The first day of Spring has come, and the weather is seductively warm and sunny. We do, however, have a winter storm watch on the horizon and a week of cold snowy weather coming, with night -time temps hovering a bit above zero. Yes, we have a couple more winters due here before it’s plantin’ time I think.
But we take advantage of whatever decent weather we get. And Sunday I got a cake for my Gotcha Day.
Mom made it just for me, but I only picked the treats off the top. Chili and the chickens sure enjoyed the rest of it!
Last week may be the only Spring we get, so I’ve been helping with Spring Cleaning.That includes clearing out the stuff that accumulates, through the season, then through the years.
Coming is the season of auctions and yard sales. We get rid of the junk we’ve collected, that had a purpose once, only to watch strangers and neighbors come, looking for bargains and treasures, and finding delight or plain use in common items.
Somewhere down the road, there will be an estate sale or another auction, and a new path begins.
We are having an estate sale, I hear, and I think that means letting go of Dad’s things, because mom looks sad as she catalogs, lists and collects – trucks, the boat, tools, guns, boots.
My job is to watch and keep it all organized. Mostly I lay in the shade of the four-wheeler. Even the old tool bag on that got cleaned out. It had plenty of hay and dirt in it.
There was broken glass and rusty nails, picked up prevent flat tires and wounded hooves or bare feet.
We put back in the trusty standbys – knife, lighter, screwdriver, shiny tape for trees and coop, a few hose repair parts.
I think the tool bag is worn out, but I’m told it’s been on there since new and it still works fine after twenty years.
So we’ll continue cleaning and collecting, waiting for summer to hand off this stuff, big and small, into someone else’s vague future. If tomorrow it starts snowing again, we will spend our time inside, going through drawers and boxes in the basement perhaps, and leave the barn, tool shed, and boat til a real Spring. And I may take an extra nap!
We try to hold everything loosely, because it is only on loan to us and none of it will go with us into eternity. The value is only in use to someone, and helping someone else. It’s not just selling, it is giving too.
We always take a lot of bags to the local thrift shop, because they support shelter and rescue pets.
I’m going to go through my toybox now.
