Can you say ...... corn-zebo?

The corn-zebo. During the summer, its the most popular place to be on the farm.

Many people have gazebos. In fact, I have one. Its nice -- not terribly big. But it has no sense of privacy. The corn-zebo does. I need to tell you about it.

First of all, it was created from a 1948 Behlen corncrib. For those of you unfamiliar with farming, corncribs were used to store ear corn. They have lots of ventilation -- open mesh sides so the corn could dry without getting molding. Now corn is shelled when is picked so the shelled corn would run out its sides! Most of these corncribs have left the farm for the scrap yard. So locating one was a challenge.

We would drive down country roads and see a corncrib, rusting behind a barn. I would muster up my courage and knock at the door. "Would you like to sell your corncrib", I would ask. Three or four times I was told ..... "I might need it sometime." Now ---- that's a typical Iowa farmer response! They haven't used that corncrib in 40 years but ............ they might need it some time.

Finally, I found someone that just wanted it off their property. YEA!!!! We were certain this would be an easy job to move. As my daughter would say ..... not so much!!!!

After much huffing and puffing and cussing, the corncrib arrived home and was re-constructed in our yard. We hauled dirt, gravel, sand and pavers to build the base. Now, the 16-foot corncrib has a 20-foot patio that it sits on.

Vintage tables and chairs fill the corn-zebo. And when its dressed for a party, flowery tablecloths from the 50's rustle in the breeze. Its a great spot to sit with a glass of wine or a cold beer and watch the Grant Wood landscape turn from green to orange in the setting sun. But most importantly, it always seems to be filled with the laughter and warmth of wonderful friends, both old and new.

So new life was given to an old farm relic. Maybe a lot like me. I might just be useful yet!!!