Country

Imagine the history this barn on East Shingle Mill Road or any barn in Bonner County has seen. 

Time will probably come when iconic barns that have stood for decades and maybe even over a century will disappear from the landscape. 

For now, while driving around our rural areas, we can't help but notice those often stately structures with their own unique character.  We might even wonder   how long they've been standing in their respective spots, playing host to history and how long it will be before "progress" erases them from the landscape. 

It saddens me to drive by our place on Great Northern Road and see the classic red barn falling into disrepair. 

We took the best possible care of that barn we could over 30 years with our somewhat limited income.  Even though it took a few years and a lift bucket to get to the top, we re-painted every board and had a new metal roof installed.

When the roofing project happened, the cute cupola that sat atop the barn had to be taken down because it would not work with the aluminum roofing. 

Even that loss was heart-wrenching, but we were still very proud of the barn's appearance. 

I can't remember if we ever replaced all the window panes which had been broken when kids of the previous owners used them as targets for rock throwing. 

During the span from 1977 to 2006, our Love family created a few chapters of history in the barn, which was built in 1946. 

Kids played basketball and school groups put on performances in the loft. 

Horses and sometimes pigs stayed in the stalls below. 

When we left our Great Northern Road home and moved to Selle,  the barn was a vision to behold. 

When I snapped the picture of the barn above yesterday, I knew, from a conversation inside the residence, that there was local and family history in them thar walls. 

The owner told me that the land where it stands is about as close to downtown Selle as one can come because a Charles Selle owned the acreage in the early 1900s. 

I don't know how many people have owned the place since then or how long that barn has been standing, but I do know the structure housed the last Grade A dairy in Bonner County. 

One can only imagine the Poelstra family history which has occurred in and around that barn. 

Yesterday, with interesting cloud masses floating through the deep blue sky, the barn stood proudly, as if it were inviting me to take its picture when I walked to my car. 

I'm glad I did cuz I love the results. 

Driving home from town through other areas in Selle reminded me once more why we love it out here so much.  

Comparatively speaking, it's a small farming area, but the farming that does go on out here reflects pride, hard work, income and probably a whole lot of general satisfaction with the lifestyle. 

Besides that, it's pretty in Selle almost all the time, 'cept for maybe for some of the gray and wet days of winter and early spring.  

I'm happy and thrilled to live out here and to have become friends with many of the people who work long and hard to maintain the beauty, character and productivity of the area. 

Plus, their history of doing so is pretty impressive too. 

Happy Wednesday.