Sometimes I Think Too Much

I get requests from heirs to property with timber every so often, usually from sons and daughters of recently deceased parents. They always want to know how much money the timber is worth on the property, and they usually sell the trees and the property quickly. Occasionally I get one of these. The fellow who called for me to check out this old farm is the nephew of an aunt who died recently, and he inherited her farm. He needed an opinion on the timber, and that was easy enough to do for him.  The history nut in me always makes me look around old farmsteads, and it helps me figure out some of the timeline on the current timber stands.  His aunt's old house looks tough now, but she had electricity, and good tarpaper siding, so it was a cozy little house.

The home had a tin roof, and that is probably why there is still a good pile of remains to see today. I looked in, and there is an old pair of trousers in the bedroom.  They probably belonged to her husband.

You have to wonder how many meals were prepared on her old cookstove.  There isn't much left of it, and the younger generations wouldn't even know what they are looking at.

The home was humble, but this is a first class cistern.  The remains of an old well bucket can be seen at the bottom.

An old broken coffee mug...was it the favorite mug of the lady who just died?

Here's the mystery; an extra room added on to the little home, with a set of bedsprings.  Was this a bedroom for a son or daughter, or maybe a parent that had to be cared for?

Well, maybe it's better we don't know.  The couple who made their living on this farm had no descendants to pass it to, and it was handed down to a nephew.  He seems like a good sort, and is very appreciative of the gift from his aunt.  That is some encouragement, but places like this look like a shipwreck of hopes and dreams.