Sunday, January 17, 2016

Treasures from the Gorge



Treasures don't always come from a store,
the one above came from a small gorge on our property.


There, beyond the shadow of the tree on the left,
between the folds of two hills is a gorge that previous owners
used as a dumping ground.

It's about halfway between our house and our waterfall.

[See HERE for a post on my old blog showing our waterfall.]





Our youngest son Defee found the tall part of the fireplace set five years
ago in the gorge and used it as a mantel ornament in their first house.




And on New Year's Day of this year Defee found the grate of the
fireplace set in the gorge and took it home.

We were so surprised when he cleaned it and saw that it perfectly
matched and fit the tall piece he's had for five years!




Our daughter-in-law will use the fireplace set in their garden
where the cast iron piece will become a garden treasure.

And when Defee comes home again he will, as always, 
explore Valley View's Gorge to find new treasures.

I laughed when he texted me today that his "fantasy career
is to be an Indiana Jones type archeologist."

Maybe he'll do something with this next time he comes home.
Recognize this name?


It's another treasure from the gorge at Valley View...



It's an old Enterprise gas stove!

Seems a shame not to rescue it, doesn't it?



Some of my prettiest vases have come from that gorge,
old soda pop bottles that sons and grandsons have brought
me over the years.

And that fireplace thingy that Defee found?

Surely it once stood in the old fireplace that's in our office.
It's been closed up since R.H. took out the old wood stove we once heated with.



Here's a secret: Maybe I should throw some treasures in the gorge just
to entice children and grandchildren to come back home and find.

23 comments:

  1. Well, aren't you the lucky lady? I have never found anything in our yard or near it, except actual garbage! Now I am off to peek at your waterfall and your old blog...interesting! :)

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  2. That's so neat. It really is a nice fireplace surround. It looks old. xoxo Su

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  3. so many cool treasures waiting to be found!!

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  4. I so like the idea of you hiding little treasures for your family to find. And then they will find something unexpected and amazing and never believe that it wasn't you :-)
    Amalia
    xo

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  5. Love this story. What a great piece that will be in the garden! My son-in-law's sister found a cast iron bathtub buried in her backyard a couple years ago. She fully intended to pull it out and restore it, but I'm not sure if she ever did.
    Rita

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  6. Well, I did go back on your older post and enjoyed my walk 'Valley View to the waterfall...' Thank you.

    It's always great to find special treasures that can be put to good use ... and don't we all whatever age like a 'treasure hunt'!

    Have a good week

    All the best Jan

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  7. I love "found" treasures! As I write this, we are in Tennessee driving north to Missouri ( where we are from) for a couple of days then on home to Iowa. I love the South and would like to spend more time seeing the sites. I will wave again when we get to Nashville.

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  8. 4 non-working coal fireplaces in our home. One, in my office, is a white version of the brown you show.......and closed up exactly the same way. Haven't looked behind the board, the other 3 fireplaces have their original iron pieces, and each unique. I know we must insulate each fireplace in a zillion ways !

    Happy 2016 !!

    Garden & Be Well, XO T

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  9. How fun to own property with a story! It always makes me think that our grandparents are scratching their heads at the things we find desirable now!

    Leslie Anne

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  10. Dewena,
    Very, very interesting and what finds! Growing up, we didn't have the "gorge," we had the woods along the river. Those woods were the home for so many artifacts and mysterious pieces to long forgotten homes and vehicles. You make me want to go back and take a look around again...maybe this Summer.
    xo
    Jemma

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  11. playing your part in the history of valley view! lovely.
    I wish I had a sense of place like that.
    I think it would be very calming and deep in a way that nothing else is. like tara was for scarlet.
    that's what moving constantly in one's childhood and life does... it robs the architecture of our inner land.
    oh dear. drama queen here.
    that sad mud got deep awfully fast! LOLOL!!!!
    all I needed to say is..
    what a great post. and now I'll go look at your wonderful waterfall again. I love it! XO♥

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  12. You have a treasure trove from that gorge! it's sort of like a time capsule. Your son makes me smile...Nothing bad about wanting to be like Indiana Jones!

    Stay warm...I appreciated your comment today. :)

    Jane x

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  13. I have never understood why people think it's ok to use our natural landscape as a dumping ground! I have found all sorts of things in the woods behind my old house....and I'm sure there are many things to be discovered at my new house as well, once I get time to hike the property!! Amazing treasure, that fireplace surround....I'm glad it was rescued!

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  14. What a complete treasure trove!! Those are always the best places to find special treasures. I always like to imagine what was going in when they left these things behind or just dumped them. Maybe I could find a bed there! ;-) Love and hugs to you!

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  15. What treasures you found. It is so nice that they get to be used and loved once again. If only they could talk. My husband was a bottle digger. He brought home the most amazing things from his digs.

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  16. Hi, How fun!! My parents farm has an old dumping grounds as well. We treasure hunt every Spring. I have found some crocks, old pails, cups, bowls and toys. It is great fun. The boys found an old Phillips 66 gas sign!! What a score. Some one did shoot it up. But my boys loved it, bullet holes and all. They hung it up in the tree house.
    Carla

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  17. What fun to have a place to hunt for treasures right on your own property. It would be fun to come up with stories about how pieces got there and what kind of life they had in days before.

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  18. You know me Dewena, I'd be out there all day every day until I found every last treasure and put it back in the house. I'd even try to fix the stove LOL

    I'm so glad you had such a lovely holiday season with all of your family. Everyone looked so happy and well they should with you there :)

    Love to you and hugs, my friend.
    rue

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  19. Love your post.... Treasure hunting is something the hubster and I really enjoy. Lori

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  20. The only thing I've found in our yard is dog poop :/.

    I don't understand why people think it's ok to dump stuff like that, but I suppose if one doesn't respect the earth then why not? Needless to say it must be interesting for you and your family to explore the gorge...you never know what treasures you'll find, and it must be pretty cool to rescue something that can actually be used again.

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  21. Wonderful! Everyone needs a gorge filled with unexpected treasures. This reminds me of a dry creek bed behind my childhood playmate's house. It was filled with old furniture, an ancient mantel clock, pottery and other assorted things that we rescued and arranged into a pretend house. Such fun. Fond memories. xo ~ Nancy

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  22. Wow, that is an amazing find! You're all doing a good thing by rescuing those treasures!

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