American Pickers
When I was younger - I mean a lot younger - I spent a lot of time at my grandparents home on the outskirts of Pleasant Plain, Ohio. I have talked about this place before, and how no matter where in the world my travels have taken me. there is no place that I would rather be than sitting on the front porch of that place, swimming in the memories that are all around. There was the blizzard of 1978, when my mom, older sister, and I played in the mountains of snow that covered the front yard. There was the pancake-as-big-as-the-iron-skillet that Mamaw made me one time just because I asked. There was Papaw coming home from work at GE and going straight to the garden, where he would work for hours. And then there was the stuff.
The stuff consisted of all the things that were collected over the years that seemed like junk at the time. An old John Deere tractor, the kind with the skinny dual wheels in the front. It sat behind the workshop for years, the same workshop where my grandfather kept his tools and collectibles stored. I remember as a kid going in there, seeing the old mason jars filled with this and that, the metal rusted signs that sat in one corner, or the old hand drills and saws that hung on the posts. In the yard there were always several cars that were going to get fixed. And what a collection it was over the years. A 76 Nova with a 454 in it, a 63 Nova Duece Coupe (one of 3 Dueces I remember him having), a 66 Corvair, 69 Chevy C-10, 66 Chevy Pickup, a pair of VW Beetles............I could go on and on, and I am sure any of the Hodge family who read this will have some additions to the list. Inside there were lots of guns, mounted deer heads, and even a round bed that he paid $5 for at a yard sale. It was a cool place to grow up, never short on family get togethers, great cooking, and even a dog or six.
Fast forward to 2011. One of mine and Tiffany's vices as a couple is reality TV shows. More specifically, we love the shows where people find cool antiques and collectibles in the most unusual places. Storage Wars and Storage hunters are two must watches for us. They fuel our weekend scavenger hunts I talked about in the last blog post, and have us dreaming of our very own little Mom and Pop thrift shop in one of the little towns that surround Columbus. But the one that keeps me thinking about my homeplace is American Pickers.
If you have seen this show, you know these two guys drive around the country looking for places that are exactly what I have described here. Little back road, out of the way farms and properties that are filled with a lifetime of collecting and hobbies. Everything from a $5 Coke sign to a $20,000 Harley Davidson have been loaded into their van as they bargain and barter with people who have spent their lives accumulating these things. And it got me thinking.
How great would it be to send these people to see my grandpa? I know the property has a lot less stuff on it now, but I also know Papaw well enough to know that he has things stashed everywhere. Just his collections of arrowheads, firearms, and hunting weapons would be enough tot make those guys mouths water. If he let them in the workshop I am pretty sure they would be in awe.
I know, chances of them coming or him letting them in are pretty slim. The old man loves a good deal, but I am betting he would be a little camera shy. But it is still nice to sit down in front of the TV once a week and be reminded of the closest thing I have ever had to home.
2 blogs in two days. Starting to creep back into habit.
Good Day All.........................
The stuff consisted of all the things that were collected over the years that seemed like junk at the time. An old John Deere tractor, the kind with the skinny dual wheels in the front. It sat behind the workshop for years, the same workshop where my grandfather kept his tools and collectibles stored. I remember as a kid going in there, seeing the old mason jars filled with this and that, the metal rusted signs that sat in one corner, or the old hand drills and saws that hung on the posts. In the yard there were always several cars that were going to get fixed. And what a collection it was over the years. A 76 Nova with a 454 in it, a 63 Nova Duece Coupe (one of 3 Dueces I remember him having), a 66 Corvair, 69 Chevy C-10, 66 Chevy Pickup, a pair of VW Beetles............I could go on and on, and I am sure any of the Hodge family who read this will have some additions to the list. Inside there were lots of guns, mounted deer heads, and even a round bed that he paid $5 for at a yard sale. It was a cool place to grow up, never short on family get togethers, great cooking, and even a dog or six.
Fast forward to 2011. One of mine and Tiffany's vices as a couple is reality TV shows. More specifically, we love the shows where people find cool antiques and collectibles in the most unusual places. Storage Wars and Storage hunters are two must watches for us. They fuel our weekend scavenger hunts I talked about in the last blog post, and have us dreaming of our very own little Mom and Pop thrift shop in one of the little towns that surround Columbus. But the one that keeps me thinking about my homeplace is American Pickers.
If you have seen this show, you know these two guys drive around the country looking for places that are exactly what I have described here. Little back road, out of the way farms and properties that are filled with a lifetime of collecting and hobbies. Everything from a $5 Coke sign to a $20,000 Harley Davidson have been loaded into their van as they bargain and barter with people who have spent their lives accumulating these things. And it got me thinking.
How great would it be to send these people to see my grandpa? I know the property has a lot less stuff on it now, but I also know Papaw well enough to know that he has things stashed everywhere. Just his collections of arrowheads, firearms, and hunting weapons would be enough tot make those guys mouths water. If he let them in the workshop I am pretty sure they would be in awe.
I know, chances of them coming or him letting them in are pretty slim. The old man loves a good deal, but I am betting he would be a little camera shy. But it is still nice to sit down in front of the TV once a week and be reminded of the closest thing I have ever had to home.
2 blogs in two days. Starting to creep back into habit.
Good Day All.........................
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