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#AtoZChallenge: Sycamore tree (in celebration of Earth Day)
Sycamore tree in winter. Photo by Diane Weidenbenner. Happy Earth Day 2017! This winter, while walking beside Big Raccoon Creek near the Bridgeton Grist Mill in Bridgeton, Indiana, my friend and I noticed this beautiful, notty white-barked tree. It’s leaves were long gone but hanging from the tree were one-inch woody balls attached by small branches. Upon research with Google, we discovered this beautiful tree was a Sycamore, and the balls were actually the fruit of the tree that ripened in October and broke up into many small seeds throughout season. Sycamore “fruit”. Photo by Diane Weidenbenner. There were still very large leaves gathered at the bottom of the tree,…
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“V”agabond or victor?
Photo by Diane Weidenbenner. There is something romantic and mysterious about old barns. It’s amazing to me that many of them are still standing after time and weather have taken their toll. They were built by human hands and simple materials. Their designs are unique and functional. And, they housed prized possessions at one time – whether it be livestock, hay or equipment. No two are the same. No two stand up to the test of time in the same way. Some are painted while others exhibit the natural beauty of the wood grain. Oh, what stories those wooden walls could weave! I’d like to think that these stately warriors…
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“Q”uilts in the country
Photo © Diane Weidenbenner My dad and his family were from Allentown, Pa., and they were of Pennsylvania Dutch heritage. The few times my dad’s Aunt Nora and Uncle Malcolm came to visit, Nora would make us a Shoo-Fly pie and other treats that my dad remembered as a kid. She’d also bring him Tastykakes. I first noticed barn quilts, another Pennsylvania Dutch tradition which began in the 1830s, when my ex-business partner and I traveled around Lancaster County during a business trip. Since moving to rural Indiana, large, colorfully patterned quilt blocks painted on the sides of barns, houses, sheds and businesses are a welcome surprise. It’s not uncommon…
