Field Trip Around Farm n River-March 2026

 A couple of weeks ago we rode in the side by side out around the old homeplace/farm to check on the ice storm damage, and I made these pictures. I just hadn't gotten around to posting them. Of course, because I took my camera, the sun went in, and only popped back out for a few minutes.

We were surprised to find very little damage from the ice storm, considering the shape our yards and driveway were in, and the road out to the old house was blocked by some fallen trees. There are also a lot of trees down in the woods where we didn't go. We will have to hire someone to cut those for us, and also the one on top of my mom's house. Still a lot to clean up, but hubby has worked hard to get the yards cleaned up and ready for mowing.

The old Stricklin Home

The old Stricklin homeplace

Granny's daffodils and Papa's tractor shed

Old house side living room, dining room, kitchen

Old house side, porch, living room, dining, kitchen-side porch gone

Side of tractor shed from garden spot & daffodils

Kitchen with Granny's old wood stove remains

Cattle shute side in front of barn and daffodil cluster

Cattle shute side with lichen and blue gate

Old bucket in leaves

Gate to back barn stables

Rock face

Back of barn stables

Rock road bed behind barn-goes to old well

Rock road bed with little rock horse

Old commodes

Once Granny's wash house behind the main house

Papa's pond

Bird's nest

Prickly Pears

Daddy's old Barn

The back of the house I grew up in with a fallen tree branch

The TN river from above-near our home

TN river boat/fishing landing

Old Churchwell store building

The house I grew up in from the highway

Flower bed needing cleaning

Bird Fountain Children

Blue glass ball with self portrait

Mushrooms on old stump behind our house

It's so sad to see nature reclaiming so much of the old place that I've lived on and loved my whole life, but at the same time nature is beautiful, and it eventually reclaims everything until only memories remain. Two things we can always count on, God and change. Nothing stays the same or lasts forever on this earth...