RURAL ONTARIO : STRESS APPARENT
alan skeoch
Feb. 2020
“Beautiful winter day, let’s take a drive to Creemore.”
“Sure thing…any point to the ride other than scenery?”
“We could stop for a moment at the Creemore Springs Brewery…maybe have lunch.”
“Thought as much.”
“Main reason is the joy of the open land in winter…fields will be icy white.”
“Every time we do this…take a ride on country roads…I see some changes that are unpleasant.”
“Reminds me of that sad song by Arlo Guthrie describing the last ride on a train
through the heartland of America. I think the train route was about to be cancelled.
Arlo Guthrie – The City Of New Orleans Lyrics
from album: Hobo’s Lullaby (1972)
“What does this bring to mind?”
“The artwork of A.J. Casson, Group of Seven.”
“Right…same sort of creamy colour and feels like a building whose life was once rich and
now faces an uncertain future.”
“I read once that big barns like this soon collapse once the animals are gone.”
“True, I think. The animals kept heat in the barns during winter time…less freezing
and movement of timbers.”
“Probably not true. People just cannot maintain these barns. Once the roof starts to get holes…water creep in and
then rot and before long things seem to come apart.”
“Field stone foundations crack and never get retouched”
“Not much can be done. Expensive to repair.”
“Impossible to repair unless money comes from some source other than farming.”
“Soon there is just a house … a lonely house. A farm needs a barn to make sense.”
“Here is the future for many farms…earth moving machines ready to level the land for urban housing.”
“Not all is lost.”
“This fellow seems to collect derelict farm machines…dozens of them.”
“Must sell them.”
“Not often. They all seem to be here each time we pass by.”
“This was once a thriving farm. Then the barn began to sag…show signs of disuse. Then it collapsed.”
“Looks like the house will soon be gone as well.”
“Absentee land owners…maybe…buying up real estate.”
“Creemore coming soon.”
“No customers today?”
“Too cold.”
“My, those are nice samples.”
“Pictures are not always what they seem.”
“What do you mean?”
“here you hold the sample , while I get this picture.”
