I grew up in Iowa, and after many years returned to a rural environment. These barns represent America past. I can drive in any direction and still see them, mostly in various states of disrepute, as you aptly describe.
Great photos and commentary, Ric. You should package it as a little book—kdp.amazon.com. No setup fees. They make money on the millions you'd sell! :-) In my younger years, I made 3-1/2 roundtrips across the country, first solo from NYC, then later to and from Boston with my second (or first, depending on who's talking) in command. Five hundred miles a day, but always a timeout in Kansas visit my parents. Say hi to the youngest.
What a wonderful trek, Ric! Thank you so much for sharing your stories and all those amazing photos of the barns. And you’re right—barns are never really dismantled, they just seem to quietly collapse with age. I live in the country too, and I absolutely love looking at old barns. We actually have three on our property here in rural California.
I’ve done that cross-country trip from California to New York and back maybe a thousand times for my shows. We often traveled in our van with our dogs—believe it or not, we’d do the whole trip in just two days! No sleep stops, just nonstop driving and switching drivers the whole way. Except for food, gas and to walk the dogs. For some reason, my ex-husband took a lot of pride in that. We only occasionally stopped to hang out, usually if we were skiing or if the weather forced us to take a break. Lol!
That was a hell of an idea for an essay…something worth spending time reading.
wow - thanks for reading and finding some meaning - it sure did for me
I grew up in Iowa, and after many years returned to a rural environment. These barns represent America past. I can drive in any direction and still see them, mostly in various states of disrepute, as you aptly describe.
Great photos and commentary, Ric. You should package it as a little book—kdp.amazon.com. No setup fees. They make money on the millions you'd sell! :-) In my younger years, I made 3-1/2 roundtrips across the country, first solo from NYC, then later to and from Boston with my second (or first, depending on who's talking) in command. Five hundred miles a day, but always a timeout in Kansas visit my parents. Say hi to the youngest.
What a wonderful trek, Ric! Thank you so much for sharing your stories and all those amazing photos of the barns. And you’re right—barns are never really dismantled, they just seem to quietly collapse with age. I live in the country too, and I absolutely love looking at old barns. We actually have three on our property here in rural California.
I’ve done that cross-country trip from California to New York and back maybe a thousand times for my shows. We often traveled in our van with our dogs—believe it or not, we’d do the whole trip in just two days! No sleep stops, just nonstop driving and switching drivers the whole way. Except for food, gas and to walk the dogs. For some reason, my ex-husband took a lot of pride in that. We only occasionally stopped to hang out, usually if we were skiing or if the weather forced us to take a break. Lol!