There are a few things to report on this time: A trip to Indiana to visit Toby and Sarah, work around the house, and a swap meet and auction were rolled in to the weeks. Let’s get to the news!
Toby and Sarah flew into South Bend to take in a Notre Dame home football game, and I had decided to drive to Indiana and spend a few hours with them. (They came in on a Thursday, we met on Friday, game was on Saturday, they flew home on Sunday.)
We met for breakfast, then decided to go to a couple antique stores. One of them was Coppes Commons in Napponee.
While we saw items we had never seen before, purchases were on the small side. These shops seem to get a premium price for their stuff!
This area is Amish country and there are parking signs tailored specifically to this clientelle:
The visit went well; we spent about 6 hours together all told. As with all such meetings, we caught up with family news.
Before driving to Indiana, I had attended a local auction and taken in a swap meet. The swap meet was held in a fairgrounds building and featured a lot of stuff, not just your typical glassware and home goods. Not surprising, given the rural nature of the area, less often seen items such as grain gleaners, old steel wheels, kerosene heaters, and other hardware items were mixed in with collectibles, dishware, and other antiques.
A few days later I attended a local consignment auction, interested to see how the area farmers would bid on various items of agricultural interest. Some items went for more than I expected, but many went for less. A few larger items, big tractors and skid steel loaders, did not sell for the reserve prices the owners had put on them. It appears to me the local farmers are being very cautious about spending money, which might not bode well for the economy in general.
The auction had 3 “rings” going simultaneously with 3 trucks / bidding active at various parts of the auction grounds. I chose to go back and forth, gauging the mood of the bidders. The above photo was taken in the older or antique section of the grounds. The old tractor went for $650.00.
Other antiques were on the grounds as well, along with many types of tools, pumps, building supplies, yard machines, and just a lot of other stuff.
Back in Elma, Pam started putting together our fall yard art using pumpkins and gourds donated by Becky. Squirrels have been quite interested in the smaller gourds.
I worked on a couple of other projects scheduled for cooler temps. More porch railing repairs were finished, upstairs bathroom trim was fitted, painted, and installed, and a bit of trim was added to the front porch where the floor meets the walls.
Installing the trim was an exercise in frustration as nothing is square so corners are very basic, but the trim is in.
On the way back from visiting Toby and Sarah, Pam asked me to drive by some properties along the Mississippi River in Iowa, listed as having river views. The only one of any interest is in Clinton, Iowa. An old home at the top of a hill, and including a large pole building, it needs a lot of TLC including a complete redo of the kitchen.
The listing is for 206 32nd Ave so I will not include a lot of photos here. (Click on address to open link to listing.) The listing has interior photos that I could not get in my drive-by. It could be an interesting place to live but neither of us is really up for another renovation project. If the place does not sell and the price drops we might reconsider it. River views are over the tops of other houses, and seasonal.
There are two main events coming up in the next few weeks, meaning my next posting may be a little delayed. Friend Julie Nickles will be visiting from Florida, taking in the homecoming festivities for Luther College in Decorah, and staying with us for a few days. Her schedule spans October 2nd – 7th. The week before that I will be in Colorado, attempting to mend the leak in the roof of The Box, taking in some fall colors, and shutting down for the winter. Shortly after Julie returns to Florida I will be driving to Lodi, New York, to tackle a few home improvement tasks for Felicity and Peter. So, quite the busy fall schedule for me this year.
That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!
Pam’s Penny
Senior dog Sassy Brunette turns 16 this week. Although her eating and eliminating activities are fairly normal, I frequently wonder what Bru’s internal quality of life is these days; she deals with both hearing and vision losses. As far as I can determine, Bru isn’t in pain. But her mobility is certainly more and more off balance. (It’s easy to sympathize with aging difficulties.) A regular vet visit is scheduled for Bru this week.
Rock on, Bru.
Today’s Humor:
Leave a Reply