Parked

Just where they left it . . . 

That Old Cross Tie Fence

Or maybe you remember that old cross tie fence that meandered by that ancient oak tree and the azaleas  that bloomed each spring.

The Front Gate is Always Open

The front gate is still open - although is may need a "little" work. 

An old barn

Snowy Morning

Snowy morning on the farm.

Sometimes, It's the Smallest Things

Sometimes it's the odd things we remember, like that small chair that was always on the front porch.

old place

Some call them "Hoarders", they prefer to call themselves "collectors".

locked

Locked and shuttered and full of memories.

Pepsi sign

Discards. They don't paint signs like this any more.

Keeping the Haints Out

Then there are the homes with the traditional indigo blue around the doors and windows to keep the haints out. This Gullah tradition is now rarely seen. Even if I do not know the home owners, I try to photograph these if I come upon one.

Old Family Store

The old family store.

Cows Come Home

Cows coming in on a misty morning.

Before and After the Fire

This home was built around 1860, only to burn to the ground in 1908.

Luckily someone photographed it when it was rebuilt in 1910 because it burned again in 1970, never to be rebuilt. (This is Tanglewood mansion in Pendleton, SC)

And now, below is what remains today.

House, All Alone

Sometimes it seems like all that is left is the house, literally, sitting there in the field by itself.

The Country Road

Misty morning under the oaks.

Front Walk

The front walk on a spring morning.

Old Porches and Shutters

Bottles

There were always bottles. Drinks out of a can just don't taste the same.

Front Gate

Just start at the gate and work your way down the drive, you'll be coming home every time you look at it.

The Old Wagon

Is the old wagon still in the shed out back?

Old Studebaker

What about that old Studebaker out back? Is it still there?

Th'ol Wooden Bench

Was it for story time or where you sat and listened to the tales of the land and your family or just memories of your first love?

Things Left Behind

Walking around there are surprises everywhere. Who needs a boat shed?

Some Things We Choose Not to Remember

Maybe some memories we thought were just figments of our imagination. Certainly not at our house. But there it is - in living color. Embrace the humor and the heritage.

Done Plowing

I saw this tractor in someone's front yard. It reminded me of my Granddaddy. He only used John Deeres. But, his were always in the shed and now my uncle uses them on the farm.

Mama's Zinnias

Remember Mama's garden in the front yard. She would always cut the Zinnias for the dinner table.



And, her flower boxes in full bloom.

Just Waiting There

There was always that boat waiting to go fishing. 

How the Times Change our Perspective

When you were a child it was a place of wonder, where you spent many an afternoon playing in the barn, riding the old horse (or mule), following your father (or grandfather) around outside or your mother (grandmother) around in the kitchen, In your teen years maybe it was just an "old" place. But now, isn't it special? And, if those walls and fences could talk (or not!)

The Log Cabin

Some are lucky enough to still have the log cabin that has either been in the family for generations or some generation of the family lived in it eons ago. Wouldn't you want to have a personal pictorial account for your family?

The Old Table Out Back

Maybe there was an old table in the shed behind the house where you used to play or Dad (or Granddad) worked at.

Country Roads

When creating the family album, don't forget the old dirt road before it is paved and changed forever.

Sunrise over the Family Pond

Maybe it was where you first learned to swim, or where your Dad or Granddad taught you to fish. While it is still as natural and beautiful as you remember, why not preserve the beauty.


Sunrise over the pond

Preserving History

Sometimes a building may be hundreds of years old, with so much history. Hopefully, you can save the memory with priceless images just in case something happens tomorrow.

Pastoral Fields

When family land is converted into a subdivision or commercial property, wouldn't it be special to have an album (or portrait) as you remembered it as before. For example, this pastoral setting before the developers came, just as it had been for generations. We can't stop progress but we can preserve our memories of the past.