All Barn Wood

On a picture perfect morning 20 yrs ago, Jerem Pickett, took a stroll in a nearby farmer's field. As he carefully maneuvered around the dried cow pies and gopher holes, he pondered deeply about the meaning of life and how he could he could make the world a better place. He paused briefly to lean on an old, dilapidated barn--a decaying but majestically framed feature of the rustic landscape--to view the rising sun and reflect on how lucky he was to live where he did: where open spaces and livestock were not rare and where he could breathe in the fresh air and enjoy the sun peeking over the Rocky Mountains. He also thought about how it must be like to live in the city--where a rustic barn was something you only saw in photos. Then, just as he was ready to head home, the old weathered barn he leaned against started to creak and groan and crumbled to the ground. Later as he nursed his wounds and carefully removed splinters, Jerem had an idea that would be of benefit to the farmer as well as the city folk dreaming of wide-open spaces: he would take down the barns and fences that were no longer useful as structures and use the recycled wood to make beautiful items for the home.