Discovering new adventures right out your own back door.
A couple years ago, I delved deep into the history of this property. I interviewed past land owners and went to the county courthouse to research owners going back 100 years. I never knew until now that something interesting sat on the foot print that my trailer now occupies.
After every rain storm, a little hillside by my carport erodes slightly and exposes glass shards. Begrudgingly, I collect and discard them all before any of the dogs can cut themselves.
I hypothesized it was a previous tenant who'd burned their trash maybe, at most, 20 years ago.
Oh so wrong.
I happened upon an amber Clorox bottle bottom.
They quit manufacturing them altogether in 1960. This one is from 1945.
The plot thickens.
I had found some old pavers buried almost a foot deep while I was planting shrubs around the house a few years ago. Now, I'm sure there was an old house here. They disposed of their trash as is the custom in these parts: throw it over the hill behind your house. My neighbors still carry on this time honored tradition... unfortunately.
They can't see it anymore, but I can. I don't despair, I fertilize the shrub row I planted 5 years ago in the hopes of obscuring the growing debris pile. Anyway, I have a great view out the backyard in the Winter time. My little tin can sits on a piece of Civil War history.
I can see clearly through the trees to a deep ravine that starts beyond my back fence. 160 years ago, Confederate soldiers entrenched themselves in earthen works there called Sandfort C.S.A., they dug into the ravine walls, allowing them to ambush any Union forces passing on the nearby road. To sustain themselves, they drank from the natural spring to this day feed the lakes on the property. A previous owner told me of the artifacts he had found around the source of the spring. He even told me of the tin cup he had left 30 years ago nestled in rocks at the source. I found it and buried it there for another budding archeologist to find in 30 more years.
Adventure, it's just out your front door.
