The roads to our parents’ houses go through rural NC and VA. It’s interesting to go through the hurried traffic on 40 and 85, which are a normal part of our busy lives, to cows, horses, fields and old barns. This year I’ve been focusing on old houses and barns in and around the Triangle so on a recent trip to my in-laws’ for my father in-law’s funeral, I was particularly attuned to the countryside I was traveling through. I was traveling alone for a change and as I drove down highway 58, I kept seeing things that I wanted to photograph. The pull was so strong that I finally started stopping. I was dressed and in heels so I must have made quite a sight as I maneuvered through the weeds etc. to get shots from all sides. I had a deadline for my arrival so I made note of interesting buildings to photograph on my way home the next day.
It was rainy on my return trip but I stopped many times on the way home. I rarely make this kind of trip by myself and I hate to ask my family to keep stopping while I take pictures. They have a lot of patience but I still feel hurried knowing that they are sitting in the car waiting.
Most of the property had No Trespassing signs so I stayed on the shoulder of the highway (mostly), close to my car, ready for a speedy get away. I didn’t see a soul, just one dog chained up. I was pumped at my bravery(stupidity) and I got a lot of good images that I can hardly wait to start working on.
In November we went to my sister’s house for Thanksgiving. I had my camera with me but I couldn’t get the courage to ask to stop for me to take pictures. We were due at 1:00 and didn’t have a lot of time to spare. I reconciled myself to putting picture taking on the back burner until I saw an old barn with a tree growing out of it’s roof. I knew I had to come back ASAP and get the shot in case something happened to the barn. It was about 50 minutes from my home, a very doable afternoon outing, so I relaxed and started making plans.
Thursday was a gorgeous day and warm after a very cold week. My best friend and I were going to make a day of exploring the area while we caught up on each other’s lives. Unfortunately her new bath tub flooded her dining room and she was stuck with an understated mess! Exams are over for my son so I guilted him into going with me, my excuse being that I didn’t want to be alone taking pictures on the side of the highway. We had a lovely time and only got turned around once! We decided to go to the farthest point and take pictures on the way back. We kept track of the old barns and the tacky Christmas yards. How I wish we’d started taking pictures right away! When we were near our final destination, we stopped for a bathroom and snack break; for some reason I reached into the back seat for my camera and it wasn’t there!! Fortunately my son has a good sense of humor; we both had a good laugh and turned to head home again. Of course he let me know he wasn’t making the trip a second time!
Luckily we’d gotten an early start and I was able to get back to our starting point in less than an hour and a half. I’d had a fun visit with my son and still had plenty of daylight left to work. This time I began taking pictures as soon as I got off the highway. Once again I tried to stay on the shoulder of the highway so I wouldn’t be trespassing. I did rationalize that people that did a lot of decorating wouldn’t mind my stopping to take pictures so I didn’t worry too much about the Tacky Christmas yards. I became more obsessed with my surroundings and began to stop more frequently; I did a lot of turning around and going back to things I thought I could skip on first pass. It didn’t take long to realize that it was probably best that my son ended up back home – he would have gotten bored before I did!
I made it to the barn just as the sun was starting to set. I still had plenty of daylight but the glare limited the direction I could shoot from. I parked on the shoulder again but had to climb a ridge to even see the barn, so much for not trespassing! I was mesmerized by the old trees that wove in and around the barn but I still kept a look out for an unhappy landowner. A storm was headed our way so the wind was strong, causing the tin roof to creak which made me a little jumpy! From the hill top, I could look across the highway and see Shangri-La. It was an interesting site!
Driving to visit my parents, we’d pass by an interesting stone pillar made of white quartz and concrete. We’d never stopped to see what was beyond the hill, you couldn’t see anything from the road. Several years ago there was a story in the N&O about Shangri-La. When he retired, an old farmer started building a small town with quartz from his property. His intention was to bring happiness to passers by. I love miniatures and was intrigued by the article. I had intended to stop one day and see if that lay beyond the hill but we are always in a hurry.
I parked on the service road and this time I trespassed with intention. Since the story was about a desire to share, I figured that his wife wouldn’t mind. He died several years ago and the article said that it brought her joy to see people enjoy his work. A plaque at the entrance to Shangri-La says:
“Let me live in the house by the side of the road and be a friend to man.” H.L.W. 1972
As it started getting later, I tried to quit stopping so much but I couldn’t help myself. I got careless. I stopped a one spot that had 4 old structures and appeared to be abandoned; yes there was the standard No Trespassing sign and I did read the first few lines which were directed at hunters and poachers. I stayed on the gravel of a side road that led to several driveways. As I was getting ready to leave, I saw a white pickup leaving the house across the field, it was not a good feeling so I jumped in my car and headed out. I looked back after I got on the highway to see which way the truck had gone, I didn’t want it following me…it had turned around and gone back home! That’s what I did too. It was a cool old barn!
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