Whirligigs, Irises, and School-Bus Cats

Plink. Crunch.

“Ummm, excuse me, but your dog is eating those beads.”

“What!”

I just happened to be looking at this dog

at the precise moment a strand of beads hung on the gate fell to the ground. Dogs being what they are, his first thought was Snack! Fortunately he didn’t get to snack on very many beads before his owner hustled over and removed the temptation. Certainly no stranger than some of the things my dogs have snacked on.

But we won’t go into that!

The first item on today’s agenda is my plan for your next vacation. Yes, yours. You will really enjoy it, trust me. As any good travel agent would I have already tried out this itinerary and it was WAY fun. Go ahead and ask for time off next May, in the second half of the month. Then make your travel arrangements to go to a whirligig workshop at Hutch Studio in La Conner, Washington (about an hour north of Seattle). You can start gathering your materials now, and you’ll have plenty of time to collect a variety of windcatchers. I took two boxes of stuff up with me. I came back with most of two boxes of stuff, plus this:

Spent the day with Chris, the artist who runs the workshops, and Al and Tom, fellow ‘gig makers. We had an absolute blast all day.

When you finish your workshop, the next part of your trip will be to come down to Salem, where I live. Your destination: Schreiner’s Iris Garden during bloom season. Their website barely hints at what’s in store for you. I figured it would be fields of blooming irises, like the tulip place we went to earlier. And yes, there are fields of blooming irises.

But the real attraction is the demonstration garden, showing their gorgeous irises in full bloom with a wide variety of other plants.

We were there on a weekday, which was nice enough, but a friend went on a weekend and in addition to the flowers there was live classical music. There’s even an iris festival with a parade and other events. So much beauty. You need to see it!

And of course while you’re here you might want to take in a few garage sales! Had a good time at those this weekend too. There was the weather-beaten good-old-boy at one sale who had some plants for sale, and I overheard him telling a buyer the Latin name of one. He did not look like someone who would be spouting Latin, but it turned out he’s worked in nurseries since he was 15. We had a nice chat about limbing-up shrubs. That sale was at his brother’s house; I got the history of the house and garden (formerly owned by an English doctor who worked in one of the local hospitals). Didn’t buy anything there, but I was amused by these slippers.

 

At another sale I arrived as they were talking about the lengths people will go to to get into a sale early. “Some woman ring my doorbell at six-thirty in the morning and ask to come through my house into the garage so she could see what I had,” one woman was saying. We all shook our heads over this pushiness. Then one of the guys said, “I had a woman come by about half an hour before starting time. She told me she had to take her husband to work in Portland [about an hour’s drive], so couldn’t she please come in now. I told her I was sorry, but we would not be open until nine. So we opened at nine – and there she was at 9:05!” Everyone cracked up and agreed that was the fastest trip to Portland and back ever.

 

Met some nice pets this weekend. Couple of sweet black Labs

   

and a very friendly kitty named LT.

“He follows me everywhere,” his owner said proudly. Turns out his wife is a school bus driver, and she found LT on her route and brought him home. Which made me laugh, because I did the same thing once. Yes, many years ago I drove a school bus, and on my very first day I let off the kids at the grade school, and there was a little black kitten crying on the sidewalk. I went over and picked him up (he was skin and bones). He purred in my hands, then promptly fell asleep. So I stuck him in the glove box of my bus and took him home. (Yes, it was against the rules, but I suspect the statute of limitations ran out on that one about twenty five years ago.) We already had two cats, and when my husband saw this little scrap, he shook his head and said, “He’s awfully cute, but we just can’t keep him.” I probably sniffled. About fifteen minutes later he said, “Well…maybe we can keep him.” And for the next sixteen years he said he was still thinking about it, until we finally lost Soot of old age.

Bought one thing at this sale…well, twenty things! A bucket full of whiffle balls, which Zoë just loves.

She chases them all over our tennis court. She’ll also be chasing this.

Went out both Friday and Saturday this week, and parted with less than twenty bucks. Along with the dog toys, I brought home a couple of DVDs

(why yes, I do have eclectic tastes!), a bunch o’ magazines

and some gardening inspiration.

Found a couple of pieces for future whirligigs (definitely plan to make more of them!) – a vintage tin mold

and this Peter Pan tin which originally held toffee. I’m thinking a children’s literature themed ‘gig will be fun.

Picked up another baby gate; this one’s currently in place to remind certain kitties to Leave The Screen Alone.

I was shopping around their garage when I noticed this fabbo doll furniture, perfectly sized for a bookshelf.

 

Turns out the lady makes these, and has an Etsy shop. They’re sized for Barbie dolls, but I bet would work for others as well. If there are young children in your life, these would make wonderful gifts!

