I had to pick up a lot of limbs from the wind and rain yesterday morning, so I was glad to have a sturdier structure to be inside than a covered wagon during a storm. The pioneers were a brave bunch of people to travel west all those miles in just a covered wagon, carrying all their belongings and food to make a start a new life.
Covered Wagon
With the number of times I got wet today, I feel a bit old and rusty like some of these old pieces of equipment.
Wall of Retired Equipment
With more snow predicted, the winter time rate might be fairly cheap on the birdhouse cottage, but it might take some shoveling to find the door.
Birdhouse Cottage
In the middle of a very long barn wall, a barn door allowed its owner passage for years. Now the door and barn is feeling its age much like the weary farmer but I wonder what stories it could tell. Did it have a barn warming party after it was first built? Did it host a barn dance? How many critters did the barn shelter over the years.
Passage Through Old Barn Door
I don’t think any school kids will be using this outhouse behind an old school during recess as I think it has seen too many kids and has weathered one too many years.
Outhouse Out of Commission
Watching the snow come down this morning makes it look more like Christmas than approaching Thanksgiving. I suppose some are happy to see the snow but I’m not ready for snow yet this year.
Winter Is Coming
This rake might have to come out of retirement since there is a lot of leaves on the ground to clean up after a windy week. The rake will be ‘re-tired’, as well as person using it, after this fall’s leaf cleanup.
Re-tired Rake
It doesn’t look like this old tow truck has to report to work for the start of a work week as it appears it would need a tow itself to do so.
Need a Tow
Old metal retired from working still provides value as decoration. It took me a while to figure out the writing near the star since with a picture you can’t do an etching to raise the lettering but by playing with contrast and other setting, I finally was able to read the word STAR on top and then Wilcox Mfg Co, Aurora, ILL, Pat.d June 1886.
The Wilcox Manufacturing Company started in 1880 and was purchased in 1910 by the Richards Company (which started in 1870) and formed the Richards-Wilcox Company which is still manufactures specialty door hardware and overhead conveyor systems. An ad in the Farm implement news buyer’s guide dated 1906 for the Wilcox Mfg Co lists these items; barn door hangers, house door hangers, hardware specialties, wagon jacks, emery grinders, wire stretchers, loose and mounted grindstones.
Old Star
Close up of the old metal logo.
I didn’t peek inside this birdhouse, which is in the mouth of an old hand planter, to see if occupied or not, especially when I had a cat as an escort in the yard while taking pictures.
Planted Birdhouse
