That Ol' Trash Picker

Many children look back fondly on the car trips of their youth. If not fondly, then at least with a modicum of wistfulness and nostalgia. Nicholas will have a slightly different perspective:

Whether it's yard sale overflow or roadside detritus, my family knows we will probably have more "passengers" in the car than we started with. Dusty, dirty passengers.

 

At least they look happy about it. Must be my rendition of "Ol' Trash Picker" (sung to the tune of "Ol' Man River", with apologies to Frank Sinatra).

I think we've found some pretty good scores. Paul found this rocking chair in this practically pristine condition down the street:

He found this chippy green bureau on one of his daily 2-hour walks. Since he needed to get home to get his car, he took a drawer out and hid it behind a bush so other pickers would pass it by, seeing as it was missing a drawer! That's using your noggin', Buddy Boy! It sits proudly in Sophia's bedroom.

 

This cool cubby piece hangs in my studio. Found it right across the street -- it's fun to pick from your neighbors! It's a little more filled up than when I took this photo.

 

Here's hoping the neighbors aren't reading my blog! Wait, maybe I WANT them to be reading so they'll call me when they are throwing away perfectly good stuff. Maybe then I won't have to race that guy in the nasty green pick-up truck down the streets to the good stuff.

Comments

[jenny]

Before we moved, our local landfill had a 'trash or treasure' shed and people could drop off stuff that was still good instead of dumping it in the landfill. Man oh man, do I miss that place! We were there almost daily and brought home some great stuff! The best one is the civil war era cabinet covered in chicken poop that absolutely did not fit in the van and I refused to leave the landfill without it, and a kind gentleman overheard me and offered to use his truck to take it to our house! Thanks guy! it looks great in the living room (minus the chicken poop)!

[jen]

I have some great memories of flea markets and trash picking with my mom, and we still do it...recently I have found some great stuff in the trash, a wicker lamp, a real wood end table - painted white and just starting to show wear (perfect!)and a very old half table someone painted red and with hand painted Pennsylvania Dutch designs...very chipped up, but still cool..and so many more things from the trash if I think about it.

I'd have taken that dresser, even w/ a drawer missing, and would have had someone make me one, or would have made it a shelf, with a few baskets slid in for storage. Always a way!

[Colleen]

This neighbor has her eye on you!!! lol.
I wish I had such lovely junk!

[kathy]

Love, love, love that chippy green bureau. And the story is icing on the cake!

[sue]

Pssst. I've hid stuff in the bushes while walking my dog. Don't tell anyone.