Monday, March 2, 2009

where there's smoke...there's fire!

And now there is one less barn in my neighbourhood!

There's nothing quite like the screaming of sirens...and a parade of firetrucks...to cause a little excitement on a lazy Saturday afternoon.

I grabbed my jacket...and camera...and went for a little walk. I should have grabbed a face mask as well!

The smoke poured out...the firetrucks arrived en masse...as did the neighbours.
They got out the equipment...

...and gathered to formulate their game plan.

A great team...

...working together against the wind and flames

...to save a barn that looked to be beyond saving!


I returned home where I could breath the fresh air...and let the firemen do their job......and wondered how things would look in a few hours.

When the smoke cleared...

...this is what remained.

The barn belongs to a farm that has served as an equestrian centre for many years. They boarded horses, gave riding lessons and had a large riding arena. It was always a fun place to take the grands...who loved to feed the horses...or pet them...or watch riding lessons in progress. The farm changed hands recently...and all things equestrian are history. The plans are to have a cranberry farm...with major excavation and clearing in progress. I don't think the barn burning was part of the plan!

We'll miss the horses...for sure...


...but I do love cranberries!

18 comments:

  1. Great photos! I admit, I was relieved to learn there weren't any animals in the barn at the time of the fire.

    Looks like wonderful farmland but I always thought cranberries were grown in bogs?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I guess you actually have two less barns in the neigborhood. .or at least you will. I noticed that my favorite barn is being dismantled. I notice it on my way to the lil' farm hands. ..board by board. .being taken away.
    I do love your style of posting. . sometimes, I envision us being on a newspaper together.. .good coverage of the fire Judy. .

    I love cranberries too. .
    is it boggy there?

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm sorry for your neighbors' loss of the barn. I could take lessons from you in the ways of always looking at the bright side.

    You did an excellent job of taking pictures. They could appear on the front page of your local paper!

    I know that cranberries are not necessarily grown in bogs, but I thought that they required much cooler temps than BC provides.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Fire is one thing that really frightens me. I'm glad that no animals were left in the barn - and that the firemen were able to put out the blaze with no harm to themselves.
    Those photos really were great!

    ReplyDelete
  5. What an interesting blog posting...a barn fire. So thankful that the horses were no longer there. Thanks for grabbing your camera so that we could see the pictures. I am thankful for all of the people who risk their lives to fight our fires. The last picture of the horses and the mountains, is so beautiful!!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Had a big fire on the edge of my neighbourhood too last weekend. Lit up the sky. It was on a farm but we are not surrounded by trees like you though which is much more of a risk.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Vee & Laura...
    Cranberries need water...for irrigation and for flooding at harvest. The new owners are digging a 'lake'...and building a pump station...and putting in underground piping...and we will see how the experiment goes! There are cranberries just across the river from here...but no commercial fields right in our neighbourhood.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Great pictures as always.

    I wanted to let you know that I have
    a friend who has begun to read your blog. Guess what her name is? Yes, another Judy!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh what a shame to lose the barn. I'm glad there weren't any horses in it anymore.

    I just read an article in this month's Yankee Magazine about how many old New England barns are deteriorating and their owners can't afford to maintain them anymore. So sad.

    Cranberries? I thought you need a bog to grow cranberries? I love them too ---mmmmmm-- I can only imagine the wonderful things you'll bake with an unlimited supply, Judy!

    ReplyDelete
  10. The tale of the barn. I loved the play by play. OH and Lovella is so right...a local newspaper with your editorials would be wonderful and well read!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thanks for posting the blaze. We drove by in the afternoon and noticed the fire. By the time I got home, I had people wondering if it was our barn???
    Menawhile, I said to my man,"Judy will cover that." Sure enough.
    I think You and Lovella should start a newspaper...who knows what's next?

    ReplyDelete
  12. How sad to lose a nice old barn, and also to lose the horses that have been part of your landscape (tho I'm sure the cranberries will be good!). Fire is so very frightening.

    ReplyDelete
  13. We had a house fire in our neighborhood in the very wee hours of Christmas Day. It was the first time I was that close to a burning building and I hope it's the last. I couldn't believe how high in the air the embers shot up.

    What a shame to lose the barn and all the history behind it. It will be interesting to hear how the cranberry adventure turns out. Please keep us posted.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I always winse when I see a fire in any building. We had a house fire some years back. We lost alot of stuff (some treasures and some junk). I remember people slowing down to have a look,(many asked how they could help and we did receive such kindness from many) but the firemen did their job well in keeping traffic flowing and putting out the fire. They do have a difficult job. The next day one neighbour drove by and her comment was...that is so funny. Another person in the area called and said that now that I wouldn't have anything to do (as I din't have a house to clean anymore) she thought she might call me for afew volenteer jobs she knew needed some hands. It was no laughing matter, and my hands were kept plenty busy those next several months sorting through some of my own stuff and alot of other paper work etc that comes along with a messy fire. Interesting how others perceive 'life'. We had good insurance, hope your neighbours did too, but the main thing is that no one is hurt. Stuff can be replaced. Good coverage...call the news! Cranberries...love them! Kathy

    ReplyDelete
  15. Judy, you are the greatest photographer. I love your picture of the horses. It's sad that the people lost their barn.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Well, that certainly livened up the afternoon. I'm glad no one was hurt and the horses no longer lived there. Looks like the barn will have to be torn down.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Wow I guess you did have a lot of excitment last Saturday. That's sad about the barn though, hate fires. But I love cranberries too!

    Your photo's turned out really good, wonder if the firemen noticed you over there taking them.

    Thanks for sharing, glad it wasn't your barn though...thank you Lord!

    ReplyDelete
  18. What a sight that must have been. Hopefully the loss won't be too much of a financial stress to the owners. Yes, something beautiful and useful could come up in its place on that field. Perhaps an update from you some day will tell the story! Such fantastic scenery you have there!

    ReplyDelete

'The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it.'
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson