This photo makes me sad. But a good sad. If that makes any sense.

I gotta know why you needed your brother along, and did your worst fears come true because he wasn't there?

Finally, I think your blog is virry educational.

hey, niffer, I think I know what you mean. I love these chimneys; I love stone, and I love the history. I am sad that the wonderful house that surrounded them is gone. There is a lot of that in those mountains -- once lovely old farmhouses abandoned, neglected until they couldn't be saved. I don't fully understand how that happens. I think there was a time when this land was not in my family, but my father bought it back many years ago, so my mom still lives on the property where these are.

Hey, are you a detective? How to answer your questions without having us both put in the witness protection program.... I wanted my brother, who is also my good friend, because I knew I'd have to interact with a family member who is, shall we say, "difficult," and I thought that Mike would serve as a buffer in that situation. My worst fears did not come true; all went as well as it could, under the circumstances. Thanks for your concern.

Virry educational? That makes me miss Mouse:(

That picture, with the caption, took my breath away. There's something about history and family legacy that is so...gosh, I can't even come up with a word. It gives me goosebumps.

I miss Mows too!

And thanks for the help with my profile picture! As you saw, it worked!

Well, I was all ready to leave a smart-aleck (and slightly dirty) comment, and you guys had to go and get all sentimental and crap.

I feel so out-of-place now.

Oh LadyBug - You ARE feeling contrary today, aren't you?

Susie - The picture is beautiful, and sad, too. I love structures like this; they speak of history. The fact that they're in your family makes them speak more for you I'm sure.

"Till only the chimney remained and stood intact." ~ A purty line from a horrendously long poem I memorized long ago.

Nice picture!
Do you think the farmhouse burned down? It looks like there are scorch marks on the chimneys, and it appears to be a second-growth forest in the background.
Here I go trying to analyze photographs again...

There is a lovely sadness in this photo. I really like it.

mamaramma, your observation troubles me. I had never considered the Santa thing. He must need to seek therapy after attempting a stop there: "I went down this chimney, and there was no house attached to it. Then I went next door and the same thing happened again..." Oh, dear.

andrea, thank you. The chimneys are such a part of my consciousness that I forget how striking they might appear to someone who doesn't "know" them. They are pretty spectacular, though, the way all those flat rocks are stacked, with very little to hold them together.
It is laughable to me, that I, the techno-dunce actually told you something helpful for your blog. Miracles do happen;)

pervLadyBug, I am unfamiliar with this "smart-alecky, slightly-dirty" phenomenon of which you speak. Certainly such things have never happened here on THIS blog; however, do go ahead with your observations, dear. Just what response do these TWO big, erect, rock-hard chimneys stimulate in you, LadyBug? Hmmmmm?

mrtl, I love things like this, too. I want them to talk, to tell me stories. Now you know you can't come here teasing me like that -- WHAT is the poem, and by whom?

sierrabella, you can analyze my photos any old day. I believe there was a fire. I remember the house from when I was a child, although I was never inside it then, it had already passed out of the family, and my parents hadn't yet bought it back. It was white with a wonderful wrap-around porch. There is a road that passes between our property and the trees you see in the background, although you can't really see that here.

summer, girl, so many ways I could respond to that. Yes, lovely and sad. And there is often the need for a poking stick;)

thank you, squirl, I'm so glad I posted this now; people (like you) really do seem to "get" what the chimneys have to say. Except for LadyBug; but you know how SHE is;)

Susie, the poem is "Honey" by Pam Ayers, a British commedianne. The poem is much too long to post here. I'll email it to you. (Not finding it online, so it'll be a while for me to type it all.)

As they say "Every picture tells a story" and this one certainly did. Very dramatic! I enjoyed your 'homecoming'. Made me feel like I was there!

blah, blah, blah, blah.

Ya'll need to stop over analyzing this picture. It's just good symetry and nice juxtopositioning. Nothing more, nothing less. No SAD! No STORY here...move along now. There's nothing to see here.

Lord, sometimes you gotta call it like you see it.

I'm just kidding ya'll...but hey, I've been all heavy and sappy over yonder and I just gotta let loose.

It really is a picture with a history that makes you look and wonder what the story is.

Susie,
Our family homestead is still defined back home by a barely visable foot print of a foundation. What let's you know that your there, is the old roses and fruit trees. I'm sure by now it's been demolished completely to make room for more homes. You're fortunate to have it still in your family. People out here have no connection to the land whatso ever.

wynn, thank you for visiting and for your kind words. I am humbled by your compliments, your being a "real" writer. I visited you, but comments wouldn't cooperate. Best of luck on your project, it sounds fascinating. Hope you'll visit again:)

greenie, you so crazy. I'm a little surprised that people there have no connection to the land; is it because most people are "new" to the area, not multi-generational? I have a rather strong connection to the land in these recent posts, but I think many people in my parents home region have an almost frighteningly inordinate sense of connection. You know, Hatfields and McCoys, property lines, etc.

Coolio! I love architecture. It's a shame about the house. What did it look like? DO you have photos still in the family or were they sadly sold at the church yard sale. (Sure hope not!)

laurenbove, the house was a large, two-story farmhouse style, with a wrap-around porch -- I would love to live in a house like that. I remember it from when I was very young and we would visit the area, although not the house. For some reason, a lot of the houses in that area were abandoned or neglected. It is a rural mountain area, and I think there may have been an exodus of people going north or west to look for work. I think the house burned, but it may just have been so neglected that it was demolished at some point, before my parents bought the land back. Your question makes me want to try to find out if there is, somewhere, a photograph of the house. Thanks for the idea!

Does someone know what those chimnies were used for? And why mack 2?