Shelter From the Storm

There are a lot of barns like this in Montana. Not for us the glossy, red and white painted domicile of cows so common in Wisconsin. Here, it’s mostly weather beaten and often derelict. We can get away with it because it’s so dry so much of the time. Old timber can stand the elements for years and years, merely growing grayer with age. Now, the greatest danger to them is trendy West Coast remodellers who will buy the things, pull them apart, then nail the boards up in the den right over the top of sheet rock. Lately they’ve taken to doing the same thing in the movie star’s vacation cottages that pop up like mushrooms here. I’m not sure if it’s a loss, or gain.