a postcard from the midwest...

Yesterday brought a welcome drop in temperatures, with an almost chilly northwest breeze...perfect for taking care of outside chores.

For our neighbors; however, their chores were a bit more on the larger side...
it was an ideal time for them to harvest wheat.

Just sharing a few postcards from our part of the Midwest...

farm livin' is the life for me...

I couldn't help myself...the theme song from Green Acres is floating through my head this morning. I really hope you didn't miss this comedy growing up...
it's priceless!

Can you hear the music?

Green acres is the place to be
Farm living is the life for me
Land spreading out,
so far and wide
Keep Manhattan,
just give me that countryside.

There, now you'll be humming it all day...not a bad way to end the week. Somehow, the music seemed perfect paired with snapshots from a nearby farm...Happy Friday!

I'm pretty sure that's a smile!

another barn...

As I continue trying to capture old barns, this is my newest find...

Sure, she needs some TLC; however, to me, she's still a beauty. I love her cupolas and upper windows, and off to the side her silos are still standing tall and proud. 

Not only is she still in constant use on this large farm, but if you listen closely, you just might hear the laughter of children...sure to be found in the hayloft having the time of their lives!

Whenever we see these old wooden barns, they are a continuing reminder to us of our agricultural roots where history still holds strong. I can't help but slow down to ponder their past...and, if I'm very lucky, capture and preserve their images on my camera.

old barns...

This old barn is the most recent to catch my eye. It sits next to an empty farmhouse that looks as if it was a lovely home once upon a time. A large two-story house with loads of character...tall windows and two separate, yet side-by-side front doors. It's the kind of place I'd love to take a peek inside; however, a very large, very impressive "No Trespassing" sign keeps me in line.

Back to the barn...with bees in my bonnet lately, what really caught my eye are the stacks & stacks of white bee supers in the lower right corner...see them?

It makes me wonder what the old homestead was once like...with a barn this size and the others behind it, this must have been a busy, thriving farm in its day. For me, it's sad to see these empty homes & barns...I find it hard to believe there wasn't anyone in the family who wanted to claim it.

Yep...I have a soft spot for old barns, old houses, old things, old ways. Some might think I'm out of step with the goals and ideals of the modern world. That's okay...
I couldn't agree more with the quote below.

 

"For my part,

I'd rather admire the
ample barns of one
of our opulent farmers...
than study the dimensions
of the temple of Ceres."

-Hector De Crevecoeur 

starting a buzz...

First, a friend gifted me with this lovely tea towel...

then, Little Man gave me some sparkle for my birthday...

and I've been reading, re-reading, and marking up these books for over a year...

 

and then I thought about it...it was a sign.

No, that's silly, it wasn't a sign...so I hesitated.

I thought about it some more...

did even more reading and talked to beekeeper friends.

I continued to hesitate...for several weeks.

 

Then this morning, brain in a fog from lack of sleep and still bleary eyed, I placed an order for an English Garden Hive (at least I think I did...as I said, lack of sleep was a big factor!)

It will look like this...

photo source: Brushy Mountain Bee Farm

but of course, I have dreams of it (and our yard) looking like this...

photo source: flicker.com ell-r-brown

I'm sure it'll completely transform our entire backyard into an English cottage garden; right?
I'll be asking the kids if they'd like "a spot of tea" (herbal, of course) and calling my mom,
"Mum"...I'm sure of it.

Oh well, a girl can dream...here's to our next big adventure on the farm!