Fall at David Arms Gallery in Leiper's Fork

A few images from my annual pilgrimage to my favorite art gallery, David Arms, in Leiper's Fork, Tennessee.

This gorgeous urn was filled with wheat strands sitting on an old metal table on the porch at the gallery. I had to photograph it.

Pumpkin palooza on the porch.

I surely will miss the pumpkins until next year.

I always snap an image as I leave David Arms Gallery. Who wouldn't want to snap a shot of this old plank building with its rusty metal roof and adorable reindeer adorning the facade. Hope you enjoyed these images as much as I did snapping them. ENJOY!

The Barn Series- Day 1 - Manchester Farms

In the beginning, when I started this blog, this was the very first image I posted. An image captured with my old manual Pentax camera, which has long since been retired, using old school Fuji slide film. The camera where I taught myself to shoot the light and how to capture the best perspective and most of all, how to enjoy photographing nature.

The day I photographed this image I hadn't spent much time in the Bluegrass Region of Kentucky. But in the beginning days as a nature photographer, this was high on my bucket list, the beautiful fields and fence line and horse barns at Manchester Farms in Lexington, Kentucky. I drove the back roads of the Bluegrass Scenic Byway from Midway to Lexington to Manchester Farms. I meandered up and down the road traveling back and forth and stopping at many places to check the perspective I was looking for. I found it and here's the proof. To this day this image is still one of my all time favorite images, if for no other reason, than because it was one of the first ones I truly longed to captured. Lucky me, the thoroughbreds were grazing aimlessly in the fields on this sunny, Summer's day.

If only I had known then just where my travels would take me on this photographic journey, I am sure I would have thought, "no way." Yet, I have traveled thousands of miles all other the north and south and eastern United States capturing scene after scene in all types of weather and in every setting. From fields to forest, from lake shore to sea shore, from quaint Amish farms to gorgeous Bluegrass horse farms, from mountains to valleys. I have traveled in earnest seeking that image. That image that tells the story of why I was there.

I have traveled to Cape Cod and Nantucket Island in Massachusetts, to Mid Coast and Down East in Maine, to the Great Smoky Mountains in eastern Tennessee, to the tiny shore towns along Michigan's lake shore, to Assateague National Seashore in Maryland to Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia, to Gibbs Gardens in Georgia and to Hocking Hills State Park in south central Ohio. Finally, least we forget, I have traveled countless times to visit Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest in Clermont, Kentucky, to Mustatatuck National Wildlife Refuge in south central Indiana. Both places only a stone's throw away from home. And yes, I have traveled many times along the Bluegrass Scenic Byway, which often referred to as 'my back yard.'

Throughout so many of these journeys there was one image I always stopped and took the time to photograph. Barns. Whether the barn was an old or vintage or dilapidated or, even, brand new. It mattered not to me. I stopped and walk back and forth and looked through my viewfinder for that perspective I so wanted to take away with me before I left that barn to live on in history.

From barns with logos painted on them to barns with quilt placards to barns nearly falling down to barns famous and steeped in history. I captured images of barns. And now I am leaving to take you on an adventure for the next few weeks as I captured barn image after barn image. I'll tell a story and weave a web about history. The only question now is, 'are you coming with me?" ENJOY!

Linking to The Barn Collective and Metamorphosis Monday

Vintage Wheels

As I perused my archives in search of images from Vintage America, I noticed a transition from the days of wagon wheels and buggies to the days of old jalopies and finally to modern day automobiles.

In by gone days, both of these first two buggies were surely a Rolls Royce version as buggies go. I captured the carriage at Spring Mill Park in Indiana, on a visit years ago and and the wagon with the small scale buggy I discovered sitting in a barn on a visit to Blackacre Nature Preserve in Louisville a couple of years ago. Both surely must have been quite fashionable in their day with their slick black leather seats.

This old Dodge truck I have posted before, but I couldn't leave it out of the line up, as it surely is one of my favorite rustic auto images. If it doesn't conjure up memories of the early 1900's, nothing will. It has come to its final resting place at the end of the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail in the Smoky Mountains, on a small farm there.

After the buggies of the late 1800's and the jalopies of the early 1900's, we find ourselves in the era of the modern automobile with spiffy logos and chrome grills. I photographed this Buick, which looks like a '60's model, at Old Car City USA, in Georgia last Summer. I'm surprised someone didn't restore it as the body looks in quite good condition.

Last, here we are with over sized bumpers and large grills like shark's teeth. Oversized bumpers are one of the things I will always remember about the cars of my childhood years, especially the Buick. I wonder does anyone else feel the cars we drive today are just a tad boring compared to the first automobiles. Perhaps that's why vintage cars are such popular attractions at car shows and in museums. I hope you enjoyed this journey back in time. I promise to be back soon. ENJOY!

Barns of Kentucky

It is the perfect day to share some of the many beautiful barns I have photographed throughout the Bluegrass State of Kentucky. Kentucky has my heart, as it is my home state. I have wandered many a back road and scenic byway in Kentucky stopping along the side of the road or at times even pulled into the edge of a driveway to snap photos of a barn on my journeys. I hope you enjoy this look back as much as I enjoyed creating it. Off we go!

