It’s almost 6 am here, and still dark, compliments of the crazy time change. Just when I was getting used to the old time, we go and change. Such is life.
Today, will be a standard Fall day here in the South. Morning sees you wearing a hoodie, so you can sip coffee on the patio outside, by this afternoon, you have to get the sunscreen out of your pocket, or wherever you could put it. You almost need to carry it around your neck, on a lanyard, during this part of the year.
The last two mornings, I have noticed the house down the street didn’t have the Christmas lights/security lights on, after about 5:30 am. He must have put them on a timer. Getting bad these days, when a redneck has to ration the use of Christmas lights. First light is appearing now, so the world is waking up.
Speaking of waking up. Our Great Dane is sound asleep on the couch, where she isn’t supposed to be. I sure wish I could sleep like that. There are times, when I think she was born, boneless. At least, she doesn’t snore. I have the corner on that activity, at least that’s what Michelle says.
Finally, managed to reorganize the main outside shop, during the last two days. We decided, since the move last year, that driving eight miles each way, just to hope what we were looking for was there, was just too much. Not to mention, I can use that $45 a month on something else, like me! We moved the contents here in a hurry, some of the days it rained, so we had to rush. Boxes, were stacked willy-nilly (is that a phrase?). I felt like I needed a hard hat just to enter it. As the picture shows, you couldn’t walk more than about six feet in. Now, it is stacked as neatly as possible against the far end of the shop wall. We are going through it about four to five boxes a day. Sorting, and taking a lot of it to the thrift stores for others to use, and hoard.
The junky wood to the right? Is an old bed frame I tore apart, or as we say around here, “Energetically, disassembled”. With wood selling by the ounce these days, it never hurts to have some scrap lying around. Lord knows, you sure can’t afford the real stuff from the stores right now. Won’t be long, and some old dog houses, will become prime material for many.
I suppose today, I will start back on the safe restoration. A friend gave me a safe since they were moving, and no place to put it. Super heavy, it has been through one fire, so I am stripping the paint and cleaning up the dial in preparation for restoring the dial and freshening up the paint for the numbers.
The thing weighs a ton! It was all two large men could do, to pick it up and place on a wheeled dolly, to get it over the door jamb. It is a Hall-Herring-Marvin fire-rated floor safe. From research, it is about 100 years old. 26 inches tall and 28 inches deep. Still works fine. It was left to the lady by her father, who passed on at the ripe age of 83. She couldn’t get it open with the instructions he left her.
The combination numbers were correct, but the method of using the numbers was wrong. I managed after looking up various information on that safe to figure out the correct method. She was happy, to get some old mementos from her father out of the safe. In the picture, the dial appears gold, it is actually brass. I had cleaned it up before the picture, as it was all black with white numbers, and I didn’t like the way it blended into the front so much. I will repaint the main dial black, and the numbers white, but leave the brass ring around it natural. Not only that, but I need to sand blast the skirting along the bottom of it, to remove age-old rust. The heavy metal wheels on the bottom still function.
On a side note, you never know what you will find from the past. She was shocked, to see two satanic ritual books inside the safe. He was a devout churchgoer. I’m thinking maybe I need to call in a priest, to bless the thing. Especially, since I opened it on Halloween!
That’s about it here, for my life in the fast lane. I hope you’re enjoying this Wednesday.
Satanic ritual books in the safe of a churchgoer! That confirms some of my long-held suspicions, Ron!
Seasoned and chopped logs ready for using on our wood-burner run at around $100 for what they call a half-load. That’s about as much as they can get into the back of a pickup.
I still have a third of a half-load from a few years ago, as we don’t use the fire that much.
Best wishes, Pete.
You have to appreciate the irony. He was one of the ones that helped the rumors in the trailerhood, that I was a high priest in Satan worshiping. I should have gone over there Halloween, and stood in the yard of our old place, wearing my Grim Reaper costume. I know the guy that lives there, he would have gotten a kick out of it.
Love the dog picture. Can’t tell where one end starts and another ends.
I can’t figure out how she contorts into some of those positions, and still remain comfortable.
Um… re the safe: do you actually have anything that needs to be put in it? ? Sorry, couldn’t resist!
