Of Barns and Old Buildings

Today we tried to take interesting pictures of some of the old barns around here. Take a look and see if we succeeded.

This home is part of the Wyoming Trust (which I have never heard of before). We opened the gate and walked the ruts to the ruin. It was probably destroyed by fire but I have no idea when. The wood is dimensional with visible saw cuts. The nails are rusted and the walls and doors are no longer plumb. As you can see, there are holes in the roof and one of them is filled with a huge nest (probably a raptor’s nest).

I loved the details--the window sill, the clapboards, the pealing wallpaper inside, and if you look carefully, you might see a tree growing in the middle of the room.

Needless to say, I did not trust the inside stairs.

From the window inside the “kitchen” you can see the treehouse where the kids played many years ago.  You have to wonder how many people lived in this 3 room house? When they lived there? What they farmed? Why they left? Did the fire drive them out? Or, did the fire happen many years later? We just don’t know the answers! The stories the house could tell.

Nowadays, the house is abandoned. Tall grass and wildflowers are growing in the field. No one seems to care about this little house on the prairie.

A little bit further down the road, was another abandoned house. It was a bit “newer” than the first one, and as you can see it’s not falling down. If you look carefully you can see a hand pump between the shed and the house. There’s also a television antenna...a nice mix of older and newer technology.

A couple of miles further down the road is this old barn. It’s part of a working ranch and has been replaced by a more modern structure that’s not nearly as colorful. Today the sky was a perfect blue with fluffy clouds which enhanced our journey into yesteryear.

Sometimes, it helps to look at a picture in black and white...this is the type of picture that would have been taken when the barn was new.

I love looking at old fence posts too. How many winters have these posts seen?

And when you think about winter, you need to remember we are at 6500 feet. In the winter, these  mountains are covered with snow and the temps fall well below freezing.

Not all the barns in the area have the same shape. I don’t know if this is a Gambrel or Mansard roofline...can you tell me which? As with the previous barn, this is part of a working farm

Sometimes, poppies grow by old barns....

Sometimes, the barns seem to be held up by a promise. You have to wonder how long it will remain standing?

On the other hand, not all the ranches and farms are derelict. Here’s a working ranch with a magnificent barn.