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| Harvest commences in our Gilbert neighborhood on a hot August day |
Rattlers were numerous on this new land and we kept
a sharp lookout for them. One day, 2 ½- year-old Myrtle came into the cabin and
said there was a “big worm” out where Pearl was. We went to see and sure enough
– we found a small rattler near where Pearl sat on a big cut of wood. – Ina’s Memoirs, 1947
Harvest began on the Miller place today. I’m so
happy to be here. Now and then they come over the hill and I can see them.
Otherwise, I can follow the cloud of dust.
We’re having “excessive heat” now, and it is hot! You
know it’s hot when Bess doesn’t want to go for a walk with Mike. It was 95
about 4:00 p.m. yesterday. And last night was a “hot August night” – an on-top-of-the-sheets
night.
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| A rattler in the canola |
It was after 8:00 when we took our two-mile walk to
the mailbox this morning, and it was already hot up on the road. On the way
back, just above the “Pitch,” I heard a rattler and finally spotted it in the
canola. (I am not as close as it may seem in the photo.)
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| Yes, Mike is in there. |
“I’ll be in my shed,” called Mike after we’d
watered the gardens and trees. Later he showed up with an early birthday
present for me – my mother’s vintage Cosco stool, all fixed up and sturdy. It’s
beautiful and I love it.
Here are some before pictures of the stool. He had
it sandblasted to remove the rust and grime, and then he painted it himself. He
used Rust Eraser on the nuts and bolts so that everything was nice and clean,
and we found the leg caps at Home Depot. Mike said it was difficult to re-assemble,
but he enjoyed working at the bench in his shed.  |
| A new life for this old stool |
The stool is so proud to be a kitchen stool again. Mother
opted for a new one when her kitchen was remodeled in 1961, and this stool was removed
to the farmhouse where it was better than its wooden counterpart. It became a
real “work stool” and then lapsed into decrepitude. It was still here in the
farmhouse when we began to remodel in 1998, but we stored it in the barn where
it remained for the next 20+ years until Mike rediscovered as he stored the
contents of his old shed. KW
5 comments:
I remember that old stool. It looked more like the new end product back then, but it looks much nicer, now. In fact, it looks brand new. The shot of the rattler makes it seem that you were up close and personal with it, like you were taunting him (or her) to show its nastier side. Great pictures of the harvesting, shed, snake, and chair.
Well, I suppose that snake knew I was there, but with the assistance of the telephoto lens and then cropping the photo, it looks like I was closer than I really was. Bess was ahead of us, and while she didn't seem to notice the snake, I think it noticed her and started rattling. It was already agitated when we got there.
I thought hearing the snake was enough, but Mike said just hearing it doesn't count. You have to see it. It took us a few moments to find it, approaching the spot with care. It was fairly well camouflaged on the ground under the canola.
I am very happy to have that old stool repaired and ready for use. Do you know how old it is, Chuck?
As far as I can remember, the stool has been around since about 1950. Mom must have gotten it when she moved into the big house. I don't remember it being in Headquarters.
Mom's was a vinyl black and white tweed--the seat and the back were slightly padded. I don't know what happened to hers. When we moved from our tiny trailer to the duplex, Dan bought me a yellow one which we still have. (It seems every self-respecting kitchen needed one back in the day.) I remember being grateful for mine when I was pregnant and in later years when I was canning. It's down in Dan's office/reloading room now; I haven't used it myself in ages. Mike did a lovely job on yours and it's a perfect addition to your farmhouse kitchen.
It's hot here, too, but thankfully no rattlesnakes!!
Way to go, Dad! The chair looks awesome. If you ever find another one while you're out and about, you can restore it for me. It would be nice to have something like that in the basement for when I cut Nick's hair. Right now, I make him sit on a bucket. haha!
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