rinemb - Posted - 10/05/2025:  16:14:34

Old House and Front Porch Life. Our house was built in 1912, we bought it in 1977. It retained many features of the Victorian period, but added and featured some modern “arts and craft-ish” features inside. Living here approaching fifty years, we have enjoyed our time on the front porch that spreads across the front of our “four-square style” home. Living on a rather busy street, we have benefited the pleasure of front porch time, complete with our wood porch swing. 48 years sitting on the porch, both mornings and evenings. Brief visits with neighbors walking, jogging, pushing strollers, etc as we imbibed on a glass of wine or toddy or coffee… and those times I me or my band picked away, kind of home busking, with no money jar. We watched so many children grow up as they passed by going to school and back. Anyway, modern life has drastically reduced the once typical life and need of the front porch, sadly, IMHO.
If you have a front porch, how do you use it? If you do have one, enjoy it!

STUD figmo Al - Posted - 10/05/2025:  16:24:29

Porch life is good... :0)

Owen - Posted - 10/05/2025:  16:43:58

A veranda would suit me/us just fine; but we've got the typical/mundane 1970s 2-3 bedroom bungalow ... bedrooms at one end; LR/kitchen across other end. 

Our back deck has sun-in-the-eyes when we otherwise might use it for post-breakfast coffee.   I outsmarted myself by putting in an extra wide patio stone walkway on the front when I should have built a deck* ...  then we could have coffee out front and simultaneously heckle the walkers/joggers/cyclists [i.e. two birds with one stone, as it were]. 

* as it says on my homepage: "Too soon old and too late smart."

chuckv97 - Posted - 10/05/2025:  16:50:12

I’ve got a balcony that faces north, so I get morning sun, even in winter cuz I’m at the east end of the building,, and evening sun in summer. I hang out there sporadically to catch some rays and supervise the city workers filling potholes on our street.

rvrose - Posted - 10/05/2025:  19:48:53

Or house faces east so we often set on the swing in the cool of the evening and visit with the neighborhood, walking, strolling by or kids riding bikes. Sometimes folks sit a spell and have a glass of tea.

Rick

raybob - Posted - 10/05/2025:  22:21:27

We live on 10 acres at the end of the road, so we don’t live in a neighborhood where people pass by on their way to work or school. In fact there’s no traffic at all except for deliveries, and the guy that read the electric meter doesn’t come around since the smart meter was installed.

We do have a shaded porch that wraps around almost three sides of the house, and we have a magnificent unobstructed view of Mt. Shasta from it. The mountain is a little more than twenty miles away which is a perfect distance to enjoy it, not too close or far away. Sitting out there sipping a beer or picking some tunes has been one of my life’s simple pleasures for the thirty years that we’ve been here. I try not to take it for granted, and I try not to take the view for granted either. Oh, and did I mention viewing the stars ?

Texasbanjo - Posted - 10/06/2025:  04:19:34

I have a fairly large front porch but never sit on it. Nothing much to see, few people passing by. Instead, I have a big enclosed patio where I sit and look at flowers and grass in the back yard. I used to hang humming bird feeders and could watch them but not anymore.

stevebsq - Posted - 10/06/2025:  04:44:06

Fortunate to have this front porch view of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

 

slammer - Posted - 10/06/2025:  06:17:21

Our house is situated on a cul du sac with 2 other homes. We have 10 acres on the Bluff Edge overlooking Little Bay de Noc ( Lake Michigan).
Although we have no front porch, our back decks provide us with many hours of enjoying the lake view, deer, turkeys, eagles, fox and any other critters that show up. We do get a lot of walkers, bike riders and curiosity lookers on the cul du sac , but usually just get a wave or drive by. When I say “a lot” I mean 2 or 3 a day!!! LOL
Slammer!!!

rinemb - Posted - 10/06/2025:  06:26:26

quote:

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Originally posted by stevebsq

Fortunate to have this front porch view of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

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Envy, for sure.  I miss our travels to the region.  Its been too long. Brad

rinemb - Posted - 10/06/2025:  06:27:16

quote:

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Originally posted by slammer

Our house is situated on a cul du sac with 2 other homes. We have 10 acres on the Bluff Edge overlooking Little Bay de Noc ( Lake Michigan).