Kudos to you on all the work… heaven knows how tempting it is to procrastinate doing such chores! I hate to tell you how many years I’ve put off doing the sorting, tossing, etc. Yet I do know how good it feels afterward!
You have a good point, Ellie! Only thing super important to me in my life, won’t fit in there. Michelle is just too tall. It makes one heck of a paper weight, though.
I won’t store my guns in there, as getting them out if there was a break in, would take forever! Four turns to the left, three to the right then two to the left, hope you don’t pass too far and have to start over. Then half a turn to the right to throw the lock.
Mostly just a conversation piece. We can always talk about how heavy the thing is.
Very interesting find in that safe!
Yes, we can store important papers I guess, like birth certificates and protect them from fire. I looked one up like it on eBay, and it is a plain Jane safe. Only brings about $200. After I get it cleaned up, and painted, it might be worth more. It never had any type of gold lettering on it or such. I got it for free, so no matter, I’m still ahead on it.
It’s the “devout churchgoer” that will often surprise you! 🙂
Yes, you are so right. It’s the quiet ones that surprise you!
Glad to see your energy level has now returned full strength again – you have a big project to tackle. I do too maybe once retired because my basement and parts of upstairs have become a real catch-all. I often muse that how did two people and a bird live here at one time and I exist in clutter? Go figure. P.S. Annabelle sure looks comfy!
Hi, Linda. Wow, you have a double job, upstairs and down. We always have a ton of critters around. Michelle loves animals. She had three Boa snakes not long ago, but they are gone now. She raises and sells hairless guinea pigs, so we have five of them. Two Geckos and 7 dogs.
Annabelle is her service Dane for her balance and mobility. She really is a contortionist.
Yes, a real mess right now Ron. It sounds delightful with all the pets, especially the dogs. I did not know there was a service dog for balance and mobility so I learned something. That was quite the pose by Annabelle – maybe because she knew she was not supposed to be there, so just kind of “hanging out a little”. 🙂
No, I didn’t either. Michelle has had 8 back surgeries over the last years. Her doctor suggested a large dog for her, something that could support weight without being huge. We have trained Annabelle to make sure Michelle can get up and down curbs if she’s feeling weak. She stops, tells Annabelle to “step up”. Annabelle places her two front feet up on the curb, then Michelle says “Brace”, Annabelle tightens her back in preparation for something to press on her shoulders and back. Michelle puts her hand on Annabelle and takes some weight off her back as she steps up or down from a curb.
Annabelle also helps with balance. When they stand somewhere for any length of time, like at a counter, she can tell Annabelle “close” and Annabelle moves around behind Michelle and leans against her. When freestanding anywhere, if Michelle needs better balance or support, the tells Annabelle, “lean” She then stands in front of Michelle and leans slightly into the front of Michelle’s legs/body. That was a very easy part, as Great Danes have a habit of liking to lean against people.
She’s one smart dog. At restaurants, we take a small folded blanket. Michelle can toss it under the table, and Annabelle goes under and lays there. She doesn’t ask for, or accept, food. Most of the time people don’t realize she is there, unless there isn’t enough room, and she has to lay next to the chair or booth.
That is fascinating Ron – I had no idea of any of this. How lucky Annette is to have Annabelle. I’m going to share what you’ve told me with an old friend of mine. She is a former co-worker and when she was younger, she was an avid tracker. She tracked with her various dogs as well as participating as a judge for tracking. My friend lives in Kingsville, Ontario, but used to go to tracking events in the U.S. as well. But her best tracking accomplishment was helping to set up a contingent of tracking dogs in the Windsor Police Department and training officers to handle those tracking dogs. She once brought in a newspaper clipping to show me this accomplishment. I mention that as I know you were in law enforcement.
That’s a good strong safe, Ron it will look good once you have refurbished it…as for the contents a strange find as he was a devout churchgoer maybe that was him in a past life…Thank you for the follow 🙂
Thanks for the comment, Carol. Apparently the old boy, from history I have learned, became enamored with someone less than half of his age, and she was somehow mixed up in the cults. He lost his wife, and business, over the young lady.