Seeing Red

My Favorite plant is red, you know
I found it in a bank of snow

Tossed out like trash, in a storm
I drove it home and kept it warm

This year is crazy, never no rain
I obsess about cows and forget plants have pain

So last week I fed my very dry plant
Today it blooms and excites the black ants.

August Tails

Its been a little cooler here today, but still dry.   Very cloudy, but no rain.   You can not imagine how desperate all us farmers are for rain.  Apples have prematurely been falling off of all the trees for 3 weeks.

Rain, we need rain.       The drought has affected all kinds of things in this state

Flys, extremely sunny days, heat, dust, short dry grass, tall weeds and humidity have caused many of the herd to get pink eye.
Haven't had a case in 10 years.  The worst ones were vaccinated about 3 weeks ago and I have been spraying the herd every 3 days.   They see me coming and they run now.    One of my young Simmental cows has it the worst in one eye.  I want to put a patch on her and need to move the whole herd back to the farm so I can treat the new worst ones.    Frustrating situation.   The cloudy day today gave them some relief.

Any of you cattle ranchers have any good ideas for pink eye?     Unusual methods welcomed.

Anyhow, here is the herd yesterday at sundown as I circled them up to spray them down.

The newest calf and a proud heavy milking mom. Gotta love those Simmentals!

Tails Tails as far as I see
A sea of tails "waving" at me.

Red ones, white ones, black and brown
Stampeding away as the sun goes down

Spray them, chute them, get rid of the flys
Pray for cool weather to protect their eyes

To help the herd, need clouds and rain
Keep down the dust and stop the pain

Cows are a blessing, some work and a laugh
Especially cows very moody with calf

Watch those tails a swinging by
A parade of a herd with runny eyes.

Vermont Barns & Bridges

It has been a long HOT month and I have put some miles on my truck getting to all my destinations.  I have seen many great barns, and other unusual buildings, and will continue to showcase them here for you. 
If you could say a little prayer to the rain gods while you view these special photos, it would be appreciated. 
We desperately need rain here in Vermont.

Typical Vermont dairy farm style barn with quaint milk room, required red paint and appropriate antique metal signs.... This farm had a very happy herd of Holsteins that were free range in the back field and walking, in a line, up a dirt road to another field. I wasn't fast enough with my camera to capture that fun moment.

Rebuilt Vermont covered bridge with a trickle of water running under it.  ( Keep praying.. )

Hill side barns are common and this one is a tri purpose barn. Hay on top, tractor inside, livestock in the back. Roof has a good slant to keep the heavy snow off the roof.

Really BIG barns from different centuries.  Every new generation of farmers adds on a barn in their lifetime.
Usually to replace one that collapsed because of heavy snowload or burned to the ground because of lightning strike or because of an electric fence wire sparking near a building.
( always blamed on a cow... )

This is one of my personal favorites.  Well kept by generations of Vermont farmers.
I hope you know that you can click on a photo to enlarge it and see all the neat details.

As farms exchange hands, bans are modified to suit their needs.  Here is a small barn with a newer addition to it.

Nice sized barn for a small farmer.

Note the horse shoe over the doorway.

Almost drove off the road when I spotted this beauty. Note the field stones!!

And a slate roof!

I couldnt get a perfect shot of the barn because of the traffic, but will try again next time.

The roof is almost finished on our old barn.  Excellant job and now part of history here.

Hope you are all having a good summer week.  Please send us some rain.

Barn in the Mist

This morning, on my way to work, I found this typical New England barn by a stream.

A good sized flock of goats and calves call this barn home.

More progress on our barn roof:

Barn at Sunset

I ventured down a new rural road, near sunset this evening, and this is what I found around one of the sharp curves.

This barn has alot of personality.  Lots of little doors on the front and the right side.
I imagine littlechildren playing hide and seek in the hayloft and hiding in all those neat cubby holes.
I guestimate this barn to be just a little over a century old.  And still going strong.
Nice flock of Vermont tough sheep call this barn home.

