This barn has been nearly lost to time and swallowed up by nature.
Give Mother Nature the chance and she will reclaim what is hers. We are seeing it time and again, the world over right now as people are sent home, pollution is slowed and progress stalled.
I read a story last week about sea turtles – 70,000 of them – seen nesting along the beach in eastern India. It’s one of the largest nesting places for this particular species of sea turtle but they didn’t nest here last year. COVID 19 is credited with emptying the beaches and allowing these creatures to nest peacefully and without human interference.
The Canals in Venice are so crystal clear you can actually see fish in them and deer are wandering through city streets in Japan. Bears are thriving in our national parks because we are not there to interfere with their well being.
While we all excitedly click on these stories and share them on social media, I’m sure most people are not prepared to adjust and accommodate the natural world. The canals will again be polluted and wildlife will recede when people resume normal life.
But it doesn’t hurt to dream of what the world might look like if we were more inclined to acknowledge that these creatures have as much right to be here as we have and that clean water and air are in everyone’s best interest.
Today is the fiftieth anniversary of Earth Day. Enjoy this day, friends.
Honestly, it’s a bit smaller than I expected but impressive nonetheless. It’s incredible when you consider what can be accomplished with dynamite, jackhammers and chisels.
Portions of the monument can be seen from the road below but it’s worth the $10 parking fee to get out of the car and look around. There’s a great visitors’ center with a gift shop and ice cream shop where you can taste Thomas Jefferson’s ice cream recipe.