Appalachia’s Storyteller: Lessons from an Old Man 

My grandmother is now 104 years old and i used to love hearing her stories. She still tells them. She is in a nursing home now but lived on her own until she was 103. ❤

There's a lot we can learn from the old-timers if we just take time to visit with them and listen. Many thanks, JD, for sharing this story. God bless. 🙏

Your appreciation of all the old timers stories as a child, which few have, has led you on a journey of sharing them with all of us in such an eloquent manner. Remember how you've enriched our lives by these shared stories. In doing so, you pay tribute to all these people. You bring them to new life. Million thanks for doing so😚

As a youngon, I was always drawn to the old timers. I learned carving, woodworking crafts, furniture building, and construction all in the old Appalachian ways. I learned hunting, fishing and trapping like they grew up doing. Now I am 67 and have tried to pass it all on to my kids and grandkids. We still raise a garden, and put up enough to get by with our kids and their families. We’re both disabled now but we’re starting to pass these things along to the great grandchildren before we die. With this knowledge we hope to ensure the next generation can survive no matter what the government throws at them.

I truely wish I had been able to talk my husband into moving to the mountains when we were still young after he retired from the Air Force at age 42. But sadly he has passed away and I'm caring fir my 13 yo grandson and at 67 I'm just not sure I could make it on my own without my sisters and daughters. No o e else wants to live in the mountains. We live north of Nasville right on the KY state line. So close that half the time Google thinks we're in KY. I love brindle colored animals.

I'm 59 and I still enjoy listening to older people tell how they grew up. Not realizing that I'm now considered a older person 😮.

I'm glad I'm not an Appalachian cow with an ailment...my favourite part is the burning of apple wood. I would love to see those colours. These folk were so close to the land. It's not just another time, it's another world for me. Beautiful. Thank you from Ruth x

I tell you one thing. These stories never get old. Thanks for the narration!

I used to work with much older men when I was still in my teens. I too knew how to go out getting an awesome story out of them with minimal prompting lol

Great story J.D 👍 Y'all stay safe out there my friends 🙏

Many older folks would love the chance to visit with young folks. Seniors tend to be forgotten. Certainly, a lot of wisdom can be learned from the experiences of those who have lived a long life.

Im with Jack, his ways of doctoring sounds painful. Lol. Im glad we had a good vet that live in our area to handle all the livestock issues. As a child, i watched and even "assisted" on occasion, usually holding a tool or getting him something and knew i never wanted that job. 😂. Most people dont know the tough side of tending to the animals. My neighbor wants to buy goats, and im struggling to convince them its not all its cracked up to be. I could go on and on about growing up on a farm, the short version is simply the fact that none of my brothers or sisters or me live on a farm now. 😂 Happy April fools day JD. Believe it or not, i was a good boy and didn't prank anyone..

When smoke goes straight down from the wood stove it's going to get really cold

I have to try turning over my garden in the fall instead of spring! Interesting tip.

Turpentine was used quite frequently for medicinal purposes as was tobacco long ago. As was blood letting. This is another fine story JD.

May YAH Bless

That's a mighty good story ❤

Absolutely the best, amazing stories ❤️ 👏🍁

Thanks again for sharing JD

Another Absolutely Great Story 👍👍👍

The place seems perfect, to me. Applewood smokes the best bacon in the world, smokes the best pork. I sure do wish my grandmothers had told more of their lives, but they never thought of it, so I have to get your stories, JD.

Hello JD! Oh the memories this story brings back to me. I could write a book on the history of cures I’ve seen my great grandfather and his daughter which was my grandmother cure animals. My grandmother even found a baby squirrel she named Harvey and went to the 5&10 store to buy a dolls baby bottles to feed Harvey with. Apparently the mother squirrel was gone and I’m not sure what happened to her, but she never came back for her baby. Harvey grew up to be healthy and my grandmother would let him play in the oak tree next to the back porch. She said one day he would leave and not come back. He left, but would come back to visit for about a year and after that we never saw him again. My grandmother also had a huge black snake that lived in her screened in back porch and his name was Oscar, but that’s another story. Have a blessed day and thank you for all your wonderful stories!

