Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Wisconsin Barns in Winter and Winner of Giveaway


Autumn is my favorite time of year to take photos of NW Wisconsin barns, but since we live with winter most of the year, (really. most of the year), I thought I'd post some of last year's photos that were taken in March. I've not been out and about taking photos this winter, but I'm hoping that by March of this year we'll have had some warmer days with serious melting of snow.



Just heard on the local TV weather that we've had 46 days of sub-zero temps this winter. So far.


Sometimes it feels a little creepy to zoom in on a site, even a barn. Reminds me of  the paparazzi getting those zoomed-in photos of Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge. Like maybe I shouldn't be doing this. But it is a barn, after all, not a person. And I wasn't really trying to see inside the barn, just get a closeup. Really.


Besides, that horse was keeping an eye on me.


The bleakness of winter. As I'm sure I've mentioned before, springtime doesn't actually hit NW Wisconsin until mid April, not mid March as the calendar says it's supposed to do.


I wonder if it matters to a horse that there's a group of them or if a single horse doesn't care that it's alone. Do you think that white horse is feeling left out?


I wonder if they dream of warm weather and green pastures. I wonder if they think of striking for better living conditions.



To me, this looks like the perfect barn, except that I'd rather it were a weathered, blood red. Nice little milkhouse, grain bin, and silo, plus room for 20 cows?  I'd like that. If the cows were free. And probably in the 1940s, twenty milking cows could support a family with 5 kids.  But that was before we knew we needed laptops and Kindles and flat-screen TVs, and that we had to run to town because we're out of dark chocolate, rather than once a week to buy groceries that consisted mainly of flour, sugar, oats, and other staple items.

Although in my world, dark chocolate is a staple.

***

 WINNER OF THE HOMEMADESOAPNSUCH GIVEAWAY:

Congratulations to SewCalGal,
winner of the
HomemadeSoapnSuch Giveaway.
Please email me with your postal address
so I can get your soaps mailed out to you.

Thanks to all who entered the giveaway.


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at

25 comments:

  1. AnonymousFebruary 12, 2014 at 5:11 AM

    Congrats to the lucky winner!
    I know you are so weary of the bitter cold. These are pretty pictures. Hope you have a nice day.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Trace4JFebruary 12, 2014 at 5:14 AM

    I love old red barns, chocolate and horses.
    I do think the white one is feeling left out.
    I will be his friend. :)
    Beautiful photos.
    Woolie Hugs

    ReplyDelete
  3. Margaret Birding For PleasureFebruary 12, 2014 at 5:50 AM

    Hi Judy. Your writings made me giggle and I love the photos with the horses and snow. yes I think that white horse feels left out.

    ReplyDelete
  4. DeniseFebruary 12, 2014 at 6:00 AM

    Congrats to the winner. I love the barns.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Terri DFebruary 12, 2014 at 7:24 AM

    She will love the soaps!!

    Your barn photos are always good to see, even with the snow. Funny about wondering whether the animals have any sense of seasons or desires for better living conditions. I know I sure do worry about the cats and dogs, stuck outside in bad weather. The wild animals seem to have survival skills, but pets left out in the cold have no idea what to do.

    I agree about red barns! There is just something about red barns (and dark chocolate!!).

    ReplyDelete
  6. DianeFebruary 12, 2014 at 8:18 AM

    Love the photos. You can tell it was winter by the horses' fuzzy coats. And, yes, they usually do not like to be alone. A lot of folks who only have one horse often get a goat for company. March has been much more of a winter month than a spring month here the last decade or so; when I was a kid, it was much more "springy."

    ReplyDelete
  7. MadSnapperFebruary 12, 2014 at 8:24 AM

    those barns are all beautiful to me, especailly that last one... and those sweet horses and cows, they must have really thick fur living in all that cold for such a long time. yowsa on the 46 days of sub zero
    I went walk about taking photos of historical old homes and i felt the same way about zooming in on the porches, like the whole house was ok, but not up close

    ReplyDelete
  8. VeeFebruary 12, 2014 at 8:33 AM

    Sometimes I think such thinks. I'm pretty sure that most animals were created to be social. I do like that little barn even if it is not red.

