Palouse Wednesday: Houses, Wind Turbines and Barns
Wednesday started with breakfast at the Holiday Inn before gathering outside to assemble a caravan of cars. Each car got a walkie-talkie so John Barclay could guide us and tell us occasional jokes. We headed out for Oakesdale to get pictures of a set of double barns. When looking at them head on they look the same but from the side one is noticeably longer than the other. So we stopped for pictures where you could see the difference.
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Next on the day's list of sights was the Palouse Wind Farm. It is strange to see tall white poles with huge three bladed fans standing so far above the cultivated fields of wheat. Since I have seen similar sights in the Palm Springs area of California it was not a shock. Besides being on the top of a hill with good views we also tried using a slow shutter app on our iPhones. To do it right you need to mount your iPhone on a tripod but only one of us had the right set up. So I just tried holding my iPhone real still. It kinda worked once. Turns out we were not supposed be where we were and had to leave. Next time we will ask for permission even though we passed some workers who didn't say anything. They were probably just focused on their work. (Palouse Wind Farm is located about 8 miles NW of Oakesdale, WA, on Naff Ridge in Whitman County.)
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A "comfort" stop was called by our leaders and we headed for Crossett's Food Market in Oakesdale where we could use the restroom. Like many community businesses they supported local sports teams and had pictures on the wall. I think most everyone made some small purchase there to help defray maintenance costs of the restroom. At least there were lots of snacks in hand outside the market.
The Wyeth house is a wooden two-story building that now lacks windows, door, and parts of some walls. The wood is nicely weathered and some is curling away from the sides. We started with everyone on the street and then approached in stages trying not to step into someone else's shot.
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Our afternoon started at 2 PM and would continue untill sunset and beyond. Not what I am accustomed to since being retired. An 8 hour day after a full morning is a lot to do. A red saltbox barn in Moscow, Idaho (not really that far away) came next. It has a different shape to it with one side sharply tapering to the side while the other slopes slowly down almost to the ground. The white chimney makes a stark contrast with the red sides. Then it was off to see more barns.
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After a great dinner at the Black Cyprus we set off again. An abandoned prairie house was up next. Called the Weber house, it is sort of maintained by the owners, who live across the street. It is one of the more photographed houses in the Palouse. Charlie, the owner, came out and talked to us. He enjoys meeting the photographers who come from all over the world to photograph the old house. Charlie explained that there is a complete log cabin inside the house. Apparently the previous owners just built the new house around the log cabin thus maintaining their living quarters during the upgrade.
John Barclay kept telling us "It's coming, just wait, it's coming!" "Get ready for it, it will be here soon." Then we saw what he was talking about on the house.
Comments
I like the top 2 photos of the barns.
Unlike the boring background of the Palm Springs wind turbines, you captured the Palouse ones with great backgrounds and fun shots. I especially like the last one and how you caught the motion of the blades. Fun shots to look at.
The dandelion close up is very nice. The road shot leads us nice up the road. Wondering where it goes.
Both shots of the Weber house are pretty. I like them both for different reasons. The dark clouds and the fact that the rundown house is in the middle of nowhere tells a story with a somber tone. The second one has such a contrast of the blue sky and the yellow canola fields with a spotlight on the house. Nicely done.