Thank you. God bless you and yours.

So so much wisdom. Thanks JD

I have to say I enjoy these stories so much. I love your narration as it is heartfelt. Thank you for sharings these with us, God's blessings.

Awesome story I have one similar but in more modern times .. thank you I will always remember the old timer that made me the man I am rip mike

Phenomenal storytelling!

Thank you for always putting up such interesting, heartwarming stories. We absolutely love your channel. Can't wait to the next one. Lord bless you my friend.

Happy Tuesday.

Another masterpiece. Got me thinking of listen to my grandparents talk about their youth. I listen and ask question until they’d get a bit annoyed with me and tell me to go play.😂 Man! The best times was when they’d have friends of cousins come over and I could ask just the right question to get them reminiscing about the old days. I wish I’d had the foresight to write it all down. So many memories will have been lost to time by the time I’m gone. So many already are.

Now hold on.. applewood comes from apple trees.. I recon.. or tell different.. okay them branches cut of short after season…

Thank you JD, what an amazing life you’ve had and the wonderful people you share with us,in your stories. Max sounds like a fabulous old man with wisdom long forgotten. You were surely blessed to have known him and I thank you for sharing your friend with us all 😊

Good Morning Kin Folks, from the Foothills of the Ozarks of Arkansas. Another fantastic Narration JD.

Another wonderful tell. I know the times were hard then but it feels like a simpilar way of life. I want that, that's why I love your channel. I close my eyes and live it ❤

I have a family friend I visit often. A cattleman now, but a horseman and blacksmith as well when younger. He is 87 now and I love his stories of growing up in Oregon near Mt. Hood. From the age of 5 or 6, he and his brother worked helping his Dad. Wonderful stories. He still goes to check cows twice a day.

Great story. Thanks for sharing with us JD.❤

Awesome story I loved it. God bless you sir and you family 🙏🙏🙏

Real turpentine mixed with molasses, sugar or castor oil is a great anti-parasitic.

❤i was raised around the older folks, so many wonderful memories they taught me so much without me even knowing it i just sit and listened and helped them when I could.

JD, I'm not a tobacco fan - indeed, quite allergic to breathing it. But it does have medicinal value as a topical ointment, and since I probably count as something of a prepper these days, I keep a big chunk of chewin' 'baccy ready in my emergency supplies just in case no triple antibiotic ointment can be found in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. There've always been good herbalists in my life, and one of my brothers was an Army medic. He taught me all sorts of good stuff, but he was far from the only person to do so. One time I was in a location where a Creek medicine man would pass through on a regular basis, and once he learned of my interest, he'd make up a polite excuse to stop and chat awhile before moving on. I was only about 4 when I performed my first C-section though, on a mama mouse caught in one of those spring traps. Hope I haven't told this story too often, but I put the babies in my mom's treadle sewing machine drawer while I went to hunt an eye dropper to feed them with. I can still hear Mom screaming when she found them. And I still think she was fibbing when she told me she took them out in the woods and gave them to another mommy mouse.

What a wonderful memory... I guess you were born for the story... listening and telling. Thanks for sharing this JD 😎👍💐

Hello JD. Yes, I loved to hear the old timers story's too. Sound like Mr Max was full of good story's as well. By the way, thanks for signing my book. I was pleasantly surprised. Have a good day.

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Didn't know Abe Lincoln was a cow doctor

Old Max probably looked forward to your visits more than you might've known, JD.

Good morning JD sure appreciate your story telling gift. Thank you

Wonderful story thank you ‼️ love Julie south Africa ❤

Morning Jd

Now you are the wise ol story teller Mr JD. I love listening to you and your stories and watching your videos that you put together with them. Thank you sir!!

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I love your stories this one reminds me of Mr BB our local cow dr when I was growing up .we had a veteran in area also but if we had a farm animal sick dad would always call Mr BB he would say dr Forbes might know about dogs and cats but BB was the best on farm animals

Thanks for sharing this heartwarming story , I enjoy the way your words paint a lifely picture of a life close to nature . I always liked the pictures and stories of old times especially when told by people who lived them . He was right about the fire wood , I experienced this myself . I have a Finnish stove that needs to be heated for 2 to 3 hours to give warmth till the next day . I bought oak wood last year instead of mixed wood and the heat was much less .

