Some of my fondest memories of my Dad when I was growing up involved getting up early on a Saturday morning and sneaking out of the yard (before my Mom could stop us) with a pickup and trailer to head to an auction.
We would wander around in the cold and wind and paw through rusted metal, old costume jewelry, antiques and farm machinery -- stuff we just might need someday.
We'd eat the homemade Sloppy Joes or chili, or whatever was on the auction menu and talk to neighbors. Dad would explain the items I hadn't seen before and tell me stories about how when he was a kid, they used those to...
Last Saturday, Jacob got up early and headed to an auction north of town to check out a manure spreader and a seed cleaner.
Willa and I followed later in the day to join him for a lunch of burgers from our friends from the Land of Grass ranch and by the time we got there, he'd already bought the manure spreader. (See photo of Willa sitting on said manure spreader above. I can't stop posting photos of her in that bonnet. Cannot, absolutely will not, stop.)
We walked around the auction and it was one of those moments where my childhood and my motherhood collide. I sometimes still can't believe I'm back here, going to auctions on windy spring mornings, this time with my daughter and her daddy.
There is much to love about this post but I, like you, will not move beyond the site of Willa in that bonnet. I was going to quote Ma Ingalls here, but then I remembered that her folk wisdom was also a little bit racist.
ReplyDeleteThat last picture is adorable.
ReplyDeleteWilla: If you look here Dad you can see the subtle indentation in the soil from an even-toed ungulate. Most likely a pronghorn antelope, which, as I'm sure you already know, is not actually an antelope. It is a member of the family...
That Willa. Such a smarty pants. :D
That pink marshmallow of a vest always did belong east of the Divide. She's such a love.
ReplyDelete