The road to the codge..

We get to watch the progression of the seasons throughout the year as we travel to the cottage, known in our family as 'the codge'.
Pumpkins, squash, Christmas trees (galore), apples, peaches, and the largest supplier of asparagus in Michigan, is Oceana County. The city of Hart hosts a festival for the asparagus in June with a queen and two parades. The children's parade is extremely short but so very cute, there's a walking stalk of asparagus which is cute and rather freaky to be perfectly honest.


There are two produce processing plants in the county which is a great source of employment for those who are not out in the fields. The median income is low, the work load high.
Thank you Oceana county!


Besides food the county is a major producer of Christmas trees for the U.S. market. 
The sights of evergreen farms running over the hillsides are so pretty.
What I love most about farming are the barns. Especially the old ones.


What stories do you hold?  What are your smells, your history?






Some of the family farms have been operating since in the late 1800's..
this Oceana county barn looks about that old.



Classic, red, still active, nice old tractor... good new truck and a silo. Love a red barn, but the reason I took these photos is to show one red barn in particular. .. hang on, it's coming.  

This is nice,  the greenish gold feathery plumes in the foreground are asparagus plants which have been left to grow at the end of the season  allowing the plant to rejuvenate for next year. The golden fields are beautiful.



Before we get there though.. look what we spotted under a tarp behind a garage!




Let's see if we can get a better look..

Not much better, we might have to stop and talk to the owner of this one day.

 

Wonder what's stored in here.. I wanna go inside.




And this home with an amazing porch railing built by one very  creative person. The farmland around here is full of rocks.

 We're on our way to the big barn.. but I loved this too.. 

And this;

Oh how many should I show you?
Maybe this one lone barn which is up next to the road, daylight shines right through the slats. 

Ok, here it is, please enjoy.

Do you love it too?

These horses hit the jackpot! They live in the barn-mansion. That's not a snooty look is it?  



Even the spiders on this property are big!

Sideline Grandma, the barn lover..