Country Roads Take Me Home 

A snapshot of Iowa farms
Article and Photographs by Shelly Thompson

Get ready to enjoy an adventure on some old country roads around Iowa. I guarantee you'll love the views! Years ago, I used to take my grandson to grade school in the mornings. About half way to school the drive shifted to a country road. We always passed a barn. As a busy day ahead was unfolding the beautiful scenery of the farmstead was calming, as the sun beamed brilliant warm light in the background.  The cows were relaxed and just hanging around the barn with full bellies. It seemed perfectly peaceful on those back country roads. I used to joke with my grandson, that in exchange for the rides to school...one day, he would need to buy me a barn as payment. He would ask me what kind of barn and I would always tell him any kind would be fine. I think it was the peacefulness that I sought.

​Later, as my grandson learned to drive, we would go cruising in Two-tone, his old truck, on the back country roads where the scenery was stunning. Those drives were so much fun as he learned to drive...I learned to take snapshots of the scenery. 
Driving on those country roads often reminded me of growing up and taking drives with my family in the county. 
We would leave our city dwelling and head to the country for an afternoon drive. I don't think I always appreciated barns, or even a farm, but my mom did. She had grown up in the south on a farm. I often wonder if those country drives offered her a brief road trip back home. As we would drive she would often share many farm antics like when the goats ran free knocking over her mom, getting up while it was still dark outside to milk cows with her brother before attending the small one-room country school house, and many other farm memories she had from her childhood.

​It took years for my mom to surrender her southern drawl to a more Midwestern accent. Jella became pronounced Jello and so on. You can take the southern drawl out of the farmgirl, but you can't take the love of family, farms and barns.
As I've been a partial resident in Walnut, Iowa now for almost 20 years, I've developed a true fondness for barns. These pieces of wood and metal, often missing a few boards with chipping paint, look stunning dotting the planes with rustic charm. They hold the memories of a family that once lived there. The stories in these old battered walls have stopped, but they still stand. Many are still in use, while some have become homes to birds and critters. ​
​The true beauty of the Midwest can be seen on many landscapes with a silo, grain bin, and windmill, in addition to a farmhouse and barn. Old rusted cars dot the yards and fences look like a thousand kids have climbed over them.
Barns seem to adapt to the seasons, standing out in all their charm during summer rains or winter snows. 
When driving through the country roads in early morning or late evening, it can look a little like a version of The Walton's. A hard days work done as the sun sets. 
Driving through the small towns in Iowa, you can often see the history of the town and for a few minutes feel like your part of a small community, who welcomes visitors and enjoys spending time on the porch. ​
As a child I didn't appreciate these amazing pieces of Iowa's history. As an adult, I get excited every time I see a farmstead coming up in the distance, or around a curvy country road. Just like people, every barn has it's own unique personality and story. 
​ A history that is unique to Iowa and it's winding country roads. 
Iowa's country roads are like the pages of a book, where pages go from farm to farm, chapter to chapter, with stories of journey's spanning many generations. Being surrounded by beautiful farmland in Walnut, Iowa, has given me a heart for farmscapes, barns, old mailboxes, tire swings, and even cows. I wonder if someday...my grandson will remember to buy me a barn.