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| ANOTHER COLD JANUARY MOON |
FIRST OFF, I RECEIVED A LOT OF E-MAILS REGARDING LAST WEEKS POST..AS IT TURNS OUT IT SEEMS THAT A LOT OF YOU READERS OUT THERE LIKE OLD CLOCKS..WELL, I WAS UP IN WINDSOR CT. AGAIN TO WRAP UP A DEAL THAT HAS BEEN THREE OR FOUR WEEKS IN THE WORKS..I RETURNED TO THE ‘VINTAGE SHOP’ TO ZERO IN ON A COUPLE MORE CLOCKS FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO E-MAILED ME ABOUT YOUR OWN COLLECTIONS..SO, FOR YOU CLOCK COLLECTORS AND ADMIRERS (ESPECIALLY ‘ROSE FROM OZ’ WAY OVER IN AUSTRALIA) I HOPE YOU ENJOY THE PHOTOS AND THE SMALL BITS OF INFO ABOUT THE PIECES..MUST BE SOMETHING ABOUT HANGING AROUND ALL THOSE CLOCKS THAT PUSHES MY MIND BACK IN TIME..THAT MUCH BEING SAID—MY NEXT STORY GOES BACK TO A TIME WHEN I WAS A FAR DIFFERENT PERSON THAN I AM TODAY..
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| THIS PIECE WAS MADE IN ENGLAND BETWEEN 1834-1837 |
IN MY VERY FIRST POST I HAD MENTIONED THAT I WOULD INTRODUCE YOU TO SOME OF THE PEOPLE I HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING AS WELL AS SOME THAT I HAD THE MISFORTUNE OF MEETING WHILE I ROAMED ON MY TRUSTY IRON HORSE..IN NOVEMBER I DID A STORY ABOUT THREE I HAD THE MISFORTUNE OF MEETING (IF YOUR NEW HERE CHECK IT OUT IN THE NOV. ARCHIVES)..ABOUT TWELVE OR THIRTEEN DAYS AFTER THAT INCIDENT I ROLLED INTO THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF OKLAHOMA..I WAS TIRED AND SORE, STILL VERY BEATEN UP.. BLACK AND BLUE MARKS OVER A LARGE PORTION OF MY BODY AND FACE WERE JUST STARTING TO FADE INTO THAT YELLOWISH COLOR BEFORE THEY DISAPPEAR AND SIX STITCHES UNDER MY BLACKENED RIGHT EYE DID NOTHING TO IMPROVE MY CHANCES AT A FAVORABLE FIRST IMPRESSION.. MY POCKETS WERE JUST ABOUT EMPTY AND I WAS MORE THAN JUST A LITTLE HUNGRY..
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| CLOSER VIEW OF THE BIG OLD BEAUTY |
MY ORIGINAL PLAN HAD BEEN TO GO TO HUMBOLDT, TENNESSEE TO VISIT A FEMALE FRIEND I HAD MET WHILE IN THE SERVICE, BUT I DIDN’T WANT TO SHOW UP ALL BEATEN UP..PHYSICALLY I WAS A WRECK AND MY FINANCIAL SITUATION WAS ALMOST NON-EXISTENT--AND I WAS VERY HUNGRY..I PARKED MY BIKE IN BACK OF A SMALL DINNER AND KNOCKED ON THE SCREEN DOOR WHILE VOICING A TIMID HELLO..A SPANISH APPEARING MAN CAME TO THE DOOR.. HE SAID SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF ‘YEA?’ THEN SOMETHING LIKE, ‘AIEEEE—WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?’ MY MEMORY DOES NOT RECALL THE CONVERSATION BUT I EXPLAINED ABOUT BEING A LONG WAY FROM HOME, THE BEATING I TOOK IN GEORGIA AND THAT I WAS EXTREMELY HUNGRY..WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR ME TO WORK A FEW HOURS FOR A MEAL?? ‘YOU WAIT,’ HE REPLIED..
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| THIS ELEGANT PIECE WAS MANUFACTURED BY THE WATERBURY CLOCK CO. IN CONNECTICUT --PAT'D IN 1889 |
ABOUT THIRTY SECONDS OR SO PASSED AND ANOTHER MAN AND HIM CAME TO THE DOOR, ASKED ME WHAT I WANTED TO EAT..I DO REMEMBER SAYING ‘A COUPLE EGGS AND A COUPLE TOAST PLEASE.’ HE GESTURED ME TOWARDS AN OLD PICNIC TABLE—‘OK.’
A CUP OF COFFEE WAS BROUGHT OUT TO ME AND WITHIN THE NEXT FIVE MINUTES A PLATE OF ABOUT FIVE SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH SAUSAGES, TOAST AND A PILE OF HOME FRIES COVERED WITH COUNTRY GRAVY WAS PLACED IN FRONT OF ME..BY FAR, THE BEST BREAKFAST I HAVE EVER HAD..WHEN I FINISHED I AGAIN KNOCKED ON THE SCREEN DOOR AND AFTER A PROFUSE SHOW OF APPRECIATION I ANNOUNCED I WAS READY TO WORK..I WAS TOLD TO FORGET ABOUT IT AND CONTINUE ON MY WAY..NO WAY-NOT THE DEAL WE SPOKE OF!! I INSISTED THAT THERE MUST BE SOMETHING THAT HAD TO BE DONE IN THE DINNER..DISHES TO BE WASHED, FLOORS TO CLEAN, BATHROOMS THAT NEEDED TO BE SPRUCED UP..
