Opal Parkinson

Partial Transcript: Opal explains that today grapes are not used as they used to be, only to make jelly or juice, and invites interviewer to eat any he wants. She says she has been growing grapes a long time and her husband started it to make wine, but it was too much work and the wine was not very good.

Segment Synopsis: Grapes these days are different.

Keywords: wine; Grapes

Subjects: How long she has been growing grapes

Partial Transcript: Opal describes the old barn that burned and how her father always thought one of her brothers lit a match that started the fire. She explains how they rescued the animals. The barn is about 80 years old, she was 6 when the new one was built.

Segment Synopsis: The cause of the barn fire and the rebuilding

Keywords: animal rescue

Subjects: Barns on Opal’s Property

Partial Transcript: Opal explains that her father owned 250 acres behind the Etowah school. He divided it up and she and her sisters bought out others to keep a lot of it in the family. She mentions slides and swings from Sears. She explains what they used to grow – corn, potatoes. How they used horses to rake and stack the hay, cut wheat, tie and thrash it out.

Segment Synopsis: Opal talks about the land her daddy owned

Keywords: crops; Etowah school

Subjects: History of Opal’s property and what they grew

Partial Transcript: Opal points out the top of Jump Off Rock above the pines and the old Fleetwood Hotel. How hard it was for a friend to find her house because she has a lot of outbuildings.

Segment Synopsis: Opal points out places of interest around the property

Keywords: Jump off rock; Fleetwood hotel

Subjects: Local landmarks

Partial Transcript: Opal points out the hay that Davis cuts above the corn.

Segment Synopsis: Hay and other corps they harvest.

Keywords: harvest

Subjects: Harvesting Crops

Partial Transcript: Opal explains there’s nothing too special about the garage except the basketball hoops. The little ones like to play ball but she and her kids used to come down to the pasture to play.

Segment Synopsis: Nothing special about the garage.

Keywords: basketball

Subjects: Play and Pastimes on the Farm

Partial Transcript: Opal talks about adding a wood stove to the outbuilding so they could use it for canning. Now she cans in the picnic shed.

Segment Synopsis: Woodstove in the outbuilding

Keywords: canning

Subjects: Using the buildings for canning

Partial Transcript: Points out a chestnut tree their uncle gave them, loaded with chestnuts. The tree is at least 40-50 years old, maybe older. Not sure it’s a wild chestnut maybe a Chinese.

Segment Synopsis: The Chestnut tree her uncle gave them.

Keywords: chestnut tree

Subjects: chestnut tree

Partial Transcript: Opal points out a pretty flower that just comes up and blooms, and her favorite little rose, a knockout rose.

Segment Synopsis: Opal talks about the flowers in the garden

Keywords: flowers

Subjects: The garden Opal tends

Partial Transcript: Opal points out the new barn that they built 50 years ago so they didn’t have to lift the hay as in the old barn. Shows the old manure spreader and old tractors. They use the small international tractor to make the garden and bushhog. She says she lets the animals eat the apples from their tree. Mostly groundhogs. The tractors are about 40-50 years old.

Segment Synopsis: The new barn was built 50 years ago

Keywords: bushhog; apples

Partial Transcript: Opal points out the river and water. They had one flood this year but anytime there is talk about the French Broad flooding this area will get covered from Seven Falls. They graded it and now it has no place to go. It’s worse since they graded it.

Segment Synopsis: Flooding

Keywords: flood

Subjects: The river and issues from development

Partial Transcript: Opal goes into the house, shows off the table and curtains

Segment Synopsis: Opal points out items in her house.

Keywords: curtains

Subjects: Inside Opal’s house