Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Over the river and through the woods...{Part 2}


I mentioned yesterday that most of the town where my grandmother lives is somehow related to me. We have family that we see each time we visit, but we will also take the time to visit other people on a not-as-regular basis when we get the chance. This last trip gave us the opportunity to visit my grandmother's brother. He lives just a few minutes from her on land that their parents owned. He built his house by himself, with timber from the land. He and his wife own chickens that they raise for eggs and meat, and he hunts the land for deer, turkey, and quail. They grow vegetables and fruits for their whole family to enjoy. It is truly amazing how people in this day and age can be so disconnected from the digital world, but so connected to way things used to be. I find it fascinating, and truth be told, I am even a little jealous. It is such a simplistic and peaceful way to be.

Brother and sister. See the resemblance?

At least one of this duo was cooperating with me.


There had previously been four roosters, but of course they were battling for dominance. The other three became dinner and this one survived. Isn't he handsome?

Canon had a fantastic time exploring the area and discovering things that he had never seen before. We may not live in the country, but we see the importance of him learning certain aspects of of that lifestyle. Knowledge is power, after all. Who knows...one day he may have to live off of the land himself. At least it won't be completely foreign to him then.



Every time we visit my uncle and his wife, he takes us around his acreage in a modified golf cart. He chose this form of transportation, he says, because he feels it is safer for his grandchildren than a four-wheeler would be. He can't walk the entirety of the land anymore but still tills it and hunts it so he needs a way to get around.

On this particular trip, Canon and I tagged along. We learned the history of some of the land. We saw where people were buried, long before our family owned the land. In fact, the graves are unmarked, save for a few flat stones sticking up out of the ground. He pointed out the pine trees that he and his brothers planted so many years ago so that they could timber the land for money. He was able to tell us about every single type of bush and berry we came in contact with. He showed us where the American Indian reservation used to be and the fact that as a child he and his siblings used to find arrow heads and smoothing stones. They had contests to see how far they could be thrown, but he did manage to keep some.



I love visiting these two when we come up here. Not only do we hear fascinating, and often times humorous, stories of the past, but there is always so much to photograph as well.







I can't stop. I won't stop.


Stay tuned for the last installment of this trip later this week!



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