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by Mary Wakefield Buxton –
URBANNA —
A new experience over summer was hosting a yard sale. A “never again” experience, still, every red-blooded American should conduct at least one yard sale in a lifetime.
When our guest house had sold during winter we were left with a lot of furniture stored in our garage. We were so packed with “stuff” there was no room for cars. None of the children wanted anything as their garages were full of stuff too — stuff seems to multiply faster than rabbits. We tried interesting friends and neighbors and also made trips to the thrift shop. Finally we decided to have a yard sale.
I learned something about yard sales. First, no one follows official times so don’t even bother to advertise times. Second, people want set prices. My sale was planned for 9 a.m.-noon on Saturday and I had no fixed prices. I would take anything that anyone offered me and, I thought, save a lot of time not putting price tags on every item.
My brilliant idea turned out to be a dud. Shoppers want a firm price and then strike a bargain from there.
The morning of the sale a pickup truck pulled into our driveway at 7:15 a.m. and beeped his horn awakening us from deep sleep. “What in the world is that?” I asked my husband. It was our first customer. “But the sale doesn’t start until 9 a.m!” I said as he pulled on clothes and rushed out the front door.
I learned a garage sale starts when the first customer arrives. Then, no one cared that the sale was officially over at noon. People kept coming to buy stuff all day, all weekend and even come Monday we were still making sales. Finally, I put out a sign that said “FREE.” By the end of the week most everything was gone. A long, exhaustive week, it rated a “down,” yet it was highly educational.
Some emphatic “ups” were any time we went out to a restaurant for a sit-down dinner. What heavenly “ups,” whenever I can escape my own cooking. We drove to Mathews one evening for dinner at the White Dog, a high-end restaurant in a lovely old white mansion with proverbial white columns lending a porch of comfy chairs and sofas to enjoy while waiting for a table. Gourmet cooking, an excellent menu featuring seafood and beef, fine service and an extensive wine list await diners.
We celebrated a lovely July evening at Portside Grill in Urbanna, where both inside and outside tables are available. We had delicious crab cake dinners with salad and “smashed” potatoes and when the waitress realized my husband was enjoying an 82nd birthday, she brought him a cinnamon cake ala mode. It was pleasant sitting in the cool inside but still able to enjoy watching boat traffic at dusk passing by on beautiful Urbanna Creek.
One Sunday morning in August, I had a call from my husband who had been mowing grass on his rider mower on some Rappahannock property that he had hit a truck. Yes, my husband had hit a truck. How many people can run into a truck on a rider lawn mower? The mower was demolished, he was knocked to the pavement, but miraculously, except for a few bruises and cuts, he was fine. It turned out the lawn mower noise had drowned out the approaching truck and my husband never saw or heard it coming. That incident was instantly rated as a gigantic “down.”
I went outside to see rescue squad, sheriff and state police all on the site within minutes of the accident. It’s not every day a lawyer on a rider mower hits a passing truck. Our wonderful neighbors stopped to make sure everyone was OK. I was very impressed with our local and state police, as always, and we are so fortunate to have such dedicated people on the job when we need them. I support our police. They have a tough job and deserve our support.
This experience was a reminder how quickly tragedy can strike. He could have been killed. The streets this end of town are narrow with no drainage (they flood in heavy rains).
Then, add in a good number of walkers, joggers, bikers, golf carts, children, dogs and even an occasional senior citizen on a rider mower, plus diesel trucks, vans, busses, trollies, SUVs and lawn mower and/or boat rigs, often speeding by. All this can too easily result in accidents.
We have erected two signs on our property urging vehicles to slow WAY down on Rappahannock and please stay prepared to evade all other traffic.
I already have a plan next year when I will turn 80. My new property signs will read, “CLEAR THE STREETS! TWO OCTAGENARIANS ON THE LOOSE! (“Ups and downs of summer,” will be continued.)
© 2020
