My Big Birthday Gift

For the past two years I have been  scouring Craigslist ads in search of a cute little garden shed. I have come across a few in my price range (cheap) but they were always snatched up before I discovered them. Last year, I even persuaded Rog attend the annual Home Builders' Expo so we could purchase  several raffle tickets for a  children's playhouse that I thought mioght make a good garden shed, but we didn't win.

Last week, on the morning before my my birthday, I found a Craigslist ad for a darling  garden shed, partially finished, only $50. I told Rog I REALLY wanted it for my birthday. He rolled his eyes, but sent off a message to the  lister, and so did I.  I checked my email hourly all day, but no response, so I was certain it was already gone.

The next morning Cadence and I delivered chickens to be harvested, then did errands. It was noon when I got a call from Rog  asking if I had seen the message that  the  garden shed person had already been overwhelmed with over 50 responses (who, besides me. is looking for a garden shed  between Xmas and New Years?!)  and was going to be there from 1 to 3 p.m.; the first person with $50 in hand could have the shed. Well, it was a 40 mile drive, so I hopped right back in the truck and took off.
When I got there, the lister said she had now had over 70 responses. I was the first person there, by perhaps 5 minutes. (To Carol, who I learned was on her way, driving from Rochester, I am sorry I beat you to it... but also happy.)  The shed is small, only 4 x 8 by 7 feet tall, but  has big arched window openings (the seller's ex-husband removed the windows) and a cute roofline and is really sturdy. Yes, really sturdy and heavy.  I had three $20 bills on me and she had no change so, feeling lucky,  I happily paid $60.  Now I had to figure out how to get it home.

My neighbor-farmer Betsy offered up her son Tristan and husband  Don to  help us retrieve it with their car trailer. (I am sure our husbands love when we volunteer them!)  So yesterday, Don and Tristan kindly took a break from building lambing boxes to haul my shed.  They backed the trailer up to it....

wrassled it into alignment with the trailer...

and ratchet-winched it up onto the trailer.

My sweetie Rog framed in a window opening.  The shed has 3 large arch-top window openings and  an arch-top door opening.  Each face of the roof has a gable.  These are the details that give this little building its charm for me.

The shed on the trailer before being strapped on.

We drove through town, then down the highway for 30 miles.

Almost to its new home, Squash Blossom Farm on the horizon.

Maneuvering the trailer between the three gates and down into the garden was probably the most challenging part.

Unloading it into approximate position in the garden.

Me, reveling in my new garden shed. It is small, but is so SO CUTE and has so much potential. It will be my spring art project.  I am envisioning a fieldstone foundation...settled in a bed of blooms and herbs...fun colors...window boxes with flowers tumbling out...secret fairy and gnome hideouts...and, of course, garden tool storage.

Thank you so much, Don, Tristan and Rog!  The best birthday gift ever.