The poor old garage is on its last. The east side, facing the new driveway, blew out during a wind storm about a month ago. Then just last week there was another storm with high winds and when it was over, the garage was leaning toward the road. Dad gave the corner posts a shake and it still seems solid enough, but it truly is a hazard now. Dad is talking to some people around who might be interested in showing up with a chainsaw, take it down in chunks, and take it away for firewood. Over time Dad has slowly emptied it out and I don't think there is anything in it anymore. Every time we step inside now we fall through the floor. All of the wood is mush. The roof fell in about 1998, and I always meant to get around to fixing it. In fact, Dad and I had it all planned out, but back then I didn't have the money, so it sat. We still used it for years, with stuff stacked up inside under tarps.
Not a whole lot of attention was ever paid to it. We kept the mowers in it, and the firewood. I don't know the specific history of the building. I suppose George built it. The map of the land below from 1916 shows it wasn't there yet, but the kitchen was. There were also three out buildings down the field.
It was there in 1958, as shown in the above photo with Winnie, Lois and Ralta. It had steps then!
It obviously didn't change much. Seems it always had that square opening in the back. This is Lois, Ralta, and Sandy. Sandy sent me these photos a few years ago.
It must have been built to hold a very small carriage? Its only 14 feet wide and 16 feet long. I suppose a Model T might have squeezed into it. I have no idea though if George ever had a car.
Sandy sent me these photos a few years ago as well. These were taken July 31, 1988. That's Neil and Carol, Jim, Dad and Mom, Grammy, Sandy, Winnie and Christopher, with Arthur in the front.
This was the same day. Viola and Dolly (Wood, not my friend Dolly!)
2008
2009
Dad and Jim, 1995
This is what the inside looked like after the roof fell in, and we were still using it.
Munn 200. I put the family chart up on the back wall.
I took this November 1, 1994
2008
Dad's old truck, whick also fell apart and had to be put down.
Surrounded by chaos October 2010
Landscaping around it 2012
James, Sarah and I stacked the chimney bricks up against it, and I later used them to build the walks.
The north side of it blew out in a wind storm in 2011. My contractor told me about it as he was working on the house over that winter, and he put the plywood up to keep it together. At that time it was still full of stuff.
The garage has always been an important part of staying there, until the house work started. It was just there, never paid much attention to. Eventually, once the house is done, I will build a new 2 car garage, idealy with a loft, roughly in the same place, with the doors facing the new driveway. I'm getting a little misty-eyed about it now. I suppose it will be gone by the time I get there in August. I sure hope so!
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