On the way home from Grafton, we stopped at another yard sale on Sand Ridge, at a little house that looks for all the world like a fairytale cottage. The people who bought it are from Arizona and said the former owner left all his stuff in there. I came away with a cute little shaker bottle with a red cap and a canning funnel. I have two, but you know how it is with this stuff--someone else always seems to need one.
When we stopped to pick up the trunk on the way home (they'd kept it for us so we didn't have to travel all the way across the state with the trunk in the back seat!) I found this pretty abalone and sterling silver pin for fifty cents.
Also at the same sale--two cast iron wall brackets for kerosene lamps. I'll find the part that hooks them to the wall on eBay.
And wonder of wonders, another blue bottle! Found this one in Grafton at a junk shop. It will hang on the bottle tree with the others as soon as I get a cork for it.
Traveling in West Virginia has many rewards: the people we meet along the way, the beautiful/interesting things we see, the little towns and old buildings, wildflowers...and the yard sales and junk shops! No trip is boring; the curvy roads alone will keep a driver on his/her toes. But all the other things? Oh yeah, way worth it.
And then there are those of us who love these curvy, twisting, unpredictable roads. They are in themselves one of our hidden treasures. Of course, if interstates are more your speed, then you might want to avoid roads like 119, 33, 21, 16, 20, 19, 72, 92, 3, 74, 21....and many more with no numbers to identify them, with names like Crummies Creek, Tater Knob, White Rose, Dark Hollow, Cider Run, Frozen Lick, or Joe's Run.
Got a favorite road name? What is it? I think mine is Flinderation Road. I can just imagine some old coot swearing, "Flinderation, woman, you're driving me outta my head!"
what lovely goodies~i am always on the lookout for a trunk or blanket box to have at the foot of my bed. the trouble is swampy is always telling me that i would more than likely bang into it in the dark and break something...
ReplyDeleteI love Flinderation Road!!! The word is perfect for swearing and you feel none of the guilt!!
ReplyDeleteAmy
Where in Flinderation did you find all these treasures!!!! I cannot believe you found a trunk like that for $8.00!!! What a great treasure hunt you had.
ReplyDeletetm
Swampy might be right, laoi--I had a footstool like that, slways tripping over it. But a blanket chest might be big enough to avoid.
ReplyDeleteAmy, my favorite swear-words were by a friend of my Dad's. instead of cussing he would rattle off "God bless us and save us said Mr.s davis let's all get down on our knees and pray!" By the time he got through it he probably forgot what he was cussin' about.
Theresa, the trunk was at a yard sale only a few miles from Joe's Run on 33. It needs work--the hinges need to be fixed, the handles are gone, the inside tray is gone...but it's fairly sturdy and Larry is looking forward to working on it. it will hold a LOT of quilts! or maybe we'll put all the air mattresses in it.
Good buy on the trunk!
ReplyDeleteI think my favorite road name in West Virginia is "Fried Meat Ridge Road" just outside of Keyser in Mineral County.
I would love to know how it got that name, you just know there's a story there.
I like that, Matthew! I also like Pig's Ear Road--I think that's in Western Maryland just on the WV border. Then there's Possum Law Road in Grant County (who knew there were laws about possums?), Skillet Lick (can't remember where I saw that), Round Bottom Run 9in Tyler County, maybe), Devil Hole Creek in Ritchie County...
ReplyDeleteAt one time there was a Lick Skillet in St. Albans, don't know if it is still there. That is where Janet was born. (Writing in the blackberry patch)
ReplyDeleteThat's it, Vera! a friend of mine was also raised there. Thank you for remembering for me. I didn't know Janet was born there, though.
ReplyDeleteoh man; I want roads with names like those! All I get here in southern Ioway is Nuthatch, Oriole, Bluebird, etc. -- and here in Creston we have Cedar, Chestnut, Mulberry and Cherry, et al. You are probably guessing the theme now on the North/South streets.
ReplyDeleteThen on the East/West streets we have Adams, Jefferson, Monroe, etc. but there is no Washington. There is no Lincoln. I never thought about Washington and Lincoln until now. What happened to Wahsington and Lincoln?
Even then, I'd rather have Crummies Creek and Flinderation Road!
I know what you mean, Nance. What I hate are those new subdivisions with names like Rivercreek (make up your mind--which is it!) and streets called Whispering Way or Valleyview (and no valley in sight). right now they're working through the 9-1-1 stuff in my county, and so far they've changed several road names and given suburban names to others. So sad. The old names are far more descriptive and colorful-- even if Frozen Camp does refer to a frozen group of hunters, it's our local history. Our ridge has been labeled Railey Ridge road, which has no context whatsoever to the place. it makes me angry to lose local history so easily. The ridge's old name was Clerc-Riley Ridge, after the original settlers. Now THAT has meaning!
ReplyDeleteExcellent road names! We've been noticing some amazing (and some hilarious) ones as we drive--we're also backroads people, where the scenery is prettiest.
ReplyDeleteJust yesterday I put a notebook and pen in the car so we could start writing them down.
I grew up on riding on and later driving on 119. I know what you're talking about. But I'm like you, I love those twisty crooked roads.
ReplyDeleteMy Grandparents lived on Tater Creek, now called New Hope Road.
And I once lived on Stoney Lonesome. I have always liked those names.
Is it New Hope rd here in Kanawha County, or a different one, TF?
ReplyDeleteI like Stoney lonesome. What a good, evocative name.
Well, I've been on vacation and just read your post, Susanne. I was going to mention Lick Skillet and saw where my cousin Vera did. I always thought it was kind of a neat name.
ReplyDeleteYes. Lick Skillet is still there. I lived there from 5 years old to leaving after graduating from High School. My mother stayed until the 90's and the house burned down. Matter of fact, plan to visit this month. One family is still there - the Singleton's that I know of. My name is Gloria Williams Ward.
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