Barn near Mena, Arkansas

The state of Arkansas holds quite a bit of allure. It is scenic, with the Ozark Mountains in the northern part of the state and the Ouachita Mountains in the western part. There is a large Ozark National Forest and an Ouachita National Forest. The Arkansas River, Ouachita River, and Buffalo River add more beauty and diversity. Quartz crystals, diamonds, and other minerals abound in the soil. There are many state parks and lots of rural area between the towns. [source1] [source2]

I've never been to Arkansas, myself, but those are things I have learned by reading and by talking to Ren and Scott of @xcountytravelers. Several years ago, I ordered some quartz crystals from a lady who lives near Fort Smith. She digs them out of the ground, herself, cleans them, photographs them, and then sells them on her website. She has quite a sweet little operation going! I've been featuring some of the specimens in my mineral collection periodically since I've been here, and those will be featured sometime, too!

Since Arkansas has such attractions, and because of some familial ties to the area, Ren & Scott have engaged Arkansas in several of their travels. They recently sent me another shot of a barn that they photographed some time ago. This one is in western Arkansas along Highway 59 in a valley below the scenic Talimena Drive in the community of Rich Mountain, near the town of Mena. I really like the small country lane to the left of the barn!

I did several edits of the barn. The above is my favorite because of the rich colors. The colors aren't really accurate to the original shot, but I think the processing makes for a lovely scene with vibrant hues! 😊

The processing below is a little more accurate to the true-colors of the original shot, but with the brightness still tweaked and a few highlights added to make some of the small details more visible. This is my second-favorite of the edits I tried.

The following screenshot shows the property on which the barn is located. Down that charming little lane to the left of the barn in the above views, one can find another barn or two — I say "one or two" because there's evidence of an older barn that has been expanded, but with a different color roof used on the expanded portion =OR= a newer barn built touching the older barn, sharing one wall. It's impossible to determine which is the case from the aerial view. There is also a lovely farm pond with a wooden dock beside it. At the end of the little lane is a house with a fabulous amount of privacy! One could play their music as loudly as they want without disturbing neighbors, or even sunbathe nude without anyone seeing them. 😁

^{screenshot from BING Maps}

The following aerial view from BING Maps shows the location of this homestead amid a sea of lush, green, heavily forested land. Note that one of the many state parks is nearby along the scenic highway.

^{screenshot from BING Maps}

For those not familiar with where Arkansas is located, such as might be the case for readers outside the US, the following screenshot from PINMAPPLE shows Arkansas highlighted:

^{screenshot from PINMAPPLE.COM}

Below is the original photo Ren sent me. It's a lovely shot except for the rather obnoxious utility pole with electrical power lines in the scene. Someone needs to invent a digital camera with a setting to "Remove Power Poles." 😂

^{photo by @xcountytravelers}

However, my PaintShopPro™ software allowed me to remove the utility pole and power lines from the shot, so all was not lost:

^{photo by @xcountytravelers · editing by @thekittygirl}

Then, from that edited image, I began my creative processing!

As an appreciative gesture for sharing the photo with me along with permission to play with the processing and use it here, @xcountytravelers is named as 50% beneficiary on this post! Thank you, Ren & Scott, for sharing another shot of your travels!