Winter light is a lot different than Summer light when you get a ways away from the equator as Minnesota is situated.  It’s not so intense and straight on as summer light and can take on a nice muted sun look.

Tranquil Winter Sun

The newly fallen snow had not yet melted and the clouds had not completely departed.  The combination led to a beautiful sunset.

Country Trees

This is a country tree if you ask me
Tall and stout with branches all about
Leaves provides shade through the day
When the autumn winds haven’t blown them away
In the spring a sight to be seen
When the leaves pop, they’re so green

Winter Farmsite

The silo barn and building seem to be soaking up the sun on this cold January day.

Bountiful Harvest

Last fall’s harvest was pretty good for most parts of Minnesota.   The rains stopped in the summer and a bit more rain at the right time would have helped, but all in all the harvest was good.   The level of corn in the wagon is a metaphor for the quality of the harvest.  It was a good harvest but not overflowing.

I came across this shot in some really nice light one evening after work.  I’ve got some more photos from the same night that I’ll share in the future.

Outbuilding with Quilt Square – Carver County MN near Chaska

This particular photo I liked because the pattern on the quilt square is much like the pattern of the stone foundation.

The last two years or so I’ve been running into more and more barns with the quilt squares on them.  I feel like I’ve missed the memo.  I shoot a lot of rural photos and am usually somewhat “up” on rural goings on.   But the quilt squares completely escape me.  It’s as if every owner of rural property with traditional barns or outbuildings received a memo telling them to put a quilt square like pattern on their buildings.

Does anyone know what started this?  I think it’s kind of cool, but want the back story.

Valley Farm

This farm caught my eye because the way it was tucked into the land.  It looks like it would have been a great farm to grow up on as a kid.  Slough, woods, hills.  All the makings of adventures.

The tree has probably seen it all.  It saw the traditional barn in back built, it saw the traditional farm house built and later added on to.  It saw the machine shed  and the grain bins go in too.

It saw the kids play on the swing, go to school on the bus, get home on the bus, build forts and have snow ball fights.

It saw it all.

Cows in the Pasture

Every once in awhile while driving the back roads, one comes across a scene that captures the essence of a family farm.  I think this is one such scene.  It shows an active family farm in full bloom.  The great light in the late afternoon helps the cows and the pasture pop against the multi colored sky.  One of these shots makes all the other miles with little to show worthwhile.

Approaching the end of the day on the farm

The approaching sunset marks the end of the day on this farm.  I couldn’t help but to also think that metaphorically it also represents the sunset of the era of the small farm.  They are not all gone, but certainly it’s hard to deny that we are getting to the end of the day.

Just about all the symbols of farm life in this image are out of touch with the reality of today’s farm.  We no longer build barns like that or silos like that.  The land though, continues on.

Paint grazing in the pasture.

Originally in color, this shot just screamed for black and white.