This barn was visible in the distance as I wandered Fairfield County backroads Saturday. I couldn’t resist going for a closer look.

Regular readers here will notice that old barns are a common theme in my photos. In this area they are typically wood with a metal roof. Sometimes they have interesting cupolas, stone foundations or weather vanes. That’s great but I’m just as fond of simple lines and no adornments. I like the silhouette of a wood or stone barn against an expansive sky.

Barns were once the heart of a farm and the few remaining are larger than life examples of folk art.

Modern barns are typically sided with metal and have about as much character as a box of rocks. Of course, we’re lucky to have any barns or farms left as it becomes harder every day for small farmers to survive.

I also drove past several tracts of farmland turned construction sites. New homes will soon take over the landscape, a timely reminder of why these pleasant surprises along country roads are becoming harder to find.