 

Filled up my back seat at a sale close to home, with this nice big pot

and a vintage lab stool. From the color of the seat cover I’m guessing it’s from the seventies.

And just because I liked it, picked up this garden ornament. Probably sized for a pot, since the pup is about six inches tall.

Personally, I think it’s a portrait of a certain young dog we know!

 

We may have to skip Christmas this year!

Bought vintage goodies. Fell in love with Stanley. Found the Worst. Ornament. Ever.

What a great garaging weekend!

I’ve missed taking pictures of yard sale pets since I came to Oregon, there have been so few. But I just needed to bide my time, for they have begun to emerge. Starting on Friday with Coby the Italian greyhound.

Then there was the tiny Chihuahua who got to try on a carrying case that originally belonged to…a teddy bear!

She just fit. Barely.

Teddy was a pound puppy who was half starved and afraid of men when they got him. He chose well for his forever family.

This soft, shedding gray kitty wanted to demonstrate the linens they had for sale. Yes, by laying on them. Not appreciated by his owners.

Saturday started with a sale right next door to us, where Bubba the kitty lives. Sorry, didn’t get a picture of him, but I will one of these days. Bub likes to hang out in our yard and roll in the dirt (what is it with yellow kitties and rolling in the dirt?). The first time we saw our house, he was basking in the sun on the front porch and followed us in to give us a tour. After I left Bubba’s sale I headed to another a few blocks away, where this was my favorite item.

The brainstorm of 13-year-old twin boys. Had a good chuckle with their dad over their entrepreneurial spirit. I was kind of tempted by one item he had for sale, one of those Razor scooter thingies, similar to this.

Had a quick fantasy of zooming along with Zoë running at my side, getting her thoroughly tired out. Then I remembered I live on a hill and the fantasy changed to one that included careening out of control and crashing and blood and pain. I don’t care much for blood and pain. Of course if Zoë were taller, maybe I could have taught her to ride it by herself, but she’s too short to reach the handle bars, and riding it wouldn’t wear her out. So I resisted.

The next thing I resisted was Bob. It wasn’t that hard.

Then I came to the sale where a cute girl was holding this little guy, who looks ready to defend her from all threats.

Her mom told me they do Chihuahua rescue, and this was one of their first. The daughter fell in love with him so he stayed. Then mom said they also foster kittens for the humane society, and I noticed a big chicken wire enclosure in the garage. They had a sweet young mama kitty and her four babies, who will be going back to the shelter to be adopted in a couple of weeks. Thank heavens they were too young, because I fell in love. With Stanley.

He snuggled up to my neck for a while, but when it came time for a picture he just wanted to get back to his mama and sisters. Then I noticed a couple more wire enclosures on the other side of the garage. “We do guinea pig rescue too,” they told me. Since not a guinea pig was in sight I figured they were all out, but just then the mom walked over to a refrigerator nearby and opened the door. Wild squeaking ensued from both pens, and a swarm of guinea pigs appeared. They were ecstatic with the lettuce she gave them.

It’s a wonder I got out of there without a few new pets, which I definitely do not need right now.

It wasn’t all nice pets, though – met some nice people too! Got into conversation with an elderly couple who were teasing each other about a campfire waffle iron. He thought he should buy it for her, and she tartly told him he could take her out to eat if he wanted waffles. She told me they’ve been married 63 years, so I’d guess they’ve worked out any waffle issues by now.

Another street had sales at two neighboring houses. I heard music as I drove up, and it turned out to be live, classical guitar.

He told me he’s a grade school music teacher. Had to smile to myself, because one of my best garage-sale-finds ever was my friend Linda, who is a grade school music teacher.

Didn’t buy anything at his sale, but next door I did. Tell you about that in a moment. First let’s run down the weekend’s finds, which set me back a whole $7.75. Got some full sized bath towels to use on dog washing days

a lifetime supply of safety pins

a brand new hummingbird feeder

and a book to read.

Not sure if this Corning coffee carafe is vintage since it’s in perfect condition, but the atomic stars (and the fifty-cent price tag) sealed the deal.

I am sure that these are vintage

as are these (It’s a postcard! It’s a plak!)

and these.

They need a good oxy soak, sure hope the stains come out. But the embroidery is very nicely done. This lady really knew how to stem stitch!

It was noticing something vintage in a box of ornaments that made me plunk down a buck for the box. This was at the sale next door to the music teacher. Of course I was hoping all the tissue-wrapped objects in the box would be variations of this.

Yes, it’s one of those little putz houses from Germany, covered with mica glitter. Alas, this was the only one of these in the box. However, I’d say I got my money worth, because it also contained the Worst. Ornament. Ever.

Which isn’t the set of little houses that fit over a strand of mini lights. They’re cheap but cute.

