Would you like to take a walk through the homestead? Come along and I'll show you what we've been working on all this time. I hope you wore your walking shoes because its quite a piece down the driveway. I'll just give you a tour as we walk along. We can rest whenever you get tired.
Here we are at the deep dip in the driveway. On the left is a huge gully that the water rushes down when it rains. Beside the gully is the old home place that burned down in the 1800s. The only thing left is a pile of bricks where the foundation of the chimney used to be. The rest of the house burned completely. After that fire they moved up the hill to the other side of the property to build the newer house. I imagine that this spot was originally chosen because it was close to the spring which kept trips for water easier. I think they must have realized that there was just too much water rushing down the hill when it rains and decided to move.
There are still more blackberries all along here. In the summer we walk down the driveway and pick as we go along. We usually pick a gallon or two a day in the few minutes it takes to get to the end. Its a little shadier through the dip in the drive here because the limbs stretch across to each other. We've lined the sides of the driveway with white flint rock that we gathered from the land. We pick up rocks every year and after a seasons rains there are more that appear as if we never gathered them before. You gotta love red clay.
Here we are at the end of the driveway and you can see where the pasture opens up again. On the left is a small patch of persimmon trees here at the edge of the woods. They grow along this ridge and the deer and cows like to graze and gather free food as they go. If we can, we try to gather some persimmons for ourselves in the fall but the majority are eaten by the animals if we aren't quick. Some people don't appreciate them but they're a great source of free food.
Just down the hill and through the hardwoods here, you can see the pond. Lets go that way first. I always walk down the path by that big holly tree. The pond has catfish, bass, bream and crawdads. Its fed by a fresh spring and runs through to the creek which runs along the whole backside of the property. The spring is where earlier family got all their water. They hauled it uphill in buckets. Thankfully we have wells now but the spring is a good source of fresh clean water if we ever need it. The pond is wonderfully alive and you can see the cooters sunning on the fallen logs. There go the ducks tipping their tails as they forage under the surface in between swims and across the way on the dam are more ducks just enjoying the view. If you watch, you can see the skates zipping across the surface. THERE! Did you see that big bass cutting the water causing all those ripples? Sometimes when the dragonflies are out the bass will leap from the water and snatch them as they flit around. Its always fun to see even after all these years. Listen. If you're quiet you can hear the frogs gently croaking. Its still early but come summer on a quiet night you can really hear them as they croak and call to each other. A lazy summers evening down here at the pond is truly a symphony of nature and I like to sit beside this big old cedar and catch a stringer full of fish. Right now its winter and the pond is more quiet. The recent ice storm froze the surface and coated everything in white. You have to look harder for the signs of life this time of year. They are there though, waiting to wake up in the spring before the lazy days of summer.
Just above the pond, a little way down from where we came down is where we will build the house. For now, we have the travel trailers but the house will back up to the pond with a deck overlooking it and a long porch on the front to sit on and look up the rolling hills. The gardens are just over there beyond the homesite. I won't take you there today because its still winter and everything is sleeping. I have some changes to make there this spring and maybe we can come back there when its done. Its packed full of herbs, fruit trees and raised garden beds which help feed us on the homestead. I'm planning to move the fencing though and make it larger this year so lets save that for then.
We have to walk up hill now and the leaves can be slippery. They also hide holes where dead trees have rotted out. Be sure to watch your step. Those trees with the dried tan leaves down here by the creek are beach nut trees. They don't produce many nuts here in the south but the ones we get are good for food if the critters don't get them first. Now here are the mountain laurel and the dogwoods. Neither are blooming this time of year but in the spring they are the first things to bloom. The laurels are deadly poison but the animals leave them alone so we leave them here since they are beautiful when they bloom. The Cherokees used to use them for medicine but I wouldn't try it unless absolutely necessary. The dogwoods inner bark has been used for treating malaria as well as other ailments and the fruit is edible if its boiled first and the seeds are removed. It doesn't taste very good but it can be mixed with other fruits or sugar to make them less bitter. The young branches are what was used prior to the modern toothbrush. Peeling the bark back and chewing on the inner branch whitens and cleans the teeth.
Here is where the deer come across. They leap the fence and the creek where it narrows and forage on both sides. They drink from the pond and cross the property every day. In the evening, if you are still here before dusk, you can watch the deer as they cross at about the same time every day. Do you here that? Watch that tree. There it is. The squirrels hear us coming and hide on the backs of the trees but if we wait they will come down and rustle through the leaves searching for food. See they're peeping around the edge of the tree before they dart back tail atwitching. If you throw something to the other side they will pop around to this side hiding and a decent squirrel hunter can get enough for supper easily.
Would you like to rest here on this fallen tree? Just here behind this hill is where we target practice. The hill blocks the bullets from going anywhere as we shoot towards it. Its nice to be able to go out and keep in practice on a cool morning.
