BACK OF THE BARN

Most barn photographs are of front exteriors. The photos on this post are all of backside exteriors of a large gambrel-roofed barn and its few remaining farm outbuildings. No farm house in sight. A busy highway road roars by the farm's frontage.The surrounding rural land is mostly large tracts of acreage belonging to farmers. 

If one discovers the small entry road along the back of this farm's property one can pull in with a vehicle, park for a few minutes while imagining its past use and if for more than a few minutes invent some farm stories about the place.  

Together, the structures stand straight and appear in good condition. Are they vacant ? -- perhaps.

One would expect to see some tools of the barn world in this back area -- hay wagon, truck, tractor, and perhaps an old harrow. But no -- the place has been "swept" clean of all vestiges of farm implements. 

The farm's "backsides" have become backgrounds for beautiful wild plants of various hues. 

The one and only modern item I noticed in this environment was a wooden stake driven into the ground with a posted paper sign saying "No Trespassing."

The rusting steel roofs combine nicely with the old natural wood buildings capturing a nice contrast with the wild ones growing tall in the soil. This photo above reveals that very few, if any, humans have walked by this way lately. 

Even the robin-egg blue of the old corrugated siding of the barn felt right at home with the unpretentious plant colors.

For whatever reason the overcast skies, the old patina of the buildings along with the various hues of the wild plants took me back to some of the farms I was familiar with from my past. 

Except for the whizzing noise of the highway I felt very peaceful here.

Peaceful yet sad as I felt this beautiful place just might not have a bright future ahead?  

What do you think?

PHOTOGRAPHY WITH OUTBUILDINGS, A BARN, AND ANIMALS

There is a cluster of farm outbuildings with a barn that I have been eyeing  for some time as I thought they would be wonderful to photograph 

So a couple days ago I rode over to the spot with my camera thinking that it would be just me and the farm structures. But no, I found out differently once I stepped out of my little truck and starting taking photos.

First came the dogs, one by one

Racing down the road they came

Even a big Saint Bernard that wanted to check out the inside of my truck. 

All were friendly, they just hung around me while I took my pictures

When I had almost finished my photos I heard quite a sound coming up the hill in back of the barn. Then rounding the corner came mules -- then horses -- galloping toward a fence section near where I stood. Then they stopped and began looking me over very inquisitively. 

Mules taking a watch position in front of the barn.

Horses acted a bit bored with the whole thing. 

Now I had four dogs, two mules and two horses all closely around me.  I felt like I was at an animal party

As I finished taking photos, I thanked the animals for their hospitality. 

 Leaving the farm I took one last look at some of the official dog greeters. This was surely a new kind of experience for me.