Of Cow Stanchions & Old Rocks...

Spring...so glorious.

It's time to go to the new barn and dig out goodies we've salvaged from the old barns on this old place...

And this year I'm showing an old barn door of some sort with a rusty old cow stanchion leaning against it. Those heavy iron and wood stanchions were lined with what I think is oak, because these things weigh a ton. I can imagine the farmer's arms being very muscle-bound with blue veins popping after fastening up the dairy herd in these every morning and evening.

(I would love more information on these old stanchions if anyone knows about them. I wonder if they're still made basically the same way or not. I love ours and saved every one of them. I think they go perfectly with the sign Dee made with the rooster hanging from a hook at the top of the old door.)

This whole display sits in our little front garden, behind a GIGANTIC old rock that came from our yard that has been here forever and ever. It had to be moved when the house was remodeled but I couldn't stand to get rid of it; it now sits by one of the front doors for everyone to see.

Our cats have always loved to stretch out on it in the sun while warming themselves, or perching on top, very alert and watching the garden for a mouse. It's a trough for them (and an occasional bird, too) as they will lick water from the puddles that form in its big crevices after a refreshing spring or summer rain.

I love this old rock too. Something about it speaks of OLD and SOLID. I'm glad we decided to let it be dug on up moved here to hold a place of prominence.

Before it was moved, most of the rock was under the ground and one could only see about the top third of it. And now the WHOLE big beautiful thing is on display, it's the size of a small kitchen table.

I never get tired of the surprises and stories that old farm places offer. I try to hold onto the stories and learn as much about our place as I can.

Sadly, we only have one outbuilding left-- but we thought it was important to have saved as much of the interesting relics from the barns, coops and sheds as possible. They all take turns to be on display this way.

The barns were in the worst condition...as they were much older than our house, as the barns were put up first while the founding family that built this house lived in a log cabin just a small distance away.

The house was the last and least important thing in the order of priorities for a full-time farmer in the late 1800's.