Historic Manchester Farms, Summer, Bluegrass Scenic Byway, Lexington, Kentucky

Barn, Horse Farm, Late Fall, Bluegrass Scenic Byway, Midway, Kentucky

Barn, Horse Farm, Fall, Bluegrass Scenic Byway, Midway, Kentucky

Vintage Barn Adorned with Rock City Logo, Maker's Mark Distillery, Summer, Loretto, Kentucky

 Barn for Curing Bourbon, Summer, Maker's Mark Distillery, Loretto, Kentucky

Tobacco Barn, Fall, Bluegrass Scenic Byway, Midway, Kentucky

Vintage Barn turned Antiques Shop, Fall, Historic Glendale, Kentucky

White Barn Adorned with Quilt Logo, Fall, Bluegrass Scenic Byway, Midway, Kentucky

Red Barn, Visitor Center, Yew Dell Gardens, Crestwood, Kentucky

Barn, Amish Farm, Summer, Scottsville, Kentucky

Vintage Barn Adorned with Rock City Logo, Summer, Bardstown, Kentucky

There you have it. Some of the barns I have photographed over the years while traveling the back roads and the scenic byways of the great state of Kentucky. I have to say I am very partial to the Bluegrass Region for obvious reasons. I especially love it in Fall, but Summer is nice too.

I hope you enjoyed taking a look back over the years at the beautiful barns throughout Kentucky. My favorite photo is the first one of Manchester Farms in Lexington taken some 15 years ago. At that time I used a Pentax K1000 manual camera with Fuji Velvia slide film. It was difficult learning 'to shoot the light' using that seemingly antiquated camera. Interestingly enough, that is the camera they still use in photography classes throughout colleges everywhere. I can see why. Many a roll of slide film was used to create that beautiful photo. I hope you will share with me your favorite image(s) on this journey of old historic and vintage barns. ENJOY!

Linking to Barn Collective

Barns of Tennessee

Oh, but for the beauty of those old, abandoned and vintage barns that we all love to photograph as we travel, off the beaten path, and drive, the scenic byways, throughout our countryside.

Visiting my archives, I encountered numerous images that I began to collect in a separate folder titled simply Barns. Before long I had assembled quite a collection of barn images from across quite a few states. Each time I opened the folder the barns seemed to scream, 'please put up a post and feature me." I finally surrendered and now what you have before you is a collection of images from the Volunteer State of Tennessee.

Are you ready? Here we go with a few of those beautiful icons that dot our landscape.

Historic Barn at a Homestead, Cade's Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee

Barn and Horse, Winter's Snowfall, Hendersonville, Tennessee

Old Barn, Summer, Leiper's Fork, Tennessee

Vintage Barn and Conveyor, Spring, Portland, Tennessee

Red Barn in Spring, Portland, Tennessee

Barn and Pond, Evin's Mill, Smithville, Tennessee

I hope you enjoyed my look back at some of the barns I have encountered in my travels across the state of Tennessee. I would love to know your favorite if you have one. I'll be back to post another collection of barn images I've captured across the beautiful state of Kentucky very soon. I hope your week is off to a wonderful start. ENJOY!

Linking to The Barn Collective

Vintage Barn

As I searched fervently on a winding country road for the rumored yellow Canola fields blooming just north of Nashville, I happened to pass this vintage and pretty dilapidated barn sitting near the edge of the road. As I stopped and turned around, knowing I had taken a wrong turn to find the Canola fields, I stopped a good distance from the old barn to capture several images.

It couldn't have been a more perfect day to stop and snap a few images of a vintage barn out in the middle of the countryside. I love the tan grasses in the field and the gorgeous blue sky with the white fluffy clouds. It's the perfect contrast. I like the way the old vintage conveyor was still perched up against the loft almost as though it had just been used. I don't think I have ever seen an old conveyor still in place. I wonder why the farmer didn't take it down. This area of northern Tennessee is filled with flat farm land and so beautiful. There's nothing like vintage America to make you appreciate times gone by.

It's a rainy, rainy weekend here which meant a postponed photography workshop. Aside from the last two weekends, every weekend for months past have been rainy here in middle Tennessee. This Spring has been exceptionally wet which has kept me from scheduling any other workshops and no meetup group outings. I hope May proves to be a dryer month so I can get outdoors a tad more. Enjoy your weekend all! Back soon. ENJOY!

Vintage America

Leiper's Fork is a very tiny little town that is situated east of the Natchez Trace Parkway southwest of Nashville. I drove the Trace south of Nashville and exited onto the road going into Leiper's Fork this past weekend. This small town is made up of farmers, artists and musicians hence the art galleries and restaurant featuring live country music.

I can never pass up an opportunity to snap a few images of the remnants of by gone days, one being what looked like an old Model T, and the other an old tricycle. While walking the tiny town, I ventured into a couple of the shops and had a quick bite at one of the few restaurants in town. There was a band playing, but unfortunately they took a break just as I sat down outside.

