A ladder leads through the dark timber barn to a small opening in the hayloft door. Behind it stands a scarecrow with a burlap face, button eyes and a broad stitched mouth. Straw spills beneath its battered felt hat and around the collar of its dark coat. The figure is unmistakably made from cloth and dry stalks, its rough weave catching the lantern light.

An adult woman pauses on the ladder with one hand around a rung and the other lifting a lantern. Her plaid skirt and olive jacket pick up the warm amber glow. Above the hatch, a long wooden pitchfork rests across the weathered boards, its iron tines dark against the grain. The surrounding hinges, beams and hay give the loft a heavy, tactile presence.

Cold storm light enters through gaps in the barn wall while the lantern lights only the nearest surfaces. Bridles hang beside the door, and a small pumpkin rests near the ladder. The scene holds its quiet tension in the meeting between the lantern and the straw figure.