thought this was a cool picture

[digitS']

My grandfather's final home was built from logs right on the Fraser River in British Columbia. It wasn't much more than a cabin and he and my grandmother moved there after their 9 children were all grown, about 1943. My grandfather died in 1953.

There was some land associated, a little barn and my grandmother's Victory garden, planted in the shape of a "V." Grandma always had flowers, whether she had anything else, but I imagine she did. The perennial flowers were still there 15 years later.

Purchased by the neighbor in the little community of Hope, no one had lived there in all that time. I remember being impressed by seeing her flowers, just as I had seen her in her flower garden, years before. Of course, I wonder if there still might be an iris or a hollyhock . . .

Steve

 

[lesa]

Neat contrast...mother nature not quite ready to quit on that house! I have done so many renovations in my life- a couple of the houses almost that bad... Nothing beats the feeling of bringing them back!

 

[catjac1975]

The oldest house in town is owned by an old woman who lives 2 hours away. Her brothers all live near here. She used it very little as a summer place and it was awarded to her in a lengthy court battle. The brothers got some of the surrounding land. There are barns, sheds, fields, etc.The interior was never finished but, that was how many old timers lived. The house has been left to rot the roof has caved in, in parts. The family greed has left what could have been a landmark return to the earth. They have this need to keep it but barely use it. The brothers at least hay the old fields. That's what happened when no one believed in wills. They thought the promises were enough between siblings.

 

[Smart Red]

Sad!

 

[journey11]

My favorite area to mushroom hunt has several old homestead sites where we've "adopted" many lonely perennials over the years, mostly daffodils, peonies, irises and roses. The daffodils have naturalized and spread until they've just about taken over. It makes you wonder--those plants have so outlived their previous owners, and they may just outlive me too!

(A rusty wrought iron bed and an old well/spring head in the background.)

(It is an absolutely enchanting thing to see this field of daffodils in full bloom. Like fairies ought to be living out here!)

I'm still picking flowers on my dad's farm that were planted by my great-great-grandmother. My dad's old farmhouse is dilapidated too, although he did try to fix it up, it was just in too bad of shape. An old house will become uninhabitable in relatively few years with no maintenance and upkeep. I imagine for most cases, the expense of having them demolished is prohibitive. My dad won't tear the old farmhouse down for sentimental reasons too. He grew up there. But I can't help but think how nice the farm could be if it were torn down and no longer an eyesore.

 

[Jared77]

Beautiful pictures......

I used to work for the city of Detroit. Ran a lot of calls into homes like that where people were forced to take shelter from the elements. I remember this one place that looked like that roof collapsing in covered with a red climbing roses. In bloom it was hauntingly beautiful. Reminded me of something I would expect to see in a fairy tale like sleeping beauty.

It's a shame to see that happen but I know I lack the resources (time, money to name a few) to tackle a project anything near that.