I have walked past this old farm for 12 years and today was the first time I walked up the driveway. No one has lived here for years and it now belongs to the conservation society. They don’t have the money to turn this into the living museum they have planned. Come with me and we will look at it together for the first time.
There are two front doors off the front porch. One was for guests and led to the parlor. The second door was for everyone who came and went daily. Most old houses of this era had two front doors, but it is becoming rare to see a house now that still has both doors.
Look at the beautiful workmanship of these gorgeous eaves.
Don’t you love these old storm cellar doors?
There are large mounds of bee balm growing near the back door of the house.
Swallowtail Butterflies like the bee balm.
A lucky horseshoe is nailed above the back door, open side up to catch the luck.
A bower of lilac bushes separate the kitchen back door from the chicken coop.
This was a very big chicken coop. See the doors that rise to let the chickens out? The windows all face south to give the hens the most light.
How do you think this building was used? It rests upon large rocks.
I wondered if it was for drying something. It is the only building resting on rocks.
This shed with the spaced siding and holes in the roof, I believe, is a corn crib.
Another Interesting Shed
And this one was possibly for carriages….
come on, let’s look inside. The door is open.
I thought this must be the main barn until I turned and saw …
this big dairy barn.
This little building right at the rear entrance may have been for storing milk, like a spring house. My sister, Cindy, worked on a large farm during college, maybe she’ll tell us what this building was.
Prairie Land Reflected in a Barn Window
Northern Illinois Wildflowers/Herbs Seen near the Buildings
The Daisy Fleabane – Swallows line their nests with these flowers and leaves for the obvious reason. That is the same reason people used to mix this dried plant in with the straw used for mattresses.
There are bird nests everywhere I look.
And Queen Anne’s Lace
Queen Anne’s Lace or Wild Carrot is known as a good companion plant for tomatoes. This fascinating plant has been found to change the temperature when planted near lettuce plants. And lettuce, as some of you know, likes cool weather. The carrots we eat are a cultivar of this plant.
Long after the children are gone, the old tree still holds rungs to help climb up.
Old Fashioned Perfumed Phlox
This place really speaks of home to me. I wonder if there was ever a picnic table under these shady trees. Don’t you think this would be the perfect spot for a summer supper?
I enjoyed this walk so much, but on my way home, I saw this scene near the cemetery:
Some men had cut down three big, beautiful trees and they were grinding out the stumps. I counted over two hundred rings on this stump. A man said the trees had insects of some type that would spread to other trees. I had to wonder if a tree could stand up to all the storms and insects for over 200 years, why would it need cutting down now? Why couldn’t it be treated to kill the insects? Wouldn’t the insects just move to another tree? Did a tree cutting company go to the village and tell them these trees must be cut down? The morning ended with a lot of questions that marred my perfect walk today.
