"They Call it a Redneck Victory"

That's what my Mom calls it, anyways. I call it a victory in ingenuity and farmer-know-how.

My 85-year-old grandpa recently received a new home. Since my grandma died a few years ago, he has remained in their house. However, Grandpa is starting to show his age. My parents, and aunts and uncles, decided that it would be best to move him closer to one of the family, and so they built him a little Daadihaus next to one of my aunt's homes. It nearly goes without saying that this transition has not been easy for us as a family, but we have tried to make the best of it.

While @Lydon.sipe and I were home for Christmas, we helped move some things to Grandpa's new place. The one thing we didn't get to help with was moving the shed from Grandpa's house to our farm. However, my Mom was kind enough to document the entire hilarious process.

Day 1

New Year's Day, 2017. Dad takes the sides off the old Ford dump truck, and it's across the back roads and down the hill, to Grandpa's house they go!

Step 1: Use the skid loader to tip the shed on end and prop with timbers.

Step 2: Once the shed is securely propped, get the dump truck in position and assist the broken truck hydraulics with the skid loader. Prop truck bed with a board.

Step 3: Back truck with propped bed under the propped shed to begin loading process.

Step 4: Use the skid loader to push the shed the rest of the way onto the truck.

Step 5: Somehow dislodge the board holding up the dump bed, and then the job is nearly halfway done.

Don't forget the gravel for a drainage bed!

Step 6: Transport shed to the farm. Place two volunteers with lifting boards on the back of the truck to prevent snagging any low hanging electrical or telephone wires. In this case my brother Ben (left) and his friend (right) were more than happy to fill this role!

Congratulations! You have completed Day 1!

Day 2 took place a week and a half later, and that is when the real fun continues!

Day 2

Step 1: Find the easiest area to offload, that way you can drag the shed to wherever you want it. Bonus if the end destination is relatively close by.

Step 2: Attach chains to the shed and the skid loader.

Step 3: Use the skid loader to pull the shed onto the ground.

Well, back to the drawing board!

Step 4: Wedge boards under the shed, between the truck and the ground, in order to devise a makeshift bridge.

Step 5: Try again.

Since the skid loader is lifting off the ground, it is time to pull out the big guns! John Deere it is!

Step 6: Swap out the skid loader for the John Deere, and try again. They say the third time is the charm...

Success!

All that remained in the project was to lay the gravel and place the shed. While this may not be the final placement, it works for now! All in all, I'd say this endeavor was a success!

Thanks for reading! I hope this brought some lightness and laughter to your day! I'm sure there will be more escapades to share at a later date. Of one thing I am certain, life on the farm is never dull.