When you live on a farm you soon discover that you can never have enough stuff; bailing wire, nuts, bolts, nails, chains, random pieces of steel and lumber, coffee cans, etc … I like to think of my stuff as valuable materials, I’m pretty sure my wife thinks of it as that %$#@^& pile of &*#$% that keeps her from parking in the garage.
One of my favorite ways to get more stuff is through what I’ve dubbed “Rural Roadside Reclamation”, more commonly known as picking up stuff off the side of the road. RRR has many benefits. First and foremost, the stuff is free! Second, it’s a public service, you know, keeping the roadside all clean and pretty for the tourists. Third, it’s a great way to get some exercise in the fresh countryside air. Fourth, you get to experience nature in an intimate fashion, you never know when you’ll find a snake or a skunk to help facilitate number three above.
Did I mention FREE, I don’t know about y’all, but I like free stuff. A lot. One time I even found a whole garbage bag full of freshly laundered children’s clothes on the side of the road, including a pair of pants that my son found a couple of dollars in the one of the pockets. Free stuff that pays you is amazing. Some of the best stuff I’ve found during a RRR session includes our home security system. As you can see, the level of security provided was well worth the cost.
Sometimes when involved in a RRR session you never know what you might find just sitting around in the weeds. On several occasions in the past the remains of old rusty metal lawn chairs have been discovered. With a little co-mingling of parts, some brazing, and a thick coat of paint these relics of a simpler time now grace our front porch.
Tools and various bits of hardware are also encountered at times during RRR. Hammers, wrenches, sockets, pliers, and so on will occasionally be spotted and rescued. I’m currently hoping to add a tap and die set to my Life List, if anybody hears of any roadside sightings, please let me know.
Sometimes you encounter things that just defy explanation, but that are just too good to leave behind … Sorry gotta go, just heard a report of some lost marbles, I need to go see if they are mine.
