Into The "Bat Cave"

When we moved out here years ago we had a storage area under the stairs that you accessed from outside.  We found a dead bat caught in the spider webs even before we moved it.  From that moment on it was the "bat cave"   This is what it looked like this morning as I attacked it.

I store all my canning jars in here.  I have stored and collected for years.  When my mom died I brought all hers over here.  Then I might have picked up a few along at garage sales but only if they were a really good price.  Like $1 for 10 boxes! 

Problem is I have decided to make use of this area.  I plan on it becoming a 1/2 bath/changing area/family closet.  It is just off the pantry where the kids clothes are all kept.   One hole in the wall and I will have access from the house.  Water and sewer are right there DH even agrees it won't be an issues.  He even suggested leaving the door to the outside so that we can change or run potty from outside.  In time he wants to build a porch in that area outside.

We attached the bat cave!  We pulled jars and jars and move jars out.  We sorted them according to size.  I started out pulling jars out, then T helped me.  T and I both ended up frustrated at boys as they couldn't tell a 1/2 gallon from a gallon from a quart from a pint from a 1/2 pint.   Not even discussing the trash jars like pickle jars that didn't fit any of those descriptions.  We ended up making boys more or less the slave labor.  They carried what we said and put it where we said.  They took trash to the ranger.  They did all the jobs that didn't require you being able to size jars, OR dig jars out of the bat cave.  Seems boys weren't as gung ho to invade the bat cave as T was.    

Notice T's are pointing out something for D11 to do in this sorting picture. 

Once we had them sorted and re-boxed in boxes that weren't falling apart we loaded them in the elevator.   

I would then lift the elevator to the top of the sea container.   MJ would off load the elevator onto the top of the sea container.  Stacking them neatly. 

This picture is when we were just getting started.  Maybe 2 or 3 loads on top.  We put some where around 10 loads!   Some BIG boxes are tubs of jars.  These are just the good jars.  The jars that aren't canning lid size or gallon size didn't make the cut.  They need to go to the dump.   I haven't gotten them there yet.  

 I would bet some of my jars or well over 75 years old and possibly closer to 100.  I can remember some that we canned with when I was a little girl that were MY grandmothers.  I saw some of them.  I smiled some over the finds and the memories.  No tears!  Which for me is pretty good.  

We worked from about 9:30 until 2 on this project.  Then kids came in had a quick bite of lunch and started school.  MN escaped all the fun as she had worked ahead and spend the day working sheep and goats with her older brother.  

Tomorrow I keep grandson so won't work on the last of the bat cave junk.  I also have a produce run to do since for some reason she changed it from Friday.  Maybe I can finish getting the junk and hanging insulation down along with a few zillion spider webs on Wed.