Tis a gift to be simple, tis a gift to be free,
Tis a gift to come down where you ought to be . . .
When true simplicity is gained,
To bow and to bend, we will not be ashamed,
To turn, turn, will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come round right.
Shaker song
Plant. Grow. Harvest. Eat. This is the simple cycle of the grains, vegetables, and fruits that sustain our lives. Driving through the countryside in Michigan recently, I found farms everywhere that remind us of this cycle of life.
These are places where the simple life of planting and growing crops takes place. But so many of the buildings are decaying. They lean, cry out for paint and repair, show their age.
My family told me this structure was upright just a week earlier.
For this city girl, a tour of farm country is fascinating. I do fear, though, that this simple way of life is endangered.
Just a few miles on a busy road and I was once again in the city, passing large grocery stores and restaurants. I’ll treasure the afternoon I spent in farm country, though. Life just seemed simpler for a little while.
Linking up with Texture Tuesday, Wednesday Around the World, and Sweet Shot Tuesdays. Some photos are edited with Kim Klassen’s Lightroom presets. Also linking up with the song-inspired party, Song-ography, where my song choice is “Tis the Gift to Be Simple.”
19 Comments
Love all the barns and buildings Sharon. Super!
Beautiful, restful, healing rural scenes.
Thank you for this series.
Please consider visiting & linking up at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2015/06/nesting.html
These are wonderful. I love old barns in the country.
I always love stopping by your blog, even if it has been so infrequent the last couple of years. But you just have such a way with words and photos together. I really loved this set.
Beautiful post with wonderful photos. 🙂
So beautiful. It makes you wonder what life once happened in those barns and on those farms.
Thank you for sharing those old beautiful barns. It is so sad to see them decaying and that way of life disappearing too.
That Shaker song is one I’ve enjoyed reading for years now since I first found it. Thanks for sharing it here.
Have a good week ~ FlowerLady
I am a city girl, too but also love taking photos of old barns. These are lovely and sad in a way as they fall into disrepair.
Wonderful series of old farm buildings. I m glad that you have captured their images before they all fall down. Beautiful.
Beautifully photographed and touching reminders of a time when life really was that simple, Sharon 🙂 I’ve loved that heartfelt hymn since childhood 🙂
Those barns are awesome! I do love simplicity! Great song!
There is just about nothing as picturesque as an old barn!
Oh, so beautiful!
All this beautiful texture…so interesting to really look at and study. I REALLY like that first shot with the dirt path line leading your eye, great composition. Thanks for joining in at Song-ography.
oh i love, love, love barn shots and man you captured them great. well done, indeed! i really like the last shot of the red barn, but i think i am partial to the one with the barn falling down. doesn’t it make your heart sad to see that. i am missing you over at life thru the lens.
Sometimes I dream of a simple life in the country, but for someone who’s always lived in the city, I wonder how long before I go hankering for city life again.
Beautiful images and words. I can relate to this so well, being a farm girl at heart. It is interesting to learn that there are the same issues the world over. Many farmers just can’t afford to upkeep at the moment here, they are struggling to make ends meet in a world that seems to be against them, the food givers. I know our family farm needs repairs.
I like the black and white one the best – are many of them very old?
Sometimes I think living on a farm would be pretty cool! Then on the other hand the idea of having to drive 20 minutes to the grocery store isn’t my cup of tea!