Sunday, April 29, 2012

Things I saw yesterday

We went to the swap meet put on by the Lathrop tractor club.  Cliff bought a few items; I walked around browsing interesting junk, and people-watching.  


I washed on a wringer washer until the early 1970's, but it wasn't this primitive.  Mine was electric, at least!  (Oops, Cliff just corrected me.  This machine is electric.)


Here's some motor oil to use in that washing machine.  


Before my daddy quit smoking, he rolled his own cigarettes.  I recall cans like this being a common item around the house, although I think he most often bought his tobacco in a little cloth bag with drawstrings.


I passed this several times, but Cliff wasn't with me any of those times.  I want to know what that long-handled thing is.  Cliff?  Do you know what that thing would be used for?  (Cliff says he's pretty sure that's something they used in making mollasses.)


On the way home, we stopped by Orscheln's.  


This is a pretty nifty chicken house.  It has egg boxes on one end, so you can lift up the top and gather eggs.  There's a removable plastic floor to catch the chicken poop in their living quarters, so you can pull it out and dump it.  However, this chicken house costs almost $400.  I could buy a lot of eggs for $400.  It really isn't that sturdy.  When Cliff and I give up the motorcycle, I'd like to have a couple of chickens, but their abode would be much more humble than this one, and hopefully more sturdy.  


After we got home, I glanced out the window to see Mama Kitty carrying a mouse toward the barn.  This reminded me that I forgot to feed the cats before we left yesterday morning, so I dashed out to take care of that chore.  Mama Kitty was in the main part of the barn calling to her children, who were in the other part of the barn where I feed them.  She followed me in there, still calling to her kittens with a unique and plaintive "meow" unlike her normal conversing tone.  When I put cat food in the pan, she dropped the mouse and went to eat; the wildest of her kittens practically stumbled over the dropped, dead mouse, realized what it was, grabbed it, growling, and headed off to a dark corner to feast in peace.  A day seldom passes that we don't see Mama Kitty with a mouse.  She is worth her weight in gold.  Hopefully her kittens are learning from her.

9 comments:

  1. I do remember how wringer washer and put rubber diapers through that wringer diapers and explodes and I ruined a couple of shirts
    Did you ever get anything caught in a wringer?or ruined a couple of shirts?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I remember when I didn't pay close attention, letting something wrap around the wringer and I'd have to hit the release and pull it out. I used to work with a lady who often used this expression: "I haven't laughed so hard since Ma caught her tit in the wringer."

    ReplyDelete
  3. I almost succumbed to the dreaded Male Answer Syndrome. But actually I have no idea what that long handled thing could be used for.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm not even sure I would have known that was a washer. lol Sounds like an interesting day and good for kitties who are mousers. Our cats are lazy!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Looks like that was an interesting Swap Meet. Cool stuff to be had. My mom had a working Wringer Washer into the late 60's. And she used it every day. Kitties that are mousers are worth their weight in gold. take care.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Good mousers are worthy of their keep, that's for sure. I love they way they teach.
    You've got me on the king sized spoon. I'll bet your Cliff might just be right. It was obviously for taking a sample from something hot or deep or sticky or all 3.
    I still have a maytag sitting in the basement that my Mom washed with. It's all white.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love a good mouser, and it sounds like Mama Kitty is training them right!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Instead of being in the "dog house" at night our husbands might have it better in the chicken coop. LOL

    ReplyDelete
  9. I had to laugh when I saw the Prince Albert! It reminded me of a story my mother told me. In her youth, they would call down to the corner store and ask "Do you have Prince Albert in a can?" The shop worker would reply, "Why yes. Yes we do!" And she and a friend would laugh hysterically as they responded, "Well, you better let him OUT!" It's an oldie but a goodie. Ha! Right up there with "Is your refrigerator running? Well, you better go catch it!" ;)

    ReplyDelete

I love comments!