Totally booked up

Well for a guy who never read a book until long after graduating from high school you would not think this of me... I love books. I must have over a thousand books.. most all read by me.... but I confess.. I have not read them all. I find in the collection some college books once owned by my dad and mom. what on earth am I doing dragging their college text books around with me all these years.... uhhhhh, how old are they now?.. and maybe how much are they outdated?... gasp.
Then there are my college books... and Zabrina's home schooling books ( I won't tell you what she told me to do with them either)
Books are like inviting a friend over to talk to you and discuss things of interest........like having a personal talk with someone who knows more and is willing to share his knowledge and skills.... it's like have the personal counseel of someone who is highly respected. It is good to go back and rad a good book more than once ... hardly anyone graps everything the first time thru.
Do you remember how much books weigh? I guess I moved, picked up, carried and stacked at least 6-800 pounds today. I touched every book.. looked at it, thought about it, sorted it and placed it in a box... to keep... to sell.. to give to a neighbor... to give to Zabrina... or to donate to the Deland Publid Library.
A very personal friend of the person buying my house is going to culinary school over in St Augustine so she will get a stack of very fine cookbooks and cooking magazines (yes, I saved every magazine that every came here... that's huge)
 By the end of the day I was totally booked up, so to speak. :-)
This was not a boring day but it was hard work.... but everything has it's good points. I found my hidden stash of cash in several books .  ad now I'm all smiles.
I did not keep all the books I wanted..... I'm cutting down. I will miss them. It's like losing an old friend.
Thanks for the space in your warehouse, Bob. Isn't ot great to have friends who come to your aid in time of need.
Ben would say, "hey... you were supposed to ship that pallet... and.. you were not supposed to keep extra stuff just because you were going to ship a pallet... it was just supposed to take a little weight off the trailer you're pulling."
:-)
I'm finished with the book project for now.
)
I'm cleaning out everything. Yup. they're all leaving one way or another.
The local art association is geeting about 6 easels and lots of art books and magazines.... it is my hope and wish that someone will be helped, inspired and encouraged to do more an better art work.
Wow. all this from cleaning up a huge pile of books. they were stored in the atic and every wherre else in this big old house... you can't imagine.... well maybe you can.

Winding Down & gazing at the Lake

Yesterday my son, Oly, dropped in to geive me a hand. We had a great visit and got lots of work done. Moving and sorting out all this junk was much easier with 2 of us. It went a lot faster. He left last night about 7 pm and arrived home about 1:30.
This morning, before I get back to the task of moving, I strolled down to the lake to take another last look. What a beautiful lake... about 20 miles long and 15 ,iles wide .... plus or minus. ... I'm estimating ... it makes little difference to me while I stand on the shore. I am always inspired by the every changing beauty of it all.

A Favorite Spot

Fond memories of being here for 30 years ... this is sooooo typical. I love this place.... I will miss it immensely.
You see in the last picture my new trailer backed up near the door to load the few belongings that will leave with me.
The place is sold.... just waitng for the closing now while I remove the piles and piles of stuff clooected over the years.

Where are we?

The other day I went on another research trip to 3 more Flea Mkts. On the way across the mid-Florida highways I stumbled on to what was a rare sight for me.... dang if those aren't long horns..... they REALLY are LONG horns! I thought they were supposed to be in Texas... but there they are I thought you might like to see them too so I brought my little pickup truck to a screaching hault and whipped out the camera. There was a warning sign on the fence about how dangerous these critters are. I believe it. they surely do look mean... and they were not about to move into a good position for picture taking. They barely turned their heads for me. I had to hike around and put on the telephoto lens to get these. You enjoy.

