Delta derelicts

This old sharecropper and/or farm hand residence was once an important part of the Delta agricultural system. It made sense for farm workers to live on the farm since travel was not nearly as convenient as it is today. This one had ‘tar-paper’ siding which meant that someone cared about ‘keeping it up.’ Mechanization and certain crops moving off-shore put these old residences into disuse.

Click the barn to see more pictures

Down here in the Delta, we are not opposed to new ideas and concepts and despite some who may think differently, we are about as quick as anyone to grab “aholt” of  the “new and improved” ways and means conducting our daily lives.

And while we enjoy the benefits of the “new and improved,” some of us may be a tad slow in jettisoning the accouterments of the former “new and improved” ideas. This week we take a glance at a few of those. Also see more on this subject on the photo of the week page at Corndancer dot-com.

Not terribly far from the old house above you’ll see this old International tractor and trailer. In their heyday, they were as common on the road as pigeons on park statues. The power came from a big six-cylinder engine which was high on torque. This one, once it was retired, appears to have become a source of parts for similar vehicles. When a neighbor or relative needed a thingamajig, doo-dad, whatcahmacallit, or perhaps even a fremkin assembly they knew where to come.

This old two-row cotton picker was once someone’s pride and joy. The salesman was happy, the loan officer who financed it was happy and the new owner had a better way of harvesting his crop. Time has marched on and so has cotton for the most part, and the demand for two-row cotton pickers went in the tank a long time ago. I suspect someone was proud of the old ‘fridge as well. It appears that the Mother Nature disposal company will handle the final disposition of these.

Not everything in the neighborhood was old. This Angus calf and I shared a moment on the close by levee. They are accustomed to pickup trucks and if you drive slow and carefully, they like to take a look. She scampered off after our photo session.

There are endless benefits to living in LA and the Delta, not the least of which is the opportunity for a leisurely afternoon of fishing in the middle of January, an opportunity not available a lot of other locales.

Thanks for struggling through a look at the underbelly of LA. Consider it a part of your overall enlightenment and an addition to your body of knowledge.

Joe Dempsey,
Weekly Grist for the Eyes and Mind

http://www.joedempseycommunications.com/
http://www.joedempseyphoto.com/
http://www.corndancer.com/joephoto/photohome.html

 

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