7=3=16 ~ The Barn Collective in Green and Yellow

It is Sunday and time for Tom's Barn Collective.

This is a beautiful home and barn complex not too far from home. The yellow and green with the while windows and fencing make for such a lovely rural landscape.

6-12-16 ~ Sterrett Road Barn ~ Rockbridge County, VA

It is Sunday and time for Tom's the Back Roads Traveller's Barn Collective.

Come along and join us.

6-5-16 ~ A Barn, Flowers, and a Sad Week at the Robinson Homeplace

This week I had to have my beloved pal of 16 years, Little Jack the Schnauzer, put down because of kidney failure, incontinence, and advanced dementia. I never knew dogs could get dementia, but Jack was having a terrible time getting lost and just not responding. He laid in his little bed crate almost all day. It has broken my heart as I have never killed or had to have a doctor put down any animal in my life (a ground stinging bee hive attacking me and flies so not count). I had no idea how hard it was going to effect me, but there has been some real depression. As always, I draw to try to get over the doldrums so here is my first beginning sketch. Jack is NOT a girl as you all know, but I love bows so put them on him. The lighting was terrible this morning so please excuse the dark gritty places in both pictures.

As the week went on, I decided to try to come up with something happy that included him so created... The Kerrs Creek 2016 Beauty Contest with him as the Judge from up in Doggie Heaven. In case you cannot read the names of the contestants here they are...

Edgar Egret

Kelly Kitty

Brenda Bluebird

Matilda Mouse

Claudette Cow

Roscoe Rabbit

As you notice, they all have their little red hearts on them.

Just hunt and you will see them.

So, how do you put a smile on a sad old face....well, you go out and take pictures of a very old barn of a friend and all the wildflowers he planted 3 years ago and has nurtured them day after day. Thank you, Tom, for giving me a reason to brighten my days this week. For anyone wanting to see more pretty barns, go to Tom the Backroads Traveler's Barn Collective. This post is also linked with I Heart Macro and Macro Monday 2. 

5-9-16 ~ Bubbling Springs

Buddy and I went out to Bubbling Springs last Sunday. It is one of our spots in the county to visit.. You can walk in the water, cook on the grills, and  pick the watercress to bring home for sandwiches. I have included a 22 second video showing the springs bubbling if you would like to look at it. You can see the movement of the water and the sounds that it makes. 

We passed this old barn that we have been watching for years now. Don’t know how much longer it is going to last. It is full of junk.  If it falls down, I would love to have some of the old wood.

 In this area where Bud is, the underground springs really bubble.

The water is SO cool. I remembered my creek shoes :-=)

 My feet  at 77 still have a lot of little girl left in them.

 This area is gorgeous with all the little pebbles and the bubbles.

Eating Area

Video of the Springs

This post is linked with:
Tom’s Barn Collective
and
Our World Tuesday

3-13-16 ~ Sunday Sketches

"I never look at my watch when I'm sketching!"

~Karl Lagerfeld

 I have an really old barn book, so while we were driving to NC this week, I decided to look at one and see if I could sketch it. I added bits and pieces of my owllike some of the door and fences, but it is all pen and ink. I also played with the hinges and made them different from one another.

 This piece is in my art journal. I enjoy doing little sketches about love so this is another one. This one is done with watercolors, watercolor pencils, and some pen and ink.

My sketches are linked with Sunday Sketches over at Blue Chair Diary Blog.

March 6, 2016 ~ Tom's Barn Collective ~ BARN ALERT

"It is a happy talent to know how to play."

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

 All of today's photos were taken with me hanging out the passenger window, iPhone gripped firmly in hand, and yelling..."Buddy, SLOW DOWN! SLOW DOWN! YOU"RE GOING TOO FAST."

A single white barn I caught on Bud's side of car. This one was taken with me hanging over the dashboard trying to keep rear view mirror out of photo.

 Another BARN ALERT barn with all of todaye photos taken with me hanging out the window with iPhone in hand and yelling..."Buddy, SLOW DAN...SLOW DOWN! Look at all that RED.

This horse trailer belongs to the barn above. I see a green John Deere something.

