The first time I saw this old barn was last year, on 18 July 2016, when my daughter and I did a bit of exploring north-east of Calgary. Yesterday, 17 September 2017, after noticing snowflake icons in the weather forecast for Calgary this week (which have now disappeared), I decided I would do a similar drive, but not as far as Drumheller this time. Actually, I still drove quite a bit further than I had intended - 346 km, 215 miles. If I had had enough self-discipline, I would have left home much earlier, as it was 11:20 am when I finally got into my car.
My intention was to drive a few back roads, searching for old barns. Most of my drive was on highways, simply for the purpose of saving time, so it wasn't till I was more or less at the furthest point that I actually saw a barn. I couldn't see a sign pointing to this place, so it took me a while to find the hilly, gravel road leading to it. By this time, unfortunately, there was a haze over the landscape and the light was very poor - as you can tell by the white sky. Having driven so far, I was determined to take photos. Though this photo was OK in the original shot, I added a touch of filter in post-processing, to really bring out more detail in the wood. I love this barn, but was saddened to see that the roof at the back of the sloping part on the right had collapsed a lot more than when I had seen it in 2016. As with any beautiful old barn, it will be a sad day when this one finally collapses.
While I was standing there, taking photos of the grain elevator that stands nearby, a farmer came down to the gravel road on his tractor (?) and stopped to have a pleasant chat. I guess I could have asked for permission to walk closer to the barn, but it is not on his property. Anyway, I never go close to barns or go inside, as I never ask for permission. That doesn't stop a lot of photographers, but I can't do it. This barn is next to the road.
I told this pleasant man that I felt like I was in the middle of nowhere, and he said that we WERE in the middle of nowhere, ha. I was planning to go back the same way I had come, but he told me that there was an old house the other way, that people photograph. That changed my mind, though I knew I would continue to feel in the middle of nowhere. Definitely worth it, as I also came across a site of old, abandoned miners' cabins before reaching the old house. When coal was no longer mined, the area was left and the railway lines were torn up at a later date.
One other abandoned house I passed yesterday was one that my daughter and I had found last year. It was built among the rolling hills, far, far away from any road, and is a very impressive sight. This year, they were doing road work repair by a bridge just a matter of feet away from the only possible place to pull over and stop. Thankfully, I was still able to stop and take photos. Heat haze/distortion didn't help when I zoomed in fully, but I should be able to rescue one or two of my photos later.
Altogether, a good few hours out. Though I didn't see a lot, the things I did see were most welcome and appreciated. I was glad to get in one more long drive before 'the white stuff' arrives and keeps me close to home. Still tired out a full day later - these drives knock me out!
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