There are glimmers everywhere. Glimmers of hope the weekend is near. Glimmers of ideas that could change your entire day. Glimmers of opportunity to change your whole life.
And yes, glimmers of sunset over the farm down the road.
A glimmer may not be enough to start a fire but it could be enough to get you through and give you the start you need.
After a long winter of staying home followed by a few misadventures, it felt positively glorious to drive in the sunshine last night. While I was on a familiar road, I took a detour for a closer look at a couple of places I have driven by plenty of times but never stopped to photograph.
This old farm is one of them.
It reminded me of this quote by naturalist and writer Henry Beston:
An old farm is always more than the people under its roof. It is the past as well as the present, and vanished generations have built themselves into it as well as left their footsteps in the worn woodwork of the stair.
Don’t you wonder who left their footprints behind here? Old homes are not just wood and windows. The earth beneath our feet isn’t just dirt. A farm isn’t just a place to grow corn.
This place was once a home for someone, maybe for generations of a single family. While many people would claim it’s in the middle of nowhere, this farm was once the middle of everything to the people who labored sunrise to sundown just to make ends meet. To you, it’s just dirt. To the farmer who worked this land, it was pure potential.
What we look at determines what we see. What we plant determines what we harvest. What do you see around you? What seeds are you planting in this life? What goodness will you harvest from this life of yours?
You get once chance. Better make it count.
“Do not let a flattering woman coax and wheedle you and deceive you; she is after your barn.”
Hesiod, Greek poet
Hesiod was a poet but he was also a philosopher and farmer. I get the impression from his work that he didn’t think much of women. Fine by me. I just want his barn!
It’s a picturesque scene from somewhere in Ohio’s Amish Country last fall. I didn’t love it there but there were some bright moments including a peaceful drive in the country and just sightseeing.
This farm was a favorite, possibly because I liked how the vibrant blues and greens accentuate the wood barn.
Greek poet Hesiod is alleged to have said “Do not let a flattering woman coax and wheedle you and deceive you; she is after your barn.”
I don’t know if he really said this but it made me laugh and it sounds pretty accurate to me. I do like a good barn!
Houses like this one always make me sad. You can tell she was once a beauty and if this old girl could talk, I’m sure she would express shame for her current condition.
Her barn is gone and the remaining shed in the field is collapsing onto itself. Someone still farms here but the house is no longer a home.
Small children once pressed their noses against the upstairs windows, eager to go play in the snow. They slammed the kitchen door on the way out to chase lightening bugs in the summer. That gorgeous front door was once open to neighbors on Sunday afternoon. Gallons of iced tea were consumed on the front porch while the price of hay and the chance of rain were debated.
She unfailingly provided shelter and warmth to generations who needed her but now sits vacant and ignored. Her windows are all broken and she has suffered the indignity of a spray painted message on her face.
What wisdom might she impart if she could speak? What comfort could she provide if fixed up and offered the opportunity?
I’m sure we’ll never know as she is suffering a slow but inevitable demise.
Snow flurries made for a pretty drive earlier this week. I was on my way someplace but happily slammed on my breaks for a quick phone picture.
Have a great Sunday, friends!