Progress on the barn at home:

The carpenter found nails hand made from 1848, wood sawed in 1845 -had the date on it.
Around the Civil War time.   He also found a bunch of bottles in between the rafters. 
Treasures will keep popping up every day, I am sure.  It was 120 degrees plus in the sun on that roof today.  All work stopped around 1pm.

Today at the Farm

Lots going on here.

The old barn is getting a newer roof.    The project began today.  I will try to post a photo of the progress every few days.

The old field wheel is looking good

Black eyed Susans are doing really well in this drought.    Nothing else is.

Another old barn that is not doing well. The timbers inside are rotting from a leaking roof on the other side.

And now what we have all been waiting for............

Drum roll please..........

He is here!    Finally.    A red 125 lb baby boy.  Thick, long, fast and handsome.  Mom has enough milk for 3 more calves. To Jenny in Arkansas who guessed an August birthdate for this calf, send me your address and I will mail you a quart of Vermont pure maple syrup.

Vermont Barn Tour ~ Part 2

BIG STORMS COMING.
There are weather alerts for 3 New England states right now, Vermont included.  Big winds, bad lightning, possible tornados and 1 inch hail. The wind is picking up a little and my dog is sitting in the bathroom in anticipation of the world ending....

I did my road work early and hurried home.

A few more photos of this mornings buildings and critters before the storm gets here, OK ?.

Another slate roof on this barn that someone turned into a cute cottage.

                                                            A very sweet little place.

Built in the last 30 years, but already falling apart.  Too many frost heaves on this mountain tears the foundations up real bad.

For dinner a few moments ago, I had a Jalapino cheese sandwich, with lettuce, Miracle Whip, and fresh picked rasberries, on toasted wheat bread.  It was just heavenly!!  Try it.

I drove by this normal looking barn... and then had to back all the way up becuase I thought
I  "saw somethin" unusual.

I did.  Click on the photo to make it bigger and look at the whimsical art work of the clever farmer.
Not all red barns are alike......

Some beautiful milk weed.   Important stuff for butterflys, bees and those really pretty yellow birds...what are their names ?

                                                                  Porch Cat....

Haunted House with a very cool design. The 2nd floor windows open like an accordian to a little walk-out on the covered porch.  Never saw this before.

Thats it for now. Hope you have all enjoyed your personal Vermont Unusual Barns & Buildings Tour.

Vermont Barn Tour ~ Americana at its best.

In my travels today I saw many really great barns.     I will share a few here.  I know some barn design is unique to specific locations and states.  One of my favorite books is the Field Guide to New England Barns and Farm Buildings by Thomas Durant Visser.  Great photos and explanations of barn design and where it originated from and when.  Peg and beam construction is what most of the barns here have.

Some of the saddest sights I see are old barns falling down. My heart hurts when I see them.

This one was built in 1810.     200 years ago.

This barn looks like its got eyes, nose and a mouth.

Over looking the mountains. This farm is empty.  The neighbor is haying it for his own cows.

Fortunately there is a barn preservation group that will match funds to restore barns that are in " the public's view."  This lucky barn and wooded silo are in the begining stages of having the foundation repaired. The roof on this barn is made of slate. The entire roof is slate. Not a piece out of place in almost 200 years of brutal weather.

1777 ice house ( red ) and barn ( brown ).

A barn made into a house.  Has the most unusual silo in the back.

Almost 200 years old and still doing really well.

Weathervanes are as unique and interesting as the old barns.

A restored wooden silo with a new roof.  And a new bale feeding ring.  Good farmer.

Same barn from the front.  I love those wooden silos with the vines growing up the sides. Home to dozens of birds nests.

The whole barn in one photo.

Curious cows watching me on the rural back roads

I found this art in a huge field.   I do not know what it is. Do you ?

Several barn designs from 2 different centuries.

Another empty farm.  The owners have died.  A common occurance.  No relatives want to continue farming, so it stands empty.

This is the last barn for tonight.  Hope you have enjoyed your personal Vermont barn tour.