Whether hiking, making pictures or gardening, when I am outdoors my life makes sense to me. I’m curious and open to possibilities. I feel free. I value those experiences and it is my hope that sharing them will be encouragement to you and others to find your own kinship with the outdoors.

The Iowa Barn Foundation holds a spring and fall barn tour each year. This fall, of 2022, marked my 9th outing in the tour. There was the year I missed to attend an arts festival and then, of course, Covid. The spring tour is typically smaller, with emphasis on a certain portion of the state. I like this tour because I can take more time and still see more barns. The fall is always a full state tour. This requires a little more focus and prep work.

Taking pictures is one of my favorite things. I suppose that makes sense given that I am a photographer. I also love a good drive in the country. Do people do that anymore? When I was a kid it was something we did on occasion to get out, blow the stink off, get some fresh air. We’d load up in my grandma’s Cadillac, roll the windows down and roam the streets of Marshalltown. Deep down I think it was my grandma’s excuse to look for garage sales.

Today I am introducing you to my latest project, Backroads and Barn Tours. It has been my hope to share my love of these structures in a way that would preserve their rustic charm as well as their indelible history. I love the practicality and resourcefulness behind their creation, and I believe it to be of valuable importance, as their presence in our landscapes change with innovation, to preserve some memory of these rustic, wooden beauties.