Landed

I had been at a loss as to where to display the dragonfly that I made last year from a spindle, ceiling fan blades and a tennis ball. 

Then last weekend when I kept Allie, she had fallen asleep in the car. I just stayed in the car with her until she woke up.  While sitting there I was looking out of the garage window at the grapevine wreath.  The dragonfly was being stored on a shelf in the garage in front of the car. Then it came to me, the dragonfly needed to land on the grapevine. 

Perfect! 

Also, last year I moved a couple of volunteer grapevines and planted them at the base of my wreath.  

I am hoping that they will reinforce the wreath without me having to drag and weave anymore vines. Maybe these will grow large enough before the original wreath rots. 
 

Is This Really Me

For some reason I have been receiving emails about auctions in the state of Virginia.  I hope the top picks for me are just randomly generated.  Otherwise, I need to change something about my internet surfing behavior.  

I hope that I am not portraying myself as someone interested in crowbars 

and old lamp shades.  Or do they know me better than I know myself. 

 

South Poll Sale

Friday we headed to Appomattox with Mike, Virginia, Sadie and Allie for a South Poll sale.  Virginia likes that they are small and very docile.  Mike likes whatever makes Virginia happy.

The breed is supposed to be good for easy fleshing on 100% grass, heat tolerance, and tender meat.  So they could be ideal for raising to sell off the farm for freezer beef. 
 Like with everything, there are a few really good marketers for the product (South Poll cattle) and then a bit of a cult like following.  The bred has not been in existence for long, since the 90’s, so the supply is limited. This all makes for some high prices. 

They had a nice location for the sale.  They also had a field day with lectures and a pasture walk, but with a toddler and a baby we thought it best not to try that.

There were a few yearling bulls, open heifers, bred heifers and cow/calf pairs.

Joe was a little interested in the pairs, thinking if he got a big price for the calf later, he wouldn’t have much invested in the cow.  Mike and Virginia were more interested in a bull.   But it didn’t matter.  Things went much higher than either of us wanted to pay.   I think people get overly excited at an auction. 

So the next step if we want one is to just find someone selling private treaty. 

There’s A Seinfeld Episode About That

I found this very unique rug on and on line auction last fall.  I loved it.  It was a little dusty but I did not notice any odor.

I thought about using it as  wall hanging, but decided on putting it on the floor on my side of the bed. 

 The back is just as interesting as the front.  I had really been happy with it until….  

3 weeks of heat and humidity hit.  What was that smell?  I finally found that it was the rug.  It smelled like a combination of cat urine and cigarette smoke.  (no cat in my house and we don’t smoke). How did it not smell for months until now?  I took it outside to air out but had to bring it in because of rain.  It stayed it the living room for a couple of days until it was sunny again.  So out it went.  But now I noticed the the wood floor that the rug was on smelled like the rug.  I got the Bissell out to clean the floor.  I doused the rug in Fabreze.  I washed the rug with Dawn.  I let it dry in the sun.  I cleaned it with the Bissell.  I used the pressure washer on it.  I used Fabreze rug powder.  I let it dry in the sun again.  I vacuumed the powder off.  It still stunk, but not as bad so at least I can now roll it up and have it in the laundry room until I decide what to do with it.  

It reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where someone with body odor gets in Jerry’s car and he ends up having to abandon it, then a homeless person didn’t even want it. 

I thought about donating the rug, but I don’t really want to pass that smell off to anyone else.  At least I only prided $10 for it. 

Local Auction

There was an auction a couple of miles up the road today.  Mike was wanting to bid on a tractor.  He did bid, just not high enough.  Joe and I went just to check things out. 

There was a good size crowd.  Joe found several people to talk to. 

I decided not to even get a number.  There was nothing that I remotely needed or wanted. 

I did enjoy walking around with Virginia and Sadie. 

Sadie really took to a baton that I saw.  I have one just like that.  I will have to get it out of the closet for her next visit.  But it will definitely need close supervision.  I told Virginia that I had baton lessons as a child.  She said she had never heard of baton lessons.  Well, how else do you learn how to twirl one.  I will have yo watch some YouTube videos as a refresher.  Then we will add baton twirling to Sadie’s skills. 

Auction, Tires, and Chairs

Or, Three Random Things.

There was an auction Saturday just up the road from us.  We just drove to the end of the drive and walked because we knew parking would be very limited.  

 While we were there this motorcycle pulled right up to the auction bypassing the barriers.

She was riding on the back of it, with house slippers and pajama pants.  I didn't see them leave but was wondering how they were going to carry the fan and handicap toilet chair she bought.

