A holdover from last century, this Braxton County barn still bears a familiar Mail Pouch advertisement. Perhaps this faded ad is the handy-work of the late Harley Warrick, one of the few Mail Pouch barns that appear in the West Virginia countryside. Warrick claims to have painted over 20,000 barns in his lifetime, and the Bloch Brother's famous Treat Yourself to the Best slogan was found on buildings in 22 states. Harley's initials, HW, can usually be found on the upper blue border, near the roofline.
     Braxton County, located in the geographic center of West Virginia, is mostly made up of rural land. Its largest town is Sutton, with a population of just over 1000. Farming, ranching, lumbering and farming make up a large part of the economy. This farm scene, with a thin covering of snow and gray skies, looks like a good day to stay indoors. But these fresh tractor ruts remind us that a farmer’s work is never done. Even though crops have been harvested and sold, the cattle and hogs still need fed. The cows need milking twice a day, and farm equipment must be repaired and serviced for the spring. Winter is also a time for fence mending and catching up on paperwork. With more snow and cold weather in the forecast, it may be wise to split a little more firewood.