Progress Report: Part II

We've had a busy summer at Sliver Brothers with some exciting developments. Buildout is finally underway and our fantastic construction crew has made short work stripping down the interior of the old sheep barn that will serve as our barrel house. We've stripped off the old blacktop surfaces and exposed the natural gravel to create an earthen floor. This is a Scottish technique, and provides a more even temperature and humidity for the aging process.

Out in the fields we are getting ready to plant our grains for next year's harvest. We intend to plant thirty-five acres this fall, but the weather has not cooperated, and excessive rainfall has stymied our efforts.

Here's one of our partially-plowed fields. Once the sod is turned over the fields become incredibly hard to work in wet conditions...

...and wet conditions have been the norm this summer. A persistent weather patter has dumped 2-3 inches of rain per week since late-July. Here's my makeshift rain gauge telling me what I already know.

And here's our tractor, ready for action but waiting it out - and hoping for more blue skies!