A Flying Focus
Thank you for visiting today. Sunday is always a very quiet day in my blog world.
What is your best day? I always get the most readers on Monday morning at 7am my time.
Most readers are from the United States.
Below is Pania in flight. The flying focus. Somehow being OUT of focus makes it look more real – more dramatic.
Sheila took herself for a walk yesterday. Note that Tima is hidden from sight when the big Sheila Steamship comes out of its berth to have a cruise around.
This time of year Sheila needs the exercise so I let her go wherever she wants to, though she never leaves her cows for long.
Plus she knows I have been gathering the eggs and she wants one. And she always receives her egg at her gate. She is a very well behaved pig is our Sheila with a very good memory. Once Sheila’s gate was shut again out popped Tima.
No wind again yesterday. When there is no wind I get twice as much done.
Old barns. This old barn has had such a hard life. The barns around here were not built to be pretty, they are simple useful structures and the timber was, of course, cheap and untreated so the wind gives this building a hard time too. We do a lot of patching and propping but much of the timber in this barn is rotten. It is like a painting hanging on a wall by a pin. It can hang there for years as long as no-one tries to dust behind it, then the painting and the pin will never be the same again. I have the same feeling about this old barn.
I hope you have a good day.
love celi
60 Comments on “A Flying Focus”
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thekitchensgarden 
We had an old barn. But with more holes.
It is hard work keeping up to date on the maintenance but I have a feeling if I take my eye off the ball the whole thing will start to tumble down – so far we are on top of it.. c
I think there’s something nice about the way time the weather changes the texture of big old wooden barns. I love the way the paint has been stripped from the old wood. It’s more picturesque than practical 🙂
Yes I like it too – to paint this old barn would be just too expensive anyway and they both need doing. Lucky we like the decaying look! c
IF!!! IF you decide to tear it down, save the wood. People are paying huge amounts for old barn wood. A lady my daughter knows paid $4,000 for a barn door to varnish and hang between her kitchen and pantry.
Linda
I will never tear it down – with care it will outlive my farming ventures – I would never tear any barn down
I don’t blame you! Nothing like a wonderful old barn.
It always makes me sad to see the old wood barns tumbling down only to be replaced by unattractive ‘tin cans’. Fortunately yours still houses animals, that goes a long way to keeping the barn ‘alive’.
Sundays are a quiet day on my blog too. I tend to get most visitors during the week (Tuesdays and Wednesdays).
Hmm – midweek – interesting.. c
Before there were the ‘Where’s Waldo?’ books there were these picture books that used common items (like marbles, and matchboxes and bobby pins) to create beautiful pictures. I used to love pouring through those. Enjoying every discovery of something my brain said was a … that was made to look like a …. I find soaking in your pictures is like that too. For instance – noticing the cement blocks between the two bales of hay in the first picture. And the pallette leaning against the little coop. Or the blue barrel – suspended on a post perhaps? – in the last picture. AND the fire hydrant in behind the Purina bucket! I look like this because this is how we most often do our patch ups here at home. If something needs fixing we wander into our shed or our basement and look around at everything that is ‘saved/stored/stacked’ for something useful to solve our problem. Your pictures are treasure troves!
The concrete blocks are funny! I put a bale there to stop the wind blowing in the doors, as i walked back past the bale was moving, so i put the concrete blocks on top of the bale and then another bale on top. Who knows what will join that tower next! c
It’s a concrete sandwich! 😉
I rarely pay attention to my blog traffic – I used to, in the beginning. Kind of like the old barn here. When we first moved here I was all about keeping things tidy and clean, painted and patched. But, as the years move on, I find myself paying less attention to anything other than maintenance to keep the animals comfortable. The old barn on this place is beyond repair. Like your barn, the wood is rotten and I’m afraid to look and see what actually might be holding the whole thing together! The foundation has heaved and the walls are leaning inward. One day the whole thing will cave in at the center.
I love your description of Sheila’s movement and Tima’s respect. There is such a pecking order in all of life.
I love to watch the people coming in and out. It is not a competition thing more of a pleasure. I do enjoy knowing people are reading.
Good afternoon, c. The weather is playing with my bones today. I rather feel like that barn.
You must be damp! c
Grey, misty damp, cold, 2C.
I am amazed by your lack of snow. If I had to guess by looking at your pictures- I’d say it was very early spring. Well. I guess it IS early spring. VERY early spring. 🙂
We don’t really get a lot of snow as a rule – usually it just gets too cold and this year of course it is so warm that we are getting rain. I wish it were spring! But I guess we have a lot of winter to go yet..
Sun, no wind or snow … long may it last for you. Laura
No sun yet, no sun for days and days really – nor today – but the no wind is just wonderful… c
[D] I love the painting-and-pin analogy – so true! Our busiest day for readers is generally Sunday. Most viewers are from the UK, though they tend to come via our excerpt-links on facebook. Direct WordPress followers tend to be from the N America – a rapidly growing cohort. [J] Timber cladding is, generally relatively easy to replace. The key is keeping the structure sound. Agricultural buildings should look purposeful, their appearance should say something about what they’re used for, even if they simply fall into the ‘big shed used for anything and everything’. Yours has a very high ridge, and that’s less usual these days, as steel portal frames will take snow loading on relatively flat roofs.
