• Friday-What'sUP August 14 - 08:02 pm

The Hanka Homestead, in Askel, MI has been featured on these pages a number of times before. But, like back on June 24, 2009, it was mostly about the buildings and the items contained inside them. Today we get a different perspective of the old homestead from Connie Mandoli, with her series of photos, that I'm titling "Farming tools of the trade." Fitting name I think, since all but one of the photos depicts the various tools and machinery that were used on this homestead back in the day. The photo without farming equipment, shows the toil and pleasure of the hard labor that working the land entails. You first see the beauty of that yellow Black-eyed Susan, standing tall before the work of the log pile, waiting for winter's arrival, so it can fulfill it's duty of heating the farmstead.

Even though there are more efficient ways of performing the same jobs that these older tools carried out in their day, it's sometimes nice to slow down the pace, grab your push mower and enjoy the exercise, along with the quiet you'll hear with no motor running to mow down your grass. Get out there and enjoy the fresh U.P. air.

Great pics.

I could sure use that spring tooth harrow!

Those photos are good scenes for paintings...very artistic.

Interesting pictures today. I've had the priviledge of creating tooling to heat treat the modern versions of some of those impliments. Thanks Mary. How did you know? Age wise they fit my "situation" also. Today is my last official day at work. 33+ years in this business. Onward and upward! Signing off Rowdy

Congratulations Rowdy!!! It's not as common for folks these days to stick it out at one job that many years! Personally I don't think I could do it even if I really liked my job. This will be a whole new life. Hope you have a hobby to slide into. Good luck.

My husband and I have gone to visit the Hanka Homestead and found it to be so very, very interesting. I highly recommend a visit there, if at all possible.

When my husband was a preteen he used to cut lawns in his neighborhood with a mower like the top photo. Of course that was back when kids knew how to work....and liked it!

Nice photos. I now have this on my list of places to visit!