   

There were seven of them. I found some little molded resin houses, and a Hallmark Noah’s Ark.

Apparently the ark had already landed, for only the seals and polar bears remain on board. Perhaps they’re trying to get Mr. and Mrs. Noah to drop them off in a chillier climate.

One bundle remained. I unwrapped it and found it had a tag left on it, maybe from another sale.

Ah, it’s musical. I found the on/off switch and turned it on.

A tiny, high pitched whine ensued, like a mosquito humming a medley of carols. Before I could get it shut off both dogs zoomed over to find out what that noise was. “That’s the sound of the Worst. Ornament. Ever.” I told them. No, it’s not the bow on the top that’s so awful.

It’s the subject matter that makes me bestow this title. Now, we’ve all seen lots of tacky ornaments, right? There are a gazillion of them. My writing group once did an exercise where we came up with new themed ornaments, taking off from this:

We laughed ourselves silly over the Knitting S’more Ornament, and came up with some worthy successors. But no one proposed anything as awful as…

The Santa in an Outhouse Ornament.

Yup. Worst. Ornament. EVER. And I don’t know whether to laugh or cry over the fact that the designer actually put his name on it.

 

Forty Down, Heading for…

Forty one! Yes, our big old anniversary was last weekend, and we celebrated with friends and family, food and fireworks. And dogs – our friends Diana and Dave came up for the weekend with Sophie and Tootsie.

Can we say circus?

We got to try out our yard-sale sparklers, which are not the sparklers I remember from childhood. Which were the kind that had a glowing hot wire left when you were finished, which you threw on the ground while you did your next sparkler, and someone would step on it with bare feet. Nope, these sparklers had different sections, some just sparking, some like little roman candles. And nothing but ash left on the tip of the stick. Much harder to hurt yourself these days!

Of course, it wouldn’t be a celebration without garaging, right? We took in the Master Gardeners’ Yard and Plant Sale on Saturday morning, where Steven and I scored a couple of tomato plants, some lettuce starts, and two kinds of mint – including a chocolate mint. Yummers, what a scent! Then we took in some garage sales on the way back home. My big score was this decidedly silly picture.

I know, doesn’t look like much in this photo. It’s the construction that got me – pins and wire on black velvet.

And it was only a buck, so no biggie if it stops amusing us.

My other ‘big’ score of the weekend was at the rummage sale at the Episcopalian Church.

We had brunch at a winery a few weeks ago, where they were touting the use of an aerating pouring spout to make sure your red wine is at the peak of perfection when it hits your glass. The ones they were selling were something like fifty bucks, and at least that much more for the accompanying stand. As if! So I was quite chuffed to find this baby, new in its box, tossed among the miscellaneous kitchenware – for a quarter. Works pretty darned good too, and our cheap wine from Trader Joe’s tasted just fine!

I meant to post earlier in the week, but you know how the days slip away. Here it is Friday again, and we’re awaiting the arrival this evening of some cousins (with their cats) who are driving from California to Canada. (Hmmm, would that be a C trip?) I knew I’d better get my garaging in this morning, since tomorrow we’ll be munching homemade granola and catching up on family news. the morning was even nice enough to crank the top down on the car, woo hoo! I was charmed by the pair of little girls at the sale where I picked up a new-in-package shower curtain (good to have on hand).

The baby was giggling and gurgling happily as she sat by the drive, and the three year old was quite the singer. She seemed to be making up her own songs and was way more tuneful than many kids that age. I chatted a few minutes with their parents, and wished them luck getting rid of everything. My take on it is, never take anything back in the house at the end of your sale. Straight to the thrift store. When I mentioned this, the dad thanked me; guess his wife was having more trouble parting with stuff. Which I have certainly been through. But by now I know that once it’s out of your life, you probably won’t even remember what the stuff was.

I picked up this big wicker basket to plant the lettuces in that we got last week. Our old wheelbarrow that we used for a salad garden didn’t make the trip north. (Yes, we ran out of room on the truck!)

And I fiound some more possible attachments for the whirligig I’ll be making in a workshop at the end of the month. Found 4 of these mugs

and these puppies might be fun on it too.

Except…now I want to make cream horns. Puff pastry and cream filling…sounds awfully yummy!

I also picked up this vintage afghan. I’m sure it’s wool; it’s been pre-felted!

Thanks to everyone who sent Zoe good wishes after her operation. She was released from jail in time to play with the dachshunds, and probably had a better time than they did. Her incision is all healed and she’s full of pep. Those of you with dogs know how hard it can be to get them enough exercise. But we’ve finally come up with something that’s really helping…the Puppy Stairmaster!

See Zoe run! Run, Zoe, run and run!