Saturday, March 01, 2008

Saturday activities and photos

Five more posts and I'll be at 500! What should I do to celebrate?

With a blanket of fresh snow coming overnight and the promise of rain and warmer weather tomorrow, I decided to forgo my regiment of taking it easy as I recover from the flu and do a little skiing this afternoon. With no wind and temperatures right around 30 degrees, there was no need for heavy wool pants. Jeans were fine. A friend and I skied out at Yankee Springs. The picture of me is beside the overlook for the Devil’s Soupbowl, which is really just a big hole in the ground (the name makes it sound more exciting than it is). I was trying to give him instructions on the camera when he snapped the shot.
Our route took us by Hall Lake where ice fishermen were busy trying their luck. A couple of years ago I wrote about an evening fishing trip on Hall Lake that my dog and I made.
This morning I took this picture of a local farm that will probably become the site for our new hospital. I’ve been meaning to photograph this farm for sometime. No one has lived there since Howard died over two years ago. After Howard’s death, I wrote a poem which I posted here about him and the farm that was in their family for 133 years. Click on this photo to enlargen it and to get a beautiful view!

18 comments:

  1. That farm photo looks idyllic! And what a great day to get out skiing - it's gorgeous! Glad to hear you're feeling better.

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  2. The farm photo is wonderful; the blue skies and the red barn with snow - great!

    I've had over 1500 posts altogether. What should I do to celebrate? LOL

    Maybe you should come south to celebrate and get out of the snow!

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  3. What I wouldn't give to be photographed on skis by the Devil's Soupbowl. I'd be in Heaven! Even in March you have wonderful snow! Perfect for skiing in a light jacket.

    That farm looks beautiful just the way it is. I wonder what it will be like when it turns into a hospital.

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  4. Diane--it was a great day to get out!

    Kenju--I'll probably be back down there early in June

    Scarlet--unfortunately the farm will be no more

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  5. Nice photos.

    Thanks for stopping by my other blog, a/k/a "The One With One Hit Every Six Months." We'll say "hello" to the desert for you. I truly miss it when I'm not there.

    As for post five hundred when it appears, congratulate yourself on hanging in there. Too many people stop blogging long before 500 posts and the rest of us are the worse for it.

    Cheers.

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  6. Is it really unfortunate that the farm will be replaces by a hospital? It could be something much worse: a subdivision filled with identical houses.

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  7. The red barn in the snow... stunning photo... that's about as picturesque as it gets.

    I never knew the devil was a soup fan, let alone had a special bowl for it. lol

    Michele says hello!
    ~S

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  8. You know, I just remembered something. I know a guy whose church just bought some land to build an even bigger church. I wonder if this land that they bought was a similar type. Would that be unfortunate as well? :-)

    As for your 500th, I think you should reflect on the time between then and your first. People you've met, etc. I know it's kind of touchy feely for you but you know how I keep wanting you to get in touch with your feelings. :-)

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  9. Wow, beautiful snow!f

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  10. You should send $500 to everyone who comments on your 500th post.

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  11. r. Have a great time in the desert!

    murf #1: you're right.

    shephard, the Devil has his name on a lot of things--in California you have the Devil's postpile (near Mammonth) and the Devil's Racetrack (Death Valley), there is the Devil's Tower, etc.

    murf #2: if we're thinking about the same church, the land they purchased wasn't a beautiful farm, but it did have a gravel and sand mine on it. Thanks for the idea for the 500th post--maybe I'll do something like that (but would that mean I'd have to revisit you know who?)

    Kontan, yes, it's been a lovely winter!

    Kevin, that should really increase the hits on my blog, maybe double so when they come back to complain after they've received Monopoly money in the mail! :)

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  12. The red barn in the snow is a perfect photo. And I love the one of you on skis!

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  13. I bite, you-know-who who? ;)

    That is a spectacular barn and the kind that they are working hard to preserve here in Iowa before they are all replaced by metal pole barns.

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  14. Thanks Deana

    Ed, so you want me to revisit HER site? The sad thing is that those barns aren't functional anymore and there isn't enough land around this particular farm for it to continue being a farm...

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  15. Oh, my comment didn't go through! I wrote you should party like it's four hundred and ninety-nine. ;D

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  16. The county where I grew up has two barns, both round, that have been made tourist attractions and now make enough money for their upkeep. Can't do that with every barn but some of the unique ones do.

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  17. My mistake. There are evidently now ten barns on the tour.
    http://800-tourvbc.com/ofvanburen/Barn_Tour_Itinerary.pdf
    The last one on the list, the Wickfield Round Barn is the most famous of them all but it is in need or repair. Last I heard, they have actually done some of the necessary repairs to it and were trying to sell it to a group for permanent preservation.

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  18. You know what? I'll take some pictures of my grandad's tobacca barns and post them sometime. They are a dying breed, too. :)

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