We were a little late making a fall visit to Greenfield the last of October to decorate my parents & grandparents graves. Now, I wanted to go back & decorate again for Christmas & the winter months. The trip is only 100-miles each way, so we can easily do it in a day.
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| Heading east on H-34, the usual no traffic :-) |
I don't think either of us has yet adjusted to the lack of traffic here, nor the ease of getting to anywhere we want to go. Such a change & so laid-back & wonderful to be able to enjoy a weekend drive again.
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| Wind turbine in the background~ |
The first time I'd returned to my home state after a long absence, I was so surprised to see all the wind turbine's around the Greenfield area. Many existing farms sport several in their fields. Other areas have fields full of them - devoted to the large - white beasts.
Once we were in Greenfield, I had to get a photo of the water tower, there's Facebook page devoted to Iowa photographers & it was mentioned there that it would be fun to get photos of them all. I'm doing my part :-)
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| Rural Church~ |
After leaving Greenfield, we head south, past Orient & where my Grandparents farm was. Just a short distance from it - is the cemetery where my maternal Grandparents & Great Grandparents are buried. Grandma used to take me out there every summer to pull weeds & tidy up the family plot. As we worked pulling weeds & cutting back the peonies', I could almost feel her presence.
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| The door~ |
I've taken photos of this old church almost every time I've visited this area. I'm going to look up one of those pictures to see how time has taken it's toll. I do know that someone used to keep it painted, but no more.
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| Craftsmanship~ |
The craftsmanship on this little building is just amazing - like nothing we'll ever see again I'm sure. To watch it going to ruin is so sad...
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| Hinge |
If these doors could talk, I wonder what stories they would tell? Weddings, funerals, Sunday services. Gatherings now long lost under the dust of time.
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| Boot scraper~ |
The boot scraper had to have been used regularly - it shows wear in the middle. The church & small piece of land it sits on is for sale & has been for some time. I would love to buy it & be able to fix it all up as it once was, maybe turn it into a small home. It's quite a way from about anyplace, so not practical for anyone, other than someone who wants to live out & away.
We arrived back home just as the sun was setting on another amazing day of temperatures in the 60's - in November! If not for the shortened hours of sunlight, it would be easy to think it was still early summer!
The door on that church is spectacular.
ReplyDeleteAround her it was a 'farmer's union hall' or community hall that was going to pot. Private buyers bought it, moved it, fixed it up, and now rent it out for socials, dances, weddings, any kind of gathering really. It's lovely when someone 'saves' a historic building, even if the history is rather more recent than it is, say, in England.
I had an English friend who was fond of reminding me of that :-) We too have buildings that are restored, just too many that aren't & falling to ruin. So sad~
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