What are you asking for on this old box?

Peter was working today, so in order to escape working around Bunbury for a while I headed off to a little antique mall in Osceola, Wisconsin. Dad is coming next week and the guest room needs to be closer to "finished" and there was a need for a bedside table.
Sadly the majority of the "antiques" were manufactured by the Corning Company for their Corelle line...not a lot there. Feeling a little annoyed at the contents of the antique store, I headed home and drove past a thrift store with a giant white stuffed panda outside. Figuring that sometimes things can be found in the oddest places I went in. the shelves were filled with thrift store dregs, coffee cups, candle holders that cam in floral arrangements, nothing good. Behind the counter a young man in a Led Zepplin t, with blond dreds was talking to a friend. On a whim, I asked if he had any tables, and he took me into the locked next door storage area where there were 2 bad dining room tables. As I was about to leave I spotted THIS out of the conner of my eye



a nice little wooden chest, looked to be about the right size for a bedside table. There was something different about it, but I didn't want to pay TOO much attention before I knew the price.

"What are you asking for on this old box", I casually asked. the young man thought about it, said his mom wanted it, although there was another, plastic, box in the shop she could store stuff in, then said...

"Would 6 dollars be ok?"

I said that would be fine. :)



The box is an old mechanics case. On the back was a name plate for the owner



and the lifted back reveals a series of drawers




and when the lid is lifted, more storage




It is now cleaned, oiled and placed in the guest room, where it fits perfectly. As soon as the room is settled I will post a picture. I love a good find!

Bunting!

We have always liked the way bunting looks on the front porch of a distinctly American house, and this year we were able to hang some for the Fourth. It may be hard to take it down after the holiday weekend, it looks so nice and classic. It is also give a hint of how the swags for Christmas will look, although winter will likely find wreaths on the windows too.

One of the big things we would like to change is the blacktop drive in front of the house. Our long term goals with this is to remove all the blacktop, change the approach to the house and plant a shade loving grass in front of the house. Currently you drive in straight on with the front of the house, I would like to move our drive about 50 feet down the road, so you drive through a small grove of trees, by the pond and pole barn and then curve to see the house sitting among the trees.

Plus I hate blacktop.

There is a lot planned for the weekend, building some trellis, constantly checking on the chickens to be sure they are safe, painting some wicker, planting, planting planting and a tractor pull to check out on Sunday. Dad is coming for a visit in a couple weeks, so we want to finish unpacking too.

Have a great holiday weekend!

Married with Chickens

They grow up so quickly. It seems like just yesterday that the chicks came to Bunbury in their little box, cheeping little balls of feather. Today, Peter took the chicks out to the coop for their first visit to their new digs. Lots of netting and chicken wire protects them from any predators, but even with preparations we took them inside for the night.


Butters understand her job as protector of the chicks, and they all seemed to be very happy to see that she was on the other side of the fencing.



Peter has a magical touch with the chickens, and most animals. It really is something to see how they let him handle and protect them.




They are not so charmed by Jim.