This is the dance hall that once stood on Old Highway 101 in Armstrong Creek, shown in all four seasons. So far I have not been able to find any history on it. The roof collapsed many years ago and it was torn down completely last year, so I am very thankful that I have these pictures. This dance hall was just about a hundred yards down the road from the Chilicki Blacksmith Shop. I have posted pictures of the blacksmith shop here also in all four seasons.
Spring. (HDR)
Summer.
Autumn.
Winter.
This is the old blacksmith shop in Armstrong Creek, WI. in all 4 seasons. I wanted to give some history on this building, but I can’t find any. If I ever do though, I’ll post it.
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
This frame is all that’s left of an old manure spreader that sits on the site of an old homestead in the woods behind our house. The following pics are shots that I’ve taken of it in all 4 seasons.
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
This is an old barn located on Old Smith School Lane in Armstrong Creek, WI. The house caved in years ago, but the barn still stands strong.
Summer
Fall
Winter
Spring
I have no idea what this piece of equipment is, but it’s old and rusty and therefore, fascinating. It is sitting by the side of the road in a bunch of goldenrod. I saw it quite awhile ago and have been waiting for the goldenrod to bloom so I could get a shot of it.
This is the old blacksmith shop on old Hwy 101 in Armstrong Creek, WI
I’m multi-tasking again. I’m posting this old vintage tractor in all 4 seasons. The thing with the jar on top next to it is a cream separator. This tractor and cream separator are in a small clearing in the woods behind our house and all that remains of an old homestead.
Summer
Autumn
Winter
Spring
This is another local barn, down a little side road just out of town. I really don’t know the history of the barn, but I love to photograph it. Surprisingly, I somehow neglected to photograph it in winter and spring. I will, however, get those pics, then I can feature this barn in “4 Seasons”. What I have here are my summer and fall shots. I took the 3 fall shots on the same day, but at different times. I thought it was pretty cool how the light and colors changed during the day. I couldn’t decide which fall shot to use, so I am using all 3. Notice the rising moon in the third pic.
This is a wonderful old tractor that sits in a small clearing in the woods behind our house. There was an old homestead there many years ago. The house and barn are both gone now and all that remains is this old tractor, a cream separator that sits next to it and an old manure spreader. The people who own this land are my neighbors about 1/4 mile down the road from us, and it was the husbands parents who originally lived on the homestead. When they were doing some cleaning up back there, they moved the tractor out of the way and pushed it off to the side. Well, as luck would have it, they pushed it right into a patch of Daylilies, (much to my delight) because this makes for a great picture. I like this old tractor so much that I was inspired to write a poem about it, which I will include in this post. I also have pics of it in all 4 seasons, but I’ll save those for another post.
WILD DAYLILIES
I leave the heat
Of the day behind
As I enter the cool
Shade of the woods.
The thick, green foliage
Allows an occasional
Shaft of golden sunlight
To break through and
Dance upon my skin.
The sun slowly descends
In the western sky,
Not a cloud in sight.
Here among the trees
It is another world;
A bit of heaven
All around.
I pass, once again,
A large toad, heavily
Hopping out of my way.
He must live near here,
For I disturb him
Every time I pass.
I pause to admire
An ancient tractor.
Its tires are gone
And its motor is probably
Rusted up tight.
It has a past, a history,
But has long since
Outlived its usefulness,
And now rests contentedly
Amid a patch of wild daylilies
As the days and seasons pass.
I throw stick after stick
For the dog to fetch.
He chases each one
With enthusiasm,
Though each time
His tongue hangs
Longer as he tires.
We walk on a crackly
Carpet of needles.
Through the dark stand of pines,
Their branches so thick
That nothing grows
Beneath them except moss.
The field where I
snowshoe in the winter,
once an expanse of pure white,
is now a brilliant, lush green.
My dog seems to appreciate
These daily ventures
Into this other world
As much as I do,
Though maybe for
Different reasons,
Or maybe for the same.
I see a flash
Of brown and white
As a whitetail deer
Beats a hasty,
Though quiet retreat
From the human and
Canine intruders.
She doesn’t care much
For our kind, and wants
Nothing to do with us.
On the way home,
I let the dog lead
And choose our route.
He stops and looks
At me questioningly,
As if seeking approval.
I tell him whichever
way he chooses
is fine with me,
for any path that
leads us home
is a good one.
This is an old barn on County Line Road in Armstrong Creek, WI. It’s not as old as some of the other “vintage” barns in the area, but I wanted to share it anyway. This barn’s silhouette is featured in so many of my sunset shots, because County Line Road is where I go to take sunset pics. I have an excellent eastern view from my house, but nothing to the west, hence the need to take a quick road trip anytime the western sky looks inviting. The man who owned this farm has been gone for a few years now, and the property is now owned by a family from out of town who use it as a weekend place.
.