On the farm long ago without any prejudice to situation we were blessed to live in the old ways. We had a well with a bucket, outhouse, wood stove, garden and not a power tool anywhere on the place. The best part of this was that as a small boy I saw what it took to front the essentials of food and shelter. Apple picking was an adventure, milking a wonder and butchering a simple necessity if you like the smell of bacon in the morning. Everything had a purpose and none of it was without wonder; from gathering the eggs to playing with the wood chips out behind the smokehouse. We were pioneers, sort of and the importance of that was not realized till many years later.
The best part of this was that as a small boy I saw what it took to front the essentials of food and shelter
Along those lines grandpa was a pioneer kind of guy too. Made his living with trees, first cutting them and then growing them. Everything he did was with the same mindfulness we used on the farm. His yard and landscaping were perfect. The fence was always painted and the tools were all put up. Tools were like gold, they hung on a wall in the garage with every one in it’s designated spot. In both of these situations there was rarely a word of instruction, what I learned was all from observation. The question I still ask is what made me take notice of all these things. Photo © My one room school
The Frontier View 