Old houses and outbuildings dot the rural landscape of eastern Ohio where I live. Some of the structures have been rebuilt or at least maintained for present-day use. Others have been left in various states of disrepair. Driving by these buildings, I sometimes wonder about their past. Thoughts of the pride of the family that […]
A trip down memory lane could describe this picture. This farm once was a stop on one of my grandfather’s can milk routes more than fifty years ago. When I showed my father this picture, it brought back many memories from his childhood. The farmer that used to live here would bring his cans of […]
The long hours of fall harvest for many farmers is over for another year. Yet, in many Amish fields around here, one can still find corn shocks standing – even after the beginning of a new year. In fact, the shocks may seem to look out of place with the snow on the ground. However, […]
Driving by a field where corn had recently been picked, I found this disk. It was waiting for a team of horses to pull it back and forth across the field. Sitting there, that disk was a reminder of a couple of truths. First, there’s a season for everything. Just as there are times to […]
I found this corn picker and gravity wagon standing in a recently picked field. Older farm equipment like these pieces are common on many small farms near where I live. This set belongs to an Amish farmer, hence the steel spoke wheels. These pieces are a throwback to an earlier time. They stand in contrast […]
Each season has favorite foods and beverages. Now that we’re in fall, a snack food that we enjoy at our house is roasted pumpkin seeds. Here is the recipe that my wife uses. Hope that you enjoy! 1-1/2 cups raw pumpkin seeds 2 tablespoons melted butter or oil Salt or seasoning of choice. Preheat oven […]
I had driven almost a mile back the lane to make a delivery when I came to this sign. At this “fork in the road”, the private drive split to go to neighboring farms. If I went to the left, then I could visit a little variety store and basket maker. Turning right, sweetcorn and […]
It may look like another old schoolhouse at first glance. But the small wooden structure has some history to it. This building was one of the schools where George Washington Crile taught. Crile, a teenager when he taught here, was raised on a farm about four or five miles west of this location near Chili, […]
Oat sheaves are a common sight on many Amish farms in east-central Ohio during the middle of summer. Commonly used as a source of horse feed, the cut oats are bundled and stacked in the fields to dry. After a few days, they will be hauled off to a barn where they will be run […]
It’s not what I expected. Yet, at a theme park I found a replica of a mid-Twentieth Century restaurant with vintage cars to complete the picture. The scene reminded me of how young people used to cruise streets of their local towns on Friday and Saturday nights. Thinking later about that view, it reminded me […]