Some photos really make you wonder what the story is behind the image. Black & white photography, in my opinion, enhances the subject matter, making it more interesting by removing the distraction of “color noise”. Come on in … take a look at some black and white “stories” from my little corner of the world.
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is a certified farmgirl at heart. She’s happily married to her beach bum Yankee husband of 20 years. She went from career gal to being a creative homeschooling mom for two of her biggest blessings and hasn’t looked back since. Debbie left her lifelong home in the high desert of Northern Nevada 10 years ago and washed up on the shore of America’s hometown, Plymouth, MA, where she and her family are now firmly planted. They spend part of each summer in a tiny, off–grid beach cottage named “The Sea Horse.”
“I found a piece of my farmgirl heart when I discovered MaryJanesFarm. Suddenly, everything I loved just made more sense! I enjoy unwinding at the beach, writing, gardening, and turning yard-sale furniture into ‘Painted Ladies’ I’m passionate about living a creative life and encouraging others to ‘make each day their masterpiece.’”
is a “MaryJane Farmgirl” who lives in a large metropolitan area. She is a lawyer who has worked in both criminal defense and prosecution. She has been a judge, a business woman and a stay-at-home mom. In addition to her law degree, she has a Masters of Theological Studies.
“Mustering up the courage to do the things you dream about,” she says, “is the essence of being a MaryJane Farmgirl.” Learning to live more organically and closer to nature is Rebekah’s current pursuit. She finds strength and encouragement through MaryJane’s writings, life, and products. And MaryJane’s Farmgirl Connection provides her a wealth of knowledge from true-blue farmgirls.
an old-fashioned farmgirl with a pioneer spirit, lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. As a “lifelong learner” in the “Live-Free-or-Die” state, she fiercely values self-reliance, independence, freedom, and fresh mountain air. Married to her childhood sweetheart of 40+ years (a few of them “uphill climbs”), she’s had plenty of time to reinvent herself. From museum curator, restaurant owner, homeschool mom/conference speaker, to post-and-beam house builder and entrepreneur, she’s also a multi-media artist, with an obsession for off-grid living and alternative housing. Cathi owns and operates a 32-room mountain lodge. Her specialty has evolved to include “hermit hospitality” at her rustic cabin in the mountains, where she offers weekend workshops of special interest to women.
“Mountains speak to my soul, and farming is an important part of my heritage. I want to pass on my love of these things to others through my writing. Living in the mountains has its own particular challenges, but I delight in turning them into opportunities from which we can all learn and grow.”
Dori Troutman is the daughter of second generation cattle ranchers in New Mexico. She grew up working and playing on the ranch that her grandparents homesteaded in 1928. That ranch, with the old adobe home, is still in the family today. Dori and her husband always yearned for a ranch of their own. That dream came true when they retired to the beautiful green rolling hills of Tennessee. Truly a cattleman’s paradise!
Dori loves all things farmgirl and actually has known no other life but that. She loves to cook, craft, garden, and help with any and all things on their cattle farm.
describes herself as a goat charmer, chicken whisperer, bee maven, and farmers’ market baker renovating an 1864 farmhouse on an Ohio farm. With a degree in Design, Mary says small-town auctions and country road barn sales "always make my heart skip a beat thinking about what I could create or design out of what I’ve seen.”
Rooted in the countryside, she likes simple things and old ways … gardening, preserving the harvest, cooking, baking, and all things home. While you might find her selling baked goods from the farm’s milkhouse, teaching herself to play the fiddle, or sprucing up a vintage camper named Maizy, you will always find her in an apron!
Mary says, “I’m happiest with the simple country pleasures … an old farmhouse, too many animals, a crackling fire, books to read, and the sound of laughter … these make life just perfect.”
is a budding rural farmgirl living in Palmer, the agricultural seat of Alaska. Alex is a graduate student at Alaska Pacific University pursuing an M.S. in Outdoor and Environmental Education. She lives and works on the university’s 700 acre environmental education center, Spring Creek Farm. When Alex has time outside of school, she loves to rock climb, repurpose found objects, cross-country ski on the hay fields, travel, practice yoga, and cook with new-fangled ingredients.
