A Barn Caught Before The Storm

A stunningly beautiful blue sky and a cloud bank.

 A barn on the horizon.

 I'm a happy camper!

These photographs were shot with my Nikon P-90 digital camera and downloaded directly from the camera and then to this blog. My aim is to take my reader along with me on the journey, so although I am aware of my framing of the shot, content and quality, I am most interested in sharing the experience.

The Need....

 Agricultural roots run as deeply as the long fingers of the tree's roots that stands in your backyard. The 'rule of thumb' is that however wide you see the canopy, the roots actually reach that far out as well!


 Our own personal roots run much deeper and take hold with much more tenacity that mere vegetation.


 The traits that pass down through the generations have been gained through years of hard work, dedication and yes, even love. Where we walk and talk is exactly where our ancestors trod. Those words from our mouths are words spoken by mouths that gave us life:

Our Mothers
Our Fathers
 ...and so on ...


 My family is just now one generation away from the farming life.


 My sister and I grew up on a farm, but left. Drawn by the siren called Lake Erie.


For my sister and I, it is absolutely necessary to turn the soil in gardens and planters as soon as our Canadian winters allow. Our bodies crave the feel of the soil sifting through our stiff, arthritic fingers and our senses demand the sight of spindly, opalescent green bedding plants. Our nostrils sing with the odor of the damp, rich earth!
 I feel validated when I can pick a succulent red tomato or a few leaves of aromatic Basil from my own planters. I weep real tears when the frost takes it's revenge on summer's glory and my plants are black and shriveled.


My sister had one daughter who grew up on a farm, but left. Drawn by the needs of her family.
 She has a fabulous garden with fruit trees and raised vegetable beds. 

I never have to worry about a gift and only need to buy a certificate from a build-all or the local nursery for this woman.


Two weeks ago, she gave me this planter...

Called it my:


"Your not my mother's day gift..."


...And I am sooo proud! 


She chose and planted it herself and it is perfect for me and our house!

 My niece has had two daughters born in the city and I am wondering if the traits of the generations of farmers who have gone before these two precious girls will wend their way through into their future?


 Will I see them plant and till the soil, growing abundance where only dirt and moisture exists?


Will they stay city girls?
Will they be Lake girls like their Grandma and Antie?


Or will they go back to the earth and our roots of hard working farmers?


 What will they be?




All of these photos were again shot and loaded directly from my Nikon P90 and then posted without alteration of any kind.

Field of Cows

Notice I said cows?


 ...Actually, cows and calves.


 I went out for another drive tonight, but not as far as last night.


 Isn't this a pleasant sight? A Charolais mix of some sort and there's a holstein over in the corner too!

The I spotted this almost pure white cow and wondered why she was watching me like a hawk! See the little guy to the right of her?

Oh! Look who's come to dinner! And totally unconcerned about me!

That must taste good! Look how the eyes are half closed in bliss?

This girl needs for one of those calves to wake up and have supper too. That looks like it must hurt?


I think this must be Daddy? 
OOOH! I wouldn't want to meed him in a dark field at night!

The air was so humid today you can actually see it in the pictures. 90 Degrees F the thermometer in my car said.  

Ah! An afternoon in the shade!



All of these photos were again shot and loaded directly from my Nikon P90 and then posted without alteration of any kind.

Meep! Meep!

I took a drive today after work.


 I know, it's only Thursday... 
But the weather was so brilliantly warm and the air felt so lush, I just had to!


 Off in the distance I saw a plume of dust....

 The Road Runner I ask?


Is Wylie Coyote in hot pursuit?


 But no...
 The farmer's are out in full force planting.

 This chap was pulling a set of harrows

Without going to that Wikipedia link, Harrows are flat farm tools pulled behind a tractor to level out the ground. Also breaks up the soil to ready it for planting. I've pulled a few sets around in my day!


All of these photos were again shot and loaded directly from my Nikon P90 and then posted without alteration of any kind.

Ewanda, Evelyn and Elizabeth Ewe.

