through ground pine and visit the old barn
that seems to be deteriorating more each time we see it. Now it is too unsafe to go inside and view the names, initials and dates that for decades visitors have carved into the logs of the pen in the middle. It is intriguing to read the scratchings and wonder about them -- who wrote them, where were they from, what are they doing today? The barn was built in the 1940's and for many years served the owners well when the ridge was used for farming tobacco and for pasturing cows. It is hard to believe that there was once a garden there by the barn, and the story goes that the woman of the household hiked up that ridge everyday to hoe and weed it. This barn goes with the old house in my posting of November 19. It is sad to see what was once a strong, useful structure, neglected and falling down to its knees.
(That dark shadow blocking part of the stocking is my DH.)
