MM's trip to the farm

Now I finally have a blog banner that I really like.
The day started out to be perfect for a drive in the country, and MM and I just went for photos in front of my friend's barn. It's an official Oklahoma Centennial barn and was built in 1907. It's the oldest one in the county and we didn't get there until in the middle of the day, and then the Oklahoma crazy wind started kicking in. So between that and the heat, both of us tired out fast. We made a picnic out of the trip and she got to eat big juicy green grapes while I shot lots of photos.

I remember the first time I shot the Cooper barn. It was during 1998 and I have some awesome black and white photos. There were chickens running around and it was like a day out of my childhood when I would visit a farm in northern California and also visits to my mom's friends who lived in the country after we moved to Oklahoma.
Not much changes in 35-40 years sometimes. That's pretty good in my book.
I've already come up with a creative fall session at the barn for MM. Can't wait til the leaves start changing and falling.
There's a reason for shooting MM's August photos here. Last year, her mom and I shot her photos at another Oklahoma historical site, the W.T. Foreman Prairie House in Duncan. She sure has grown since then. I forgot how fast little ones sprout. I plan to shoot her August photos (since this is her birthday month) each year at some Oklahoma historical location. I've got quite a list that are just in Stephens County. Right off the top of my head, I can think of five years of photos.
Back to our visit to the Cooper farm. I got there and Bettie's husband, George, came to the door. Bettie wasn't there, but I knew she'd show up before I finished. Sure enough, she did and we got to visit for awhile. She's always got a project going and today's story was as interesting as any other time. She's working on a project for the Marlow Redbud Park and a memorial area for veterans. Anything Bettie does always has a purpose. I've known her for 12 years and she has accomplished so much, from helping establish a museum, to getting the median filled with wildflowers just outside of south Marlow and putting on an environmental school.
The barn has been in the Cooper family since it was built on 'lottery land.'
I knew it would be worth the trip. Even if the wind battled us. Hey, that's Oklahoma!
If you like my photos, I'd love to hear a comment!