"Hi!"

 "My name is Ewanda and I'd like to welcome you to our pasture." Ewanda exclaimed! (She was just ever so glad to see the visitors in the fancy black Magnum pull up.) 

"Evelyn! do you see the car? Do you think they'd like to take my picture?"

But, as usual, Evelyn had her head stuck under the wagon. She squeeled! "Oh Ewanda! Please! Don't be so crass! They'll see us!"

... And on the far side of the pasture....

"Oh Lord!" Elizabeth grunted. "Do you see that hussy Ewanda gawking at that car? I tell you! She's going to get us all carted off to the glue factory if she's not just a little more discreet!"

 "Quick! Pretend to be sleeping!" Exclaimed Elizabeth.  "So they'll stop taking those infernal pictures! "Do I look asleep?" 

But Ewanda had gone on to the next event in her life, the shiny black Magnum and the visitors now forgotten.

"Wait! Is that the corn wagon coming?" 

Just a day in the life of the pasture. 
Were you aware things like this went on?

All of these photos were again shot and loaded directly from my Nikon P90 and then posted without alteration of any kind.

A corncrib with corn in it!

Remember the corn cribs I posted this last winter?
We found one on Sunday that they still use!

A swell red barn with an authentic corn crib! The tree beside it is a wild pear tree, (I think because of the white blossoms and they are quite natural for this area.)
The long thing pointing upwards to the right of the photo is a grain elevator. Inside the trough is a belt that has paddles on it. As it moves up and around the top, it carries the grain or corn cobs up and drops them over the top and into the crib. Or from the bottom of the crib into a "hopper" wagon.

Corn cribs are never painted and are just plain, untreated wood. I guess so that no paint or chemicals get into the corn.

We got close enough so you can actually see the cobs!
There's a lot of money in that crib!

All of these photos were again shot and loaded directly from my Nikon P90 and then posted without alteration of any kind.

A tall barn

 It's really been awhile since I posted a barn and on our Sunday drive, we found a really cute and interesting one for you! Once again located between Aylmer and Springfield, Ontario.

 Look at this little cutie! They've got a nice 'drive' shed or 'implement' shed too on the right of this picture, but I'm all about the real barns! On the far right is a corn crib. Remember I posted one earlier and I have another for later this week!

Looks to be three stories high and I have always had a soft spot for a hip roof.
(That's what they call that shape!) 

Now, there are no natural gas lines out here and so you'll see the two propane tanks. (The tubular things under the tower. That's a Purple Martin birdhouse in the back of the barn and two wind power windmills. The red wagon immediately to the right of the tower is a 'hopper' wagon used for grain. It's shaped into a V so the grain will run out the bottom when a door is opened.

Those two little windmills likely produce more power than this farm would ever use. I imagine they send it back through the grid and Ontario Hydro pays them! 




All of these photos were again shot and loaded directly from my Nikon P90 and then posted without alteration of any kind.

Barns!

The old and the new.

By the way... These were taken a few weeks ago. Our snow is all gone and I wore my sandals all day today!


I spied another corn crib today... actually an old style one and the structure that has replaced them.
First of all, another vintage corn crib. 

Look and you'll see the familiar structure of it.

Zooming in a little, yes, there's the familiar lattice work that would hold in the long ears of mature corn.


Now... Here's a new style corn storage unit!

I certainly can't call it a crib, because there's nothing crib-like about it. Made of steel and circular, (so the corn doesn't get stuck in the corners, ) these hold corn kernels that have been cut from the cobs by the corn picker.

 These pictures are of the corn being augured out of the storage bins into a truck for transport to the mills or perhaps the Ethinol plant we have over in Aylmer, Ontario. 

Once the corn fills to the top, the truck drives ahead and continues on to the back.
Nothing glamorous or romantic to see, is there? 

But, I thought I'd show you the old and the new!


All of these photos were again shot and loaded directly from my Nikon P90 and then posted without alteration of any kind.

