannon and Wendy (the cookie lady), you are welcome back anytime!

Now that our guests have left, construction and finishing have resumed. Bathroom tiling is finished, kitchen cabinets have their hardware and the tinted concrete just needs a finishing protective layer. Electrical fixtures have been installed and most of the landscaping is complete. Appliances will go in soon and then the fun begins: setting up the barn with rugs, furniture and welcoming touches. Ready for gathering! Give me a call, or email, if you would like to learn more, or are interested in booking the Harmony Barn.  Jody 303-917-4627, [email protected].

Check out our Harmony Barn Gathering Space page. 

One of our deepest wishes for the Harmony Barn is that people will have an opportunity to gather where they don’t just view the landscape but interact with it. We would like our guests to feel a strong sense of place and develop a connection to the area. To support this, I am creating a series of paintings that reflect my affinity to the surrounding landscape. Painted in a loose, expressive style that borders on abstraction, I hope to share my love of the area with others. Also, a practical reason for these paintings on canvas is that they will absorb sound, and help improve the acoustics. In the future I hope to share the walls with other artists during pop-up shows and events. Here is a sneak preview of some of the paintings that will be going up on the walls as the interior nears completion.

Construction is moving steadily along. The kitchen cabinets have been installed and the concrete floor has been stained a lovely terracotta/bronze color. Between the floor and the lower kitchen cabinets that are a French blue, it is nice to see some color in the space. The exterior walls have been waterproofed, patched, and trimmed and a fresh coat of black stain is bringing it all together. We are thankful that our upstairs weekend guests have been so tolerant of moving through, and staying above the construction. And we are grateful that the builders leave the area as tidy as possible when they are done for the weekend.

There are a lot of reasons to go to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Visiting the galleries, historical sites, restaurants, the plaza and surrounding shops, is enough to keep one busy for days. But I have discovered another good reason to visit Santa Fe — the consignment stores. If you are looking for vintage clothing or gently used furniture, it’s the place to go. Make sure to bring a truck, trailer or van to haul your treasures home. I once stuffed the back of my Subaru Forester so full I was afraid there wouldn’t be room for my traveling companion. This time I knew I needed some big furniture pieces for the Harmony Barn so I burrowed a van and boy was I glad I did. I got some great deals, and I love not always buying new. I feel there is a bit of history and character that comes with each used piece, and my budget loves the savings. Some of my favorite places for furniture are:
Congeries Consignment (now two wonderful locations run by the same folks)
​The Consignment Warehouse (nicely displayed items with a good range of pricing)
The Raven (so much to look at, a bit pricey but an experience to shop there)
​Goodwill (I always make a point of stopping here and ALWAYS find great things at a steal)
Some of my favorite places for clothing are:
Art.i.fact Consignment Boutique (great collection of clothes and accessories and good prices)
Consignment Boutique at 801 (designer and one-of-a-kind clothes at a fraction of original prices)
Double Take (they have boots, clothing, furniture, home decor - everything!)
Ooh La La Consignment (super cute shop with interesting and designer clothing)
The Cat (a thrift store that supports a cat shelter. Nicely arranged store with real finds)
Santa Fe Vintage OUTPOST (great vintage western wear and jewelry)

While I was shopping in Santa Fe, a lot was happening at the barn. The interior walls were painted, and the beams and posts were getting spruced up and readied for painting. On the outside, the exterior was being weatherproofed with caulking, trim and additional siding. It looks a bit patchwork now, but once it gets a new coat of black paint it’s going to look consistent and, best of all, be able to keep the weather where it belongs — outside. They also prepped for the new cement pads outside the doors. One will be at the main entrance where people will be able to roll up their equipment, wheel chairs, or anything else that could benefit from a stair-less entry. On the south cement pad, we made it a size that could accommodate a band. And the third pad is under the east upstairs deck. This will be the garden patio area with potted plants and shaded seating with a view. We figure we are about a month away from completion so we are getting pretty excited to turn this blog from revocation to Open for Business!

This week we had guests again at the Harmony Barn Apartment. It was nice to have people enjoying the beautiful spring days and knowing that summer will bring a steady stream of people to enjoy the area, many of them for the first time. Turns out it takes a bit of work to reopen a place after having been shut down for a few months. This is what owners of cabins and second homes must have to deal with, but I wouldn’t know. The main thing in getting the place ready is making sure the systems work. It’s good to have electricity and plumbing, and when the toilet started leaking and flooded the bathroom after it was reconnected, that was NOT good. Hours, and many soggy towels later, the apartment was ready. The wifi was humming along, and the welcome mat was in place and our contractor had moved the gigantic trash trailer from the parking lot and entrance. Of course it still looks like a construction zone around the lower part of the barn, but it looks like a neat construction zone and hopefully our guests won’t mind too much.

Week 18
The barn progress is cruising along. Drywall is up and drywall mud and finishing is starting. The other big thing to start happening is the landscaping. Right now the land slopes right into the South side of the barn, which means water drains right toward the barn. The land will have to be scraped away, and reconfigured so that water drains away from the barn. And then walkways and hardscaping will be put in.

After having moved to a small community after living in a large city, I have noticed how important non-profit organizations are to the health and vibrancy of the community they serve. It is true in the city as well, but how much you connect with these type of organizations depends on the smaller groups you belong to. For example, when I worked at a large inner-city high school, there were specific groups to support the school’s students, teachers and staff. The more support a group received, the better chance that group had of thriving. In the three years that we have lived in the Mancos area, it seems that volunteer and non-profit groups have a real impact on the health of the town and its people. There are groups that support teen well-being, economic development, trail maintenance, agricultural practices, and a myriad of health services, just to name a few. Where governmental services are limited, people step in. It’s a good reminder that we need each other, and that supporting each others helps us all to thrive.

Week 17: What Makes a Strong Building?
As we have watched the renovation and building of our barn into a gathering space, we’ve seen first hand the benefits of planning, coordination, and cooperation within in the process. There is a specific order to how things get done, and the skilled tradespeople need to work together so that key things are done at the right time and in the right way. Our contractor is the conductor and his job is to see that process is done right. We are now in the crucial part of building where many things are happening simultaneously and if we are to have the place ready to go by July, they have to happen with the right timing. Drywall is almost complete and finishing and painting will happen soon, as well as the staining of the concrete floor. The plumbing needs to happen this week - as we have guests in the apartment this coming weekend.  You might say: If it takes a village to raise a child, then it takes a village to create a healthy community, and it takes a village (of talented craftspeople) to transform a barn.