Nothing on the property has seen more lives than the Lath House and surrounding picnic area.  Things start simple and often morph into more complex structures as we use them, and such is the case here.  What started as a simple picnic area with a table and fire pit eventually morphed into a garden shed.  But along the way it had several separate and distinct lives.

 

The rock wall in the back of the fire pit area was constructed to hold the bank back and to make a flat spot for sitting around the fire.  Not seen in this picture is a large rock that someone suggested would look better if it were placed vertically.  No problem for the suggester but the rock weighed over a ton and getting it in place was quite a chore.  Then in its final transition the rock proved too difficult to move and is still there.

 

The next phase of the area involved the actual Lath House which was merely four six by six posts set vertically and joined at the top with more six by sixes.  Finally some more six by six posts were used to make a roof truss and the basic structure was finished.  A few one by six boards were added for sun shade and we were through, we thought.  Then a built in serving table and windows were added on the back wall.  When the wind blew out the windows, we added some more and made it more substantial.

 

That all worked well until we realized that the structure should have been sixteen by sixteen to make accommodation for moving around the table.  And so the metamorphisms continued, this time incorporating a new structure in the rear of the property, properly sized to accommodate many more people.

 

But the Lath House went through a major change once we realized that it would be re-purposed and our need for more garden equipment became apparent.  So in late 2015 off came the roof and two "wings" were added to create storage on either side of the building.  The walls were also filled in to make a real building of the structure.

 

Today we use the building to house all our garden equipment, which we really need with the expansion of the gardens each year.  It keeps our chemicals, seeds, tools, and just about anything else we need for garden care.  I was finally clad in cedar shingles and now blends in with all the other buildings just as if we planned the whole thing!