Bicycle Barn Tour January 24, 2010

We have had a fairly cold and snowy winter so far this year. This past weekend the temperature moderated a bit. Most of the snow melted and it actually got up to 50 degrees on Sunday. Karen was nursing a pretty bad cold and was content to watch football games. The rain, that had been falling most of the middle of the day, let up a bit in the middle of the afternoon. I decided to go out for a bike ride. At the last minute I grabbed my camera and headed out. My plan was to ride five or six miles at a moderate pace and then watch some football. After three or four miles I had to make a choice, to head south on a fairly level road for a couple of miles and then retrace my route or head east which meant lots of hills and probably would result in a 8-10 mile circuit. Oh well, who likes flat ground anyway. At about five miles and after a pretty good push up a couple of hills I stopped for a break and noticed that the sky was beginning to lighten. Was that sunshine?

Ahead was the single steepest hill on this circuit so off I went. At the top of the hill another choice head back north or continue further east which would result in a 10-12 mile circuit. Oh well, who likes short bike rides anyway. I got to State Road 5 and noticed a red barn off in the distance across the fields.

I have always liked big old barns. As a kid one of my aunts lived on a farm that had a big old barn, in which we were allow to play and explore. There were hundreds of barns built in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s that served as storage for hay and space of equipment and livestock. Most farms today operate in much different ways and most of the old barns have either been converted to equipment sheds, or set more or less empty. Most seem to be in need of repair and some are just falling in on themselves. So I decided to take pictures of some of the barns that I passed on the rest of my bike ride.

A ways further on State Road 5, perhaps a mile or two, I decided to take a side trip down to Pisgah Marsh. That would only be another mile or so. The rain had pretty well filled the marsh’s waterway. There were a few ducks and geese flying in and out of the open water.

The shelter at the end of the board walk kind of reminded me of barn construction. When I first started out on my little bike ride I told Karen that I would be gone a little over a half hour. Since I am such a thoughtful husband I called Karen to let her know that I was at Pisgah and I would be a bit longer.

Heading back out I took this shot of the beaver dam that was holding back the water above in the photo. Water was pouring over the dam and dropping about 18 inches. Four or five years ago there was a county road that went through just above the dam. The county closed the road and the area is changing back to a sort of natural state.

After leaving Pisgah I passed this old farmstead. This poor old barn was really beginning to show its age.

Further on and heading north and eventually west I stopped at what is the outfall of the water passing though Pisgah. The shot above is looking south toward the area where I had just been and the shot below is looking north toward Backwater lake which eventually links to Webster Lake, Tippecanoe Lake and the Tippecanoe River.

A couple of big hills later I came to this barn. A lot of the old barns in this part of the State are bank barns. On one side you enter the lowest level and on the other side there is a ramp of soil build up to the second floor. Usually the livestock were in the lower level and the hay was stored above.

Some barn builders added some interesting trim to dress up the appearance a bit. I have always liked this old barn. Karen and I often go by it when we are walking or riding.

Some barns are fairly small and utilitarian, but still interesting on a nice winter day.

When I got back to the house it was nearly half time so Karen asked if I minded going back to Pisgah so she could get some fresh air take a short walk. So we headed out went back to Pisgah, this time by car. The cloud cover had returned and the colors were not as bright, but it was a pleasant walk and some of the subtle colors were quite nice.

By this time of the evening there were several dozen geese on some of the small ponds.

The native tamarack trees, which are actually pretty rare in this part of the country, are one of the most prominent features of the Pisgah swamp. These deciduous evergreens look pretty bare this time of year, but soon they will be a bright green.

The reddish cast of the leaves of the red oaks above and the branches of the red stem dogwood below provide a nice rich sepia and grey composition.

It’s not often that you get to spend a day outdoors in the middle of winter and be somewhat comfortable in just a sweatshirt. The rest of the week is supposed to be in the 20’s and snowing.

Frosty Bike Ride

On January 18, a University Holiday, I had the opportunity to have a rare morning to myself. Karen was off to Bible Study Fellowship. I decided to take a bike ride out through the country. It was between 25-27 degrees the fog from earlier in the morning had just started to clear. I noticed that there was frost on just about every surface, so I grabbed my camera and headed out. I covered about ten miles and saw some rather interesting patterns and views. Here are a few of them.

This is an old township school building that I pass quite often on my way to and from work. Indiana is dotted with these buildings most of which have been converted to storage barns or just abandoned and falling down. It's interesting to think about a time when everyone living out in the country would have walked to one of these schools.

It was a pleasant trip. The warm shower, at the end of the ride, felt pretty good, however.

January 2010 Winter Scenery

Winter, for many people, in Indiana feels like cold gray lifelessness. Sort of like the image of the photo below taken out of my office window.

Karen and I, trying to stay active, have been doing some winter walks in the late afternoons. Here are some of the scenes that we have encountered out on the country roads east of our place. With the snow cover low light and long shadows there are some rather dramatic views.

The texture of tree bark and the pattern of tree branches are hardly noticed in the warmer months when leaves cover most of the trees

An old red barn that would hardly be noticed when the trees are in leaf becomes an accent point in the middle of the small grove of trees below.

Farmsteads and distant woods and fence rows really stand out in contrast when caught between the subtle colors of snow covered fields and blue sky.

A simple stream becomes a mirror.

A hill, that has cattle stomping it into a muddy mound most of the year, when covered with snow provides a spectacular image, as does a single tree growing up in a fence.

Long blue shadows seem to almost reflect the sky and clouds.

An old weathered fence post, covered in ice, becomes the focal point of this scene.

The distant field beyond the trees would not even be noticed like it is in the winter.

I like winter! There are plenty of activities that I do and have always done in the winter that make this a unique time. Hunting, fishing, skating, sledding, trudging through snow, feeling the sting of really cold temperatures on you face and hands, all stir the senses and emotions.

I spent a couple of hours out ice fishing last Saturday afternoon. It was about 15 degrees, there was a light wind was from the north, so I sat on my ice fishing sled facing south. The sun shone on my face and chest providing some warmth through by dark clothes. I was the only one out on the lake that day. It was quiet, the fish weren’t bothering me at all. I began to think back to the days, years ago, that I had spent in this same place fishing with my dad, Karen’s dad and some of their friends who gathered to share in joy of fishing through the ice.

Pleasant memories those.

Perhaps one day my son or grandsons will have similar memories.