. . . explored the country

My mother-in-law told her two sons to go through the barns and pick out any tools they might want, because she was getting ready to give everything away. (She also showed them where her will was located, and told me that she wanted to be buried in her wedding suit, which was actually too big for her.) This was not a sad situation. . . in fact, she made it funny, because she is still as dynamic as someone half her age. She suggested that I might be interested in taking pictures of an old house way in the back of her property. I haven't seen that place in about 35 years. My husband can remember when people actually lived in the house, which had no access to any road. Of course, that was about 45 years ago, and not just last week or last month. Off we go in the 4WD pick-up, over the ruts filled with water, sliding in the mud near something that may have a potential of being a stream someday. Then, when the truck could go no further, we walked.




This is my mother-in-law, who is supposedly planning her demise . . . rough terrain for anyone, but she soldiered on, despite getting caught in an old rose bush and scratching her ankle and foot to the point that the wounds bled.




The old house had all but caved in. The only part still standing was the original part built of native sandstore dug from the property. The stone walls contained fossils. Every window had those straight and true hand cut rocks on the bottom and top (don't know what they're called, lintels and something else?) The kitchen, made of wood, had completely fallen off; the roof had not so much caved in as slid off; the floor had crashed into the basement. We really couldn't get too close. . . the place was guarded by several patches of poison ivy. (I'm still waiting to see if I encountered any.) The house was surrounded on all sides by fields, literally fields, of wild blue phlox in full bloom.


I love the top picture of this post. . . there is an unplanned symmetry in these coils of barbed wire hanging on the barn's wall that imparts a feeling of serenity. Good word for "the farm" . . . serenity. By the way, my wonderful kids gave me my very first ipod. I can't wait to use it. Love them bunches.