Although we have no front porch, our back decks provide us with many hours of enjoying the lake view, deer, turkeys, eagles, fox and any other critters that show up. We do get a lot of walkers, bike riders and curiosity lookers on the cul du sac , but usually just get a wave or drive by. When I say “a lot” I mean 2 or 3 a day!!! LOL

Slammer!!!

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More envy!  Brad

rinemb - Posted - 10/06/2025:  06:32:45

I proudly have Appalachian "hillbilly" roots, always been an "outdoorsey" life-styler, but I am "cityfied".
Brad

rinemb - Posted - 10/06/2025:  06:44:18

View of our house and porch, and a view from our porch. Since1977. Our first, only, last home we will own. Brad

slammer - Posted - 10/06/2025:  07:36:58

Great front porch and love the Door!!! I can hear it in my mind. We have a great screen door at camp, and I love how old it is and how it sounds . Why it’s lasted as long as it has , I don’t understand.
Slammer!!!

banjo bill-e - Posted - 10/06/2025:  08:18:42

Just yesterday I sat out on my porch in my comfy chair during a rainstorm and fell fast asleep listening to that wonderful sound. Usually nothing passes by but birds, feral cats, and squirrels------and that suits me just fine! I have some amount of porch time almost every day of the year.

Paul R - Posted - 10/06/2025:  15:03:43

Our front "porch" is too small to sit out on, although there are two chairs and a small table. They are basically decorative.* Nobody sits out in this neighbourhood, although people do stop to chat on the road or in driveways (no sidewalks).

* As is the new Wolfe Island ferry, which is usually out of service. It makes great dock decor, though.

steve davis - Posted - 10/07/2025:  07:52:43

I use my front porch to get an air compressor and a couple of tool boxes out of the way so we can shoot some pool.
Can't see any neighbors or traffic from my porch.

5B-Ranch - Posted - 10/07/2025:  15:56:33

It’s subjects like this one is when I miss Nancy. I bet she’s smiling down on us saying “porch sitting ? I’m the queen when comes to porch sitting”I miss her.

rinemb - Posted - 10/07/2025:  17:36:23

quote:

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Originally posted by 5B-Ranch

It’s subjects like this one is when I miss Nancy. I bet she’s smiling down on us saying “porch sitting ? I’m the queen when comes to porch sitting”I miss her.

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I am sorry your Nancy is gone,  but her spirit is still in your heart it seems.  Time on the porch and her in your thoughts is golden.  Brad

5B-Ranch - Posted - 10/07/2025:  18:17:52

quote:

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Originally posted by rinemb

quote:

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Originally posted by 5B-Ranch

It’s subjects like this one is when I miss Nancy. I bet she’s smiling down on us saying “porch sitting ? I’m the queen when comes to porch sitting”I miss her.

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I am sorry your Nancy is gone,  but her spirit is still in your heart it seems.  Time on the porch and her in your thoughts is golden.  Brad

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Nancy was a member here for a long time she was proud of her log home her daughter and her animals. Never had a bad word for anyone. Talked about her "Companion" she was his care giver. We all figured he was actually her husband. Talked about the Mennonites helping her out when things got complicated around her home place.  Salt of the earth kind of lady. I never met her but just reading what she posted and carrying on a conversation it was like she was someone I've always known. 

slammer - Posted - 10/07/2025:  19:12:41

She was a good egg and just a straight shooter with a great attitude!!! And one tough bird!!!
Slammer!!!

rinemb - Posted - 10/08/2025:  06:46:04

quote:

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Originally posted by 5B-Ranch

quote:

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Originally posted by rinemb

quote:

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Originally posted by 5B-Ranch

It’s subjects like this one is when I miss Nancy. I bet she’s smiling down on us saying “porch sitting ? I’m the queen when comes to porch sitting”I miss her.

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I am sorry your Nancy is gone,  but her spirit is still in your heart it seems.  Time on the porch and her in your thoughts is golden.  Brad

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Nancy was a member here for a long time she was proud of her log home her daughter and her animals. Never had a bad word for anyone. Talked about her "Companion" she was his care giver. We all figured he was actually her husband. Talked about the Mennonites helping her out when things got complicated around her home place.  Salt of the earth kind of lady. I never met her but just reading what she posted and carrying on a conversation it was like she was someone I've always known. 

