a tale of tails, tenacity, and tedium, as told by me, usually barefoot and bellowing

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

The Old Barn


It was there when Dad was young and he said it was over a hundred years old then. You can see the marks the hand axes made as they cut the log into a square timber for the barn. Each piece was cut to fit together like a puzzle, no nails needed because each added weight held it together more tightly.

It is sad to see it dying though it has taken more than a hundred years, there are only a few pieces left from the ravages of time.

The barn was used when he was a child but as long as I can remember it has only been a shadow of what had been. With Daddy's stories, I can hear the axes and the shouts of men as they raised the barn, timber by timber.

It is sad to see it go, now covered with mosses and lichen with insects eating the meal within the last logs. It is good to know, it shall feed the earth again from where the first tree was cut.

12 comments:

Irene said...

That was a great old relic from the past and I'm as sorry as you are to see it turn to dust. Wooden things just don't last, do they? It's a shame, because they can be so precious. Thank goodness you have new barns to take its place.

Melanie said...

Sniffle, sniffle...What a lovely tribute to something that has lived on your farm forever.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful, eloquent, and wistful. I love your writing gail. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Carla said...

Bitter-sweet beauty from the past...

Gigi Ann said...

"To Everything There Is A Season." Even old barns.

Jeannelle said...

Yes, sad to see the old barn go, but its good you took these photos as reminders of the way people use to build things.

The W.O.W. factor! said...

Cool! Several years back, when Cowboy was shoeing, we came across an old log barn built in the late 1800's. Was in great shape and the owners still used it!
Sad to see parts of our history, return to the earth from which it came..

ShirleyAnn said...

I love old barns. They always catch my eye when riding in the country.

allhorsestuff said...

Oh lovely old barn that in her day, sheltered and harbored many and such as the likes of the hard working beast and machine.
Farewell sweet barn~

C-ingspots said...

Oh Gail, what an awesome barn! It is kind of sad to see it deteriorate with time, but then again...look how long she's lasted!! Longer than any of us ever will. Amazing!! I love it.

Laughing Orca Ranch said...

Built on your land and now returning back into your land....in it's rawest form.

What a wonderful tribute to a piece of history, Gail.

~Lisa

Tiffany said...

How good that you were able to witness that old barn before it's completely gone. Beautiful pictures, always love hearing about the history of people and things.

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