SAD OLD HOME

I discovered this sad old home some time ago. It is barely visible from the street and does not appear to be owned by anyone close by. It is actually quite a large home and one can only imagine what it was like in its original grandeur. Upon closer investigation there are traits of the home that give off clues to its age. For instance the remaining window panes are hand-laid sheet glass not the perfectly clear glass of more modern times. This glass indicates the house is pre-1900. On the other hand the cut sandstone foundation blocks likely came from a local quarry just a few miles away but which shut down around 1880. Several architectural elements also add clues and my amateur assessment would conclude that this home was probably built no later than the Civil War era around 1865 and very possibly earlier than that.

Remarkably, the brick walls and the sandstone blocks of the foundation are in excellent shape. I've thought about attempting to find the owner of this home and looking into the possibility of purchasing it in order to recycle the lovely bricks and foundation stones. We shall see what becomes of it.

SHOP PROJECT: TOY CHEST

While winter is the busiest time for my small furniture shop, some summer projects are always in the works. In this case a new toy chest is in order for my young son. This particular one is being crafted of mahogany plywood with pine accents. One of the nice accents of this piece I think is the "wave" pattern that surrounds the bottom of the chest. It serves a dual purpose here of not only being a nice decorative addition but also acting as something of a "kickplate" protecting the more expensive mahogany sides from getting dinged and dented by little shoes. The top of the chest, which is almost done will be a bi-fold, having the ability to open halfway or all the way. In this way there is still access to the chest even if there might be some other toys stacked up on it. I think my son will be quite pleased with this addition to his room.

A GLIMPSE OF THE PAST

This Amish family brings back a snapshot of a bygone era in this part of the country. Their wagons and buggy's are a familiar sight on most days. They are warm and friendly people who although live in a closed community are nonetheless always willing to lend a hand to a neighbor even if they aren't Amish. A good deal of the Amish that populate upstate New York are involved in agriculture although an equal number of them are involved in the trades: Carpenters, bricklayers, craftsmen. I always enjoy the sound of a horses' hooves and the sound of a wagon wheel coming down the road. If nothing else it is an earnest reflection of the humble beginnings of this country.

CHECKING ON THE PROGRESS

In an earlier post titled "Plowing Time" we saw my friend and neighbor Brad on his marvelous John Deere preparing for spring planting. In this followup the corn is in and doing nicely. In the early morning on a misty day I went out to Brad's field to take a look. Brad will use most of this corn to feed his cattle during the winter months. And while this corn won't be harvested until perhaps mid-November, right now it is doing nicely. The rule of thumb is "knee high by July". This photo was taken about mid-June, so it looks like Brad's corn is right on schedule.