Great story Jd

Never knew that about apple wood I use those packets you throw in the fire to get colors going to try it with apple wood Thanks for your stories love listening ❤😊

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I’m from eastern Kentucky and I love your videos

Love old timers and those stories.❤ You are an amazing 👏 storytelling

As usual, another great story!! Thanks for sharing.

Just shared once again to my dairy farming family and friends back in Louisiana. The hands down best channel on RU-vid. One day I'll see you on the big stage accepting best channel and storytellers award. God bless you my favorite friend.

Solid 10 Story TY

I live in this area.

Awww, sweet

did you ever stop by and old country store in the evening for a pop and go outside to drink it and listen to the oldtimers who seemed to gather there every evening? they sure told some big tales.

Great story as always ☺️

My neighbor is 95 years old and still relating stories from the past. I recently rescued the original headstone from his ancestor from 1832. That was emotional for me.

What a great story JD! Yes, we may be old, but we’ve walked a lot of paths good & bad and we’d love to share our wisdom with the younger generations. But, nobody has time for us old folks and just pass us like we weren’t even there! Thanks JD for sharing! Blessings always my dear friend! ❤️😊✝️

Great little story JD. I love to hear old timers stories like this. Thank you for sharing this with us ❤

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Old Kentucky here, I truly believe this is the best channel I ever did hear. I been gone from ky some years now and I love when them eastern ky stories pop up and how accurate they are cause my pap told us a couple of the same ones. And I also listen all day at work if I can get service.great channel man.

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I really enjoyed this another!

Love hearing your stories I have always loved older people they are full of wisdom and stories I am the old generation now Thank you

Thank you for this story.

I used to hang out with the elderly men, soaking up ever word they said. I loved it

Old timers are the best.

You and are were blessed to have lived in an age where we could go visit our old folks and appreciate the stories they told tku

Nice story 😊😊

Thanks again my friend for the wise old man story....l grew up in the late 1940 and on... Old Shoe🇺🇸

Ole Max really wanted to teach the young the old ways

If we only had more Mr. Maxes in this world 🥰

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Hope I don't get hollow tail no time soon...lol,I've always listened to the old trimmers heck my Dad was one, born in 1921 he had seen some stuff.

Thank you for sharing JD!

My grandfather who helped raise me was born in 1886. He told me some amazing survival stories. I always grow food and plant fruit trees and learned to practice preparedness because of him, especially because I live in rural Louisiana, and I`ve adapted it to modern times like solar power for our frequent power outages. I certainly can`t afford to put fuel in a gas generator for very long after a hurricane. I saw others in the area go broke after Laura & Delta hit my area and lose all their freezer food. Some fell asleep from exhaustion running the AC in their cars trying to cool off and ran out of fuel. It was SO HOT and we didn`t even have a slight breeze for days after the power failed. The storms blew in giant swamp mosquitoes too that are still here. They sting you through blue jeans like yellowjackets. I recently planted over a dozen more quick producing and rapid-growth fruit trees that can easily be multiplied with pruned cuttings so I can have extra food and wine in the future. I moved to this lot in late 2022 so I`m building a good garden and food forest as fast as possible to make things easier in the future. Anyone who has ever gone hungry knows.

Thanks again

❤❤❤ the story

Every tale, regardless of subject, makes for a better day. Thanks for this.

The highlight of my week was sitting on the back porch drinking my grandmothers sweet tea, and talking to the one man I looked to for everything, my granddaddy. Stories, and down to earth wisdom, these ppl had it, they lived through the depression and he always told me to expect another depression, and to take care of myself. I sure do miss those two! I dearly loved them.

Thanks

I remember as a youngen sitting there listening to my dad and grandpa and great grandpa talking about the family and how things were back then. I miss those days.

The greatest gift God gives us is the wisdom from the elderly.

Northern Maine here......we always packed the cut horn with flour to stop the bleeding.