The Old Barn

This beautiful old barn sits in a valley in Vilas, NC.

It belonged to my Great Grandfather----Grandpa Brown. He was Mama Jo's daddy.

Countless hours were spent playing here as a little girl. Every summer we would spend several weeks visiting our family here. As we would round the curvy road to their home, the graceful silhouette of that old barn would be the first thing we would see. It sat across the road from my Great Grandparents house. As we would pull up, my Grandpa Brown would already be walking up the hill to the road to greet us. I never knew how he must have known we were close by---there was no cell phones back then. My mom said it was because he would sit on the front porch and wait until he saw us. He would greet us with a great big hug and then we would race down the driveway into his home to hug and kiss other relatives who were awaiting us.

The barn was home to a few horses, lots of little mice and some mean chickens. My cousins and I would climb the hills surrounding the barn in search of blackberries. We would slide down the dirt banks, explore the different rooms of the barn, and jump from the hay bale hole to the ground below. The smell of freshly cured tobacco was an amazing scent. It was a child's dream to play in that old barn. We didn't need Ipods or Xboxes. Our play came from our imagination, stimulated by the wonderful setting of that old barn.

I share the same birthday as my Great Grandpa. His name was Olen Grady Brown and he was amazing. Even Papa Bud told me many times over that he had never met a man greater than Olen Brown.

He died in 1986. I was 12. Shortly after he passed, my Great Grandmother died too. And I'm ashamed to tell you that after they died, our families quit getting together. We only went back and stayed in their home one time after they both were gone.

They would be so disappointed in us for that. I love my family in Boone, especially my little cousin Kara who took this picture. We need to plan a reunion of some sorts. That would make Pa proud.

Kara took this picture and shared it with our family on facebook. It was amazing to see the response it created. So many cousins, so many wonderful memories of the old days.

Grandpa Brown and his horse & carriage, giving rides at Cove Creek School