I like to look at gates. They tell stories - about the people who made them, the people who use them - and they work for us. Gates keep danger out. Gates keep us safe inside from the dangers of the world.
A gate can be humble and just do it's job in a quiet, unassuming way like a farm gate.
A gate can make a statement. It can be your real face or it could be a mask.
A gate can state its purpose, like this one whose sign says that it is intended to deter deer and rabbits from the garden and to please keep it closed.
A boathouse can have a gate - and a tiki to ward off trespassers. Or to welcome guests?
The dead have gates. I'm not sure of the purpose but the statement is made. These are important folks whose bones lie under the ground. This gate is wonderfully ornate with the most glorious harps all around on the fence. It says something about the living, I think, that a padlock is necessary.
Some gates for the dead are friendly and welcoming like this entrance to a little churchyard burial ground. These wooden gates open easily and have a relaxed, homely look. Very hospitable.
Then there is the gate that got away. I fell in love with these wire gates a long time ago. When I was a little girl they were very common. A few years ago, we were moving a fence and wanted a gate put in. On a trip to Ontario, we found the perfect one but getting it home would cost more than the gate. And, besides, there were lots around back home, weren't there?
Should have bought it. We trekked from one demolition yard to the next and found lots of nifty stuff but no wire gates at all. We eventually settled for a plain wooden one but this is still my dream. One day, maybe.
Oh I remember those gates too. They were everywhere. I know where there's one that's still in use down in Fairfield but you really don't see them around anymore. Lovely series Steph.
ReplyDeleteI think that your Fairfield gate might be my photo. I'm pretty sure that's where we were when I spotted it and screeched to a halt.
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