    Heart congrats to your winner...now I need to know what she chose...going back to see. I am so nosy!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Primitive StarsFebruary 12, 2014 at 9:14 AM

    Morning, Wonderful blog, loved reading it. I am now a new follower. Congrats to the winner, Blessings Francine.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Empty NesterFebruary 12, 2014 at 9:25 AM

    I always enjoy your barn pictures. They remind me of my great grandfathers farm and the happy days of childhood.

    ReplyDelete
  11. TexWisGirlFebruary 12, 2014 at 9:28 AM

    thanks for the dose o' wisconsin today! although where i grew up, horses weren't so prevalent - lots of holstein barns.

    congrats to your winner!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Ruth KellyFebruary 12, 2014 at 9:40 AM

    Some of those barns are just gigantic!

    ReplyDelete
  13. BethFebruary 12, 2014 at 10:49 AM

    Judy, I love your barn photos. It has been a challenging winter in Iowa as well. Winter does pose great photo ops, as you have demonstrated here!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Carla from The RiverFebruary 12, 2014 at 11:49 AM

    Hello,
    Yay, for the winner.
    I enjoyed your tour today. I chuckled along the way. Not sure if you can say we receive Spring in April. My boys have been asking me when Spring will come, and I keep telling them Memorial Day! ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Butterfly 8)(8 Bungalow February 12, 2014 at 11:51 AM

    Beautiful photos! I need dark chocolate too. I buy it at IKEA. I love it. The one I like is made in Germany.

    ReplyDelete
  16. The CrankyFebruary 12, 2014 at 12:48 PM

    Congratulations to SewCalGal!

    Beautiful barns! And how could you be up to no good with that horse keeping an eye on you?

    ReplyDelete
  17. DonnaFebruary 12, 2014 at 2:09 PM

    It's such fun to see barn photos and yours are darling. Love the shape of that last barn too. And congratulations to the lucky winner!

    ReplyDelete
  18. podsoFebruary 12, 2014 at 3:34 PM

    I love seeing pictures of barns. Yours did not disappoint!

    ReplyDelete
  19. laurieFebruary 12, 2014 at 8:19 PM

    Beautiful... beautiful photos!

    ReplyDelete
  20. NanaDianaFebruary 12, 2014 at 11:15 PM

    I love the pictures of your barns, Judy. WI barns are really beautiful, aren't they? I don't think I ever saw a white barn until I moved here. There were none in the area of PA where I grew up. Our barns were all red or plain old wood.

    Congrats to the winner of the soap- xo Diana

    ReplyDelete
  21. UnknownFebruary 13, 2014 at 8:05 AM

    You take the most incredible photos of barns - and YES I love the white ones - but I really do love any barn regardless of color :)
    You should have a book out Judy - The Barns of America - seriously - and then one on Yorkshire ..........
    XOXOXO
    oh and congrats to the lucky winner

    ReplyDelete
  22. CynthiaFebruary 13, 2014 at 12:24 PM

    These pictures are so pretty, I agree with Suzan you should do a book. With all the winter you guys have you must think we are such babies talking about the winter and snow.

    Cynthia

    ReplyDelete
  23. Noelle the dreamerFebruary 13, 2014 at 4:05 PM

    Catching up here, apologies and sincerest congratulations to the winner!

    ReplyDelete
  24. J_on_tourFebruary 13, 2014 at 5:50 PM

    I'm always amazed at the colours and varying designs of your barns, here in the UK, with the exception of the Yorkshire Dales variety, they are reasonably standardised.

    ReplyDelete
  25. SewCalGalFebruary 14, 2014 at 11:35 PM

    I truly do feel that I'm a lucky winner. I'm very excited and looking forward to using your handmade soaps too. Thank you!

    Great post on the Olympics. I'm also partial to ice skating, but all of the Olympic athletes are amazing.

    SewCalGal
    www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete

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