The Mall in the Rural South

The flea Market depicts the typical "Mall" in the rural South. Ya gotta love this. Of course, the local Southern Flea Market really does have FLEAS .... and bugs.... and snakes ... and critters ... and sand. Hey, what else... why do you think they called it a flea market. Then there;s the stuff sold there... why you never saw such a pile of shit in your life... why wouldn't even a red-neck be ashamed to display that stuff ... there's Uncle Zebs old BVD's ... Bouzer's old dog dish ... a broken wrench...a 33 1/3 phonograph record that has so many scratches it looks like lizard skin...stuff that's been in the kitchen for 40 years ... we wish they had washed it all first. ..... but ..... thar's a bunch o' good ol' boys and gals sittin' 'round thar chatting ... and sippin' sumpin............ dang if that ain't a fine social gathern. In just a moment I spected to see Hank and Bubba com out from yonder tree pickin and singin.
I didn't get many pictures cus I was dodgin the crowd... heh heh .... I did get a picture of the main body of folks thar.
Finally I went on back home ... put more ads on Craigs list.....  met some fine folks who came over and bought some of my stuff.
Unocchio says "ya'll kin sell lots of stuff iffin ya kno how.... jis buy it for retail plu tax and shippin... hold it and store it for many years ... then sell it for pennies on the dollar. Dang if that stuff don't jis fly out the door"

Oh yea .... the beer signs are gone already ... but the bull still floats in the air.

Beer Signs and bull

Many years ago 3000 miles North and West of here, there was a place called the Brick Tavern. the TV series Norther Exposure was shot there, high in the mountains of the State of Washington. I was there. Also, when Jim, the illustrious proprietor, was cleaning out the basement he gave us some of the old beer signs that had been accumulating down there for many years. Soooo, how could I pass that up? Now many years later they are still here... safely tucked away. They are valuable old signs. Someone would love to have them. they can decorate your game room or wet bar. They can hang in a kid's college dorm room.

Believe it or not.... they are now being sold, given away or dumped (even tho my 98 year old mom volunteered to keep them for me in case I ever needed them).

See for yourself

http://daytona.craigslist.org/clt/1395188944.html

I am working hard down here. Everything must go (except for some tools and personal itmes I am dragging with me in a trailer behind my small pickup... small truck... small trailer. Can you really believe this?

today several parties are coming to pick up valuable things... like a hospital bed from WW1 era and some cabinet drawers and cabinte doors that I have had here for many years waiting for a couple projects to get started and completed.

Finally I am thinning out the stuff that has accumulated ... it is actually heading out the door! Amazing. And what a relief. I'm on a roll. Getting kicked out of the trailer in G'vill gave me some impetus and I have kept that energy moving. Feels good. Doc Schultz always said "get rid of 50% of everything you have every year"

I'm finally doing it. Feels good. I can't wait to finish. I will be living simple from now on.

Unocchio visits Eureka Nevada

Erueka Nevada ..... old gold mining town .... the area is still mining today and the county has a good income from it. Lots of flavor and cool sights in this town.
This was the destination of the trip..... worth the drive... would do it again.

Trip to the outback - outback Nevada that is

Highway 50 across the State of Nevada is dubbed 'The Loneliest Highway in America" and you are about to accompany me on a trip down that road. Check out the sign below and the map.
Nevada is a State of many faces..... you are about to see some of those faces. Far from being Las Vegas the outback houses many wonders of nature and history.
Last Friday, 18 Sept 09, we left Carson City about 12 pm headed east. Carson City sits in a valley ... lots of water, grass, trees and a golf course. As soon as you climb out over the hill to the east things change a bit..... but there are still small trees.
Once you get to Dayton, NV there is a river running near the highway which furnishes water for ranches, fields and bigger trees. They even have barns along there... notice I shot one for all you barn lovers.
The next shot of a puddle is Lahonton Reservoir .... it looked like it was over 50% down from the top.
Less than an hour of desert driving we are at another oasis....... Fallon Nevada. ..... crops, grass, hay, cattle, cheaper living and a Naval Air Station... check it out on wikipedia.... and a few quick shots for you below.
Now we get to some serious back country road where you see different kinds of mountains and rocks .... petroglyths and old mines.... ghost towns and almost ghost towns ... Austin, NV coming up. there she sits part way up that mountain over there.
Did you see that bright yellow over there along the road ? .... rabbit grass .... there was also some red grass .... the desert does have soome color .
East of Austin about 70 miles is Eureka ... that's the destination. Between Austin and Eureka is some wide open spaces ... some very dry and some of it actually gets some water from somewhere.... notiice the green of the sage and the other growthh in some of those scenes ... notice the heavey traffic too. :-)