https://secure.flickr.com/photos/ajn_photography/14756048875/in/photostream/

Lets talk about barns...
You see them everywhere around here in what was once a bucolic setting.
Unfortunately the trend is buy the land, tear down the barn, either quickly or leave the old place to slowly crumble as the years roll on.
Demolition by neglect

As a lover of all things 'old', some call me a 'Luddite', I hate to see this happening. What is worse I hate it when I watch and old place always thinking 'I should record this place before its gone. Because it surely will be gone' and I wait, putting off the visit as if I had all the time in the world.
Then, one day I drive by and there is a pile of burning rubble … too late.

Last week I read an article on the Urban Sketchers website, “A Farewell to Barns” it seems others are of the same mind.

http://www.urbansketchers.org/2014/07/a-farewell-to-barns.html

I made a suggestion to my friends to visit two such places nearby.

On Saturday morning we set off for the first location. As it turned out we did not reach the second location as time flew by and real world issues forced us back to reality. We packed up and headed downtown to our favourite watering hole ..OX for tea, croissants and banter before heading back to tackle the remainder of the day.

All-in-all a great morning, the weather guys were wrong (again) about the rain and thunderstorms and we had a warm, peaceful morning sitting in the shade and managed to record one old barn and outbuildings for posterity.

Sometimes 'simple' is all you need.

“Beware the barrenness of a busy life”. ~Socrates

www.flickr.com/photos/ajn_photography/14698545952

Yesterday was 'a walk in the woods ' day.

At this time of year it should have been called a 'three doses of DEET' day!

The place, Scottsdale Farm and the wonderful meandering trails there. However it was hard to concentrate or to stop for as soon as we did we were engulfed in a swarm of bloodthirsty mosquitoes.

Incessant buzzing in my ears, tapping on my face, getting in behind my glasses. The constant, never ending onslaught made concentration difficult if not impossible.

Then there was one of those moments, we walked into a small valley and it was like walking back in time. To a time long ago when dinosaurs ruled and everything was ten times bigger than what we know and expect. The valley floor covered in waist deep jewelweed massive ancient Ash, Maple and Beech trees reached for the sky and the forest floor not covered with the jewelweed had a new coat, of young tree's.

The ice storm(s) of last winter had caused much damage to the canopy. So much so that more light was pouring in to those area's that for so long had been in deep shade. It doesn't take Mother Nature long to seize on an opportunity, the tree's began to sprout dozens if not hundreds of tiny tree's began the race to the light.

For those that look and see it was an amazing sight to behold.

But ...

… “Why didn't Noah swat those two mosquitoes”? ~Author Unknown

The long and scary road back ...

 https://secure.flickr.com/photos/ajn_photography/14399752419/

As you probably know these past few months I have been trying to strengthen my drawing and sketching skills having hung up my pens, pencils and brushes many years ago.

Laast week I uploaded a pen and ink sketch of Goldie Mill here in Guelph.

My friend Connie added a comment or was it a challenge ?

“Are you going to make a painting of this”? She asked.

I said no but after a series of sketches at home I used a brush pen and added watercolour to it.

Then I redrew the scene once again this time on Aquarelle watercolour paper and pulled out my brushes …

The attached photo is the result “one small step for a man, one giant leap …. for me” :-)

After another quiet morning spent in the marsh at Valens Conservation Area I must admit that this sketching stuff is becoming addictive. Yes I had my camera, yes I made a few images but the overpowering serenity that one feels when just sitting, watching and listening is like a drug.

“We live in a very tense society. We are pulled apart... and we all need to learn how to pull ourselves together.... I think that at least part of the answer lies in solitude”. ~Helen Hayes