Five Minute Fridays: Red

Five Minute Fridays is hosted by Lisa-Jo Baker, encouraging bloggers to write on a prompt unedited for five minutes.  This weeks prompt is Red.

START

It was red once.  Now the places of peeling red paint are greatly outnumbered by the places of weather wood showing through.  Even as a child, it was still only mostly red, weathered, worn and yet strong.

The big [red] barn on my grandparent's farm place has stood for so long, through many storms, once housing animals, still protecting bales of hay.  Once part of a busy family farmyard during my father's childhood.  Later an important part of the farm run by grandparents with grandchildren searching for kittens inside during my childhood. 

Now the barn still stands.  On the empty farm place, both my grandparents now gone.

The barn has watched over so much hard labor this summer as sons, daughters, uncles, cousins, friends, worked so many weekends.  Cleaning out outbuildings, finding long lost farm treasure, organizing, and sorting.  A few weeks ago, the farmyard was full of cars, pickups, people.  A farm auction -- red tractors, wagons, antique tractors, tools, the constant hum of auctioneers, heat, sweat, and trailers loaded up to leave.

Now the farmyard is nearly empty.  The memories remain.  The barn still stands.

STOP

Take a minute to visit Lisa-Jo's site and read some of the amazing posts others have put together on the prompt.  Or take 5 minutes and join in!