Be Careful What You Wish For

I so wanted to have clear blue skies today so that I could get some photos of the magnificent barn quilts here in Sac County. Well--I got my wish.

Of course, the lovely backdrop to the barns was accompanied by 92 degree heat. This is what I get for saying that parts of Iowa reminded me of Georgia!

Sue Peyton is a trooper. She picked me up this morning and had things very nicely planned. She didn't mind when I took ten minutes to find just the right shot, even if it made us late. She waited patiently as I talked to barn owners about their buildings and asked city-girl questions. And she pretended not to notice when I kept finishing conversations that I had begun with other people earlier in the week. I'm not nuts--just tired.

We began the day talking to three children who had painted a barn quilt for their mom as a Mother's Day surprise. They were so sweet and so proud. There were some touching stories today; I am going to have a hard time narrowing down the material from Sac.

I also got a lot of great photos; it was really hard to pick a couple to post here, as these stunning barn quilts are so photogenic. So I went with a couple that had a shadow in the wrong place.

At one farm, the couple were so pleased to have us visit. Their quilt square is on a corncrib, which happened to have an only slightly scary set of metal stairs up one side. Needless to say, I now know exactly how corn is stored and have seen the elevator at work! I love this stuff!

Below is a photo of the coverings that would be pulled back to let grain fall from the bin above. Amazing craftsmanship that allows these things to be in working condition after decades of use. Yeah, I am kind of developing an obsession with farm structures.