Lancaster County Tobacco Barn

This is another tobacco barn we saw in Lancaster County in Pennsylvania in early October.

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Check out more old barns at Tricia's Barn Charm!

Set the World on Fire

We're fast approaching the shortest day of the year and today we had five hours between sunrise and sunset.  The following photos were taken at about 10:15 as the sun climbed above the horizon.  

The passenger side window was frosted up and I wanted to see what the effect would be taken through the frost.  The photo below is what I got.

And the only editing on any of these photos was a crop to get the image below--fire and ice.

A Little Bit of Summer

Skagit Valley Weathered Gray

This is another barn complex we saw in the Skagit Valley in Washington while we were there in June.

In the photo above the silo looks like it's attached, but taken from a little different angle you see that it is separate.

The silo sits a little to the side in the back.  The blackberry vines are creeping up on it.

Another barn runs along the back.  Lots of daylight shows through both barns providing natural ventilation.  It looks like they could use a little TLC. 

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Click on the barn below to go to Tricia's Barn Charm and see more old barns.

A Cold Day

We've been having a cold snap with temps mostly hanging in the minus 30s for most of the week. Saturday we were up at the University which sits on a hill overlooking the valley.  The sun was shining brightly and the view was into the sun.  Cameras don't always capture the colors accurately under those conditions, but I liked the effect anyway.  

I posted a lot of windshield shots as we were driving down the road when we were in the Northeast, so I thought a shot of the University of Alaska campus through the windshield would provide a bit of contrast.

It clouded up today and it's warming up a bit.  It's 23 below tonight and is supposed to get up to 15 below tomorrow.  Definitely an improvement!

Ummmm, Peanut Butter!!

The snow and clouds we were getting went away, the sun came out, and as often happens here in Fairbanks when the sun comes out, it got colder.  Last night our low was 38 below with the high today 27 below, and that looks like the pattern for the next several days.  However, yesterday afternoon it was only about 20 below and the day before I had finally mixed up some more peanut butter yummy for the birds.  The Hairy Woodpecker that has been visiting my feeders was back again and enjoying the peanut butter.  I hope you haven't gotten tired of my sweet little Harrietta, because with her feathers fluffed out to keep her warm and the sun gilding her as she enjoyed her feast I just couldn't resist taking more photos.

I had put the feeders up before we left at the beginning of October and my daughter had been keeping them filled, but there was none of the peanut butter yummy out.  Harrietta abandoned the commercial suet that she had been making do with and savored the peanut butter.  Yummy!

Amish Barnyard

I took these photos of this Amish barnyard while we were in Lancaster County in Pennsylvania in October.

All of the Amish farms have several barns used for different purposes.  They have dairy cows and raise chickens or hogs.  Most of the farms have some kind of animals to provide home raised meat.  














They also raise hay, wheat, barley, rye, corn, and in Lancaster County the main cash crop is tobacco.  The barn to the left in the photo below is a tobacco barn.

Because tobacco is a hand-crop, the Amish can compete well with the modern farmer.  The Amish have been growing tobacco in Lancaster County since 1838, but it has become a controversial crop in the Amish community, just as it has among the general population.

Growing tobacco starts with the seeding in March, and in August it is cut, left to wilt, and then spread onto tobacco lathes and hung in a ventilated barn to dry.  In December after it is dried it is taken down, placed into a dampening room and then the leaves are stripped from the stalk.  The tobacco leaves are put into bales and sold to a tobacco company or taken to the tobacco auction and sold.

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Check out more old barns at Tricia's Barn Charm.

Traveling Down the Road

This morning when we looked out the window we saw this fox traveling down the road in front of our house.  I managed to get a few shots through the window as he ran by.  The light wasn't the best as it was overcast, so I decided a collage was the best way to share his journey with you.

Woodpecker Acrobat

The Hairy Woodpecker has continued to visit the feeders.  I've enjoyed watching her acrobatics as she goes after the suet.

I also like the patterns of the feathers.  I think if you were able to touch that belly it would be very soft.

Winter Comes to Creamer's Field

I took some photos of the old Creamer's Dairy barns this afternoon as winter is settling in here in Fairbanks.  Today it's lightly snowing and the temperature is about 10 degrees.  Compare these photos with the header photo taken in early September and the photos in the sidebar taken in the spring.

I processed some of the photos as "old paper" to take us back in time a bit.

This photo is the same as the one above with no processing added.  Which way do you like best?

And then a shot across the fields on this snowy afternoon.

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Hop over to Tricia's Barn Charm for more old barns.

Home

Wednesday afternoon when we got home it was to subzero temps and a lovely view of the sunset from the backyard.  Even with the cold temperature it's good to be home.

This morning it warmed up to 20 degrees and more snow is falling.

This afternoon I went out to check the bird feeders, but quickly stepped back inside and grabbed my camera when I saw a Hairy Woodpecker grabbing a snack.

I think she is probably the same one I saw shortly before we left home.  Normally I will see them in pairs, so my guess is that she is a juvenile who hasn't mated yet.

Alaskan Mountains

Yesterday we got up early and began our journey north, first to Chicago, and then flying northwest across Canada, and then up the coast of Alaska.  Along the coast was very cloudy, so all that was visible was the puffy clouds below.  But finally the clouds began to dissipate and the mountains of Alaska began to appear.  They were visible the last hour or so of our flight into Anchorage, and then again on our way north from Anchorage to Fairbanks.  Throughout our trip I've posted many drive-by photos of the passing scenery.  Today's post is a little bit of a twist--fly-by shots taken from about 35,000 feet.   

The three larger photos in the collage are of Mt. McKinley, as is the photo below.  I had booked seats on the side of the plane that would be facing McKinley, hoping for a clear day.  Often the mountain shrouds itself in clouds and is not visible, or only a portion is visible.  We were lucky, and it was a gorgeous late afternoon and McKinley was fully visible. 

McKinley is the tallest mountain in North America at 20,320 feet above sea level.

American Beginnings

We spent yesterday touring Valley Forge and today we visited downtown Philadelphia, which was the original capital of the United States and where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were forged and signed.

Early tomorrow morning we will be on a flight heading home.  We have two stops of a couple of hours each in Chicago and Anchorage, and we will have about 10 hours in the air before we are back in Fairbanks.  We've had a great time, and we have enjoyed a beautiful prolonged autumn, but now it's back to everyday life and winter.  I'll share more of our travel photos with you as I get time to go through them.