The dream shop

For more than twenty years we dreamed of owning a big shop. How we managed to work out of a carport, the driveway and our tool trailer is a wonder now. But we had to wait until the time was right. Finally, in 2003 we bought the perfect small acreage with a very tired old farmhouse. Janis insisted we build the shop first and that we build it as big as possible. (She's my hero!) The new house would wait until we had finished the shop and paid down some debt. That was more than a decade later. We began to move dirt and put in the new driveway to the back of the property. I remember coming off the porch each morning finding it hard to believe that long held dream was becoming real at last. We opted to build an efficient and sound proof building using insulated concrete forms. The styrofoam blocks would stay in place with eight inches of steel reinforced concrete poured in the middle void. The sop would also reflect our theme park style. It took six months of long days and hard work before we were able to move in. The shop looked massive back then and was plenty large for our planned needs and projects.

View from old house porch

View from old house porch

Main shop with lifting beam inside big doors

Main shop with lifting beam inside big doors

Everything looked so big back then!

Everything looked so big back then!

The dream studio with the giant curved windows facing a most gorgeous mountain view.

The dream studio with the giant curved windows facing a most gorgeous mountain view.

Sping of 2003 we were all moved in and buttoned up. The finishing would go on another year.

Sping of 2003 we were all moved in and buttoned up. The finishing would go on another year.