Alex grew up near the Twin Cities and went to college in Madison, Wisconsin—both places where perfectly painted barns and rolling green farmland are just a short drive away. After college, she taught at a rural middle school in South Korea where she biked past verdant rice paddies and old women selling home-grown produce from sidewalk stoops. She was introduced to MaryJanesFarm after returning, and found in it what she’d been searching for—a group of incredible women living their lives in ways that benefit their families, their communities, and the greater environment. What an amazing group of farmgirls to be a part of!
Suburban Farmgirl Nicole Christensen calls herself a “vintage enthusiast”. Born and raised in Texas, she has lived most of her life in the picturesque New England suburbs of Connecticut, just a stone’s throw from New York State. An Advanced Master Gardener, she has gardened since childhood, in several states and across numerous planting zones. In addition, she teaches knitting classes, loves to preserve, and raises backyard chickens.
Married over thirty years to her Danish-born sweetheart, Nicole has worked in various fields, been a world-traveler, an entrepreneur and a homemaker, but considers being mom to her now-adult daughter her greatest accomplishment. Loving all things creative, Nicole considers her life’s motto to be “Bloom where you are planted”.
I think you are very photogenic and it is a wonderful picture of you and your horse. I really loved all of the pictures and story.
Great commentary and photos Shery!
Love all of it… Thanks for the BIG TASTE of the Old/new’West! Brings back memories…:)
What’s not to like about looking at cowboys and horses???
Deb~
Oh, my fav photo…The airborn bucking horse!
I don’t think that I can pick a favorite! They are wonderful. I have pulled out of boxes at my mom’s all the black and white photos of her and my dad and my grandparents etc and have them all over the house. Black and white is the best! LOVE LOVE the pictures. Thank you so much sharing your world!
Once again, I am truly impressed with your talents! YES, you ARE a photographer… Great job…
There isn’t a dry eye here after looking at your flag photo … beautiful & haunting as well — I can only imagine how much his family appreciated the support & love you & your neighbors gave them that day.
Thank you for sharing!
I think that you have a wonderful eye for great shots! There are so many that do speak to you. I love the baby and her daddy picture, there is a lot of love there! Many other pictures tell great stories also. Color or not you make me feel very comfortable. Thanks For share!
Hey everyone!!!
What a great picture show!!!! Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed of having my very own horse. But being raised in the "big" city, that was impossible. I kept reading their stories…Black Beauty was my favorite. Now, as a lot of dreams do, it had to be put aside, even though I do live near some small farms & ranches. When I read your monthly story, I can pretend to be riding right next to you!!!! Thanks again for the pleasure of your company!!!!
Very Beautiful photos!!! I love black and white photos…they have character. I so enjoy reading your posts. You are a gifted writer. You have a way of making me feel like I am there. By the way, I think you are photogenic and you are a very beautiful lady! Many Blessings!
Hi, love it love your blog, but the photos of the longhorn still make me shake, I am very fearful of longhorn cattle, my daddy had a few.and they terrorized me to death, I just am very afraid of them. Have a great day. Love, carol branum
I just love your photos and I also think you are a beautiful woman who photographs well. Being in a small town city environment I can only dream of your life. But is fascinates me and so I follow your blog every time. Love your stories and the way you write.
WOW!
I’m pickin’ the grass seed out of my two front teeth and scratchin the dirt off of my scalp. I’m so proud to say I know you Shery! You are in your element!!
Shery, Love your blog and love these b&w photos! Really exposes the rough yet beautiful life on the ranch. I’m looking forward to you getting some buckeye chicks next year and seeing their photos posted. All my best from kentucky
You have the BEST stories and photos! Kramer’s cousin (a longhorn bull) lives on my road…I see him every day I drive down our road.
