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This winter has not been an easy one here in New England, even for those of us who have lived in the cold north for many decades. It seems like each weekend has brought us a new snow storm, and Monday I woke up to this:

Monday’s temp – Yes that middle reading is minus 25

Nonetheless, there are historic timber frames like this one in need of saving and the work continues, despite the bitter cold. This week, we are busy dismantling the Tinmouth timber frame. (That’s right – thanks to the help of my dedicated blog-fans, we were able to find a new owner and save the old barn home from demolition!) While I’m not one to complain, the truth is that everything about winter work is either hard or less hard, never easy. But you can’t let ole man winter beat you down, so you beat your own body up and keep the project moving. Luckily – I’ve got a dedicated, hard working team on board to help with the work!                                   A hearty crew, look very happy, huh! There’s no doubt about it – working as a group of hearty souls allows you to get through the day, even if we do dream of St. John V.I. this coming April and conjure up images of the beach as we toil! Often 2 hours a day are spent removing snow to get at what you are working. Here we are clearing the roof on a Manchester, VT barn home.

The Snow Shovel Dance!

And this is a picture from a few years back, when we set a cupola in the midst of a snow squall… Assembling wall sections in the snow is always an extra challenge. This past week, when temperatures were stuck around the zero line (and below), my son in law and I stayed warm in my “toasty” 40 degree shop. (Yes, that’s Fahrenheit.) It’s simply too cold to be outside, so we carry each of the timbers inside to restore a wall section, one bent at a time.

Restoring timbers in the shop

My workshop itself is a 1806 Baptist church that was turned into a potato storage barn in 1954. It’s very well insulated, for which I am grateful, so we are able to keep the barn restoration project moving forward.

Winter Timber Framing – The Bottom Line

Your toes freeze, your fingers hurt, you wonder why you chose Vermont of all places to settle…Because -25 is no joke and there is not much happy about these blood-freezing temps unless you are an ice fisherman. Those guys like to drive their trucks out to their ice shanties and huddle around a mini heater with plenty of ales for what ales ya.

But there is an upside! While I work, a collection of tiny icicles form on my mustache, so I always have plenty of water to drink during the day! (Just have to chew it a bit…)