I'm really glad you wrote this. It's amazing how places can bring out the muses for a story. The problem is that when I get back to the LCD screen the story is gone. The memory is blown.
I loved the feeling of reading this. I didn't need a story. I was just transported into the picture. Still I had a hard time to tell if grandpa was from the 19th century or 20th century. I took it as 20th century.
My son asked me the other day, "Do characters have to die to make it a good story?" Here it is more like the characters came to life. It makes a great read and a short story you can sink into. If I were you I would go back to the tin house again and see what story is going on. It is reminiscent of Steinbeck and good start. I think other people will relate to this too. It's an interesting tangent from poetry.