Hayrack

There were always a few "racks" around the farm. They were used to keep whatever off the floor so as not to get wet and rot. Anything could be p;laced on them: tools, hay, equipment, whatever.

Old Fashioned Flower Garden

Gardens have been ingrained into the hearts of mankind since the "garden of Eden". They represent beauty, system, order, and simplicity. The garden in the photo is a riot of color, a mixing of specie, a scene of tranquility. Looks like a good place to read a good book and eat some hot oatmeal-rasin cookies. Come join me.

Takeing Time To Appreciate Beauty

People of yesteryear seemed to live at a slower pace in some ways. They appreciated the colors of a sunset, the mystery of a cloud pattern, the beauty of a feather, and the designs of flowers. This photo shows backlighting on a lily. Simple, elegant, and beautiful. Let's get back to those days.

Squirrel Sign

People used to hunt squirrels as much as they hunt deer today. It was a fun sport trying to find and shoot these crafty little animals. Before the season opened men would go into the woods and look for "squirrel sign". There were lots of sign to signal that squirrels were present and active in an area. One of those sign indicators was the eating of hickory nuts(see photo). A squirrel did not have to open a hickory nut entirely to pick out the meat of the nut. Their claws and teeth did that. If a hickory tree was especially heavily laden with nuts, the ground would be littered with nut droppings from squirrel eating activity. What did that mean to a hunter? Just slip up to that tree before dawn, sit quitely, and wait for the squirrels to come to you. Sometimes you could get your limit from just one tree.

Collecting Moths and Butterflies

Back in the old days, lots of kids collected moths and butterflies as a hobby or science project. There were lots of them: monarchs, swallowtails, cabbage, spicebush, and many more.........too many to mention by name. There were special butterfly nets manufactured back then. The trick was to stand very still around a flower bed and wait for a butterfly or moth that you wanted flew up to feed. Then is a fast sweeping motion try to catch the critter in the net. It wasn't as easy as it sounds. There was a lot more trying than catching.

Fresh Water Muscles and Muscle Shells

Fresh water muscles have been gathered and eaten for many years. Racoons are especially fond of them. The ones in the photo are small compared to some that are located in freshwater creeks. Those get to be the size of a glass coaster. Although it takes a lot of strength to open a big muscle..........they are no match for a racoon. They can open them as quick as a wink.

Muscle and oyster shells were often crushed for use as a type of mortar. Oyster shell mortar was called "tabby". Most of the old Spanish forts in Florida are made of this material. Muscle shell mortar was less common, but used from time to time.

Wood Latch

Back in yesteryear, anything that could be made at home was made at home. Buying anything was a "last resort". Sooooooooo, latches were made of wood. Just find a tree sapling that was the right size, cut and fashion to taste, and you have your latch. Not rocket science, but did the trick. Latches were a type of lock to keep critters inside or out.