The Old Family Homestead
Black Friday is synonymous with shopping and deals but for us this year held a trip down memory lane! For years K and J have heard me reminisce of times past on the farm and this year they asked to see the areas I always talk about.
We started from my parents home and walked over to my grandparents farm. Behind the house we picked up the ridge across the cow pastures and down through the woods toward the old homestead. This venture in itself was sentimental for me as I learned to drive on this exact path while sitting in my grandfather’s lap. He would handle the petals of the old, mint green Ford truck while I turned the big wheel across the farm dodging the cattle and sinkholes!
As we came out of the woods at the bottom of the ridge the site of the old barn came into view. The kids didn’t yet know what they were looking at but my emotions certainly did! I had a rush of memories hit me like a ton of bricks. Visions of the barn, home place and fishing pond appeared vividly in my mind and I pictured myself as a young boy again!
As we walked to where barn was I began pointing things out to K and J. I explained to them how I used to get catfish food from the barn, walk to the pond and feed the fish with my grandparents. We would sit and fish and enjoy crisp afternoons.
Standing back and seeing K and J looking out across the pond made me remember the past even more! The enjoyment of this time was compounded when I noticed them being taught about locust trees by their grandfather.
We then were able to take a walk through the old homestead by entering through the original front door as amazingly the original entry steps are still there! Inside was found portions of a steel bed frame and a nest where a bird now lives.
Just past the homestead we found one of the many old caves on the farm and the well where my grandparents had collected water so many years ago! Surprisingly we were still able to access the cave entrance!
Although this was just a short 3.45 mile hike around the farm it was loaded with memories. My kids got to walk in my footsteps from decades past and I got to take a trip down memory lane!
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