After our meal at the restaurant, we drove out past the farm that my folks had owned and where I had rented space for my house trailer. It's been 25 years since my dad's health forced him to sell the farm. He moved into an apartment in town; and I purchased a small house for myself and our two dogs, Heather and Brandi.
The above photo, taken in 1973, shows the back of Dad's house. No one used front doors in the country, so the back door was the main entrance.
The photo looks west toward the road and the open field across from the house. The white building on the left is the garage. The road in front of the house ran north and south, and the wind blowing across those open fields created some challenging snow drifts in winter. Sometimes a snow of just a few inches could pile up in our road and leave us stranded. There were only three houses plus my trailer and my nephew's trailer on our short road, so it was not a high priority for snowplows.
The photo above was taken in 1977, and provides a view of the house, garage, and barn, as well as some of those challenging snow drifts.
This shot was taken yesterday, from approximately the same place as the preceding photo and shows the amazing transformation wrought on the house by the folks who purchased the farm from Dad.
Here's a closer look at the remodeled house. Hard to believe it's the same house, isn't it? I marvel every time I see it. I'd love to see the inside, but I've never had the courage to ask. When this family originally purchased the farm from Dad, they could see how much he loved it; and they extended an open invitation to him to come and visit any time he wanted. He never did, and neither have I.
As we were driving home last night, the sun was sinking in the west. They're difficult to see in this photo, but there are sun dogs on either side of the setting sun. A nice way to end my nostalgic walk down memory lane.
Oh, what a nice drive. I might feel the same if I went back to my old house. Someday, if you do see the inside again, I'd love to read about.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful spot. I'd be so tempted to ask to take a look around - if they're the same owners who extended that invitation, that is.
ReplyDeleteI do see they sun dogs.. they're always a treat.
Elizabeth - There must be a nostalgia hormone that releases in abundance as we get older, drawing us back to places we remember from days gone by. I doubt if I'll have the opportunity to see the inside of the house; but rest assured that I'll post about it if I do. :)
ReplyDeleteHilary - It's really just a short gravel road, flat terrain, and farm fields surrounding the farm. In recent years, however, there have been several houses built...some on the 20 acres that went with the farm and some in an adjacent cornfield. The people who bought the 20 acres from Dad had several children, so I've wondered if some of the houses might belong to those grown children. I'm pretty sure that the couple who bought the house still live in it.
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DeleteThanks for taking ,e along on this journey down memory lane.
ReplyDeleteThe sunset is lovely and yes,that house sure has changed.
Thanks for coming along for the ride, Ruth. I always enjoy a good sunset...or sunrise, for that matter.
ReplyDeleteWhat a grand time, old memories are fun to visit.
ReplyDeleteSteve - Old memories are some of the best kind. The bad parts seem to fade away so that what is remembered is mostly good. :)
ReplyDeleteNot only is the house bricked but it looks so much bigger! It is a beautiful place and amazing (as you mentioned) the size of the trees now in August of 2015. Someday we would truly enjoy driving to Huntertown and asking if they would mind letting you see the inside, but down deep in our hearts know we probably couldn't ask either. I'm pretty certain you mentioned the same people live there and it makes sense with the brick houses they put around it. What a blessing to see it and think about where you grew up with your family and horses.
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