barn and cotton stalks

 

The derelict barn (and pickup chassis) has been put to pasture.  Adjacent is the newer barn and equipment, signs of prosperous times.

 

Lubbock County, Texas

swisher county barn

 

FM 2301

Swisher County, Texas

9.5.2016

barn on dill road

 

We had a nice afternoon searching out old cemeteries.  Parker County has 112 or so listed. We discovered this delightful old barn enroute to Veal Station Cemetery.

 

Dill Road

Parker County, Texas

5.6.2016

catch some good luck

 

It's a common practice to hang horseshoes on a barn to ward off evil and bring good luck.  The owner of this shed in Mason is of the school that believes hanging a horseshoe in an upward or U position holds in all the luck and the powers it brings.  Proponents of the downward position believe it allows the good luck and protective powers to shower upon you and the surrounding home.  The doubly superstitious might hang horseshoes both ways!  Unless the intention is "shabby chic," eight horseshoes haven't brought this shed the good luck of fresh paint or new tin for the roof.  And was it good luck for those two horses that lost their shoes?

 

Mason, Texas

1.23.2016

 



barn doors

 

Sometimes I am privileged to be asked to photograph some interesting places.  Such was the case on Thursday at the Texas Tech Dairy Barn. Despite the 95+ degree heat, Dr. John White of the TTU College of Architecture and I entered the dusty interior of the long empty building abandoned in 1966.  We even climbed the narrow stairs -- by flashlight -- to the hay loft. These interior doors separate the "milk room" from the feed rooms and office. The Dairy Barn, built in 1927,  has regained some status with its exterior renovations and new surrounding landscape.  Watch for more news about this building which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.

 

Texas Tech Dairy Barn

Lubbock, Texas

barn on beaverton valley road

 

Historically, farmland has been a vital component of the San Juan Islands’ landscape. Crops include  grass-fed meats, berries, tree fruits, and year round production of vegetables as well as fiber, lavender, and herbs. I was thrilled to travel the island in the early morning light and see the great barns.

 

San Juan Island, Washington

4.2.2015

horses of hale county

 

The horses who live in this pen share their barn with a stately steed.  It's great to see art on the outbuildings and as soon as I become acquainted with the new owners of this place, you'll see more.

 

South of Hale Center

Hale County, Texas

2.15.2015

danger

 

In the Oregon countryside, red barns with moss-covered wood shake roofs were not unusual.  What was unexpected was the longhorn cow skull hanging on the side of the barn -- shades of the Southwest!  The "danger" sign in the window and the skull are sufficient to deter trespassers.

 

Highway 202

Jewell, Oregon

10.19.2014

out to pasture

 

Both the barn with its leaning stance and peeling paint and the horses with bony haunches and visible ribs have seen better days.  Founded in 1880, Benson  was as a stopping point for the Butterfield Overland Stage mail delivery route.  The stage robbery on the Benson-Tombstone Stage Route in 1881 took the life of stagecoach driver Bud Philpot and became one of the events that led to the Earp-Clanton gunfight at the O.K. Corral in nearby Tombstone.

 

Benson, Arizona

2.28.2014

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open spaces

 

The barns on the West Texas plains may lack the architectural style displayed by barns in other parts of the country but still serve a utilitarian purpose.  Unfortunately, that purpose and the need for farm barns is fading.  Abandoned structures dot the agricultural landscape.

 

Just south of FM 1264

North Lubbock County, Texas