plenty to do

March 5, 2022

my thoughts for today

On Wednesday, March 2, I was out gathering up sticks and small branches that have come down over the last couple of weeks. Nothing abnormal, it happens every winter, but this year there does seem to be more than usual. I was working on the lower end of the property, while my boyfriend was on the upper end of the property splitting wood. As I was picking up the branches, I noticed a small pine had come down which then drew my eyes to the poplar – pictured below.

It’s huge!
It must have come down at the same time the black cherry and maple came down, during the wind storm a couple weeks ago. I never noticed it because it’s out of the way.

My boyfriend finished splitting the wood yesterday, so he took the chainsaw down and started cutting this one up today. By the way, as of today, I still haven’t used the splitter. I will, soon, but not yet.

I wasn’t outside doing a whole lot today, I had a headache – on the verge of migraine, so I stayed inside where it was warm and tried to sleep it off. Tomorrow, I will be outside. It’s supposed to be warmer, so that will be a huge help. For me anyway.

While I was out there, I found this…

It’s kind of hard to see, but it’s an old fence post with old, wire fencing wrapped around it.

I have lived here, on this property, for nearly 32 years…this is the first time I have ever seen this fence post! I couldn’t tell you how many times I have walked by, never noticing it. And I have been all over this property… The tree coming down helped clear things away, I guess.

Anyway, almost exactly where the tree fell, there used to be an old roadbed, that went to my neighbor’s farmhouse to the main road leading from Middletown to Frederick. The property I live on now probably belonged to the farm at one point, a long, long time ago. Like, two hundred years ago. So, this fence post probably kept the animals in the field and off the “road”. When the interstate went in, access to this area changed. At one point, this property belonged to Seventh Day Adventists (they have sense moved). The building was originally on the other side of the interstate, and I guess it didn’t make much sense to have property on either side of the interstate, so they eventually sold it – which is how this house got here. I’d have to look at the county maps throughout the years, but I’m almost willing to bet that this property was originally farmland. Well, if you go back far enough the area where I live was considered “no man’s land” or “wild country”, but that’s a post for another day. Maybe! Native Americans didn’t even have any permanent residence here, only traveling here to hunt and fish – from what I understand. It was too rough, especially in the winter, even for them. There are some Native American names – Catoctin, Monocacy, Potomac – but they came from the Native Americans that traveled here, not because of any permanent residency.

Anyway, I’m sure if I did some digging around/near the fence post, I’d find some interesting stuff. I’ve already dug up old barb wire, old horseshoes, broken glass and pottery, railroad spikes from the old trolley that ran between my house and the neighbors…. while transplanting trees. But I am definitely leaving the fence post, as a remnant from yesterday.

I do have some old county maps from the 1940’s, I think. I guess I should dig them out and see what I can figure out. It is unlikely that there are any Civil War relics buried here…my dad said years ago, when we still lived in the old farmhouse that treasure hunters came knocking once asking for permission to check for any kind of relics. They didn’t find anything…but who knows! I have found horseshoes, and with the rains we’ve had over the last couple years…. maybe, just maybe, there might be something.

hope you have a great day!
thanks for stopping by!!

You are not the darkness you endured.
You are the light that refused to surrender.
~ Rachels Heart