My favorite kinds of fences are made of field stones that were made into stone walls 250 + years ago.
The hands of early settlers to the new world worked hard to clear the hilly, wooded, very rocky land so they could grow crops and raise livestock.
It was not easy. It took dozens of years and generations of farmers to clear a good amount of land so they could grow enough food to feed their large families and have some to sell so they could pay their bills.
This area was considered the wilderness in the 1600's. There were forts, and many different cultures from different countries. Some at war with each other. Native Americans lived in these fertile valleys and grew their crops and hunted these woods, seasonally. This area has an important history and descendants of the original settlers still live in these small towns and villages.
So, every stone wall I see I think of the people who have worked these fields and woods in order to feed their families.
This farm has an old gist mill from 1760 on this property, making it the oldest mill site in Vermont.
The farmers hope to convert it to make electricity for their home and farm.
In my travels I see the repairs of the few covered bridges that survived the ravages of Hurricane Irene as she barreled up the state.
Here is one such fortunate one, somewhere in the Danville Vermont area.
So many 200 year old covered bridges were destroyed.
This one got a second chance.
There is another one in Woodstock Vermont that was 90% destroyed and is now being rebuilt.
I saw it last week, but it was dark and could not get a photo.
Here is the update on some of the
most well known bridges that are in the process of repairs
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