The Farm Around the Bend...

You know how every now and then you find a place that touches a cord in your soul? Almost like you have found a place where there is a bit of heaven on earth?

There is a bit of farm land maybe 20 miles from us that does this to me. The farm belongs to one of my patients. I've been seeing him once a week for the past few months. Every time I go to his home, I drive slowly 'round the bend in the road that leads to his house, just savoring the landscape of gently rolling hills, red barns, sheep and cows grazing in the pasture, and the wind swept hay meadows.

I drive through a lot of farmland every day, but of all of it, this 100 acres feels like home.

The barns were built in 1830. The farmer who lives here now is the 4th generation and his sons hopefully will be able to take over from him. Due to poor health and family feuding a lot has been lost and, and the barns are not as well kept up as the farmer wishes they were. None the less, the place is clean and peaceful without the multiple pieces of large broken down and rusty equipment that most farmers around here seem to collect in plain sight. There are no, rusty old cars,  ugly metal sheds or misplaced outbuildings to mar the landscape.  Yes, the barn and old farm house are worn and are showing their age with missing boards and stones, but they have the simple beauty and grace that comes with aging with dignity.

I've wondered about the man who originally bought this piece of land. Most farm land around here is flat and easy to work. Flat land is desired as farm land. While this piece of land is beautiful, most farmers around here probably wouldn't prefer it because it is most definitely hilly.

Today I asked the great grandson of the man who built the barns and farm house why his great grandfather chose this piece of land.

The answer was simple, but made complete sense.

"Because it reminded him of upstate New York, where he grew up."

Ah, yes, I completely understand now.

                                                          The bend before the farm.

(I always hesitate to photograph anything that pertains to my patients, so I have not taken any pictures except this one, but one of these days I am going to ask him if I can come on out on one of my days off to take some photographs of his barns and the farm house.)