The Demise of My Parents’ Farm – 2022
To make a long story short, our worries about how to dismantle the farm after my parents passed were over when a neighbor bought the property to make it easier to access his farm.
The Cars
In May of 2022, the new owners brought in big machinery and cut the cars in half. They picked the halves up with a crane, emptied the contents into piles, and hauled off the metal.
The Big Burn
After all the scrap metal was gone, they set fire to the rubbish piles.
Eventually, they would set fire to the house with everything in it.
I was so taken by the simplicity of this solution, that I added a book of matches to my will. I wrote a note saying, “Open in case of death,” on the outside, and “Please feel free to torch my earthly detritus after I die. Camille,” on the inside.
Smoldering Foundation
A poignant reminder of my father’s unstoppable quest for literacy.
By November, the earth had healed. Brothers Jim and Joseph take in the familiar view from where their bedrooms once stood.
Other Farm Visits: