I took my first vacation of the year last week and went to my favorite place – my grandfather’s farm.  Nestled in western Kentucky off an old gravel road is a place I have been going to all my life.  My grandfather bought this property more than 30 years ago and retired here.  He actually grew up across the road so he knows the lay of the land like the back of his hand.  The two bedroom farm house sits about a quarter mile away from the road.  I started to smile and turned off the radio when I hit the lane to hear the sound of the gravel on my tires.  Seeing the dust in the rear view mirror brought back so many great memories from my childhood.

There’s no internet, no 3G phone service but there’s no need for either.   Swinging on the front porch reading a book, watching the horses graze or counting the cars pass by on the road can entertain you for hours.

I spent so many summers here as a child: feeding the cows, riding horses, cutting the grass (a riding lawnmower makes it so much more fun as a kid), fishing, riding four wheelers and just listening to the birds chirp.  I feel like this is and will always be my home.
There’s so much history on this land as well.  Buildings and trees have weathered many storms and there are so many stories to tell.  I noticed the old barn that has been there all my life is on it’s last leg.  It was built around 1900 and it has seen better days.

It is now leaning well to the right and I’m afraid a strong wind gust will likely bring it down one of these days.  Luckily several years ago my grandfather built a new one for the horses and his tractors.

This is a close up view.  My grandfather told me a story that his father (my great grandfather) helped the owner repair the barn after a strong wind storm damaged it in the early 1900′s.  I’m not sure there’s much left to repair.  I do remember my grandfather stored bales of hay, his tractor and even brought the horses in this barn to saddle them up for a ride.  Now he’s a afraid to go in there and everything he needs is now out of it.
Here’s what the backside of it looks like.

The weather finally warmed up a bit on Thursday so my grandfather and I went on a four wheel ride.  It’s my favorite thing to do there.  While I know the property inside and out it’s always great to see how things have changed since I’ve been there.  My grandfather no longer has cattle but he rents his land out to another cow farmer so we always have to stop to open and close the gates.

We rode all around and ended up stopping at my favorite tree.  I have no idea why I love this tree so much but I do.  I guess it’s because the tree sits several hundred feet away from the main tree line and it’s so unique.  I’m not 100 percent sure  but my grandfather tells me he thinks it’s a weeping cedar tree.  Very rare and it might be the only one in the county.  He just told me while I was on my visit a newspaper reporter from Louisville came out before he bought the property and did a story on this tree.  I’m planning on doing a little more research to see if I can find an article.  However the fact that it was written in the 60′s or 70′s might prove to be a little difficult but I like a challenge

A large ice storm hit western Kentucky a few years ago and the weight of the ice really took a toll on the branches however I’m glad to see it survived and is still thriving. Seeing this tree makes me wonder where did it come from? Why did it grow away from the main tree line? How old is it?  I’m not sure I’ll get the answers to these questions but that’s ok – I’ll just enjoy the view.

I had such a great time visiting family and enjoying the peace and quiet of the farm.  It’s great to get away every once in a while, leave the technology behind and enjoy the view.  I hope you have a similar place that brings you happiness.

Tara
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