¾ inch of rain.   

Species planted: Monarda punctata, Helianthus decipetala, Agastache scrophularifoliae,

As we hike through the woods, there are layers of evidence of previous land owners’ usage of these woods and fields over the past two hundred years.  There are many terraces, generally placed on either side of large drainages, to make agriculture possible on this hilly terrain.  There are remnants of  irrigation canals here and there, to channel water and direct it to crops.  

Garden persistent...
Possibly a pot boiler?

A few days ago Mike and I were in the vicinity of the lost well, looking for artifacts from the previous owners of the well, when we came upon this clump of daffodils.  In the middle of the woods, half a mile from the road.  The flowers are dainty, small with delicate strap shaped leaves.  They look nothing like the new varieties offered in catalogs. There must have been a house here, many years ago.  Daffodils don’t get planted in the middle of cornfields;  they are planted near a home, generally in front of the house where visitors can see them.  There are no overt signs of a house.  This area had been heavily terraced many many years ago, probably when the well had been dug.  Now there are mixed hardwoods, oak and hickory and large resprouted pines left over from the pine plantation.

Further down the drainage, a few days later, Mike and I found this artifact on the right.  It has small, hand forged iron cleats attached with forged rivets.  Could it be a pot boiler?  Or a milk can?  The diameter of the tip ring is approximately 16 inches.  Cleats would be an important detail for anything that had pressure building up inside of it.  Anyone have any ideas?

 

 

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