Thursday, July 31, 2008

Salvage Yard Excursion

Today we went to see what was available at Donaldson's in the way of recycled wood.

Keith and dad looked at the wood. They talked about board feet blah blah blah. I was too busy looking at rusty things to be worried about what they were saying. I can't wrap my head around the math to figure board feet anyway.

me and my dad

Mr. Sexy measuring wood
with his new tape measure

It's U-Sort and it's crazy hot and there's bees everywhere and maybe rattlesnakes... and I don't know if it's any cheaper than wood from the mill (where my mom works and gets a discount). I definitely like the idea of recycling materials and the quality and aesthetics of this old wood is better---- but it's not up to me, necessarily. We have to get out the abacus and see what the better deal is.

Everything BUT the wood was more interesting to me. I let the men handle it while I snapped photos of:







Rural excitement of late:
1) Last night we were all sitting on the porch and one of the neighbor boys (10 yrs old maybe) from the end of the road rode a 4-wheeler up to the highway and back, like he sometimes does. But on the return trip he was looking over his shoulder for just a second and he plowed into the mailboxes across the street. The 4-wheeler went end over end, flew through the air and he landed up against the fence. Talk about scary!! We ran down to the site of the crash (about 20 yards from our house) and checked to see if he was still in one piece. He was so lucky he didn't get killed. He walked away with no broken bones, only some road rash and a banged up 4-wheeler. I can't believe his parents let him ride that thing alone. Apparently, they're not too bright. Understatement.
2) My dad and Keith told me this afternoon that a guy who lives about 1 block from here (not that we have blocks, but that distance) saw a COUGAR in his driveway late at night 2 days ago. A COUGAR!! Sleeping in a tent is not sounding all that attractive after hearing that. Laying in bed we can hear apples falling out of the tree, twigs snapping from the outside kitties (or maybe not!) walking around, geese flying into the field next to us... but I would mess my pants if I heard a cougar scream. Come to think of it, we've been hearing some weird sounds very much like these. I am so NOT joking. Time to reconsider our sleeping arrangements.

5 comments:

Amanda said...

Um please make sure Olivia is no longer sleeping outside. :) Thank you very much.

The Scavenger said...

I love junkyards too. Pretty cool looking stuff you pictured.

Chris

Chris said...

I built some raised bed boxes and ended up going to the evil Lowe's for the wood, as Home Resources didn't have what I needed, and it kinda bummed me out. I think for some of my smaller projects they will, though. They are moving into a new location that will be bigger, and I think they are in transition now, which is why their stock was probably a little low.

A couple "hillbilly" types from way-more-rural-than-Missoula stopped by in their rattletrap pickup to pick up a refrigerator we had an ad to give away up at Home Resources, and they were going on and on about the free doors they picked up there that they are using to build countertops with. Helping them out by giving them a fridge -- a pretty nice one, we just didn't need two (it was in the laundry room downstairs when we bought this place) -- made me pretty happy, happier probably than if I'd sold it for $300.

Not to totally bogart your comments section, but I tease Julia about being a "cougar" because she's 3 years older than me. Ha, get it?! Cougar? I kill me. . . .

Melissa M. said...

I just love anything you point your camera at! My favorite of your day is the blue building with the dark yellow (what is that thing) up next to it.
I am glad you at least know about the cougar, and you won't be the one to discover it. Now git in that house!

christian said...

I love all the colors you found at the salvage yard. :)