A Harrowing Experience

Although much work is being done inside the cottage this week, I thought I would share with you some of the exciting treasures I found on my daily woodland walks. Most recently I came across an old, weathered ladder hidden beneath an ancient pine on the edge of the meadow. 

I assume the ladder was once used by a hunter when he climbed up to his tree stand to wait for a passing deer. I think it's beautiful and I will prop the ladder up on the wall in the bedroom in order to reach up to the new attic loft we recently created. 

   

I also found a vintage can of Stanley's Crow Repellant, lying in the field. The can looks like something that a farmer used back in the 1930's. I did a little research and found that the ingredients were basically tar and water. The farmers were instructed to pour the goop on their corn seeds and then plant them, thus rendering the seeds unpalatable to pesky crows and other critters. 

The most exciting thing I found so far though, was an old harrow. Although rusted and tangled, it is still in good, solid shape. It will make a wonderful sculpture piece at the cottage some day. It is probably a cast off from the 1930's or 40's, most likely from the same farmer that used the 

Crow Repellant. 

This old harrow was probably pulled behind a horse or mule and used to level and smooth the soil of the corn field.    

         This is how it looked when I found it. 

                       This is a photo I found online of the same type of harrow but in usable condition.

With Michael's help, I loaded the old harrow in the back of the tractor and brought it up to the cottage.

I just love the big iron C's it's made out of! Perhaps I'll hang some on the wall to represent Catch Meadow Cottage, my initials CCM or Michael's last name which begins with a C. How fun!

  Today we are planning to do a lot more work inside the cottage but first we are headed out for a lovely Sunday morning hike on the nearby trails that lead through the pine forest. I wonder what else we will find!

                                                                Have a beautiful Sunday!