The barn at the farm where I grew up has seen better days. Soon it will be a pile of rubble and a new barn will be in its place. We had a good visit with Roger when we went over and petted Annie the Border Collie.
Yesterday I took a few photos. It had been on my list of things to do since early Fall and we just didn't get around to it.
I learned many things in that old barn. Never trust Banty roosters would be number one on my list. How to lock cows into their stanchions, how to feed and brush them. How to get rid of lice and how to spray them with fly spray in the summer. How to feed calves milk replacer out of a bucket with a teat and not spill the whole bucket all over because baby calves are aggressive drinkers. How to milk cows by hand and take care of their udders because a cow with sore teats will be a kicker and difficult to milk. How to use a milking machine and a cream separator. That cows peeing will splatter a long way...same goes for poop. Everyone knows their place in the barn except for a new cow. While hand milking you can squirt milk into the mouths of waiting in the aisles kittens or your other baby brother. How to clean out gutters, how to lay down a bed of straw for the calves in the calf pen....how to give sick calves shots of antibiotics. When it is cold in the winter the barn is warmer than being outside. Barns have their own unique smells.
The barn was built by the Lemons most likely in the 1930's... they were relatives of Far Guys ( a brother of Far Guy's Maternal Grandmother). Loren Lemon and Florence Graham Lemon lived there and raised their three children there until they moved to Washington sometime before 1949 when Loren died. My parents bought the farm in the Spring of 1952 when my Dad returned from Korea.
Far Side
28 comments:
Lots of interesting memories. Memories keep us warm when the days are cold and dreary. You have stirred up some of mine. Mine are an different because I didn't live on a farm with a warm barn, but still precious.
What interesting memories you have with that old barn. Yes, the poor barn has seen better days! It will be replaced but the memories will live on. Happy Thanksgiving to you and Far Guy.
I worked on a dairy farm for a few years to pay for keeping my horse in a paddock on that farm. I actually enjoyed getting up each morning before work and listening to the milk machines and prepping teats before and after the milk machines. I was dubbed the Head Dip.
Working with the farmer and his grandson were one of the best things I ever did.
I was hopeless with the machinery, but could bottle feed calves and teach them to drink out of a pail. I was good with the animals.
I remember all those barn things. We had a dairy part of my childhood.
What a beautiful story to go along with those beautiful pictures, Connie! I'm glad you got to take them. Lots of history in that barn! ~Andrea xoxoxo
I've never milked a cow, but you make it sound like you became a professional! Loved the memories!
Boy that barn holds so many memories! Must be why it's ready to burst. Those pictures are a treasure.
Wonderful memories! We never had a barn on the farm - Dad was a grain farmer, but I recall visiting other neighbours and spending time in the barn, especially if there were kittens.
You did learn a lot in that barn!
You have some great memories there but it's still sad to see it gone, I'm sure. The house my husband grew up in, and that we lived in for 10 years early in our marriage met a similar fate last year. It was a huge old farmhouse, but was having foundation issues and more when we lived there in the 80s. Then another young family bought that property and raised their own family. One of their sons finally built a new house, and tore the old one down. Probably way overdue, but still made us sad.
I love to look at old barns. What is that v-shaped part of the roof for? Raising and lowering the hay loft door?
These old barns are such an important part of history. I remember playing in my grandparents barn as a child. I love hearing your memories. My Mother used to tell me about squirting milk into the kittens mouths when she milked the cows. I love that you included your brother in the milk sharing!
Do you know anything about Florence Graham Lemon's heritage? I am trying to find an ancestral cousin to my father whose maiden name was Florence Graham. She lived in either Bellingham or Everett Washington.
I have a thing for old barns and drove around much of my area photographing a lot of them before they fall into piles. I wish it was more economical to save those structures as they are a lot more appealing than metal pole buildings that have replaced them.
Very interesting barn, even if it's rather sad. Sounds like great memories in there.
Lots of history and good education. I've done the same thing.
The pulley and rail system that comes to the end of that peak. The ropes for pulling up hay were attached to the pulley and at the top the load of hay went into the barn right into the haymow.
Poor old barn is collapsing slowly but surely.
I grew up on a farm but with 3 older brothers I wasn't needed in the barn so I missed learning all the lessons you did.
While I didn't do all of the jobs you spoke of, I know about all of them. We just had a small farm, and I got out of milking the cow by staying in the house to help, but I was also there during milking enough to have my own mind movies as I read your delightful post.
Great, great memories for sure and so sad to see the old barn dying a slow death. For that's what it is isn't it? The barn is so full of memories of not only you but so many others too. I loved reading about all that you learned in the barn. I never lived on a farm but my Aunt and Uncle kept cows and chickens in their small farm in southern Nebraska. I used to go stay with my cousins in the summers and this city girl would be sent to gather eggs. Those chickens terrified me and they knew it! :-)
Happy Thanksgiving to you and Far Guy!
Blessings and hugs,
Betsy
Your memories are so good and I didn't realize that I do remember most of those same things. My dad hand milked. The home farm barn collapsed down the middle of the roof because they refused to maintain the roof. I remember finding all the batches of kittens in the hay.
Her parents were Charles W Graham from Canada and Margaret Ferguson Graham from Scotland Florence Graham Lemon and Loren Lemon are both buried in Cypress Lawn Memorial Park Everett, Snohomish County WA
A lot of history and memories in that old barn. Glad you captured it with photos while you still had the chance!
I love old barns...but it must feel kind of sad to see it fall into disrepair. I'm glad you got photos. You have good memories. I do too, of visiting my grandma's farm, where my mom grew up...playing with the barn cats, climbing into the hay loft, staying outside to peer at a bull, running back to the house when they were putting rings in pigs noses, the squealing was horrible! And yes, the smell of a barn. I can smell it right now as I remember. Thanks for the memories.
I have similar memories of the barns in my life — good times
Precious memories.... I'm sure it will be a sad day whem the old barn comes down.
I see Farguy's next wood project.
Happy Thanksgiving and thanks for being here to spread a good life.
Lots of great memories and lessons there.
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