Saturday, November 09, 2013

A GIANT GARAGE SALE NETS US SOME LOOT & A TRAILER TO BRING IT HOME IN:))

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MY GARDEN TOOLS PATIENTLY AWAIT MY RETURN ON A SUNNY ARIZONA MORNING

Had to quickly haul all the Cactus pads out of the Jeep this morning because it was the Escapee’s North Ranch annual Saturday morning garage sale day.  I had forgot about that.  Jeep space was probably going to be needed for garage sale loot.  Probably??  It was needed for garage sale loot!!

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LOTS OF CACTUS TO PLANT SUNDAY MORNING

I didn’t go to the garage sale last year because for me to be tagging along on a garage sale run I have to have my head on pretty crooked.  And darned if it wasn’t on pretty crooked this morning.  We must have spent at least a couple hours from street to street, sale to sale.  Some I stayed in the Jeep for & some I did not.  The very first one we stopped at we scored a nice authentic yellow wooden table & that kind of set the pace for our morning garage sailing.

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I DON’T ALWAYS TAKE DIRECTION WELL BUT WHEN I HEARD THE ORDER BARKED ‘GO THAT WAY’ I HURRIED UP & WENT THAT WAY

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DOESN’T TAKE MUCH TO FILL UP A JEEP WRANGLER

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BUT SOME FOLKS HAVE EVEN LESS SPACE THAN WE DO

Surprised at how many people we ran into that we already knew.  Jim from last winter’s gold mining area drive southeast of Wickenburg.  And Mike McFall his very self as we stopped to see what Mike was selling.  A wee chat with Mike & we were off again.  He was pretty busy selling some stuff.  Very next stop we met Mike’s wife Pat.  We met Pat & her friend Carol Spenny about half a dozen more times after that as the garage sale morning played itself out.  We were whizzing one way in the Jeep & the 2 Gals were whizzing the other way in their golf cart hopping from sale to sale:)) 

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I ALWAYS ENJOY LOOKING AT PEOPLE’S DESERT LANDSCAPING IDEAS

One of the last stops we made for the morning had a small utility trailer for sale.  Just what we have been looking for since buying the house.  Not much room in a 2 door Jeep Wrangler so we have always had a problem carrying stuff.  Any stuff.  A deal was struck & the trailer was ours.  We took our Wrangler load of loot home first & then came back for the trailer.  Had spotted a couple sizeable items earlier for free but had no way to pick them up……..until we bought the trailer.  It was then quickly back to pick up an old large weather beaten wood table for outside & a computer desk/shelf thingy that I can use in the shed to put things on.  All & all we ended up with quite a stash of stuff.  And a utility trailer to haul some of it all home with to boot………:))

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THIS TRAILER HAS A FEW UPGRADES LIKE NEW WIRING & BIGGER TIRES

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A LITTLE ‘HORSE TRADING’ GOING ON HERE & THE TRAILER WAS OURS

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DIDN’T TAKE US LONG TO ROUND UP SOME FREE STUFF:))

Okay so here is some of the stuff we dragged home today.  First is the free stuff…………….

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A MAT FOR OUR PATIO

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AN OLD WELL WEATHERED OUTSIDE WOOD BENCH & A SHELVING UNIT FOR OUR SHED

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A SMATTERING OF BRICKS & BLOCKS FOR THE CACTUS GARDEN

And here is the stuff we darned well had to pay for………

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A GOOD LEVEL FOR $2

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ONE WELL MADE TABLE FOR $12 & A SHELVING UNIT NEVER OUT OF THE BOX FOR $6

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THIS LIKE NEW MOTORCYCLE HELMET IS MUCH BETTER THAN THE ONE I HAVE IN ONTARIO – $20…(NOW IF I CAN JUST FIND A HARLEY DOWN HERE TO GO ALONG WITH IT)

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CAMERA TRIPOD $2 & THIS WOODEN HAND CARVED MEXICAN EAGLE FOR $23…JUST NEEDS A LITTLE PAINT & SPRUCING UP

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TABLE FOR OUR PORCH $5

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AND A PRETTY GIRL ON THE PORCH…NO CHARGE:))

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Definition of a Weed:  {a wild plant growing where it is not wanted & in competition with cultivated plants}  Well I guess that doesn’t make all my Cactus plants weeds because….they are wanted:))  And some of the most beautiful landscaped gardens one can find are done in the South West theme made up of desert cactus plants.  One only has to cruise through some very ‘posh neighborhoods’ to see that.  I’ve always loved South West desert landscaping.  Weeds?  I think not.  In other words, ‘no way Jose’ & weeds are only in the eyes of the beholder.

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NOPE, I DON’T FIGURE THESE ARE WEEDS

First results from our Critter Cam are in.  Technically they are not very good & we have a ways to go to tweaking the cam for better results but even with our poor first effort images it is clear we are dealing with a Skunk under the house.

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SKUNK PASSING BEHIND A TREE FROM LEFT TO RIGHT THEN STOPS, TURNS, & SHOWS US HIS BUSINESS END IN FULL DEFENSIVE SPRAY MODE

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I’LL LET YOUR IMAGINATION FIGURE THESE TWO OUT

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I FIGURE THIS IS SKUNK FUR AS LOUIE LAPEW CLOSELY CHECKS OUT THE CRITTER CAM

I’ve often heard it said the heat is dryer here in Arizona.  I agree with that.  We are hitting low to mid 80’s temps these days & that equivalent in Ontario with the humidity factor thrown in is much worse.  What I like best about this South West weather is the ability to change one’s surrounding environmental temperature in a matter of seconds.     Too hot in the sun…..just step into the shade & the temperature on your skin drops about 10 degrees in a second.  Sit on the south side of your RV & it’s summer.  Sit on the north side of your RV & it’s winter.  We have no A/C in this house but it stays cool as long as we close the drapes to the sun.  In Ontario there is no escaping the humidity anywhere unless one encompasses themselves in Air Conditioning.  That humidity just sticks to ya no matter where ya try to hide………………

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THIS AFTERNOON’S BIRDS

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KEEPING WATCH WHILE THE LADIES CATCH A QUICK DRINK

GROANER’S CORNER:(( 71 Reasons why it's great to be a guy

  1. Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.
  2. You know stuff about tanks.
  3. A five day vacation requires only one suitcase.
  4. Monday Night Football.
  5. Your bathroom lines are 80% shorter.
  6. You can open all your own jars.
  7. Old friends don't annoy you if you've lost or gained weight.
  8. Dry cleaners and haircutters don't rob you blind.
  9. When clicking through the channel, you don't have to stall on every shot of someone crying.
  10. A beer gut does not make you invisible to the opposite sex.
  11. Guys in hockey masks don't attack you.
  12. You don't have to lug a bag of useful stuff around everywhere you go.
  13. You can go to the bathroom without a support group.
  14. Your last name stays put.
  15. You can leave a hotel bed unmade.
  16. When your work is criticized, you don't have to panic that everyone secretly hates you.
  17. You can kill your own food.
  18. The garage is all yours.
  19. You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.
  20. You see the humor in Terms of Endearment.
  21. You never have to clean the toilet.
  22. You can be showered and ready in 10 minutes.
  23. Wedding plans take care of themselves.
  24. If someone forgets to invite you to something, he or she can still be your friend.
  25. Your underwear is $10 for a three pack.
  26. The National College Cheerleading Championship
  27. None of your co-workers have the power to make you cry.
  28. You don't have to shave below your neck.
  29. If you're 34 and single nobody notices.
  30. Everything on your face stays its original color.
  31. Chocolate is just another snack.
  32. You can be president.
  33. You can quietly enjoy a car ride from the passenger seat.
  34. Flowers fix everything.
  35. You never have to worry about other people's feelings.
  36. You can wear a white shirt to a water park.
  37. Three pair of shoes are more than enough.
  38. You can eat a banana in a hardware store.
  39. You can say anything and not worry about what people think.
  40. Michael Bolton doesn't live in your universe.
  41. You can whip your shirt off on a hot day.
  42. You don't have to clean your apartment if the meter reader is coming by.
  43. Car mechanics tell you the truth.
  44. You don't care if someone notices your new haircut.
  45. You can watch a game in silence with your buddy for hours without even thinking: He must be mad at me.
  46. You never misconstrue innocuous statements to mean your lover is about to leave you.
  47. You get to jump up and slap stuff.
  48. One mood, all the time.
  49. You can admire Clint Eastwood without starving yourself to look like him.
  50. You know at least 20 ways to open a beer bottle.
  51. Same work....more pay.
  52. Gray hair and wrinkles add character.
  53. Wedding Dress $2000; Tux rental $100.
  54. You don't care if someone is talking about you behind your back.
  55. You don't mooch off others' desserts.
  56. The remote is yours and yours alone.
  57. People never glance at your chest when you're talking to them.
  58. ESPN's sports center.
  59. You can drop by to see a friend without bringing a little gift.
  60. You have a normal and healthy relationship with your mother.
  61. You needn't pretend you're "freshening up" to go to the bathroom.
  62. If you don't call your buddy when you say you will, he won't tell your friends you've changed.
  63. Someday you'll be a dirty old man.
  64. If another guy shows up at the party in the same outfit, you might become lifelong buddies.
  65. Princess Di's death was almost just another obituary.
  66. If something mechanical didn't work, you can bash it with a hammer and throw it across the room.
  67. New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet.
  68. You don't have to remember everyone's birthdays and anniversaries.
  69. Your pals can be trusted never to trap you with: "So... notice anything different?"
  70. Baywatch
  71. There is always a game on somewhere. 

-------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.

14 comments:


  1. Wow good stuff, I like the little yellow table, and your wooden eagle.

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  2. Wow! When you go shopping, you go all out. That trailer will come in handy.
    I nearly freaked out on the second bird pic, first thought was Wood Pecker, but then I said no the white stripes and beak are wrong. What kind of bird is it?

    Love the Critter Cam pics, no doubt a Skunk. Now yo can put it on your fence and see who your night visitors are. Just might turn out to be a lot of fun.

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  3. Skunk might be rather hard to evict if he is willing to burrow under the house almost anywhere....

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  4. Dang, I forgot about that sale. Oh well, saved $ that way. And would need a shed to store it.

    May not be the greatest photos but definitely proves you have a skunk.

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  5. Oh great, a skunk. And is the other a raccoon? Love the photos of the cactus gardens.

    You sure hit the jackpot! That trailer will be a huge blessing. You know that if John had it, he'd fill it with rocks, don't you.

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  6. I'm JEALOUS - especially for that trailer. I could even use it here.
    I see you took my "Weed" comment seriously. I don't think cactus will be a weed in YOUR garden, but the farmers sure don't like it much.

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  7. Looks like you did very well at the yard sales, and the bonus was that trailer to bring it all home too.
    We enjoy the summer side of our Rv in Arizona and just love it!

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  8. Wish I'd been a step ahead of you on that fabulous patio mat. Mighty fine deals!

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  9. Great seeing you both....... Looks like you done good. I really sold a lot of stuff, but Ms Pat bought a lot of stuff too!!!

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  10. What a great day! The skunk was pretty obvious..That other critter..maybe a snipe?

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  11. I want a patio mat like that!

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  12. I remember reading that if you have skunks under the house, you will not have snakes. Or was it the other way around.

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  13. I agree with Sherry! I love that floor mat!!! Yellow table is pretty cool to.... AND a trailer to haul it all home in! SCORE!

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  14. Now that i quite the haul, great stuff. I do hope that Kelly's ankle is healing.

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