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| MANUFACTURED BY THE ANSONIA CLOCK CO. IN ANSONIA NEW YORK |
‘NOPE, WE’RE ALL SET HERE.’ I TOOK NOTE OF A BEAT UP BROOM LEANING AGAINST THE OUTSIDE OF THE DINNER, I TOOK IT AND STARTED SWEEPING THE STEPS TO THE FRONT ENTRANCE, THEN PROCEEDED TO CLEANING UP THE PARKING LOT, THEN SWEEPING COBWEBS AND CRUD OFF THE BUILDING..I SNATCHED A SMALL STEP LADDER AND SOME RAGS TO WASH THE OUTSIDE WINDOWS.. I WAS TOLERATED LIKE A LOST CAT MIGHT BE SIMILARLY TOLERATED..ONE OF THE EMPLOYEES TOOK A LIKING TO ME AND BY THE END OF THE DAY HE HAD OFFERED ME THE SHELTER OF HIS TOOL SHED IF I NEEDED A PLACE TO STAY..HIS NAME WAS JOHN (AN INDIAN) AND HIS WIFE WAS NAMED TERESA..I SPENT ABOUT TWO HOURS IN THE SHED THEN THEY INSISTED I SLEEP IN THE TRAILER ON A PULL-OUT MATTRESS IN THE KITCHEN..
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| BUILT IN 1890 IN ANSONIA CONNECTICUT |
I’M SORRY, I’M GETTING A LITTLE LONG-WINDED HERE..I’LL WRAP THINGS UP..I REMAINED WITH JOHN AND TERESA FOR THREE WEEKS..I LEARNED ABOUT HUMILITY AND HAPPINESS—THE IMPORTANCE OF TREATING PEOPLE WITH RESPECT AND DIGNITY..HE GAVE ME AN INDIAN NAME WHICH ESCAPED MY MEMORY LONG AGO BUT IT TRANSLATED TO ‘MAD WOLF.’ THEN HE WOULD SAY SOMETHING LIKE—‘BEWARE, NATURE ITSELF WILL DESTROY A MAD WOLF.’
AFTER THOSE THREE WEEKS PASSED I HAD PUT ASIDE A FEW BUCKS BY WORKING NOW AND THEN AT THE DINNER (PAINTING-CLEANING ETC.).. I REFUSED REPEATED OFFERS TO REMAIN WITH JOHN AND TERESA TILL I COULD FIND A PLACE OF MY OWN..I PROMISED TO RETURN DURING MARDI-GRAS WITH A FRIEND WHO WAS NICK-NAMED ‘STRETCH’ ANOTHER SERIOUS BIKER ABOUT SIX FEET TEN INCHES TALL WHO HAD SHOULDER-LENGTH BLOND HAIR..UNFORTUNATELY ‘STRETCH’ WAS KILLED IN A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT.. CONSEQUENTLY THAT TRIP NEVER HAPPENED..JOHN PRESENTED ME WITH A BELT THAT HE SAID WOULD BRING ME LUCK AND PROTECTION—I STILL HAVE IT, BUT AFTER WEARING IT ALMOST EVERYDAY FOR YEARS, IT STARTED SHOWING SIGNS OF SERIOUS WEAR..I DIDN’T WANT TO DESTROY IT SO I STOPPED WEARING IT--BUT I STILL TREASURE IT..CHECK IT OUT IN THE PHOTO BELOW..
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| YOU CAN EASILY SEE HOW MY WAIST LINE EXPANDED OVER THE YEARS |
LIKE I SAID LAST WEEK, THE ONLY THINGS WE REALLY TAKE WITH US WHEN WE LEAVE THIS WONDERFUL WORLD ARE OUR MEMORIES—JOHN AND TERESA, WHERE EVER YOU MAY NOW BE—THANK YOU FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP-FOR SHARING YOUR SHELTER AND FOOD WITH ME DURING ONE OF MY MOST DESPERATE TIMES…THANK YOU FOR THE WARMTH OF YOUR FRIENDSHIP AND, OF COURSE, THE MEMORIES..
*************************************JIM*********************************************
P.S. EVERY E-MAIL I RECEIVED MENTIONED HOW GREAT IT WOULD BE TO HEAR FROM ELENA (LAST WEEKS POST)..A COUPLE PEOPLE SAID THEY CHECKED THE BLOG EVERYDAY TO SEE IF SHE HAD RESPONDED..I WAS EVEN ASKED IF I HAD RECEIVED A PRIVATE E-MAIL CONTACT FROM HER RATHER THAN A BLOG POST THAT ALL COULD SEE..I AM VERY SORRY TO SAY THAT NO, I DIDN’T HEAR ANYTHING FROM ELENA..I WAS HOPING TO BUT I DIDN'T REALLY EXPECT ANY REPLY..NONE THE LESS-I AM SADLY DISAPPOINTED..MAYBE WE'LL HEAR FROM JOHN AND TERESA..
2 comments:
Great story Jim! I really enjoyed it! More people today need to learn about humility, happiness and the importance of treating people with respect and dignity!
Of course the photos were delightful Jim, (especially the wooden one) I. LOVE. WOOD. What an amazing response to the clocks!! You're doing clocks and I've just posted on FENCES! I remember well reading your story of yesteryear and I was wondering if the hip is playing up. Friendship and good deeds; kindness with the expectation of nothing in return; being responsible for oneself. Basic stuff, but it seems far too many people don't have those traits anymore. They are the losers. I too was in the Defence Force many many years ago now and I still have a couple of those mates today. But that's another story......well indeed, I wonder if John and Teresa may see your post or hear of it. How A-mazing if they do.... Cheers Jim. You're welcome to stop by any time.
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