Holding on to Autumn

The air is getting colder and colder...

 

we finally broke down and put the heat on this week (just a little).

 

 

 

 

The fall colors are amazing.

 

With the horrible drought and then the cold weather,

 

the remaining leaves are actually pretty bright.

 

 

 

 

Sometimes fall around here tends to be rainy

 

and everything turns brown and falls rather quickly.

 

 

 

 

But this year, a drive in the country

 

is sure to reward you with colorful vistas.

 

 

 

 

These little purple blooms...

 

are they wild asters?

 

...are all over the roadsides.

 

 

 

 

Milkweeds are just exploding with energy!

 

I had to bring a handful of pods home, like a little kid.

 

 

 

 

Even thorny thistles acquire

 

the regal stance of natural scepters.

 

 

 

 

And so autumn hangs on... truly the longest season.

 

Not marked by dates on calendars,

 

but by events..we enjoy her

 

from August's back to school season till Thanksgiving.

 

 

 

Linking this week with:

 

Rural Journal

 

Friday Fences

 

 



Sweet September's Last Day

Today was the perfect temperature to enjoy a bike ride.

 

These images are taken on the Wauponsee trail that runs by our home.

 

 

 

(I *heart* dirt roads)

 

A five mile bike ride yielded many farms being harvested.

 

The sun was almost too bright to get really good shots, but I got a few.

 

 

 

 

*sigh*

 

Dreaming of this life.

 

 

 

 

Linking with:

 

Sunday Best ay My 1929 Charmer

 

Barn Charm at Bluff Area Daily

 

Rural Thursday at Rural Journal

 

Friday Fences with Jan and Jer



This Old Barn

Today I'm doing a farm tour.

 

Tickets, please!

 

 

 

 

 

We live across the road from the Round Barn Farm.

 

It was saved as an historical marker by our town, and now they have loaded up

 

the former farm fields with baseball fields and wine shacks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Round Barn Farm itself is constructed from wood that was salvaged

 

from the World's Fair in Chicago...when they built the White City.

 

 

 

(For anyone interested, there is an incredible book titled, "Devil in the White City,"

 

 

a true tale of a serial killer during the World's Fair that hunted farm women

 

as they traveled to Chicago to find work.  It's rich in it's descriptive tale

 

of the architectural structures that were erected, including the museums still

 

standing in Chicago and the world's first Ferris Wheel.

 

I have read it, and I concur it's a great read!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

For years, it was used as a petting zoo and museum and that's why they wanted to save it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are only so many round barns in the country of this size.

 

I have been meaning to take some pictures of the structures

 

and today I hightailed over there to finally get them.

 

 

Why am I in such a hurry now?

 

 

 

 

 

They've begun painting. 

 

One day I came home from work and it was done;

 

no more chippy paint on the barn.

 

These chippy images are from other structures...ticket booths, etc.

 

 

 

 

 

It is a cleaner presentation from the highway,

 

 

 

 

 

but there's a lot of overspray on the windows. 

 

Maybe they're replacing those, too, and didn't care.

 

I found the huge old sign laying behind the barn on the ground in pieces...

 

 

 

 

 

...I'm assuming at this point that they will put it back up.

 

 

 

 

 

I think at one point, many children made some memories here.

 

They are trying to bring a little of that fun back

 

in making this farm a community park and festival center.

 

 

Sharing this old barn with...

 

 

White Wednesday at Faded Charm

 

Barn Charm at Bluff Area Daily

 

Rural Thursday at A Rural Journal

 

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground

 

Friday Fences with Jan and Jer



Pumpkin Farm Fun

Lewis' Pumpkin Farm in New Era, Michigan offers all the family traditions you're looking for in a family pumpkin farm.

Acres of pumpkin farm surrounded by loads of family fun.

Pedal cars and pumpkin jumps...

...pumpkins everywhere.

This was our second year in attendance.

Lots of cool things to climb on,

a kids' train through the orchard,

a lengthy haunted hay ride through an orchard --complete with pumpkin chucker,

and hands down the best petting zoo around.

The goats were able to climb over us in this crazy goat apartment complex.

Someday,

if our ten acre small farm is ever realized,

we will definitely have some of these. 

And maybe a few of these, too, because I really love the fiber.

Alpacas are so darn cute.

We still talk about maybe adding a few turkeys to our yard next year.

This place had chickens, pea fowl, a camel, a donkey, two ponies... the kids were very excited. 

They also had a great market with fresh apples as big as a doorstop, breads, pies, toys, ice cream, apple juice, etc.  Just delightful. 

All very reasonably priced, too, I would say.  Much more affordable than the over commercialized pumpkin farm back by our hometown where they ship the pumpkins in overnight on a flatbed (so fake).

 

Bee, the camel, was very up close and personal!  A very friendly camel.

The sun was bright, the air was warm, and you couldn't ask for better weather for fall.

(Can you tell they just wanted to run around and do stuff??  No more pics, Mom!!)

Farm Tour

Note: This is a long post filled with photos.  Questions on the bottom!!

Yesterday, our neighbor asked us if we would like to go to his farm.  He said the kids might enjoy it and that he wanted to ask me if there were some things I might like before he threw them on the burn pile. 

Red Alert!!  Red ALert!!  Farm objects on the burn pile???  Gotta go right now....

It was only a 5 minute drive.  The above barn is over 100 years old.

I knew I had to bring along my camera.  My whole body said, "This I gotta SEE."

It was an exploration of light and texture.

Come look inside the barn...

Love how the light glints through the rooftops.  Here are some photos to enjoy.  Scroll to the bottom to see what we brought home!!

I really wanted to bring home this dog house.  I thought the teal color was so cool.

Alas, my husband tried to lift it....

And said we would need a forklift!  That's ok, we can all enjoy it from the photo.

I also fell in love with this nesting box.  Our neighbor said he would think about it.  I think it would be super-cute to put mittens and magazines in  (LOVE magazines!!!)

Our neighbor let us bring home these beautiful vintage bowling pins.

They were just laying in the barn, so we boxed them up and brought them home.

Again, too good to pass up!  Don't know what I am going to do with them yet, but I love the texture on the old skins.

I absolutely LOVE this photo I took in the barn.  The picture of this ship was in there on the barn floor next to the pins.  Such a beautiful arrangement, I couldn't have planned it.

And finally....

This beautiful old chest was his grandmother's.  He said she brought it over from Sweden.  It was destined for the burn pile.

What a great piece.  Again, don't know what I am going to do with it, yet.  It definitely needs to be cleaned because it was in the limestone basement of the old farmhouse.  

Any ideas?  Leave it?  Paint a weathered Swedish flag on top?

I am so excited!!  I have always wanted a flat-topped trunk but never actually splurged on one.  I would love to hear your feedback!