AUTUMN FARM

The way to the farm

As many of you folks know, I am an inch away from owning a nearly 40 acre farm in Hawkins County.  Its so close its scary.  Today was a day off and I went up to the old farm this afternoon to look at the house roof that I need to paint very soon after my acquisition.  What I saw was amazing.  The colors of Fall appeared suddenly overnight and I almost couldn't take it all in.  What a beautiful place.  Just magnificent!  Could I, me, actually own this wonder?  Well, I'm days away from it.  Wow!  I took some pictures today and I became more excited with every click of the camera shutter.  I can not believe what is happening at this late point in my life.

 Parts of the meadows on the farm are divided into parcels.  Here are two individual sections that appear to be about 3 to 5 acres each, one gated.  Don't know why.  Don't care.  Its gorgeous.

What beauty!  And the far side of this little meadow field is bordered by a hard wood forest.

 Just around the corner of this narrow road and there she is

 This old antique barn has seen a lot of use over its life.  The front part is an add on and is falling in disrepair.  If you focus on the roof line behind the front add on you will see that it is square.  I intend to remove the front part and expose the original square and even pole barn.  Wow!

 Lots of meadow out there.  Yep.  Mine.  Hopefully....

There's a view of the barn from the house. 

Shade is making herself at home.  I think she likes it here.

 Another shot of the old barn from the yard.

I guess you can tell I like the old barn.  I am putting a 12X20 wooden barn in the meadow to keep the BMW bike, tools, lawn mower and just stuff.  I was going to put it beside the old barn but I think it would mess up the ambience of the place.  I'll have to put more thought into it.  

 A nice walk across the seven acres behind the house took Shade and I to this beautiful cold water creek.  I'm told it flows year round and is mostly spring water.   Shade loved it.  This could be a problem in the summer with her as far as mud goes.  Oh hell - who cares.  She can do what she wants here.

 Even the creek is beautiful.  Is this really happening to me?

 And look at the scene below.  it is the view slightly up and across the road.  Yep, its mine.

Its all mine.   Wow!

 Check it out!  I got to pinch myself.  Its not that I am vane.  Its that I never sought out an experience like this and to have it materialize before me out of the blue sky is amazing.  I am dazzled by it.  I'm going home to the farm I was raised on in Pennsylvania.  It's historical recession.  It's returning home.

 The scene below has a spring creek flowing down in the center of the picture.  Its hard to see but its there.  My property would go clear to the top of the mountain and through a hardwood stand of poplar trees with a few cedars.  There is a large poplar standing close to the creek and it is under this tree along the water that I will bury Douglas's ashes because this farm will be our final home.  It is a beautiful place that I can go to visit him some evenings and share feelings with him and tell him I wish he was here with me.  But, its a beautiful place.

JUST THINKING ABOUT THE DAY

It was pouring rain this morning at sun up but I headed for the lake anyway with the boat.  Maybe it would quit raining soon.  I pulled into an empty parking lot and realized I was the only one in the vicinity of this lake.  I launched the boat and headed for the islands mid lake.  And, there he was.

He sat there in the pouring rain exposed to the elements and appeared as comfortable as if in a recliner.  I knew he wouldn't tolerate the big engine on this boat so I acted as if I didn't see him and motored on by.  He would not have any of it and left his perch.

 She was a magnificent bald eagle.  I say she because the females are larger and this eagle was huge.  I am forever amazed at their wing span.  Look at that magnificent eagle below.  What wings!  What power!!

 Occasionally the clouds would open up and the sun's rays would strike the colored trees on the islands illuminating their colored outlines against the sky.

 The colors were present but not bright due to the inability of the sun to penetrate through the dark clouds.  And then more rain began to fall.  Its time to exit stage left.

I can't wait until the closing on the new property I'm moving too.  It is a slow process, this selling and buying of property.  This 33 acre farm I'm acquiring is a dream I never felt would come true.  But, its happening.  I will miss my little colorful yard that I'm put so much work into.  The fall colors are showing even in that tiny green world I call yard.  I'll miss it.  But that's what cameras are for.  Memories.

 JUST PLEASANT MEMORIES.

 Guess there were lots of memories here over the past couple years.  Some were pure bliss and some difficult to handle but memories all the same.

MAGNIFICENT RAPTORS

I can't believe I've been so lax posting on this blog.  I thought most of the readers would have left me by now.  Face Book has been getting my attention over the past months but I think I need to focus on the place I originally started posting photos and writing stories.  I thought I would post some osprey and bald eagle pictures I've taken over the past few months.  If you follow my albums on Face Book you probably saw these previous to this post. If not then, I hope you like the photos.

A mysterious early morning on Douglas Lake leads to some great raptor photography.  Some days it just happens.

 "Go ahead - make my day".

IMMATURE BALD EAGLE

 He came out of the shadows

And then there was the morning I saw a multitude of juvenile bald eagles on the shoreline.  Amazing!

 ANGRY BALD EAGLE 

The shots below are eagles in flight.  Some days they just won't wait for me in the trees and are unpredictable.  Thats what makes wildlife photography so exciting.

 It's impossible to make every shot a masterpiece but, every shot documents a memory of the day I saw the eagles.