Our county has a tire cleanup every year but for the last several we have always had something else planned.  Last year we could have done it but when I called they were full and put me on a wait list.  They called this year to say there was an opening and we could bring 100 tires.  One of the farms we bought, the previous owner used tires to set his round bales on.  We brought some of them to the house a few years ago during a drought when we had to buy large square bales and store them outside.  We used the tires to hold down the tarp.  Since then, they have been a constant source of irritation to me.

 Not any more, they are all on the trailer and have been hauled to the county recycling center.

 Had they not limited us to 100, maybe we could have finished cleaning up the other farm too.  Maybe next year.

 I didn't get anything at the auction but went to the State Surplus Store yesterday and found these chairs.

One was priced at $1 and the other $5.  When I was checking out I took the $1 chair up first and said there was a matching one that was priced different.  He asked what they were priced at and said I could have them both for $1 each.  My plan is to recover them in vinyl and use them as porch furniture.  J said, "Won't they rust?"  I said, what did it matter, they were only a dollar.

Wild Pony Sale

J and I went to the Grayson Highland Festival on Saturday.

 There was bluegrass music,

 arts and crafts vendors,

 and Hobo pies. (apple butter between two slices of bread then fried over a fire)

 But the main attraction is always the "wild" pony sale.  These are ponies that live in the park and are rounded up each year and the offspring sold as a fund raiser to help continue to care for the herd.  I say "wild" because hikers are always feeding and petting them.

 And despite signs posted all around the sale pens,

 people just acted like it was a big petting zoo.  I don't think the ponies minded at all.

Anyway, it was a gorgeous day and a large turnout for the sale.  I think they averaged well over $400 each and they had 22 to sell.  The high seller went for $875.  To keep me from getting caught up and bidding, J reminded me that was much more than I paid for Draper. So sadly, no little new pony at the 4R's.

Two More Sales

Friday J and I attended the Hokie Harvest Sale at Virginia Tech.  E is taking the marketing class and was involved with the sale, we were interested in the horses that were selling and there was Block and Bridle barbecue.  Who could say no to all that. 

 The horses were there but the auction was over the internet.  The one we were interested in went for $2550, a little more than we wanted to pay for a yearling.   The range for the 5 was $1300 to $3600.

 E did a good job manning her station.

 J checked out the cattle prior to the sale.

There was a capacity crowd but prices were way off from last year.  All lots together averaged about $2500.   We came home empty handed again.

Then J went to a local Angus sale the next day.  He was very disappointed with the quality that they were selling so strike three.

Cattle Auction And A Few Horses

V and E came to visit and V brought Mike with her so J and I took the lot out for the day to a cattle auction.  

 Cattle prices are waaaay down this year so J was interested to see how these 300 bred heifers would sell.   Last year they averaged $2185.  This year was closer to $1425.  J got a number but never used it.

 We finally got seats halfway through the auction.

 They provided a free chuck wagon lunch which was delicious.

 There was also a quarter horse herd dispersal.  There were weanlings, yearlings, two year olds, brood mares and stallions.  I don't think any of them had been handled much.  The yearlings were pretty big.

I thought I might have been able to handle one of the orphan weanlings but decided I wasn't in love with any of them so we didn't stay for the horse auction.  A pleasant afternoon to visit with people we don't see much and we didn't even spend any money.

Land Auction

J and I went to a property auction Saturday.  We always go with the idea that maybe no one else is interested and it will sell for a reasonable price.  We were disappointed once again.  

 This was a 27 acre tract with access to the 1300 acre range lands and Virginia Highlands trail system.   This is in a remote part of the county about 5 miles from us.   The sellers live in North Carolina and camp and ride with their friends.   The wagon and outhouse watchman's stand convey with the property.

 In the middle of the property they fenced off a spot for 15 camper sites with water and electricity and 3 with sewage.

 Along with 2 old small barns this covered picnic area was the only other improvement on the property.

It was all open with pretty views.  J and I were ready to bid up to $150,000.  That was the second bid.  It ended up going for.......$430,000.  Property taxes will be going up.  

Friday's Fences #113

Some nearby land was up for auction and J and I decided to go on the off chance that maybe it would go cheap and we would be there to snatch is up.  

 This beautiful white fence goes with the neighboring property.

 It really is a pretty area.

This is a view of the farm for sale, 100 acres no real buildings, no cross fencing, no improvements, sold in one track.

 It was pouring down rain with the wind blowing and no tent set up.   J's clothes pretty much acted like a sponge.  He was soaked to the skin by the time we got home.  Umbrellas were getting blown inside out and one man was wearing a trash bag.

It was a court ordered sale where 2 brothers were fighting so the sheriff was there too.  It turned out that the only bidders were the 2 brothers bidding against themselves.  We left after an hour when the price was up to $540,000 and they were bidding in $100 increments.   We heard it eventually brought $640,000.  The only real winners here were the auctioneer and the lawyers.   Of course, at those prices maybe we should be thinking more about selling than buying.