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Sorry, I missed the connect to that Nancy.  She was one of the first members on BHO that began to follow when I was a "newbie"-back in the day here.  She had a spirit I grew to admire.  brad

RonR - Posted - 10/08/2025:  08:54:13

We have a small front porch with a pair of deacons benches. Our house is caddy corner to a small park with swings for the little ones. Across the street is the rail line from Philadelphia to Washington. I've been here for 47 years and I like it.

 

Buddur - Posted - 10/08/2025:  09:04:14

I have a small awning-covered porch at the entrance on the side of my home. Nothing like sitting and passing the time outside in the fresh air. And it is on the downwind side of my home...so it's a great place to experience storms as you're outside yet still sheltered from the elements.

rinemb - Posted - 10/08/2025:  09:45:14

quote:

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Originally posted by RonR

We have a small front porch with a pair of deacons benches. Our house is caddy corner to a small park with swings for the little ones. Across the street is the rail line from Philadelphia to Washington. I've been here for 47 years and I like it.

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Ron,  I like all of the green in your front, especially the arbor growing over with clematis.  Our old climbing blazing roses used to climb up and over our arbor.  Do you cut the clematis back every year?  Brad

RonR - Posted - 10/08/2025:  11:45:50

Brad ,its a morning glory. I alternate every year with morning glories and hyacinth bean vines.

reubenstump - Posted - 10/08/2025:  13:05:44

For me, it's all about the back porch view. If you go a ways back in the woods, there's a pond.  I mow next to none of my grass/weeds, and none in this pic.  It eventually gets to be 1-5 feet high, depending on they type that's growing in that particular area and the time of year.

Edited by - reubenstump on 10/08/2025 13:20:09

rinemb - Posted - 10/08/2025:  16:04:51

quote:

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Originally posted by RonR

Brad ,its a morning glory. I alternate every year with morning glories and hyacinth bean vines.

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My bad.  We have morning glory in the back that I build tall cane try pods over when the previous years seeds start growing.  The bean vines sound interesting. But keeping out unwanted morning glory is a chore. I have not intentionally seeded for it in 30 years, but every year it appears.  Sometimes where it is not appreciated. Brad

maxmax - Posted - 10/09/2025:  02:47:00

I'm jealous, I've always wanted a porch like that. Here in Stockholm we don't, but we do have a summer house down in the south of Sweden though. No front porch there either, but the backyard has a little seating area next to a street that leads to the beach, so there's always lots of foot traffic going by. And people on their way to or from the beach are usually in a good mood and not too hurried either. When I bought the house in 2018 I planted a hedge to get more privacy, but now when the hedge is fully grown I miss the daily interactions I used to get. I've been thinking of carving out a big hole in the hedge, like a window. Will likely do that next summer.

BanjoLink - Posted - 10/09/2025:  14:15:57

We live on seven acres and the house is situated toward the back/middle, so we can barely see the street and neighbors never walk where we can see them. Our back enclosed porch is practically never used anymore and was never used much. It overlooked our pool which, than goodness, has been filled in and covered with grass.  However, we have friends about a mile away who started a porch party every Friday during Covid and it continues to this day.  The guys sit toward one end and talk about sports and other importasnt stuff and I have no idea what the gals talk about.  A cold beverage or two is always enjoyed.

heavy5 - Posted - 10/10/2025:  11:31:36

A couple of pics of our back yard (1 from the porch) & 1 of my summer long restoration effort of this 1944 John Deere A .
I'd like to jaw a bit about John Deere who in fact had nothing to do w/ their tractor designs from the get go in 1918 as his forte was the famous plow he created much earlier establishing the company that would spawn tractors .

Owen - Posted - 10/10/2025:  12:08:51

The "A" is lookin' good, Bob.    

My dad's first tractor was a '42 "B" .... on steel when he bought it [new] but soon converted to rubber.  It was a good tractor ... his only one 'til he got a Cockshutt "40" in '53. [Alas one of my brothers practically gave it away a few years ago ... not restored, but I think all it needed to get it running was a replacement magneto ... $500.   ]

The plow >> tractor progression is almost as good as plow >> airplane.  After the war my dad got a couple of Anson II trainers to use the wheels to make a farm wagon.  This is a pic the ID plate from one of them .... made by the Aircraft Division of the Cockshutt Plow Co.