Granddad's farm, where all those memories are anchored, now lives only in our memories. There's a reality there now that resembles the place with the memories, just enough resemblance to make me believe it really is the same place, but oh, the changes. Some undoubtedly because any place will look different to an adult and a child, but most are the work of time, a half a century now. This site should grow into a tour of the place, trying to show both the resemblances to the farm of 50 years ago, and the shocking differences.
First big difference, the house is white now, covered with white vinyl siding. The old imitation-brick shingling is gone. It makes the house look much smaller and quite modern. As a child, I don't think I could have conceived that such a change was possible. When I was little this house seemed huge. Now it's a paradox. Overall it seems average, or smaller than that. However, it is a three story house, and when you are on the roof on the southeast corner (as I was with Uncle Bill a couple years ago), you're a long way off the ground. Then it still seems big.
Looking at it from this point of view, it follows the design of a lot of old houses. Each floor is divided with walls in the form of a cross, into basicly four rooms. This pattern is clear on the second floor, where there is the kitchen in the southeast, the diningroom in the southwest, the livingroom in the northwest, and the grandparents bedroom in the northeast. Big rooms, but not all that big, maybe about fifteen feet square.
On the first floor the pattern may have originally been followed, but now the entire west side of the floor is the long room in the basement. Thinking of that basement room, with the deep, tight hole Granddad dug for the furnace, I remember him all but standing on his head, down in that hole, working on the furnace. Not being able to see his head, but just a distorted outline of his body backlit by the droplight he was using while he worked, I was in awe of what a terrible place it was down there. The feeling was probably enhanced by his adamant insistence that we stay out of there. I had occasion, recently, to be down in there, troubleshooting some electrical problem with Uncle Bill and Melvin. It is no longer the grim, dirt-floor hole I remember. It has been dug out so at least two people can stand without being crowded, and has a concrete floor and walls. That's one change I don't mind, that nightmare muddy hole is gone.
I know this isn't really intended for me but it is nice to see. I'm guessing we will get more photos as you make more posts? The format is very appealing. Who is that scowling fellow that is Lord of this blog?
ReplyDeleteFrom Stuart:
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure when the photos were taken and it took awhile to figure the angle of the first shot. The old house is nothing like I remembered.You are absolutely right about perception as a kid, I thought the house was enormous.Gone are Bill's garage and the corn cribs, lost in the fire that contributed to Grandads early demise. Wasn't the wreck of a plane stashed in one of those sheds? I was surprised the barn still stands.Gone are the fruit trees,chicken coops and Grandma's garden. The spring house looks as I remember it. I never saw a possum around the farm,but saw plenty of mice,skunks,deer,shiny Japanese beetles,fireflies and an enormous rat. When I was at Ft.Knox possums were pretty much flattened on the roads there like jack rabbits used to be around here. Possums are pretty foul look-in dudes. Grandma's kitchen was on the north east side of the main floor. I'm probably mistaken but isn't the house facing the south? If as you describe the layout of rooms the house has to be facing north. Over all your photo shows the farm is no longer a farm,the last time I was there the Tracs were growing corn on the property....Bucky's funeral...Dad and I visited Grandad and he sipped some of his homemade white wine with us. He looked frail.