Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Fall Field Trip on the Old Home Place 2019

When we had cows, they kept the vegetation down on the farm, and we rode the atv around checking on them at least once a day. Right after my dad died, I rode around it at least twice, and sometimes three times, a day, which kept roads and paths clear.

Eventually, we had to sell the cows, and we are no longer able to keep things up, but we still enjoy riding around the fields and ponds, which are becoming more like a jungle every day. It's painful to see it all grown up, but, on the other hand, it's furnishing the wildlife a place to live.

We took the side by side (Ole Yeller) on a fall field trip a few days ago. I make pictures of pretty much the same things every trip, because they are the places that mean the most to me. This little farm is part of my childhood and my soul. I wish I had gotten pictures of the two deer we saw on the ride. So beautiful! I was not quick enough with the camera.


Old bones by the three trees down by the pond that I call the three muses.


Almost bare tree down in the field below the barn...


The end of the old barn, stables, and hay loft, built before 1900 by my great-grandpa...


Barn end and pens...


Barn front, stable, and corn crib...


Barn stables and corn crib...


An abandoned home down in the field behind the barn...


Cattle chute added by my dad...


Hubby and I had seed in places that we won't talk about, from making a road through the over growth...


Field below the barn...


Another shot of the field below the barn...


Another shot of the field by the branch that runs through in wet weather, but was dry this day...


Another shot of the field and hills; I love the colors in the sage grass!...


More field vegetation...


More field vegetation...


Another field shot...


Making a road...


An open space in the field...


Making a road through another field...


Another field shot...


One of my grandmother's old rain barrels; when I was growing up, she always had two sitting under the drip of the house to catch rainwater for washing and bathing...


What's left of my grandmother's old wash house, where her wringer washer and wash tubs were. I can still see them in there, along with lye soap and bottles of bluing, among other things...


Spreading old pine on the edge of one of the small ponds, which is also dry, except in wet weather...


Fence to the hog lot and shed, which my dad used to store equipment...


Mushrooms on a fallen tree behind the barn...


Back of the barn from the flat rock behind it...


The huge ancient oak tree about half way between our house and the old home place, which use to be one of the posts for a gate across the road, coming from the old place...


The kitchen and middle room side of the old house...


The back of the old house...


The front of the old home place, over 120 years old...


One of my dad's old trailers...


This little lichen covered stump reminded me of an owl sitting among  the leaves...


The old tractor shed and garden spot...


The big pond and sweetgum tree...


Sort of a road through the woods near the pond...


One of my favorite clearing spots between the pond and the barn in the woods...


Overgrown road back from the pond through the woods...


Road from the old house...


Road to the old home place...


Road to the old house...


Road from the old home place...


The road to Papa's house...


Rock road bed behind barn...


Whoops!


Sweet gum balls down by the pond...


Sweet gum tree down by the pond...


The three muses, which have turned into three plus, down by the pond...

Sorry the pictures are out of order! I should have sorted them by date before saving them here. :(

We may not make as many trips around the old place as we used to, but even when we made two or three a day, every trip is different, with different things to see and experience. And each trip re-connects me with my great-grandpa, my grandpa, and my dad, who all loved this old place as much as I do. It also brings back good memories of my aunts, uncles, and cousins, and is bonding time with my hubby.

Eagerly awaiting the next trip!




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