Friday, February 24, 2012

Dreaming in White: Snow Country




A soft blanket of beautiful white snow covered our world here last night.







I had some running to do to take care of taxes and on the way home, I meandered a bit, taking the long way: those back roads you know that I love so, so much.  They provide so us much beauty when we take an extra few minutes to travel them.  









The day was gray and perfectly misty with snow still falling and perfect for drive-by shooting.....country style.  Each scene appearing to me as an old painting through the dripping windows of my truck.  










And let me say, in situations like these weather conditions, it's pretty hard to take a bad picture; yes even those shot out of windows that are all wet look good, so the weather was my best asset today!








I can't tell you just why, but these barn shots just break my heart.


There is just something about their lonesome beauty that cuts me deep down and makes me ache.






Is it because this is the way of rural life as I knew it is aging, meaning that I am aging as well?







Is it because this was the moving picture show for my innocent brown eyes as I looked out the station wagon window for all my childhood?







Is it because I want to go inside, take a deep breath, and explore those walls and windows, to smell the past, to hear the wind come through those cracks and see the hay still left on the floor blow quietly around my feet?


I think so.





And the farmhouses that accompany some of these lonely, beautiful barns, they make me want to go knock on the door and ask if I might explore...just for a minute.






All those nooks and crannies tucked under those eaves, if I just might take a minute to peep out the wavy glass window of the upstairs bedroom out at the fields of snow below me...




How do old barns make you feel?





10 comments:

denise said...

i just love em! i wish florida had that beautiful country side. denise

Janet-Olde Crow Primitives said...

I also love old barns. I have a board on my Pinterest just for old barns.
I hate it when they just tear them down. We got a dusting of snow also. I love it.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Janet

Mary Ann Potter said...

I love old barns. Many of my photos are of sadly abandoned farms, and we know that American country life is quickly disappearing. My photos of these wonderful old places are my way of preserving them for just a little while longer. (I'm signing my comment this time with a link to my Flickr photo site. Take a look there if you can. I have two sets of relevant pictures to this post, "Sheds, Shacks, and Barns" and "Abandoned Farmhouses.")

Echoes From the Hill said...

First, I need to say that I was reared in the city. South Chicago!
My paternal grandparents lived in the country, in Central Illinois, and I loved the two weeks we spent with them every summer. As we drove the 100 miles to get to their house, we passed many farms, and I was always fascinated with the barns. I went to college in rural Iowa, and loved being in farm country. My life's desire was to live in the country. I wanted a farm, but that didn't happen. However, I did end up on several acres and ended up with three children, horses who had four fillies in a three year period. I got the barn, the house that was new, but built to look like a farmhouse. I got the baby goats, the dogs and the barn cats.
Yes, I even got the red barn, and we are now putting a large addition on it. It will then be a big red barn!
Dreams do come true!
nancyr

http://milkmaidrecipebox.blogspot.com/ said...

Hi, Joni,
This posting was (is!) so very special. Being a fourth generation dairy farmer on a 'family farm' that's been in my side of the family since its beginning in 18972-- this touches every part of my heart. It's like I can see and hear everything that happened in those barns you show. I can think of great things that happened in them, not-so-good troublesome and worrisome things, and how they became a part of the people who worked around and within them. My baby steps recipe blog is at http://milkmaidrecipebox.blogspot.com/ Then, I have another 'chitty/chatter' kind of blog that I have open only to those who want an invitation-- a lot of country/farmer talk that I figure not many are all that interested in, etc. THANKS for this special posting of old barns. LOVE it! Doris

http://milkmaidrecipebox.blogspot.com/ said...

Correction: My posting meant to say this farm has been in our family since 1872! Doris

June said...

I will be pinning some of your beautiful barns Joni, if you don't mind. I have a huge love of old barns and these are amazing photos!!! Everything looks prettier in the snow doesn't it?
hugs...

Deanna said...

Would love to have an old barn!
We still haven't had a serious snow and I'm beginning to think we're not going to have a deep snow this winter. Shucks.

I love Spring, so I sure hope in March we get this snow to finish our winter off with.
God bless,
d

Sandie said...

Joni, I just love it when you show your old barn pictures! I wish we had one! Keep them coming! Sandie

Miss Gracie's House said...

Hi Joni!
These photos are just gorgeous...the barns are beautiful but it is the old houses that really pull at my heart the way you described so beautifully!
Have a great week!
Rene