Wednesday, September 01, 2010

Saved in the Nick of Time

My good friend John is always finding treasures for me. He knows the Powell River back country better than anyone. I never know what it will be, but here are some of the most memorable treasures he's brought home:

  • An old manual typewriter
  • An old logging two-man crosscut saw
  • An oil can and tea kettle
  • An old-time fire extinguisher
  • Lots of pretty rocks
  • Lots of interesting driftwood
  • Rusted chains and tools
One treasure came from a "dump" along the shore. The contents probably came from old homesteads. Amid the trash he found a cast iron goose. It had one leg and was rusted, but John knew it was a perfect treasure to bring home for me. Besides, it didn't take much space on his quad.

My goose has a prominent perch in the kitchen, but has continued to deteriorate. I decided it was time to do something about it.

And it was a good thing I did. When I moved him, half of the head fell off and by the time I got it to the picnic table, the other half went too. I whittled a stick to fit into the neck and glued the head back together with some Amazing Goop. I also used the Goop to seal the edges of the cast iron halves and sealed the surface with several coats of polyurethane. While I was at it, I made a bark brace for his missing leg. Now Mr. Goose should last for years to come.

Thanks John for all the treasures. You're a great friend. -- Margy

4 comments:

  1. As a committed vegetarian, I am very pleased that you saved Mr Goose and restored him to his full glory! He looks great and something that I too would consider treasure. x

    ReplyDelete
  2. "Cast iron" sounds so strong and tough, doesn't it? But it oxidizes like mad and falls apart over time.
    I love the list of treasures your friend John has found for you. I think the old manual typewriter would give me nightmares (LOL) but when we were teenagers my brother and I got lessons from Dad in cutting down trees with a two-person saw. They were scrawny little jackpines in the Okanagan, but we cut 'em down. (Not at random, just where they needed to be cut, because we loved trees.)
    Now I want to rush out to the hardware store to get some of that Amazing Goop -- oh, I see, your link says amazon.com. Well, it does sound amazing, and I'm not in rushing mode today anyway.
    Always enjoy your blog, Margy. Thanks.
    Kay

    ReplyDelete
  3. I sure wish I had a friend like John...what great treasures!

    I still have my manual typewriter from eons ago. It's a friend I can't throw out just yet.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Marion - John is a special friend. Not too often you buy property from someone and they stay with it to help out.

    The manual typewriter is a very old model I think. Probably an old homesteader that was also a writer. It's from a location that even today has to be reached by boat. John and his brother looked at the terrain and figured an old cabin must have been there at one time, and they were right. They both have an eye for things like that. - Margy

    ReplyDelete

We welcome your comments and questions. - Wayne and Margy