We have put back many of the supports that were ripped out to put in those HUGE doors and a big machine in the 60s/70s. They tore out the mezzanine and the staircase (Johns grandfather) – which was criminal in my opinion. But in those days the huge harvesters were coming into vogue and barns became sheds to store equipment rather than cows and sheep and pigs. (shakes head) , Still it is leaning and shifts back and forth with the weather – but it only has one leak! which I need to get onto this summer.. c
My stats don’t seem to reveal a pattern in terms of the most popular day of the week. It seems to be better linked to my choice of topic. But just love your photography and that picture of the old barn shows a barn that one sees fairly often here in Southern Oregon.
I have noticed that areas seem to have evolved barn types – probably due to geography and climate and the animals and probably finances too of course. Interesting that you have similar ones there in Oregon yet the climate is very different.
Great photos. Barns are amazing things. We have no barn, just a group of livestock greenhouses whose coverings are slowly falling into disrepair. I can’t afford to replace the tarps on them from the original company (over $1,000), so we keep coming up with other alternatives. Not very perfect and it takes a lot of time to keep things covered, but that’s the way it is. Not pretty and neat as it was when we started! But that’s ok, I really don’t mind, and the goats don’t seem to mind either. When I started my blog I tried to avoid taking photos of the stuff that is hanging around, ripped tarps, muddy/poopy ground, but that’s not what farms really look like, or at least most do not look like Farm Beautiful, so I don’t really edit them anymore.
Sheila and Tima are too much!
There are areas here that are a shambles but like you say this is how farms are sometimes. We just don’t have the time to organise everything and get everything in its proper place. How do you patch up the plastic houses? Is there a special kind of tape?
I think you might get more traffic on a Monday because the Fellowship has missed you on your Sunday (ahem) rest. I find Sundays are often a quiet day; if you write much about the sort of things I do (quilting, embroidery, gardening, cooking…), a lot of your followers are ladies, and many of them have traditional religious beliefs and activities that keep them away from electronic media on a Sunday. That barn is beautiful, held together by hope, rust and cobwebs. It probably only survives because it flexes when the wind blows! Glad to see both my favourite Farmy Ladies out for a little exercise 🙂
There are definitely a lot of cobwebs in there – i need to get onto that! c
Well, I’m here each day; it’s the first thing I do after firing up this beast, is to click on the email telling me you have posted. The odd days you don’t post are days that seem to have something important missing from them. There are two other blogs I subscribe to and don’t always see them each day (most days, usually) but yours I have never missed a day since I first subscribed Just love your description of the old Sheila Steamship leaving berth today. And also about the barn, the foundation must be good and solid or it wouldn’t still be standing. I’m wondering if you could just replace a board every now and then as it rots… that way replacing the entire barn boarding over a long period of time to be continually updating. Or is that just not feasible? Hope you have a good day too and the wind holds off. ~ Mame 🙂
That is exactly what we do – I call it patching – The North side is quite the quilt of patches.. c
I’m like you on this. Well said! Special person, our C. Kind of a sacred place, too. In many ways. (I believe even God is amused, and pleased, with creations like Steamship Sheila, Terrible Tima, and Ton Terrific.)
Monday is my best day for readers, too. Noon is the magic hour for me.Interesting!
My husband grew up farming. I took pictures of his grandparents’ old barns when we were dating and then hand-developed and toned them with sepia. The family was charmed and let me marry in. Barns are beautiful and have such stories to tell!
I’m a farm girl too ~ a dairy and grain farm girl and I love barns ~ all of them!! The each have their own history and character!! I would love to see your wedding pictures!! Carol
Old barns love sepia – c
The visits to my blog vary, although I’m not even close to being as consistent a blogger as you are. I will blog about anything from my family, to travel, to interests . . . just about anything that pops in my head. Not always interesting reading for everyone 🙂
I love barns, especially old barns with their character and history. Old houses are the same for me, but interestingly enough, I’ve only owned one old house in my life. There was so much more work involved that hubby and I strayed away from old homes after that. Still, the character, charm and history in an old house can’t be beat.
Yes – we all have a deep love of the old – kind of built into our psyche somehow.. I guess it is a preservation thing c
I love the old American barn. In France, the stables are made of limestone rocks. They stand strong, but once you neglect the roof, the whole thing bangs down. We’re all about roof repair. We have an old stable inside a new roof and small fiscade. Can’t judge a barn by its cover.
Ah – I see what you mean – you would get good at repairing old rooves -the roof of our barn is asbestos. So not touching it is a good thing. Though I have to cover the hole somehow.
its that day of the week again, when people relax or go about their chores, or visit their friends. I think for most bloggers Sunday is always quiet…
Sheila is one beautiful gorgeous Miss Piggy I love her to bits…..
