Rural Ohio: Cherries, Snakes and Junk part 2

Once we arrived at my parents' house, we immediately got on the trail headed toward the storage shed that my dad and I were going to root through and clean out. This cute little birdhouse greeted us along the way.


Thirsty? We're in the country people!

Now this is Bubba, one of three cats mom and dad own. At only two years old the trio are as frisky and playful as ever! Just a little scared of my kids...but hey, who wouldn't be?



Frankie knows just how to pass the day.

Introducing the storage shed we were up against. This is just one corner we dealt with but I was as excited as ever to see what I could find. Until snakes came into the picture.


You gotta know my 80-year-old Uncle to really get his humor. Here he is making sure everyone understands what this area is used for. "Actung(sic.) This is a storage bldg and hobby shop."


Okay, folks. Meet my Dad. We quickly discovered a few mice nests in the shed but never saw one mouse. Hmmmm. Wonder why?? The story begins when my dad offered me some very nice coarse granite colored sandpaper he had on a large roll that was laying on the ground. He picked it up to unwind, had it up toward his face, and a snake was looking right back at him. It freaked my dad out so badly, in his haste to toss it as far away from himself as possible, he threw it directly at me! I mean AT me! Heehee! He felt bad and apologized, however, I unintentially got him back.


About 20 minutes later, I spotted metal tool box I had my eye on from a previous visit. Not thinking, I just picked it up and opened it and what should I find? None other than another freakin' snake! I throw the darn box away from me as far as possible and guess who's standing where it's headed? My dad! Oops! We both got a good chuckle out of it and now knew why we never saw a mouse in that shed.


I had to share with you the ingenious rake my Dad made for clearing away a camp site years ago. He is a carpenter by trade, so he always had tools and leftover wood pieces in his truck. He made this rake to clear the brush and even out the ground. He showed me how it worked and it really did the trick! Nice work, Dad!


A close-up shows it would make for a nice weapon against wild beasts if necessary.


The girls and I enjoyed our trip tremendously and look forward to going back in about three weeks. I've always appreciated my mom and dad's generosity even when they don't have much themselves. As a matter of fact, my Dad is the KING of Generosity. Seriously. This is the loot I ended up with back home. Projects are already in the works!






Oh, and as for me mentioning cherries in the title. They are my mom's favorite and she was thrilled that I brought some to her. Most stores in her area don't even carry them. Go figure.



So what kind of rodents have you come across in your junk jaunts? Heehee.

As always, take care and keep on junking!

Rural Ohio: Cherries, Snakes and Junk part 1

The kids and I headed out early Wednesday morning to visit my parents 2 hours away in Southeastern Ohio. It may not seem that long to you, but it's an eternity to a 4, 6 and 9 year old. No DVD player in this car. Ack!

I happen to like the drive and have done it for the past 19 years. My parents decided to move south right after I graduated high school. Once I found an apartment with a friend, they couldn't have moved away any faster - no empty nest syndrome for them. No siree! But then again, I suppose after raising the last of five daughters I might want to get outta Dodge as quickly as possible too.

I always admire this beautiful red barn during my many drives. It reads FLEAMARKET and lists details for the weekly sale. Know how many times I've been to it in 19 years? Zero times. Yes, zero. Why, you ask? Hmmm. I guess it's because I'm always on a mission to get to my parents' place, yet it's always too late to do so when coming home. For 19 years this has been going on.

Now I've actually stopped at the the next Antiques store a few times. It's closer to their house and so much easier to get to.


Beautiful Tappan Lake is a sign we are close to arrival. Mom and Dad live just five minutes from the lake.


I must admit I'm envious of those whom have homes along the lake and those that throw Pontoon Boat parties on the water. I just saw one on this trip with three Pontoons hooked together. Everyone appeared to be having so much fun!


This part of the lake is filled with vibrant green lily pads. It is such a sight to see!

Alas! Welcome to Deersville Ohio! The name says it all! Lots of camping and hunting going on in these here parts.

Small, rural towns always have one of these, don't they?


This is one downtown I feel safe in at night.

There are so many historic homes in the downtown area. Many of which have been rehabbed beautifully. The one below has a For Sale sign out front...prices are good.




I love the weather meter on the front of this house.
Some of the buildings look dilapidated, however, are still in business.
A not-so-politically-correct sign sits at the end of the road where my parents live. It doesn't seem to bother the locals one bit.
And we're almost there! Imagine the drive through here in the winter.

This former home sits untouched directly beside my parents' drive. It was old 19 years ago, but I do remember it standing then.
Make the turn and we are now in their driveway. (Again, imagine this drive in the winter...or the spring for that matter!) I wonder what kind of junk treasures are in store for us? Stay tuned for part 2 and you shall see.

These Shoes Were Made For Junking

Every good junker knows one of the most important items to have while scavenging for treasures is a good pair of junking shoes. They are there to support you through all the cement, dirt paths, rocky roads and mud pits that come your way. Well, my tennies have done me proud for a long while now, but the poor guys have to be placed into mandatory retirement. Sigh.

I know. I know. There are those of you who might think I'm being insensitive to the needs of the "older" sector by forcing them into a jobless existence, however, I look at it as providing my junk shoes with an opportunity to relax a bit. To be able to garden and mow the lawn on their own time, at their own pace...aahhhh, nice.


Now let me introduce you to my bright, young junk whippersnappers I employed just today! Dr. Sholl's Natural Sport shoes with "massaging gel inserts". Now it's my turn to say aahhhh, nice.


These guys better work hard for me during my junking jaunts or I may have to bring the old ones out of retirement to use as consultants!


Do you have a favorite pair of shoes you like to wear while junking? Boots? What's your junk footwear story??

As always, take care and keep on junking!

ps...it's great to be back!

Were Mom And Pops Holding Out On Me?

The girls and I made our two-hour trek south to my parents house for Mother's Day, just as planned. Let me tell you, we had a blast! The weather was perfect for this time of year and my mom warned me to bring along the girls' garden boots because their yard was still a soggy mess in some parts. She was not kidding! I think the mud and slop made it more fun for the girls though, and their mud-splattered behinds were proof!

Mom also mentioned she had some junk at her place that I could take home if I wanted. That's when Pops led me to their storage garage on the far side of their property. Woohoo! Loads o' junk to behold! Had they been holding out on me all these years on purpose?

I really loved this rusty yellow toolbox. Isn't it great?


Go west young junker! What would you do with a "W" from a weathervane?



A wooden box with a hinged lid will come in handy. Uses range from additional storage to inserting a potted plant or two. How about a big ol' chunk of coral chock full of fossilized sea life?

A meat grinder. What to do with a rusty meat grinder? Come on! Let's brainstorm!




Gasoline Alley. I took a stroll near the back end of the garage and came across this bad boy. Not too far away from it was this awesome vintage blue cooler that will keep our drinks chilled at the get-together I'm having this weekend.


It will be minus the cobwebs and dirt of course.



The more junk I came across, the more I needed to pull myself together.



I couldn't quite figure out what these wood-slatted boxes were, can you? Even my dad wasn't sure and they were in his garage. I have three.



As you can see I enjoyed myself tremendously this Mom's Day. (My mom loved all her goodies and the kiddos had fun too!) Word to the wise...you can only fit so much rusty junk in a Pacifica when you have three little girls traveling with you. Thank goodness the girls "get" me. Nice thing is Mom and Pops asked me to come back soon to retrieve more loot! A big thanks goes out to them.

As always, take care and keep on junking!