A New Barn Going Up

I have a hunch this could be a horse barn because this is an area of the county where lots of horse people live and there is even a special riding club out there. The Port-a-John adds such a lovely touch to this picture. I cannot help but giggle.

Close Up of the New Barn

I think these are their horses grazing.

This post from the horse country of Rockbridge County is linked with:

Toms the Back Road's Traveler's  Barn Collective.

February 25, 2016 ~ Red and White Barns and Blue Skies

My Patriotic Post

Red and White Barns and Blue Skies

On our way to Waynesboro, VA, for me to go to the Michael’s store with my trust 40% off coupon, we decided to drive over the back way. Since we were not in a hurry, I was able to pull off the road each time I wanted to and take pictures. Luckily there was a pull off on our side of the road and not on the other. Here are two of the barns we saw with the gorgeous sky overhead. It was the perfect day for a road trip.

This post is linked with:

Skywatch Friday

Tom’s Barn Collective

Shadow Shot Sunday 2

February 22, 2016 ~ Snider Farm For Sale

My eldest son - now 50 - grew up spending lots of time in this homeplace with one of his best friend who later went into the Coast Guard. It is the prettiest old home, but it was way too big for Mom and Dad once the children were gone. A number of years back they built a smaller one story home on some of their land. Today I thought I would drive up their road on my way from the grocery store, but was saddened to see the For Sale sign in the front yard. I know as we gown older things change, but there is something so secure about them remaining the way we have known them through the years. I stopped in the driveway and went all around taking pictures because I want to send them to my son. So this is My World on Tuesday for this week. A world that is changing and moving forward. It was a very cloudy and overcast day, but for some reason it was conducive to taking pictures with my iPhone.

The Snider Homeplace

The Old Chimney on Side of Home
I love the curved top on it and the old, old brick.

Barn to the Side of the Home

Small Outbuilding beside Home

 This looks like a real treasure of their old farm machinery, but I have no idea what it is. Shaver makes me think of lumber and I do see shavings around it. I am sure they have timber on their land.

Another Barn Located in the Side Field to the Right

The Mountain View from the Side Field

 This field is right behind the home and abuts the property where they have built their new home. Whatever this structure was, it is gone now.

 This is their new home. I just pulled off the side of the road and took this picture out my window. The land with the old homeplace is located in the opposite direction from the sign and around the curve on the left. Mrs. Snider and I taught school together, and in addition to farming Mr. Snider was on the Board of Supervisors for our Kerrs Creek District of Rockbridge County.

This post is linked with Our World Tuesday.

February 20, 2016 ~ The Old Farm at New Monmouth Presbyterian Church

"Sculpture is like farming. If you just keep at it, 

you can get quite a lot done.”

~Ruth Asawa

This is a very old home about 7 miles from our house where two girls lived that I taught at least 25 years ago. At that time it had rockers on the front porch and was a happy place. It needed paint back then, but apparently a house can survive for years and years without a paint job. Now it is a bit lopsided and appears to be going downhill. No one has lived there in years, but the farm land and the barns are still in use with by the owners or someone renting it for their cattle and hay. Right now it is being used.

This is the home where two girls that I taught at least 25 years ago lived. At that time there were rocking chairs on the front porch and there were always children out in the yard. It has been vacated for years now, and as you can see is beginning to list a bit. It is interesting that there was no new paint on the house back then, and it is the same now. Someone that either own the property or rents it (that is my guess) is using the barns and grazing cattle. It is located across the road from New Monmouth Presbyterian Church.

This is not a very good picture, but it shows the outbuildings behind the house. Since I was on private property, I was using caution where I was stepping. There was a fence and I did not go over it...stand on it, yes, but not climb over it. The property is right on the Route 60 so anyone driving by knew exactly what I was doing.

This is the main barn.

And this is the other outbuilding behind the barn. The fence you see is the one I was balancing on to take the pictures. I was good...I didn’t do a face plant again.

This is New Monmouth Presbyterian Church which is across the street from the farm.

This post is linked with:

~Tom’s Barn Collective

~Shadow Shot Sunday2

~Theresa’s #101 Good Fences...CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

~Skywatch Friday

~Inspired Sundays