Our barn wood is similar to yours..built back in the year dot , untreated and full of holes from woodworm or the beatle, grey with age but definitely not able to be repaired. Somehow the holes hold it all together….
Have a good week Miss C…see you tomorrow
Sent: Sunday, January 15, 2017 at 2:38 PM
You too Patrecia
We, too, are constantly shoring up our little red barn to ensure its survival. We built a small log addition onto the back side, but the spaces between the logs need to be filled in. Also the goat section is quite drafty, with spaces between the boards as well. We need to get creative about figuring out how to make the barn more ‘homey’ for the animals.
Always something to think about. c
Sheila looks nice and trim and ready to take on the world. You’re doing such a good job with her.
I am pleased with her – you know she subsists mainly on hay with about 2 pounds of grain a day – soon she will be all grass/hay fed and kitchen scraps. I want her to be healthy for a long time c
I’m still sitting here at this computer when I should be doing a million other things. 😦 But I have to make time to visit here as soon as I can. I have more snow than you and what a surprise. I love old barns and worry about them so much. Love the old weathered barn wood too but would not pay exorbitant amounts of money for it. I always wish I had lots of money and could go around helping to rebuild barns so they didn’t fall down. I have no idea about my blog traffic since I post so little. Holding on by my fingernails here. I loved seeing the big Sheila Steamship comes out of its berth to have a cruise around. That makes me laugh. Now, I really must move again. There is something called an atmospheric river coming through this week and while it should melt the ice, we will be inundated with water.
atmospheric river? is that a weather description? c
I saw that ‘atmospheric river’ term on a weather map and wondered also, never having heard of it before. It appeared like a stream of moist air over the Pacific that would likely drop moisture when it hit land. Finally decided it must be like the ‘snow belts’ we get here in southern Ontario, like a line moving from west to east that drops snow very heavily with little to the north or south of it. When I lived a couple of hours north of the city I had to drive through two of these ‘snow belts’ when I commuted back and forth… they can be quite treacherous. I suspect it’s like that with the ‘atmospheric river’ except likely just rain, and I guess triggered by air currents.
Yes, that’s what they called it on the news weather broadcast. Another way of saying it’s going to rain like hell. 😦
love these foto shots today!!! the barns ~ ahh ~ my ole barns ~ I love every one of them!!! I love walking into old barns and looking at those rustic old beams and I ponder the building of that barn in its creation. We were in Germany last summer and I visited one my relatives place again ~ 101 yrs ago my Dad’s relative built this barn after they built the huge 3 story house and they’re in great shape! ~ of course the Germans keep it in great shape!! and many of the original machines and tools they used are still there! No cows in it any more ~ but so much history ~ a few yrs ago Dad’s relative died and it has been sold to a good family who will keep it well. I have so many memories there at that farm in Eppingen, Germany.
I love Pania sitting on the ole Dodge ~ Jerry wants to buy it and fix it up!!! and of course Queen Sheila!!
have a good day Miss Celi!! Carol
I had to read out loud your description of Tina and Sheila to my husband.
Monday morning here, I like to pop in before I start my day, week… sometimes that gets sidetracked and all of a sudden it’s late afternoon. If I could come up with a regular schedule to write blog posts I might manage regular blog stats but still ‘if you dream of a ginger cat, love is in your heart’ remains my top post.
I notice Ton has mud boots… no wonder he is so dirty at the end of the day 🐾
The first dining room table JT and I purchased as a couple is made of reclaimed barnboard. Just like your barn. The craftsman sanded it down just enough to smooth out the weather but keep some of the unusual pigment changes from the long wear and tear from the weather. It’s actually quite beautiful. We have it at the cottage right now but will be moving it out this spring and will hopefully install it into our own cottage in the very near future.
The piggies are gorgeous, I’ve never seen such beautifully taken care of farm animals. I didn’t know peacocks could fly, I guess I never thought of it. It’s surprising he doesn’t escape.
I am always amazed by the amount of traffic I get on my blog. Weebly, my blog host , only tells me the weekly traffic. You have a great blog.
Not having grown up around animals, I am most fascinated by the pigs. Dear me! they are huge! I enjoy learning about them and their updates.
Pigs were new to me when i started out to – I learnt on the job and they are certainly more delicate than they look but Sheila is our Star! She is a tough old bird that one.. c
Wow – ‘steamship Shelia’ is right – she’s a big pig… is it just the photo or is she esp. long for a pig. Isn’t it funny how they all have their own personalities and habits, such as her knowing she’s gonna get an egg…. once you come out of the chicken area.
she is over 6 foot long, and LOVES her eggs – not over long for the breed I think but definitely a big pig
I love old barns. The stories they could tell….I read your blog every morning. I just love looking inside your world. Thank you for taking the time to let us come along : ) I have learned so very much and in a few years when I own property again, I will remember what I have learned from you . Blessings on you and all your animals : )