Barns and Butterflies
Welcome to Barns and Butterflies, a laid-back journal that explores the beauty of living in the countryside. Experience the calm of nature as we share our journey of embracing rustic charm and finding joy in the simple things.
The farm was quiet while I was away
for a couple of weeks. You know, grandbabies. When I returned, foxtails
had cropped up around the barn.
Who cares if it's a weed...I think it is an adorable weed.
07/29/25 Windchimes
The windchimes didn't work so well at our previous home. The community was tight, our area was small, and when a strong wind blew, I was sure that the neighbors were probably annoyed.
But here...there is wide open space and it captures the sound of the chimes and disperses it beautifully! We regularly have soft breezes blowing, and I love sitting out on the porch and listening to the lovely chimes as they make music.
Also, when was the last time you chose to lay on the grass and simply look up? You should try it underneath windchimes. It is glorious!
07/25/2025 The Butterfly
I call my site "Barns and Butterflies" for a reason. The field is scattered with wildflowers this time of year and the butterflies love it! There are many different kinds (of both flowers and butterflies) and it will take me awhile to learn the names of both. But for now, I did a quick snap of this guy before he flitted away from me.
Have I mentioned how much I love this place?
07/23/2025 The Chair
The wind was strong last night on the farm. Gusts up to 40 mph. The rain poured.
I love watching rainstorms come across the field. Often, we see the rain pouring down from a distance and watch it as it slowly makes its way to our house.
This morning, as I wandered the lawn straightening a few wind-blown things, I noticed the chair. L had a dream. He built this chair when we lived in an HOA community, with a driveway that only fit one car, and property that totaled 1/10 of an acre (most of it unusable because it was straight up a steep hill). In other words, claustrophobic for a country boy.
But on weekends, my hubby would go into the garage and work on a very sturdy, big fella, Adirondack chair that belonged on a farm. The chair made no sense where we lived.
This morning, I noticed the chair, holding court over the acreage, inviting anyone to have a seat and sit quietly. The storms don’t matter to this chair. It is home, and it fits perfectly.
If you have a dream, prepare for it. You may think it is impossible and you may despair of ever reaching the outcome, but go ahead and prepare a seat for your dream.
Upside Down
Something happened on the way to retirement.
At the time of our life when most people are plotting and counting the years to retirement, L and I had a late mid-life crisis. It happened when we realized that the boys and their wives were healthy, well-established adults with lives of their making, and our grandchildren were meant to visit us, not live with us. (Would I let them live with us? You betcha!)
So instead of buying a crisis convertible, we bought a farm.
Yes, a 10-acre piece of beauty in a state where neither of us knew a soul or had any roots. Kentucky.
Talk about turning life upside down.
So here we are. Unpacking, settling, establishing ourselves this summer with a tractor instead of a convertible.
The boys, wives, and five little chickies have visited, stayed, and blessed this place as the best legacy farm to regularly bring their children to as they grow. Now that’s the icing on the cake!
I’ve decided the best way to announce our move to the world and to keep you in the loop is this way. A photo and a few sentences a day…or every two days…or three days. We’ll see what happens (I’ll do my best).
My chair collapsed on me the other night. K snapped a picture, and I laughed so hard I couldn’t get myself up for a few minutes. Perfect analogy—we’ve turned our world upside down, and we love it.
