Meanwhile, back at the ranch....

This is it.

This is my dream studio.

A couple days ago, Gene and I went down to nose around our neighbor's house.  He's building a garage there and when the wind is just right, we can hear him cussing over a quarter mile away.

That takes some serious skill.

We loved his set up, and was asking him lots of personal questions like, "How much will this cost?" and "How much concrete is in there?" and "That mole on your arm looks kind of suspicious. Want my dermatologists number?"

He was really helpful and gave us his catalog where he bought his building kit from.  Later I was looking at it, and when I saw the little barn, I literally gasp.

"This is it!"

"It is?" said Gene.

"Yep.  That's it."

Every time I think about a studio, a barn keeps popping into my head.  I just keep thinking "gee I wish I had a barn" but stupid me had never put 2 and 2 together to actually BUILD ONE.  It fits my brand perfectly (the chickens will look right at home).

Those doors will be on the other end of the building where the garage will be.  This end, the doors will be replaced with some huge windows for my (mostly) natural light studio.  North windows baby, all the way.

Inside, you'll have off the the right, the "kitchen" when you first walk in the door.  Don't get too excited, it really won't be much of a kitchen when we first get it going.  Just a hole for a kitchen.  There'll be a cute little bathroom complete with shower.  Then a staircase.

A staircase to what?

Only the upstairs shooting space/music room.

Oh yessir.  Gene has been dreaming of a music room for years.  I've been dreaming of his musical instruments not being in my house for years.

We have a symbiotic relationship.

Outside will be an outdoor studio space.  Fun props, lots of tall grasses.  Flowers (if the chickens will let them live), benches, chairs, etc to sit on and for the chickens to poop on.

It will be awesome.  Don't expect perfection the first year out.  My goal is just to get a hole that I can shoot in through the winter.  It might have bare concrete floors.  It might not have a workable bathroom (eek!) but it will be MINE!

Someday, if we ever decide to move - and that's a big if right now - it will be a wonderful space that someone else can put their kid into, or their mother-in-law.  My property value just went up $30k.

Alright, if everyone that reads this will chip in $1.00 toward the studio, I'll have $7.00!

Who's with me!?