The Swallows Line Up To Say Goodbye

As my 2012 visit to Pa. was coming to an end, I was in a rush trying to find the views of "Kuerner's Farm" that would be an ending to this essay of Kuerner's Farm paintings. This scene, leaving the long driveway, seemed to be the thing. As I sat working, I noticed the barn swallows arriving on the power line. ...probably to get some early morning sun. It was pretty obvious that they should be included in the painting. The stone pillars were built, along with much of the stone work on the farm, by German war prisoners from World War II. They came to the Kuerner farm daily to work during the time they were kept here in the U.S.. Mr. Kuerner told me they liked it at the Kuerners. Being very German themselves, the Kuerners were probably warmer and more receptive than other hosts. The tracks from Mr. Kuerner's tractor run different paths up and down the hill. The small grove of evergreens at the top have to be included because they have become legendary through the paintings of Andrew Wyeth.

1865