![[1906 - The Coppock Barn, Monroe Township, Miami County, Ohio]](images/index/CoppockBarnMasthead2.jpg)
For the most part, the entries presented here are verbatim as originally recorded. However, most misspellings or word omissions have been corrected, while grammar and punctuation have not been. In a few cases, the language has been softened. The author sometimes became very frustrated with events, and that frustration was sometimes strongly reflected in an entry. On some occasions, entries stray a bit from the barn work at hand, but they none-the-less reflect what was on the author's mind at the time, and as such have been included here.
A number of identical footnotes appear throughout the log from month-to-month, so that each month's entries can be better understood on their own. For example, when a person is named in multiple month's log entries, that person is introduced by footnote at their first invocation in each month's log.
It should be noted that the author's primary concern was preserving the Pennsylvania Barn built by the Coppocks in 1857. As such, a great majority of the log entries concern work done there, as opposed to portions of the barn complex built many decades later, such as the milking parlor or grain storage bins.
When photographs were taken on the same day that a log entry was made, those photos can be viewed via the links in the calendar. In many cases, links to the photos can also be found within the log entry for that day.
Admittedly, reading this entire log would be a tedious task for almost all. It is, however, the only contemporaneous record of what occurred at the barn (along with photographs) during the period from its sale out of the Coppock family until it was demolished, and thus is rightly included on this website.
Days Logged in December: 17
Hours/Minutes Worked in December: Ken 38/55; Jim 38/55; Other(s) 00/00
Amount Expended in December: $1,463.53
| December 2003 |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |||
Jim1 and I talked on the phone in the evening. We decided to try 2x4's to hold the tarp down, as the wind apparently plans on screwing us at every opportunity. We're going to try 2x4's tomorrow night and see how that goes, nailing down part of a tarp and seeing what kind of problems we run into. We'll also trim the tarp hanging down on the west side to get that flapping mess out of the way. Asked about Mike 2 and the $75 and Jim had nothing further.
Tuesday, the 2nd
Jim and I spent two hours tonight working on the new tarp strategy. We cut the west side tarp off about a foot below the eave, and plan to tuck it under and nail it down tomorrow (we ran out of light tonight), to see how the 2x4's will work for holding down the tarp, since the wind is much more of a problem than expected. It was cold, but calm, so working wasn't too uncomfortable. I also cleared some brush before Jim arrived.
Wednesday, the 3rd
Worked for 1.75 hours at the barn this evening, straightening the tarp in preparation for nailing it down. Jim had me nervous wondering out on the roof 3 to straighten the seam where the two tarps came together on the west side of the roof. Weather was cold but calm. We plan to do some nailing tomorrow, as we ran out of light tonight.
Thursday, the 4th
No work today. Tarp is too slippery to work on when wet, and Jim's SUV is in for work, and he has a meeting later too. We agreed to see what the weather was like tomorrow to see if we can work then.
Friday, the 5th
No work today; too much rain and snow mix. Jim and I will talk tomorrow to see if the weather has improved.
Saturday, the 6th
Jim and I worked for 3.5 hours on the west side of the north tarp, putting 2x4's over it. I also cleared some brush as Jim worked. It was rather cool, with clouds and a little sunshine. Jim had me take a few photos of him on the roof. If the tarp doesn't work now, nothing will. It makes me nervous with Jim up there, but he does have his ladder to climb on, on the roof, and a safety rope. We also pulled down three of the six beams in the north addition for Tom 4. I also saw This Old House 5 on how to handle Poison Ivy. We hope to pull the three remaining beams tomorrow and put 2x4's on the east side.
Sunday, the 7th
We spent 3 hrs. 40 minutes working today, on a sunny and relatively warm day. Got the three remaining beams down, and the door open in the north addition so the path to the bank side of the barn was much shorter for me. Jim had to go to a train 6 meeting in the afternoon, so we didn't get the boards down on the tarp, but we got it straight. We plan to return tomorrow night and put the boards down. We've also decided to do the east side of the roof first, using 20x30 tarps. I exchanged three 16x24 tarps at Tractor Supply 7 for 2 - 20x30's and got some 2x4's at Lowes 8 in the morning.
Monday, the 8th
Worked for two hours on nailing down 2x4s on the east side of the north tarp. Pleasantly cool. I cut a lot of brush as Jim worked on the roof. We made plans to try to deploy a 30x40 tarp on the east side roof as soon as this weekend. Looks like rain the next three days.
Tuesday, the 9th
Not raining, but we decided to do other things tonight. Jim has a better idea for laying down 2x4's; possibly running up and down the roof rather than across. I'm not sure that's a good idea as the ladder he uses will have nothing to set on. It might tear or puncture the tarp. I'm not sold on this yet. We agreed not to work tomorrow as it will certainly be raining, and I call him in two days to see what's going on.
Saturday, the 13th
Jim and I talked on occasion these last few days, and decided not to do any work until today. It was cold and uncomfortable working. The dopes at Tractor Supply sold me a tarp that was labeled with the wrong size, so we had to stop and fix it. I returned it, and Jim drove to Beavercreek 9 to get a correct one. We worked for 8 hours, and got pretty short with each other as we were trying to get the rolled up tarp on the roof. I didn't tie the knot in the right place, but Jim didn't tell me that's where he wanted it. Anyway, I don't like getting that snippy but we were tired and cold. We were trying to get a 30x40 tarp up on the east portion of the roof, just south of the tarp already in place. It's supposed to snow an inch or more tonight, so it looks like we may not be able to finish for a while. I ache terribly; being this heavy is killing me when I have to be on my feet for hours on end.
