Sunday, July 22, 2012

Blue Shed

By Joann M. Ringelstetter

Five years ago, Ruth and I visited Muscatine County, Iowa, to photograph barns that were featured on a tour sponsored by the Iowa Barn Foundation. After a full day of photographing barns, trains, depots, and churches, we decided to check into our motel. Then we headed out again to Wildcat Den State Park for a picnic supper. On the way to the park, we passed the Sywassink Farm, which we planned to visit the next morning.


Coming back from the park, we again passed the Sywassink Farm and I decided to stop and take a distant shot of the farm, which was nicely lit by the evening sun. What we hadn’t seen, however, was a wonderful old blue shed that was hidden by the other buildings.


The barn tours didn’t start until 8:30 the next morning, so we decided that we would photograph the Pine Creek Grist Mill at first light. This mill is located in Wildcat Den State Park, so we again passed the Sywassink Farm on our way. This time, however, we noticed the blue shed as we passed the other side of the farm.


As an added bonus, there were numerous turkey vultures sitting on top of the gambrel roof barn that was the featured barn for the barn tour.


As I photographed this wonderful old shed, Ruth and I watched as the turkey vultures came and went. Sometimes the roof was loaded with them and then most of them would fly off, only to begin returning one by one.


After our visit to the Pine Creek Grist Mill, we went back to the Sywassink Farm and I took some close-up photos of the blue shed, which had apparently been red previously.


I don’t know why, but I’m drawn to the peeling paint, the rusty roof, and the angles in farm buildings like this one. I hope you enjoy them, too.



Happy Shunpiking!
Joann

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