Farm Journal

Thoughts and images from life at Foster Road

Entry: April 1, 2009

Journal Entries

Old Photos

Last weekend I tore layers of old linoleum off the bedroom floors. Underneath, I found wide-planks of wood, some as broad as 20 inches, even grained and nearly knot free. Hands once laid these floors, around 1830 I’m told. And hands then covered them up, probably in the 1930’s judging from the raisin-brown and nude-beige colors of the checkerboard pattern. Now my hands will take it back down yet again to restore the newly popular old-house charm.

Taking break, I poked around in the unfinished crawl space again. Here I’ve found a vintage child’s bed and many small items. But this time I spotted a bit of cardboard peeking up from the cottony insulation scattered between the rafters.

A small collection of old photos was tucked together, uncovered but dry, and in good condition for their age. Are they images of previous owners? Or a collector’s stash, interesting but unrelated to this place?

Are they a family? The clear-eyed young couple seem to be dressed in late 19th century garb, while the young man’s wider lapels seem to date from a later time. The blonde child in spats and leggings looks turn-of-the century, but I’m no expert.

So here’s the story I’ve made up: The couple bought the farm when they married and had this photo taken to commemorate the auspicious year. A few years later they built the barn (dated 1900 over the door) and had a precious daughter, a very well fed child, who tragically died in childhood. Or joined the circus.They later had a son, whose portrait was taken just before he headed out west to California where he made his fortune in oranges. Or he lived here in Auburn for the rest of his natural life.

All I can be sure of is that, in all likelihood, they are no longer with us. The only time we get to love the ones we love is now. So, carpe diem. And back to the linoleum.