It's a New Day

February is usually a dreary month in Western Washington. When I woke up the last day of the month and saw a red glow in the eastern sky, I knew it would be worth getting out of bed and racing to find a view of the sunrise. First, I ran out to Lake Tapps hoping to get a picture across the water, but found nothing. Turning east I rounded a corner in the road with a barn on a hill to the left.

Even though I miss the sunsets in the Mountain States, these moments before sun-up are equally as thrilling. There will be time enough for yard work, for selling Brandon's old truck and recaulking the showers and tubs. This morning was spent watching the rainbow rise over the hills.
When the sun had come up and the horizon was fully bled out, I walked around the barnyard. Knowing the farmer would probably be upset if he caught me hanging around on his place, I tried to shoot a couple interesting pictures before scampering.

Seeing this electric fence insulator hanging on the wire made me think how much our world has changes in my lifetime. My children wouldn't even know what this was for or that it wasn't doing much good that way it is suspended, unattached from a wooden post. In former days these were an important part of getting meat on the table and milk in the fridge. Reading my sister Melissa's blog about her daughter being confused how ground beef was going to become part of their hamburger dinner - made me laugh. It really is a new day. Our kids don't hardley know from where they've come.
It was a treasure chest of images at the barn. With three out-buildings, implements from the 1940's, wood rotting into the ground, there has to be a magazine photo in that place somewhere. This boot, part of a pair slung over a horse stall a number of decades ago. Look how it quietly lost its soul. It must have filled with rain a thousand times before the welt gave way and the sole fell off. You'll have to go to my Flickr page to see it in color. It shows better in color. The link is to the right, at the bottom. Visit McKenzie's Flickr page as well, it shows better than mine.
It occurred to me that change is probably good. These old buildings haven't changed much and look what's happening to them. Nobody cared for them these many years and now they have lost their usefulness. Changing the roof, siding, doors and windows would have made them hold up better to the forces around them. One can learn a lot from an old barnyard. It's a new day, and that's not so bad. Maybe I'll run home and get out the caulk after all.