Barns!

In the East end of Elgin county, we found this monstrous barn right along side the highway. It was bitter cold, but my new camera still performed beautifully.

This barn is actually a very pale yellow or cream color, but the sun was so brilliant, it washes it out in the photos. 

This is more tobacco country, although they still grow cash crops like wheat, corn and beans.

It looks like as they needed more storage, they just built on.

This could have been the orginal farmhouse that likely just got swallowed by the barn expansion. Then was probably used as a chicken house, but I'm just speculating!
It's been many years since our municipalities would allow a house to be attached to a barn.

   Not in the best state of repair, but these old structures require a huge amount of upkeep. 

The lightning rod / Vents are such sculptures in the sky!

I wonder what they used this addition attached to the side?

Could be either implements or just storage.

Perhaps for pigs or sheep in a low slung barn like that.

The upper doors had these silhouettes painted on them.
Such care to decorate a barn.

Wonderful!










All of these photos were again shot and loaded directly from my Nikon P90 and then posted without alteration of any kind.

Cattle

Another herd that I found in central Elgin county. 

A mixed group showing both Black Angus and Hereford.

(But I'm not an expert...)

 

This isn't really a pasture meant for feed, but a field where the animals can be outside in the open air.

You can see that they can get inside any time they want.

 

Sure, they can scratch for grass, but the main part of their food comes from hay, feed, (a mixture of grains,) and silage. (Ground corn plants, stored in a silo and fermented. It will last all winter.)

The silos are those huge cement things. Holds a lot, don't they?

 

Obviously contented, this herd was laying on what was left of a hay bale!

Nice, warm and dry!

 

Early in the year for a baby, but cute!

 

A hereford in behind and the sweetheart in front is Black Angus.

(A heifer. AKA: A female who hasn't had a baby.)

 

The little horns will likely be trimmed off before the spring. 

If they didn't, this one could cause many wounds through play or by trying to get to the trough.

Do you suppose she's asking where's lunch?


All of these photos were again shot and loaded directly from my Nikon P90 and then posted without alteration of any kind.

Purple Martin Bird Houses

Pretty soon we'll all be thinking spring and wanting to gear up for the season. 


I can hardly wait for the birds to start flocking back. Oh! To hear their songs again! I don't care what kind they are or whether they're good birds or bad birds, I just love them! Our poor little Suzie just sits in the window all day long during spring, summer and fall until we close the storms and have to shut down the big windows. All winter she'll reach up to the sills and look back at us as if to beg us to open them again! I hope she doesn't think that because we've shut the windows, the birds go away?


Driving through the countryside the other day, we spotted some awesome purple martin houses. This is a breed of bird that we all encourage to come because of all the insects, mostly mosquitoes, that they'll eat in a day. Way better than pesticides and repellents?

 

They are so low on the pole because after the Purple Martins leave in the fall, you'll lower the houses down so the starlings and other 'undesirable' birds don't claim the nests. Then in spring, you'll raise them up. The birds like them nice and high! These looked manufactured though and quite 'new age." 

(Which is interesting, because this farm is owned by a Mennonite Family.) 

On close examination, they appear to be made of plastic? 

 

Wow!  

These are awesome! I'll have to go to the Aylmer Co- Op and see if that's where they bought them!

Cattle in a Field

How my Daddy loved Herefords!

We had about 15 acres of pasture on our farm just so Dad could keep a few cattle in the summer. He always just thought they looked so nice on the farm!
(I know, eccentric, but we had a business that fed us!)


The day my sister and I were out toot-elling around, we spied this pasture with this nice small herd.

 

Nice blue sky and a contented heard. 

You can tell because they aren't eating so they must be getting lots of grain and hay!

 

This rich rusty red brown is the characteristic hereford color and the white markings are so crisp.

They're curly furred faces are so sweet!

  

I think, even with their scraggy coats, that they are beautiful!

All of these photos were again shot and loaded directly from my Nikon P90 and then posted without alteration of any kind.