No, not that kind of barnstormers-not the kind of barnstormer who does tricks on the wings of airplanes. The kind of barnstormer who visits barns as part of a fundraising event for the Frederick County Landmarks Association.
This was the 18th year for the Barnstormers event, but it was only recently that Ward and I heard about it and decided we'd give it a try. Each year, they feature a different set of barns, and last Saturday, we toured eight different barns in the northern part of the county. At each site, there were at least two artists painting pictures of the barns. The artists don't know which barns they will be painting until that morning. At the end of the day, they sell their paintings.
We had no idea what to expect, but these were all barns on working farms. They were not restored historic barns or old barns that had been made into event venues. These were "real" barns that were sometimes cluttered and smelly or needed a paint job. Some were over 200 years old, but had been fixed when needed with modern materials. I loved seeing the real thing because it reminded me of the farms I grew up around.
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This 1950s International Harvester pickup in the above barn was getting as much attention as the prize bull that was housed below. |
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Most of the barns were built on a stone foundation. |
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Each barn had a couple of docents who talked about the construction, use, and history of the barn. |
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These girls were churning butter in the upper part of one of the barns. We had some on crackers and it was delicious! |
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The whole area was beautiful, with rolling farmland and mountains in the background. |
We really enjoyed our day, especially after the rain cleared up. We hope we can do it again next year.
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Thursday, June 12, 2025
Line Dancing: This is a beginner's class at the gym where they teach easy line dances. I like this class because I feel accomplished in it, as I generally catch on to the dances okay. However, I stayed for a bit today to attend the more advanced line dance class immediately following this one, and the dances were more complicated with less instruction. I'm not quite ready for that yet, but maybe someday I will join Ward in the more advanced class. I got a very good aerobic workout today.
Friday, June 13, 2025
Strong and Balanced: This was a good overall workout that focused on strength training. For warm-ups, we went in a circle around the room. I liked doing something different from standing in one place and doing most of the exercises. I went up a pound with the weights today with no problem. However, this class is not overly strenuous with a lot of reps. It was a good all-body strengthening class.
Saturday, June 14, 2025
Free Day: Today, we went on a tour of barns. There was walking at each barn, but we drove in between stops. I didn't do anything strenuous all day, but I got almost 10000 steps (9,600) by the end of it.
Sunday, June 15, 2025
LIIT: We had a very enthusiastic substitute for this class today, and I worked harder than I have in a long time, both with weights and aerobically. I went back down in weights because I know this class would be more intense than Strong and Balanced. I did most everything, except for the squat and walk exercise. My knees just couldn't take it. Luckily, it didn't last too long.
Now back to packing. Until next time...
The tour of barns sounds like a fun activity. I remember visiting a barn at a working dairy farm when I was in Wisconsin and driving past round barns.
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DeleteMy father worked on a dairy farm when He growing up, so I always have a special interest for them. One of the barns I didn’t show was milking barn.
We've got a garden tour this weekend, with maybe 6 homes to drive around and visit. I love that you have a barn tour, and that there are those wonderful barns there! Enjoy Alaska and stay cool!
ReplyDeleteWe have gone to garden tours in the past and enjoyed them. It’s a good place to get ideas.
DeleteI love to look at old decaying barns. But I think love a tour like you did of working barns, too. Alaska is my old stomping grounds. Have an ex in Sitka, but mostly I was in Seward. Worked a variety of jobs there, including at Seward Fisheries.
ReplyDeleteOn the trip, we’re taking a train from Anchorage to Seward and visit the marine center there. Do you have any other recommendations?
DeleteWow, impressive that you put out a post right before your vacation! I suspect that you will find that your exercise regimen is paying off on this trip. :)
ReplyDeleteI grew up in a rural area with farms and love to see old barns. My daughter would enjoy taking part in the plein air experience.
Enjoy your trip!!
We did some hiking today and I could climb the hills reasonably well. I am in better shape than the last time I was on a hike like this. Yea! Finally a payoff for my efforts.
DeleteWonderful photos! I love seeing old barns and silos and windmills. We have quite a few here. I have several (meaning at least 3, what I deem a "collection") of barn paintings. One is a close-up and it has a stone foundation.
ReplyDeleteToo bad you weren’t here to see the paintings. You could have added to your collection.
DeleteThat tour is a very clever idea!
ReplyDeleteI am just catching up with you so now to see easy about your trip.