On our small horse farm we are fortunate to have one of those 100+ year-old, three-story wooden barns, and are even more fortunate that it is in exceptional condition. Over the years I have found various 'treasures' in that barn, such as the writing on a wall indicating that it was built in 1884. But more often than I'd care to admit I am guilty of running through my life on auto-pilot. Consequently I sometimes do not really see what is around me. Such was the case with the subject of "Rope and Pulley", the current piece which I am very near to completing.
The old iron and wood pulley hangs on an oak beam near one of the barn doors that I rarely use. Despite this I have walked by it countless times, never really noticing what a fascinating object it is............until one morning in early July it captured my attention. According to my neighbor Wilbur, an eighty-five year old gentleman who owned and operated our farm for several decades, the pulley and its accompanying iron hook were used to lift hay into the hay mow. One end of the rope was attached to horses outside the barn, who would lift the hay via pulley when driven to walk forward.
I look forward to finishing this piece -- hopefully a couple of more days will do it -- and then plan on taking a brief 'break' from drawing during which I'm going to embark on a search for a new laptop computer. Incidentally, when talking with an out-of-state friend today I described our barn as structurally resembling one of the old "Mail Pouch barns" , and was surprised to find that not everyone knows what a "Mail Pouch barn" is!.................(I won't mention any names, but..........the link will further the education of those not familiar with this agricultural icon!)
Wow this has really made nice progress since I last saw it! I really like it even more now. I think you work very well under deadlines, Lynda. Keep lining them up.
ReplyDeleteIn my own opinion Debbi my work definitely goes thru an 'ugly-stage' -- at which time I'm not sure if its going to work out quite the way I've envisioned! But I too am feeling better about this one the further along it gets. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHi Lynda, first of all I really like this piece! You are doing a great job with it and I love the subject matter. You are so fortunate to have an old barn. I am smitten by barns, the older the better.
ReplyDeleteI grew up on a dairy farm and I spent countless hours in the barns on our property. I would regularly escape to the solitude of the hay mow to hang out with my cats following a crazy loud day at school. The afternoon sunlight streaming in through the spaces between the barn board gave the loft the look of a cathedral. Such quite and peace and oh the musty smell of the hay...bliss. My present home has a small log barn. It is very nice but definitely not the same as a timberframe one.
Good luck with the laptop search. Mine is a Dell and I love it. I especially like the keyboard. I tried various models of laptops and I was looking for one that felt the most comfortable to me when I was typing. I bought a larger screen model (18"?) in order to get more space in the keyboard but it is heavy. If I took my laptop everywhere, I would have bought a smaller one. Anyway, thanks for stirring up some wonderful memories and happy shopping. :-)
Teresa;
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing those wonderful memories. I think you were so fortunate to have grown up on a farm: I did not but that is where I wanted to be, even as a child...........And it is so true that there is something almost magical about barns, and the type of peace they bring to the soul. Sometimes in the busy-ness of life, I forget these things. You have inspired me to spend more time sitting in the hay with the cats.