Wednesday, August 22, 2007

As Promised ... Prairie Pictures - South Dakota

This is a long one ... so keep going ...






Wow ... let me start by saying ... I could NEVER have been a Prairie homesteader ...
The Government would give you 160 acres for $18 ... all you had to do was live there 5 years or forfiet your $18 ... I would have paid them $20 to not have to try. These people were called Sodbusters as they built using sod. There was plenty of it as the buffalo grass sprouted from densely tangled roots giving the top three inches of soil a tight consistency.
Because they couldn't grow things with much success ... they raised cows ... it took 20 acres to support 1 cow.

This kettel was used for cook down lard and boil chickens etc.



6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi, Aunt Beth -

I love the blog! And I check in on you every day. It is a nice lunch break. :-) It looks and sounds like you are having a great trip! Keep up the pics, I really like them! Boiling chickens... real glad I never have to do that!

Big Hugs!!
Beth

Unknown said...

I don't think that boiling the chickens would be so bad...

Plucking them - now that's a different story!

It sure looks sparsely populated out that way...

May said...

Well at least the kettle is beautiful! I don't think I like the sound of boiling or plucking chickens. That gives me the goosebumps! I loved the picture of the prarie dog though. So cute!!

Anonymous said...

hello! you take really beautiful pictures! what kind of camera do you have? not that i think it is only the camera! :-) i loved Daniel Boone's house; i'd love to have a house facade like that!
This is such a great idea to do this blog!
Continue to have a wonderful time!
Love, Erin

Cathy said...

Tell you what. Those pictures make me think - How can I EVER have a bad day? I mean of course we find it charming - rustic, but like you said Beth - if I HAD to live there - just shoot me.

Beth said...

Loving the comments! I'm afraid I would have remained in the EAST before I would have boiled or plucked chickens or anything else for that matter!

I am in love with my new camara ... it is a Sony Cyber-shot 8.1 mega pixels.