On the Farm

This past weekend Grady and I made a trip back to Arkansas to go to a wedding for one of his high school friends.  We had a great time hanging out with some of his best friends from back in the day.  It was great for me to get to know some of the guys from home a little bit better, since we haven't been able to hang out with them too much. 

We also had a great time with his parents, eating amazing food, and relaxing.  For those of you who don't know, Grady grew up on a farm.  It has been so cool for me to go home with him and learn a little about farming, and I can't express the amount of respect that I have for the work that his dad and uncles do.  Grady grew up working with them, mostly with cotton.  They haven't been planting cotton for a few years, now it's mostly soy beans and a few other things, but they are entirely row crop farmers (Grady told me this was a good way to explain the kind of farm it is, they don't have any animals - except Layla and Lorelei when they come with us :)).  The flat land in the Arkansas Delta is quite a change from where I grew up, driving up and down a mountain to school everyday.  It really is so beautiful, and I can't wait to make it back later this year when all the wheat is growing and there are fields of bright green as far as you can see.

Grady's grandfather bought this land when he returned from World War II, and along with it one of the most beautiful houses I've ever seen.  I am so enamored with this place.  I think Grady thinks I'm a little crazy since every time we go to Lexa I have to go to the "big house" and walk around.  This is where he spent holidays as a child, where his grandmother (Mama Jo) waited on the porch for him to come home from school, and where his family gathered for many years.  No one is living in the house now, but it is still standing in the middle of the land, and when we're there I just can't take my eyes off of it.  It was built in the late 1800s by a doctor who used it as his office as well as his home.  I decided to get the old Canon Rebel out and try taking some shots...here is what I came up with (keep in mind I spent some time editing these :))

and some details...

We walked around the shop a little bit and I snapped a few more pictures, trying out a few little techniques I've been practicing.  Here are some of those shots...