Kendall County, Illinois
I’m usually out at this time of year photographing snow laden fields lined with drifting ditches. But the rural spots near my home have the air of Spring — even the light casts itself brightly on barns and farmhouses. The only hints of Winter are the deep black shadows and silhouettes of trees.

We’ve had only one light dusting of snow here in the Midwest.

Tree Line Between Fields, ©V.Plut

Tree with Outbuildings, ©V.Plut

I always think of Mr. Thomas Rowland when I revisit this area with my camera in tote — buried alone beneath a white military marker in the local cemetery. He came from Nottinghamshire, England in the late 1850’s with his wife and three daughters, and drove to Chicago in an oxcart, where his wife took sick and died. He made his way down to Kendall County, Illinois where the earth is black and rich with nutrients, a place where a farmer might make a living.
['V. Plut']
['Photo Essay', 'History', 'Genealogy', 'Lit', 'Photography']