the old red barn

I'm finishing up my Photo 5 project this weekend. My final subject really meshed all three of the ideas submitted to me by family members: things I love, windows & doors, and windmills & barns. (Barbara would never have let me have so many topics in Photo 4, but I made my own rules this time.) When barns were suggested, it meant only one barn for me. It's the barn on the farm where I grew up. Coming over the hill from the west on the gravel road it is the first thing you notice. Unfortunately, as the photos show, it is slowly deteriorating. And the cost to return it to its previous glory is prohibitive, so its decline will continue. I took these photos on the day I photographed the windmills. So again, Dad was waiting (patiently) in my Honda while I spent a few moments inside & outside. I would've lingered longer if alone, but I am very happy with the photos I have. I'll share my favorites on Sunday.

February 23, 2012

Because this blog is somewhat of a journal for myself, I am including these photos that are over a month old. I am adding them to my "tracks" collection in the sidebar since the month of February hadn't been added yet. I enjoy looking at the change of seasons in these landscape photos.





(I looked back a few years & found previous photos of the tracks.)

grain elevators

Every time I drive by a grain elevator I think how much fun it would be to stop & photograph it from several angles. They are majestic buildings. On the day I drove to my cousin's funeral last month the grain elevators were even more impressive looking against the thunderous sky. So I took some photos with my point & shoot camera. These first two I took while parked at a Casey's in Crete getting gas. Other locations are Friend, Dorchester & Fairmont.

windmill favorites

Until I moved away to college I rode or drove down this road every school day. Just about where the road meets the horizon there used to be railroad tracks. They've been gone for years now but I still find myself slowing down for them. The windmill is a landmark on this piece of land my Dad owns. I'd never paid much attention to the structure of a windmill until Dad mentioned that once a year they had to climb to the top to put oil in it. I considered climbing the windmill to check out the view but in the end decided not to. Maybe another day. The other windmill I photographed has not aged as gracefully, but I find the photos I took of it to be more interesting.

windmills

One of my readers (my sister, Nancy) suggested I photograph windmills & barns. That sounds great but many people just can't step out their front door & start photographing these things. Fortunately I knew where I could find a couple & not get arrested for trespassing. Having the land owner along for the ride for one of the windmills helps. And being related to the other land owner is beneficial too. I took a gamble & made the drive out on a cloudy day where there was a 60% chance of rain. The rain was never a factor & the gray sky was a great backdrop for the windmills. I could've spent more time photographing. I didn't even consider that Dad would accompany me but having him along made it all the better. To see the land with him. Tomorrow, my favorites.

looking east

I'm still at the same intersection as I was yesterday just looking in another direction. When Dad & I were driving here on Wednesday, he pointed out some grass land that has been recently been plowed up & is being turned into farm land. He expressed his dismay with this turn of events. He's heard that the buildings on the vacant farm will be torn down also. He commented that farmers can no longer buy the smaller machinery like he used when farming. The equipment is now all so much bigger (and more expensive too as a result) and the small farmer is being squeezed out of existence. So I was grateful to pause at this remote spot & enjoy the landscape as I remembered it.

a road less traveled

I drove out to see Dad today but with other motives as well. I was hoping to do some homework for my Photo 5 "class". I intended to eat dinner with Dad then drive off into the country to take some photos. But he wanted to join me. Not once did he complain that I was taking too long, although I could've spent more time at the three locations we visited. One of the places we visited was "down south" from the family farm. The land there was once owned by my grandmother. Dad farmed the land for her so we spent some time on this land. Part grass, part farmland. The gravel runs out just where this property begins so I did not venture out onto this road. When I was doing track in high school I would jog down to this corner from the farm. It has been many years since I was last here. This property now belongs to Steve's family. Not sure what the future holds for it now.

Christy & her guitar

I took some photographs of Christy also last week when I visited her. I really enjoy having these images of her with her guitar. Taking guitar lessons from her was the first time I learned to play a musical instrument. I still enjoy the moments when I pick up my own guitar & strum some chords or play a song.

















These are the picks she uses when playing her banjo.