Look down around our feet. See those heart shaped leaves? That's wild ginger. Its not a true ginger and the leaves are poisonous but if you dig the roots they smell just like ginger and the roots are used in tea and as a spice in cooking. Over there is a creeping vine. The vine isn't edible but if you dig it up you'll find wild ground nuts. The roots are actually little tubers rather then actual nuts which were an important source of food in years gone by. Over there you can see the evidence of sweet gum trees. Just look at all those prickly burrs on the ground. The parts of the sweetgum tree are also powerful herb medicine.
I guess we had better move on or we will never finish this tour. If we follow the creek we will come across the spot where the bottom is covered with large smooth rocks. Its deep enough and wide enough here to stand upright and the banks are above our heads. In the hot summer, the snakes come out and lay on these rocks because the creek sometimes slows down to a trickle. In the banks are holes and caverns where animals have burrowed out their homes. We have possum, coons, beavers and foxes. When the trains run near here at night they blow their whistle for miles. When a certain train comes through the coyotes with their pups who run the creek howl. You can hear them echoing through the woods and if you're down here alone after dark it can get very creepy hearing their mournful howls. It always makes me hastens step when I'm down here and that happens. The hair on your neck stands up as you realize they are there, watching you, but you can't see them. It always makes you ready to call it a day and go on home. Perhaps we should head uphill now and see the rest of the place.
Just above here is the "family tree". Its a giant black gum tree many hundreds of years old. Just reach as far around as you can. Its so big that even the two of us can't touch hands while we stretch our arms around the trunk. So why do I call it the family tree? Look up. Right here on this side. Do you see all those initials going up the tree? Those are generations of family members who have carved their initials in the tree. Great great great grandfathers with the initials of their wives carved side by side. Each generation makes their way to the tree and as it has grown taller, the older generations initials move upward and the younger generation carves theirs underneath. Some of them are scarred and gnarly and others are smooth and faint. You can trace them with your fingers and wonder what each generation felt as they became a part of the long list. My husband and his sisters are there just under his parents initials. You can see that the carvings are newer but still done when they were children. So their initials are over 40 years old. Mine are the last and newest initials and were put there by my husband. Still they are almost 30 years old and scarred over by this time. When this place passes from us to the next generation they will surely find this tree and at some time they will make their own mark signifiying a new leaf for the old place.
So lets head up hill rather then follow the creek all the way to the corner. Up, up to the edge of the trees and here we are in the clearing. Behind us is the creek and the woods full of old white oaks. There on the left and up the hill are old cedars and young pines. Scattered here and there are more patches of persimmon trees. You can see the ridge up there where the old cross fencing used to be. The upper pasture is beyond that ridge and its all straight uphill to get there. You can just see the cows looking down towards us as we come into the pasture. Lets leave them in peace and take this path here. Its just wide enough to drive the truck through and nice and level for a walk. We'll head back towards the driveway but first we will pass more blackberries and the livestock. As we come out of the path from the pines, the pig pens are here on the right. The babies jump up as we startle them and the bigger pigs get up slowly and lean their noses on the fence to see if we are there to feed them. We can toss them some acorns and leaves and they will be happy with the offering as they talk to us when we pass.
In front of the goat pens is a piece of rich land that I will plant this spring. Beyond that are the chicken pens with the different breeds divided for hatching eggs. We have about twenty different chicken pens and in the center are the rabbits. You can see that the Muscovy ducks and free range chickens have seen us and they are coming for their evening corn. Let me stop and toss out a scoop for them or they'll follow us all over. The Guineas were startled because we came from the woods but they quiet right down as soon as they recognize me.
And here we are at the trailers. In front we built the patio and the outdoor kitchen. Its where I can and cook in the hot summer. Its where we smoke our meat and where I wash jars. It has a stove, smokers, grills, burners and cookers of all types, a campfire ring and an outdoor sink. Behind the trailers is the car shed where the tractors are parked and the generators are set up.
Over here is our shady spot where we sit and relax under the pines and holly tree. The goats are here to greet us and beg for a cookie. The cookies are in this plastic jar and they know it. Its in front of the outdoor shower and the clothesline but I think we will be moving the shower soon. I want to cover the kitchen area and place the shower closer to the outdoor kitchen.
I see we have some hot chocolate and tea waiting for us. The tour is finally winding down. We can sit and chat a spell as we enjoy our drinks and you can ask about anything I missed. I hope I didn't tire you out with all the walking and talking. Its all a work in progress and so much left to do. I hope you noticed that the homestead is more then just a garden and a chicken coop but something that is wild and natural too. It doesn't have to be manicured to provide food and medicine. Sometimes its more about knowing where to find it rather then bringing it in and planting it in tidy rows. Next time things will be blooming and it will probably be canning season so be ready. I might just put you to work!
Southern Wood Elf