Tiger Swallowtail in March

(Photograph copyright 2011 by Dan Routh)

Things are happening a little early this year. A tiger swallowtail works the plum blossoms Friday in my yard in Grays Chapel, North Carolina.

Sawmill Portrait #2

Charlie Latham at Gary Mac's sawmill in Grays Chapel, North Carolina.

(Photographs copyright 2011 by Dan Routh)

Boxcar

(Photograph copyright 2011 by Dan Routh)

Graphic detail from an old railroad boxcar.

The Big Tree

On Sunday afternoon the family along with family friend Alan Pugh, went for a hike to the "big tree". The tree is a huge loblolly pine purported to be the second largest in North Carolina, and is located in the woods behind Grays Chapel School in rural Randolph County. It has a special significance to me because my Dad, the former principal at the school used to take field trips with the kids and teachers down into the woods to see it, a source of great enjoyment for many children over the years. Estimated to be around 200 or so years old, the giant measures almost 4 feet in diameter at the base and is over 130 feet tall. It had been years since I had made the trek and the forest behind the school had been timbered. I found it difficult to find my way to the tree's site and was afraid we would be unable to find it. After a long hike we almost gave up on the hunt. We luckily ran into some neighbors on horseback who steered us in the right direction. The tree is on land neighbor Floyd Moore has acquired and we found that Mr. Moore has created a buffer around the tree and is protecting it. Apparently he is very proud to have the tree along with a grove of younger offspring on his land and is taking very good care of them all. He kindly allowed us to access the behemoth. I was glad to see that it is still standing, still healthy and apparently safe for years to come. I know my Dad would be happy.

Below is Mr. Moore at his tree.

(Photographs copyright 2011 by Dan Routh)

Japonica

(Photograph copyright 2011 by Dan Routh)

A japonica blooms in my backyard in Grays Chapel, North Carolina.

They're Kidding Again

A stop by Goat Lady Dairy this afternoon for a kid check (I think they are up to 27 or so) produced these images of a newborn.

(Photographs copyright 2011 by Dan Routh)

Goat Lady CSA

Goat Lady Dairy in Grays Chapel, North Carolina started a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) garden in 2010 and it was a great success. They are beginning to get ready for the 2011 season, but in the meantime Daniel Woodham (farm manager) has been harvesting winter carry over vegetables which the dairy sells at the local farmer's market. He is assisted regularly by Chram Rode and his wife Broih Fnu, a Montagnard couple originally from Viet Nam who are training to help run the day to day gardening operations.

(Photographs copyright 2011 by Dan Routh)

You're Kidding

For my friends at Goat Lady Dairy here in Grays Chapel, North Carolina, March is a very busy month. The goat moms are starting to have their kids, and because they were all bred at about the same time, they are all delivering at about the same time. Lee Tate of Goat Lady handles most of the kidding supervision, so that means she is going to have to watch about 27 does deliver around 50 or more kids in the next month at any time day or night, and then take over the young goats' feeding. Fortunately she does have some volunteer help such as Alice Jenkins, who was at the dairy today helping with the feeding chores.

Alice feeds the new kids born today.

(Photographs copyright 2011 by Dan Routh)

Plum Blossoms

(Photograph copyright 2011 by Dan Routh)

Late afternoon shot in my yard today. Maybe Spring is really on the way.

Sheep Barn

Barn images from Rising Meadow Farm in Grays Chapel, North Carolina.

(Photographs copyright 2011 by Dan Routh)

Sawing Cedar

I walked out my back door on Saturday morning and with the wind coming from the southeast, I heard my neighbor Gary McMasters' sawmill running in the distance. I went by and found Gary, Charlie and Cecil sawing cedar logs for another neighbor Ronnie Horrell. It fascinates me every time I go by the mill. My Grandfather was a saw miller and I have great respect for Gary's ability as a sawyer. It is an art and takes a tremendous amount of skill and coordination to saw consistently straight and uniform lumber on a mechanical mill like Gary operates and to do it quickly. It's hard, it's dangerous and yet he operates the sawmill fluidly and effortlessly. On Saturday, Gary rolled the logs and operated the carriage while Charlie and Cecil stacked the lumber and slabs.

Below is Ronnie Horrell, for whom Gary was sawing. Ronnie is a thirteen year cancer survivor.

(Photographs copyright 2011 by Dan Routh)

Old Store

(image copyright 2011 by Dan Routh)

Sometimes you stumble across an image when you least expect it. We were driving along the old Lincoln Highway in Belle Glade, Iowa working on an agricultural shoot a while back when I saw this old store literally covered in antique service station signs. Turned out to be a veritable museum of odd memorabilia run by an elderly gentleman named George Preston. He was an interesting character who regaled us with his stories about being on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. He even had an old x-ray machine for viewing your feet when fitting shoes.

Franklinville Mud Bog

Four wheel drive vehicles enable folks to go many places off-road that regular cars and trucks can't go, including through mud, over rocks, etc. Pretty handy if you need to go places like that. When it comes to anything with wheels, human nature, at least here in North Carolina takes over and it doesn't take long for someone to figure a way to take the capabilities of these trucks and make them do it really fast and very loud. A big ditch full of water and red mud and have at it full bore.

(Photographs copyright 2011 by Dan Routh)

Sawmill Portrait

(Photograph copyright 2011 by Dan Routh)

Cecil Bailey stacks lumber and slabs at neighbor Gary McMasters' sawmill on Saturday in Grays Chapel, North Carolina.

Shearing Tools

(Photograph copyright 2011 by Dan Routh)

Still life of sheep shearing tools.

Pouring Concrete

(Photograph copyright 2011 by Dan Routh)

Construction workers pouring concrete in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Livestock

Most of the farms on Grays Chapel, North Carolina raise what you would consider traditional livestock, but some of my neighbors keep some more exotic animals. For those of you who followed my buffalo post last fall, below is the fellow we wrangled, content in his home pasture.

(Photographs copyright 2011 by Dan Routh)

Wilmington Images

 

Image is from shoot in Wilmington, North Carolina. Wilmington is a charming old Southern town near the coast and offers a number of great locations. Below is a storefront in town.

(Photographs copyright 2011 by Dan Routh)