“Inside a Barn is a Whole Universe” – Carolyn Jourdan

The perfect pairing with this week’s photo of an autumn barn is a quote from Carolyn Jourdan’s memoir, Heart in the Right Place. It goes as follows:

“Inside a barn is a whole universe, with its own time zone and climate and ecosystem, a shadowy world of swirling dust illuminated in tiger stripes by light shining through the cracks between the boards. Old leather tack, lengths of chain, rope, and baling twine dangled from nails and rafters and draped over stall railings. Generations of pocketknives lay lost in the layers of detritus on the floor.”

This past week I had the good fortune of great weather and a few days free to travel some of Ontario’s most spectacular back roads in search of “the perfect barn photo” for my sister, Jen. I found the autumn-toned gem above in a small ghost town called Creighton, just north of Horseshoe Valley. Will it be Jen’s pick? We shall see…We both have very fond memories of our own old barn back on the farm near Forest. I cannot think of our barn without imagining the smell of warm animals and fresh straw. It was a magical place in all seasons, especially when we could climb into the hay mow and play with a new batch of kittens each spring and fall.

My parents like to tell the story of the time we were all in the barn, my parents vaccinating cattle, which at the best of times is a nerve-wracking experience. Apparently (although I still find this hard to believe…) I was mis-behaving and so my Mum picked me up and stood me in a stall and told me that in no uncertain terms was I to move. Ever (so I thought). So I stood there straight as a board while a calf came up behind me and started licking the back of my head. A calf’s tongue is the consistency and texture of sand paper! When my Mum finally came to my rescue I had a developed a cowlick strong enough to hang me up on a hook! So yes, cowlicks do exist! Trust me.

If you would like to see more photos from my back roads autumn barn tour, please visit my new gallery here. I would also recommend Carolyn’s book if you are looking for a heartwarming true story. Carolyn Jourdan was a high-profile U.S. Senate Counsel when she was called back home to small town Tennessee to help her parents on their family farm. It is a story about appreciating and learning from unexpected forks in the road. It is on my e-book shelf and will be my next read. You can find her book and book review on Goodreads.

As always, thanks for following me on my vagabond adventures!