A large number of country musicians have settled in and around Williamson County which is south of Nashville just east of Leiper's Fork. When Williamson County began encroaching on the small towns nearby, Leiper's Fork decided to protect its heritage and is now on the National Register of Historic Places. America doesn't have enough thriving small towns in my opinion so seeing Leiper's Fork thriving was heartwarming. It made for a nice afternoon. Just to show you how welcoming these folks are, several of the shops even have fire pits and rockers out front for visitors to gather and sit a spell in the cooler months. Truly Americana. Back soon with more images. ENJOY!

Mingus Mill, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Mingus Mill located on the far eastern side of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near the Oconaluftee Visitor Center in North Carolina is still an operating mill to this day. In the late 1790's, the metal turbine was considered a modern marvel compared to the old wooden waterwheels used up to date in the milling industry. The Mingus Family opened the mill in the 1790's and later built this structure for a mere $600. At that time the mill was surrounded by fields and crops.

Today, surrounded by the national park itself, the Mingus Mill is quaintly nestled in a grove of trees a short walk off the entrance on a winding path which crosses over a narrow creek called Mingus Creek. When you begin your walk back to the mill, the trail is actually the Mingus Creek Trail head with the mill itself about one tenth of a mile in. This trail is also part of the Mountains-to-the-Sea Trail which stretches 1,000 miles beginning at Clingman's Dome and ending at Jockey's Ridge at the Outer Banks of North Carolina. At this point on the path, this is when the mill begins to divert the water from the creek itself to the mill. I have photographed this site once before and decided to stop by during my recent visit to the park and attempt a new perspective to include the building. Hope you have great plans for the weekend. ENJOY!

Linking to Barn Collective

Vintage America

Lately, I have been posting my fair share of birds and waterfowl images. But last week I got to thinking about all of the wonderful places I have traveled over the past few years. There is rarely a place we travel daily or on a vacation that we don't find some historical artifact in some form or fashion.

Without the rustic, vintage, historical . . . without the rusted, aged, weathered . . . without these artifacts or historical places throughout America, my world would be far less interesting. On every occasion, no matter whether it is a day trip, a weekend or a longer journey, history surrounds us, and fortunately, I have embraced the vintage and historical factions in my travels. Throughout the states of Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, Michigan, Massachusetts and Virginia, I captured these images whether it be Spring, Summer, Winter or Fall. ENJOY!

Linking to Wednesday Around The World

Barn, Myer's Cabin

Every now and then I find myself perusing my archives for just the right photo to 'play' with. A texture here, a texture there. An artistic effect, a pencil sketch. It's a guessing game just what one will create. And yes, you have seen this barn before as I have photographed it several times in the past and posted it. But let's face it, even the vintage never really gets old. So here is another photograph.

And I am pretty certain if I search the world over I might not find a barn I am more in love with than this barn that sits behind Myer's Cabin which is located in the very back of Mustatatuck National Wildlife Refuge. It is not only vintage and weathered, but there are three tall slender trees sitting right in the perfect juxtaposition for photography. And did you notice the vintage, and quite rusty, farm implements sitting in front of the barn that make for a perfect complement. Have a fantastic Sunday. ENJOY!

Vintage Scenes, By Gone Days

Time and weather worn scenes now, but one day each had their day in the spotlight.

The old Myer's Barn in Mustatatuck National Wildlife Refuge sits quietly abandoned, but every now and again I feel the need to photograph it once again.

The vintage and well rusted old farmer's Milk Can sat idly by the door of the barn as though it was put there by the farmer many years ago.

The rusted old Wagon Wheel attached to an equally rusted out farm implement used in the fields ions ago stands ready in front of Myer's Barn, hoping to be called upon once again one day.

And last but not least, the old Dodge Truck still sits rusting away behind the barn at the end of the Roaring Fork Nature Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I admit I trespassed to get this image showing the best side of this old Dodge truck, but I promise I closed the gate back and the owner knew what I was up to as he watched from afar. One day called to serve a much needed purpose, now all of these beautiful things are left behind only as evidence to the past. And as fodder for the outdoor photographer. Hope you have a fantastic weekend all. ENJOY!

The Marvelous Wonderettes!

Last Fall while in Nashville, Indiana, that quaint little arts and crafts village that I frequent several times a year, The Marvelous Wonderettes toured this small town in a vintage convertible waving and smiling.

They hoped to boost attendance at their show that evening.

It's like taking a walk back in time what with the vintage convertible and it's white walled hub caps, the ladies with their puffy do's and the driver in his straw hat.

And, of course, the pink dice hanging from the rear view on the dash.

We're deep in the throws of winter, and I felt a little sunshine into this day I must bring. I hope you'll agree. Now I ask you . . . have you noticed a theme lately in my posts? By gone days of vintage cars, vintage buggies, log cabins? While I generally feature images of our natural world, I strongly believe history is our natural world. Where would we be if not for history? So in honor of by gone days. ENJOY!