Birddogman
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 p.269 #13 · Sony RX1, RX1R, RX1R II and RX1R III Image Thread | |
Just beautiful images, folks! I don't check in here too often, but am always humbled by what I see here.
Three weeks out from surgery and, rather to my amazement, I’m back to 100% - been doing 5-10 mile daily runs with the dogs in rough mountain terrain with very little pain for over a week now, shooting clays again, taking photos again. Either the surgery wasn’t as bad as I had been lead to believe, or the doc did a superb job; or both. Regardless, I’m not complaining!
Now that I’m feeling strong and am able to drive it again, I decided to get the little hot-rodded open two-seater out of the barn to tear up some country roads and to photograph the oldest barn in the County. It was built around 1730 in the medieval Germanic style to replace a log barn; and is still in use.
Inside looking out – the arched doorway is a very early PA Dutch (Pennsylvania German) architectural feature:
This barn is part of what is said to be the best and most complete mid-18th century PA Dutch farmstead in existence – the Kaufman farm. Unfortunately, the place has been abandoned for years. The manor house (center distance below) was built in the 1760’s and would (with the application of a million dollars or so) make an incredible mansion today – has dressed stone on the front. The original stone house (right foreground) and spring house (left foreground) replaced earlier 1720’s log structures built when the land was first settled and cleared and are a good bit older than the manor house. There is also a very old summer kitchen (far right distance). Given their age, the farmstead and barns (there are three) are still in good shape, but none of them have been modernized.
There are a lot of bad things about the modern world, but there are lots and lots of good things, too. One of them is unlimited access to information by anyone from anywhere. I did a little research on the Kaufman place and found an interesting tibit. I thought I’d share, because it puts a human face on the old place – a place where human hopes and dreams were played out. Mathias Jrion was an immigrant from the Palatinate area of Germany (as were many of the PA Dutch) who arrived in Philadelphia on October 11, 1732 aboard the sailing ship “Pleasant” (James Morris Master) from Rotterdam. Church records of Tuttlingen in Talheim, Germany show that Matthias was married January 29, 1731 to Maria Magdalena Pfister. Magdalena was one of the 102 women and children on board the Ship Pleasant. Imagine that hardships of that voyage! The cost of Matthias’ passage was paid by David Kaufman, the owner of this farm. In those days, human resources were rare and precious. The following was Matthias’ Indenture to repay David Kaufman for the cost of passage:
This Indenture made the first day of November In the year of our Lord one-thousand
Seven hundred & thirty two. Witnesseth that Matthias Jrion late of Durlach in Germany ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ for & in Consideration of the Sum of Sixteen Pounds & Nineteen Shillings lawfull money of Pensilvania [paid for] his passage from Holland to Philadelphia in the province of Pensilvania of his own free & Voluntary Consent Doth bind himself a Servant unto David Kaufman of Oley in the County of Philada & province aforesaid. To serve him his heirs Execrs Adminrs or assigns from the day of the date hereof the full Term of Three years & Nine Months ~ ~ Thence next Ensuing to be fully Compleat & Ended During all which sd Term the said Servant his sd Master his heirs Execrs adminrs or assigns faithfully and honestly shall serve and the sd Master his heirs Execrs adminrs or assigns During the sd term of three years & nine months ~ ~ shall find & provide for the sd servant sufficient Meat Drink apparel washing & lodging fitting for a servant during the sd term and after the expiration of the sd term give the sd Servant two suits of apparrel one whereof to be new ~ And for the true performance of all & Every the sd Covenants & agreements Either of the sd parties binds himself unto the other firmly by these presents. In witness whereof they have Interchangeably herunto set their hands & seals. Dated the day & year first above written ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ David Kaufman
Sealed & Delivered In the presence us us } John Astancad [?]Jnr [and] Henry Pastorius
At the end of these years of service, Matthias received a horse, a saddle and bridle, and two suits of clothes from Kaufman. He probably help to build the barn seen above.
Who says you can’t be a wildlife photographer with a fixed 35mm lens? You just need to be (using best Elmer Fudd voice here) werry, werry, qwiet. When I saw this pretty young lady, fortunately the dogs were busy investigating somewhere else, or they would have scared her off. I was able to sneak up on her very carefully to get close enough for a decent shot:
The wood duck pond way back in the woods on my place in late summer with green duckweed in full bloom. It looks like you could walk across this pond. You cannot!!
Old one room schoolhouse in a peaceful little valley carved out by “my” trout stream as it goes through the mountains.
Finally, one of the many covered bridges in this area. This one has a hex sign. In PA Dutch, “hex”, loosely translated means “magic”. It can be good or bad magic; and “hex” can be a verb or a noun. The hex signs are supposed to keep the evil spirts/black magic away and to bring one good luck.
Thanks for looking!
Greg, Chase and Joy
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