Sunday, the 21st
The weather has been cold and somewhat snowy, and we can't get a window when there's little wind and no snow on the roof to get the next tarp down, but we've kept in-touch the last week, trying to steer toward good weather. We worked for 3.5 hours today - Jim nailing down the far north tarp and trimming it, while I was cutting brush with my new loppers. We also moved all the lumber to the roof for the next tarp, and made some other preparations. We plan to work the next time we have a day with enough light, little wind and no snow to get this baby laid down.
Wednesday, the 24th
Jim and I talked and agreed that the 27th or 28th would likely be our best days to try to get the tarp in place.
Thursday, the 25th
Jim and I worked for 2.5 hours getting the tarp ready for deployment and cleaning the north addition, late morning, early afternoon.
Friday, the 26th
Beautiful day. Jim went to Beavercreek to get another tarp (about 1.25 hours), and I went to Lowes to get lumber. We met back at the barn, and Tom showed up with his son to pick up the last of the north section beams. I showed Tom where and what to cut on the south side along the fence. Jim couldn't work, as he had a railroad meeting mid-afternoon, but we agreed to work tomorrow, as the weather is supposed to be again, great.
Saturday, the 27th
What a great day - beautiful weather and the tarp went down great; it took 6.25 hours (rounded to 6.75 to make payment easier with yesterday's time and as a little bonus to Jim). Now we have 1200 sq. ft more covered, but I was very disappointed we missed getting the last major hole on the south east side. I think I want to go back tomorrow and put down a strip of tarp made from tarp pieces we cut off to try to get the hole covered. Except for missing the hole, what a great day.
Sunday, the 28th
I can't believe this crap. The wind was beating the hell out of the tarp, and it eventually ripped up the last quarter of it to the south. What is the deal on this? IM SO P*SSED!!!!!! Apparently we need to nail the tarp down every inch, or the wind will rip the 2x4's right up. What bullsh*t! Jim managed to save about 3/4 of the tarp by using about every board we had. For the first time ever, I was about ready say the heck with this noise and just quit. Hopefully the wind will leave the tarp the alone. This is the lowest and the most p*ssed off I've been. I'm going to stay away a few days; I just don't feel like getting screwed again tomorrow. 4.5 hours that wasn't necessary, except for the stupid wind 10.
Wednesday, the 31st
Incredibly nice weather, and we decided to work tomorrow so Jim could finish the repairs on his tractor 11 before bringing it out.
1. James C. Gumbert, a close friend of mine since we met in elementary school around 1965. Jim did much of the most dangerous and physically demanding work on the barn. This entire barn preservation project would not have been possible without him. He also took hundreds of photographs initially to help us document the barn as we first found it. Return to December 1st entry
2. Mike Douglas, then boyfriend of Gael Ann Gumbert, Jim Gumbert's sister. Return to December 1st entry
3. Work on the barn roof was among the most dangerous, if not the most dangerous work done at the barn. The roof had been badly damaged by water, and areas of it appeared unable to safely support a human. Over time, Jim became familiar with those particularly dangerous areas as he worked, and he would avoid them as best he could. Jim was tethered to a climbing-rated rope that passed over the entire barn roof in an east-west direction. It was very solidly anchored on both ends to objects on or near the ground. If Jim were to fall through the roof, this rope would prevent Jim from plummeting too far as it quickly became taunt. The rope could not have too much slack in it, otherwise Jim would fall too far before it stopped him, possibly causing injury. Therefore, Jim's movement in a north-south direction along the roof was limited because little slack was available in this safety rope. If he needed to move a significant distance in the north-south direction, I would have to re-anchor one or both ends of the rope on the ground. Return to December 3rd entry
4. Tom Kielbaso was a co-worker of mine at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. He was a wood worker hobbyist and I gave him some oak beams from the North Addition building in the barn complex. This was as a "thank you" for work he had done for me at the barn. I planned to tear down the North Addition eventually, so the beams were not needed. Tom made a very nice table for me, as a gift, out of one of those beams. I still own the table, as of this writing in 2020. Return to December 6th entry
5. This Old House was a home improvement television show on the Public Broadcasting Network. Return to December 6th entry
6. Jim is a railroading enthusiast, and he had some sort of meeting related to that hobby. Return to December 7th entry
7. Tractor Supply Company on Stanfield Road in Troy, Ohio. Return to December 7th entry
8. This is the Lowes Home Improvement Warehouse located on the west side of Troy, Ohio on State Route 41. On very rare occasions Jim and I would visit the Lowes in Huber Heights, Ohio. Return to December 7th entry
9. Beavercreek, Ohio, about fifteen miles south of the Tipp City, Ohio area. There was a Tractor Supply store there that we used on rare occasions. Return to December 13th entry
10. Believe it or not, this text is a very sanitized version of my log entry; one that I felt would be more appropriate for publication here. This was the most upset that I ever became about our work at the barn. Jim and I had spent so many hours (and I spent so much money) on this tarp to cover the roof, and in one night the wind essentially destroyed it. Ultimately, it was our fault for not using a sufficiently robust design, but it was none-the-less bitterly disappointing to see the tarp destroyed for no good reason. Return to December 28th entry
11. Jim owned an old Allis-Chalmers tractor that he kept at his home on South Third Street in Tipp City. We realized it would be quite useful at the barn, and he drove it out when there was relatively little traffic on the roads, possibly early on a Sunday morning. Return to December 31st entry