Thank you for sharing. It brings back memories of my Grandparent’s farm and the fun I use to have being there with the horses, cattle, chickens and hogs. The past 2 years I have had to put down my 2 horses. It is very hard to lose your best friends, we were together about 30 years. I look forward in having another horse in my life. I am planning on going out to CA to pack with a friend for the US Forest Service. She has some great working Morgans, looking to take one home. I love your site and thanks again.
Loved, loved all of the pictures and story. I had forgotten how great black and white really is. I think I will take a few of my Philly Girl in B&W and see what happens.
Happy Trails to You Too,
Jan
I love the black and white photos. I think you take wonderful pictures. I am not patient enough. With Ladybug I will try and take a picture after she has been to the groomer and lookin’ pretty. But I will take a couple and if she does not cooperate I walk away. I am not photogenic either but if someone that has an eye can get me when I am not paying attention or take the picture quickly when I first smile I sometimes will take a good one. I have never been able to plant a smile on my face and keep it there. But my husband’s family can smile for the camera and it will look the same in every picture. And it looks just like them. I think your friend from the paper took a wonderful picture of you. Thank you for giving us the story behind the picture in a way that we learn what it is to live the life you live.
Brings back lots of memories, following a bunch of cattle on a good horse, then the food at the end and the love of all around. Nothing like a good horse, thank God I have some.
Sherry – you’ve done it again. Just when I think I have been so amazed at your stories and photos, you raised the bar again. These photos a too wonderful and lovely for words. Thank you for sharing.
P.S. Shery – your photo is lovely as well and you definitely are photogenic
Shery,
You have an eye for photography, jewelry composition, decorating home and garden. The results speak for themselves and the camera snobs can’t argue with that. Have a great day girlfriend!
HI THIS IS REBECCA DOWN ON HER LITTLE SUNNYBROOK FARM HERE IN SOUTH FLORIDA.
I WANT TO SAY I HAVE BECOME QUITE A FAN OF YOURS. YOUR ARE SO TALENTED …A WONDERFUL WRITER AND ARTIST. YOUR SUBJECT MATTER IS SO DIVERSE AND NEVER FAILS TO TOUCH MY HEART.
I WAS BLOWN AWAY BY YOUR "FARMGIRL FLOWER FAIRIES" & "POTPOURRI, PICKLES & PEARLS .
AND NOW THE BLACK & WHITE PHOTOS !!!
YOU ARE A TRULY GIFTED ARTIST & WRITER
THANKS FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO – YOU NEVER FAIL TO SPEAK TO MY HEART. WHEN I THOUGHT ‘WHAT DO I HAVE IN COMMON WITH A RANCH WOMAN?’…WELL EVERYTHING REALLY !
I can’t tell you how much I enjoy your blog. Such a wonderful glimpse into ranch life. Thank you for sharing it with us. Your black and white photos are wonderful. I really like the one of your mare going through the cows. She’s brooking no back talk from that bunch:). Thank you again, your blog is a highlight for me. I’ve been lurking but had to tell you how much I enjoy reading you.
Fantastic photos! I’m truly inspired to get my camera and start shooting. Your photos really capture the essence of a way of life.
Honestly, Sheri…I’m wiping tears. You rock!
I love your blog and enjoy reading it so much. Great black and white pictures.
Hi Shery,
Just recently joined this group and I’m really loving the content. Had to take a few minutes and tell you that I love your photography and that it was great to see someone still shooting B&W as well. I’m a photographer here in Michigan who specializes in Equine. I Hope to get to your neck of the woods sometime soon. My nephew just moved out towards you , working as a fisheries biologist and he tells me it’s beautiful. Thank you for all your upbeat, fun, artsy glimpse into the day to day life of a rancher.
Linda Michele-Dobel
Love spending this winter day looking at your beautiful pictures. You truly capture the heart of what we are all about. Great job.
gorgeous, evocative photos …