Old Pictures

A quiet Saturday, because I was able to get errands done the last three days while off in the afternoons.  I spent the morning at the vet, with follow-ups for Gertie's eyes and Jenny's upper respiratory infection.  It is lingering on, and we were advised to keep up the "spa treatments", the humidifier treatments in the bathroom where she spends an hour in the humidified air. For the first time that I can remember, the vet's office actually turned away people by 11 AM in their walk-in clinic, since only Dr. Holly was on duty.  We had managed to get there early enough that we were able to be seen.  Keith prefers appointments, and stays away from walk-in day, but I wanted to get the two little girls checked. 

I do wonder, however, why people persist in bringing their pets unleashed or even worse, in the case of cats, unkenneled into the vet.  I watched an elderly couple squirm with two half-grown kittens while three very big dogs barked and yiped at them for 30 minutes, the kittens petrified and scratching and climbing all over them while we all waited.  Jenny laid patiently in her little travel kennel, used to the trips back and forth, and resigned to being poked by Dr. Holly. 

Enough of the bandstand, I'm sorry.

I have been looking at old pictures tonight.  I buy them when I see them on my antiqueing expeditions.  I love to wonder about who the people were, and what they did the second the bulb flashed and they were able to go about their business, interrupted by the photographer. 

I suspect, from the style of hat on the girl's head, that this is from the early thirties.  Look at the collie dog sitting adoringly by her knees, and how proud they are of their three hard-working horses.  I think a lot of people had grade draft horses like these... you would almost think they were carriage horses, but look at the hooves on the one nearest the camera.  Was it their dad who was taking the picture of his children and his four proudest possessions, his workhorses and his dog?

This picture was obviously torn out of a family album.  I can barely make out writing on it's back... naming the participants, and even the shepherd dog (Jackie)  so proudly sitting on the chair in the middle.  Is the lady on the right expecting?  I can make out from the torn backing (I am afraid to pull it off for fear of damaging the photo) that it was a new windmill. 

Same family, with a large barn in the back, and horse and buggy proudly displayed, out of the same album, and I am afraid, again, to tear the backing from the picture, though I can see writing.

The back of this picture reads: "I took this at ten o'clock at night by flash light".

The girl in the middle is especially pretty.

The children in this photo, sadly fading, are holding a baby rabbit. 

This says:

"A picture of our house on the farm, from the front".  What a wonderul old house it was, with vines growing up the porch arbor, windows to bring in the light, and shade tree in the front yard.

And this, my favorite, two little boys, sitting on their porch swing.  Where did they live?  One is barefoot, and one with shoes on, but clearly appear to be brothers.  Lace curtains hang in the window... and a wicker chair on the porch.  Did their mother or father take this picture while they held still for a moment on a summer's day?  They were clearly laughing... and I wonder if they got up and ran off after holding still long enough for the picture.  There is no name on the back to identify them, but they were lovely little boys.

I hope you enjoyed this look through the past with me.  As always, click on the pictures to enlarge them, so you can see the details.