Still Digging
[Part 2 of “Keep Digging” posted on July 1]
Since retiring, I have enjoyed many new interests. At this stage of my life, I am curious about many things. I spend time wandering and much time in a state of wonder. No longer rushing through the day, my slower pace allows me to see and enjoy much that I missed before. Unfortunately, hubby Darrel has not taken kindly to my new direction. When he saw me peering into ‘his’ garage and sharing my transformative ideas for it he froze in place and refused to make eye contact with me. My latest idea was to dig up one of his flowerbeds to see what was underneath. Darrel tried to talk me out of it but I had to see my vision through. Shoveling through roots, rocks, chunks of cement and stones was slow going but I have made good progress. I started by clearing the top soil off the flowerbed and was pleasantly surprised to find it had covered up a stone walkway. (See photos at “Keep Digging” posted July 1.) The inner part of the flowerbed seems to have once been something more. My guess is either a fire pit, a fountain, or a well.
I am easily distracted and this one project has turned into several. I rinsed some of the stones and many are quite pretty. Now I want to polish stones from the dig and turn them into jewelry. I talked myself out of ordering a rock polishing kit. Now is not the right time for that. I am extremely curious about the original look and design of our home and structures. A neighbor told me there is a swimming pool buried in our front yard. Another said our pond once had a beautiful water feature. I contacted the City to get copies of permits, blueprints, inspections, and other information from the past. I had to submit a “Freedom of Information Act” form with a very specific and detailed request. Through a deed search, I learned the name of the owner who sold the land in 1929 to the couple who built our home in 1930. In 1946 there are deeds showing two transactions. One selling the house and portion of the land for $15,500 (0.862 acres) and another selling a portion of the land for $4,500 (1.398 acres.) My historical research is just beginning. My next step is to visit the Delaware Archives.
I dig sporadically throughout the week. Eze asked, “Grandmom are you treasure hunting?” People passing by often ask, “You find that treasure yet?” To which I smile and think to myself… when I do you will never know. A few days ago, something new was uncovered. About 14 inches down my shovel scraped against something metal. Of course my first thought was, “Finally the treasure chest full of money and jewels!” What I actually hit was a metal grate. Looking down through the grate it seemed to have no end. We cannot tell how far down it goes and have no idea what I have uncovered. The outer area also began to open up. I put my shovel handle in a hole and it went 20 inches below ground before hitting rocks.
At this point, I will keep digging but not as aggressively as I had been. I am going to have a City inspector come out to check the area and ensure that it is safe. I hope that they will also be able to tell us exactly what it is that has been uncovered. In the meantime, if anyone wants to take a guess I would love to hear what you think.
Still digging and more to come,
Amanda😎
Thumbnail photo by Filipe Delgado@pexels
