As part of every episode of Barnwood builders Mark Bowe always likes to show off other skilled craftsman or tradesman who do things the old-fashioned way. So when producers from the show discovered that Tom was a farrier,they were thrilled to add his skills to their show. To film his farrier skills we needed a willing client and a farm to work at. We were able to contact Sue Ann Spiker, also from Jane Lew, and include her and her farm in the last portion of the filming of this episode.
Barnwood Builders promotional photo. right to left is Tim, Sherman, Bryan, Mark,Johnny, Graham
If you have been following along with my last couple of posts about our house remodel these are the guys who invited us to join in the fun of their T.V. show and help us get barn wood for our family room. I have already shared the barn at Home remodel #1 and showed off the set and my house in Home remodel #2. But the last part of our day of filming really was about my husband Tom and his client Sue Ann Spiker and her farm.
Tom has worked for Sue Ann for years and when Tom was in middle school she was his Art teacher. When setting up this portion of the show Tom and I needed to find a horse and farm family willing to have a film crew on the farm. Tom thought of Sue Ann’s horse and farm right away. Sue Ann and her husband John, have historical buildings on their farm. This also excited the show producers and we ended up not only shooting Tom with Sue Ann holding her horse but getting a guided tour of their Guest House, Barn and 1700’s cabin. A real treat for everyone that was on set that day.
Actor Mark Bowe talking with the Director of Barnwood builders
Sue Ann has spent about 5 years or more restoring and decorating the buildings on her farm. The Guest House is a lovely two-story house built-in 1862. The family rents out house, cabin and barn for family gatherings and weddings. More information is on the families website at Sunny Pointe Guest House. com. The main excitement for the show is the little one room cabin or as The Spiker family informed us is the “Loom House” where linens were woven for the farm family 1700’s. The cabin is now set up as a bedroom with a lovely fire-place to keep couples warm at night.
Sunny Pointe Guest House side yard view old cabin in shadows
Cellar steps into the basement to Sunny Pointe Guest House
back of 1700’s at Spiker Farm
Sue Ann Spiker at the front of her 1700’s cabin
bed inside cabin at Spiker Farm
Christopher walking in front of fire-place in cabin at Spiker farm
Front door of cabin with photo of Gen. Thomas “Stone Wall” Jackson
One of the secrets of the cabin revels it’s self around this door… the builder and his family will be forever remembered.
door jamb of old cabin with fathers initials and 8 of the twelve children that lived and used the cabin
Cabin door jamb with more initials carved into the frame
After the tour it was time to get Tom working on Sue Ann’s horse and here he is getting his microphone.
Tom getting ready to shoe. sound engineer hooks up his microphone
Sue Ann also getting ready to talk about the farm and her horse.
Sue Ann Spiker with sound engineer getting her microphone
I can only tell you that the portion where Tom puts a shoe on the front of Sue Ann’s horse went fine. I was with them, holding on to the horse’s tail so that the camera man would not get kicked in the face. He was so low and close to the horse that we all just were a little worried about his safety. So, sadly I was not able to get photos of that portion of the filming. In the end, I was glad I was at the rear of the horse. She was a little wiggly and it took a while for her to get comfortable with all the attention. So the photos I have are of Katie the producer getting some time with “Miss Lee” the Tennessee Walking Horse before everyone got busy working with her feet.
Katie Rolnick the producer with Miss Lee the Walking horse, Bruno the donkey is in the back ground
The shooting ended with Tom letting Mark Bowe try his hand at nailing on a shoe and talking to everyone at the end of a very long day. The sun was setting, Tom, Christopher and I climbed into the truck to head home. The day was perfect and we learned more than we ever expected to from this experience and we still had one more day of filming to go. The view of the rolling hills and green grass of the Spiker farm were hard to leave behind but after 9 hours of filming and a couple of hours of driving and unloading lumber. I was ready for my home and bed.
Rolling pasture of Spiker Farm
The following day was time to film my house and to take the film crew around our local area to find beautiful scenic and rural images for cut-ins during the show. This ended up being my favorite part of the filming. I was not on camera but got to spend the day with this wonderful people and get my only photo taken. I got this photo of me in a e-mail a few days after the team left never even knowing Katie had taken it of me while in my kitchen.
Jolynn Powers holding television camera from the Barnwood builders crew
The remaining portion of the story is more about demolishing my house and the actual rebuilding process and that will take a while to do and write about. In the future I will share more photos and stories about the mess we make. In the mean time,I though you might like to see the lumber from the barn. It is beautiful and we have plenty to do our walls and some other projects.
10 pounds of nails came from the lumber
Categories: Barns, Barnwood Builders, blacksmith work, family fun, family memories, Farrier work., history, Home Decor, home improvement, home remodeling, Horses, Jane Lew, West Virginia Tags: Barns, Cabins, family fun, farm, farrier work, Home Decor, home improvement, home remodeling, Horses, Sue Ann Spiker, West Virginia