Yesterday I dropped my husband off at Hartford Airport well before anyone should have been awake. He is off to do a marathon, this time climbing the peak of Mt Lemmon in Arizona. The climb will bring him up more than 5000 feet over the top. As he does this, he wont be alone. His mom and dad will be out there too climbing it with him. Ever year, around 5 marathons are added to his growing collection of more than 70 grueling ventures. I’ll admit that while driving through the darkness, I was bitter. I to wanted to feel the warm dry air of Arizona too, but we just couldn’t seem to get the childcare thing together. I would stay back for this one and hold down the fort. I felt sad as I knew that he would be having an adventure without me. I was picturing pointing my camera at giant cacti and feeling the warm sun on my shoulders. Instead, I was hurtling through the chilly early morning darkness in CT. Through the shadows, I could see what looked like 50 or more massive buildings. For years I had thought about stopping and checking these buildings out, but never have. Usually when you’re near the airport, you’re just in a rush. I looked back and saw that my camera was in the back seat. In the early morning I grabbed it thinking…” Hey you never know”. I had left the wide angle lens on the table at home…drat. The sun was beginning to lighten the horizon. I veered off onto a dirt road and went through a maze of old tobacco barns. I put the car into park and just sat there thinking to myself, “Jen what in the hell are you doing”. I am sure there was a no a trespassing sign somewhere, but it was too dark to see it. When you weigh the pros and cons on the scales of life sometimes you just need to go with your gut feeling. The boogey man probably sat waiting in the shadows ready to eat unsuspecting photographers. I killed the engine and waited for the sun. 30 minutes would pass and the shadows would begin to lift. Outlines of the buildings became more defined and soon the collection of massive barns could be seen. The sun would glow and warm their east sides. The ponderous buildings lined up like soldiers. The dirt road surrounding the buildings transported me to another era and I bent down to swirl a small design in the sands of time. Little seemed to have changed on this farm except for the highway that had been built to transport travelers to the airport. I would see numbers on each building as high as 50 and the edifices seemed to have no particular organization. I started to think of the numbers while I shot away. In my mind I thought of how there were as many buildings as the number of marathons my husband has run. I thought of how I could use the numbers on the barns as a blog topic or for an age specific birthday card for a friend. I looked for 40, my current number, but it seemed to be hidden. Daylight was now brilliant and it was time to move along. I had found my own adventure and my earlier sullen mood had lifted. Sometimes we need to find our own adventure despite the conditions that hold us back from doing so. There really is adventure around every corner…even in CT.
4 Comments
Wendy
10/23/2011 02:25:36 am
I've always wanted to stop and explore these old barns, but was also hesitant because it was private property. You are a braver soul than me. These images are great. I really love the second one showcasing the age of the barn wall.
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heather castiglia
10/23/2011 12:08:18 pm
Hey Jen,
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Jen Schulten
10/23/2011 09:20:37 pm
hopefully they don't mind. My intentions were good and I'll gladly give them the photos. That is so cool about your parents. It is such a massive farm that it must have has a big cultural impact on the area. Really an amazingly beautiful place.
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11/11/2011 11:54:18 am
God only knows what you would do without these ancient barns; you've got a thing for them, don't you? Your sense of history is right there in front of you. Ha! Wonder where you got that from! Is it the Italian or the Celtic influence? Either way, you're stuck with your DNA.:) I remember going to Ireland with your mom; we had to stop at every church and abbey along the way (in the middle of horrific rain and wind storms) because she had to see the interior of each and every one of them! Boy! Do I remember that trip! Young lady, you are a product of your parents!
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