I think she wanted the warmth of the sun on her instead of sitting in the chair in the shade. It looks like she is wearing a cardigan, so maybe she was chilly. Or I'm just projecting October weather in Chicago onto her down in Savannah.

I also think they are waiting for someone to come down the road. Grandma looks to be facing to the west, which would explain the late afternoon sun. Maybe the big kids are almost ready to come home from school?

She felt that she'd seen enough of what life can bring and the child has some hope for her future. Maybe that was the whole point of the photo, not just the house.

I wondered that, too. I figure she might be waiting for someone to arrive in that direction since she and the child look dressed to go somewhere. Or she did not want the sun in her eyes. Or she wanted to put her feet up on the stool and for some reason the stool could not be easily moved. But I vote for waiting for someone to come by to get them.

I get the feeling that the house is very orderly and neat inside. And that there is a tidy garden behind the wooden fence.

Isn't it odd that the adult in this picture would choose to just face the bottom of the porch and stare at the floorboards rather than look outward toward "where the action is" as the child did? The woman is even faced the same way as Whistler's Mother. I would have chosen the rocking chair on the left of the porch and looked forward toward the horizon which might be a bit more interesting (unless she enjoyed observing termites at work).