I pulled into the laneway of a home that I'm sure would have looked quaint if I could have seen it through all the trees. The sign by the road read "hanging baskets and railroad ties" and lo and behold that was just what I was looking for (I mean the railroad ties, not the hanging baskets). I parked close to the grass incase a buggy had to get by and slipped out of the red mini van.
I didn't see anyone. That, however, does not mean that someone did not see me. I strolled over to look at the flowers to wait for someone to come out and see what the crazy girl with the pony-tail was doing on their property. A large dog, missing his right eye, managed to find me first and it was while I was petting this friendly, half blind, beast that the house seemed to spit out a young lady. She was wearing a long dress, an apron, and a head covering. She walked toward me with a smile and I recognized her from a singing I had gone to at the neighbors place a few months earlier.
I smiled brightly. "Hi,"
"Hi"
"I'm actually looking for railway ties." I assumed she was the flower expert.
"Oh, well I'll get Dad. He knows everything about that." She smiled back and quickly spun on her heel to find her father. I continued to pet the dog until a tall man, wearing a tall hat, and owning a very large, greying beard, stepped out the back door. Everything about him from his collared shirt to his suspenders appeared to be from another time period all together. Everything other than his large rubber boots.
He walked toward me and said "You're looking for railway ties?"
"Yes," I replied with a smile. "I need them to put around my flower garden."
He seemed to contemplate this for a moment and then said, "Well, I suppose you want to see them. They're back here behind the barn. You can drive back if you like." He spoke slowly in a soft, gentle voice.
Knowing he would walk and knowing the sun was very nice I replied "that's alright. I can walk." And so we journeyed together; him with his suspenders and straw hat and me with my skinny jeans and soft pink hoodie. After five minutes and a few scattered mud puddles we stood before two long rows of railway ties.
"These" he said, pointing to the smaller pile, "are the better ones and they are $12 as they come from either end, you can pick. Or they are $15 if you pick them out yourself. And those," he pointed to the larger pile, "are the more beat up ones and they are $8 as they come off the pile or $10 if you pick them out yourself." He said all this in a slow and easy manner as if he really didn't have much else to do but explain how their system worked to a girl who looked like she didn't know anything. Though she did seem to have a smudge of wood stain on her cheek and dirt under her nails.
"Will someone be here to help me load them if I come back?" I asked.
He scratched his head. "Well, we'll be here for about another half hour and then we're going to start cutting hay. But, if you come later we'll be right over there and we'll see ya and we can tie our horses up to the hitching post and come help you. How many you need? 10?"
"Actually more like 20." I replied. "But I can always bring my brother." We walked back toward the van and I told him I hoped his haying went well. I backed out of the drive way and drove down the road to my home and back to the 21st century.
I didn't see anyone. That, however, does not mean that someone did not see me. I strolled over to look at the flowers to wait for someone to come out and see what the crazy girl with the pony-tail was doing on their property. A large dog, missing his right eye, managed to find me first and it was while I was petting this friendly, half blind, beast that the house seemed to spit out a young lady. She was wearing a long dress, an apron, and a head covering. She walked toward me with a smile and I recognized her from a singing I had gone to at the neighbors place a few months earlier.
I smiled brightly. "Hi,"
"Hi"
"I'm actually looking for railway ties." I assumed she was the flower expert.
"Oh, well I'll get Dad. He knows everything about that." She smiled back and quickly spun on her heel to find her father. I continued to pet the dog until a tall man, wearing a tall hat, and owning a very large, greying beard, stepped out the back door. Everything about him from his collared shirt to his suspenders appeared to be from another time period all together. Everything other than his large rubber boots.
He walked toward me and said "You're looking for railway ties?"
"Yes," I replied with a smile. "I need them to put around my flower garden."
He seemed to contemplate this for a moment and then said, "Well, I suppose you want to see them. They're back here behind the barn. You can drive back if you like." He spoke slowly in a soft, gentle voice.
Knowing he would walk and knowing the sun was very nice I replied "that's alright. I can walk." And so we journeyed together; him with his suspenders and straw hat and me with my skinny jeans and soft pink hoodie. After five minutes and a few scattered mud puddles we stood before two long rows of railway ties.
"These" he said, pointing to the smaller pile, "are the better ones and they are $12 as they come from either end, you can pick. Or they are $15 if you pick them out yourself. And those," he pointed to the larger pile, "are the more beat up ones and they are $8 as they come off the pile or $10 if you pick them out yourself." He said all this in a slow and easy manner as if he really didn't have much else to do but explain how their system worked to a girl who looked like she didn't know anything. Though she did seem to have a smudge of wood stain on her cheek and dirt under her nails.
"Will someone be here to help me load them if I come back?" I asked.
He scratched his head. "Well, we'll be here for about another half hour and then we're going to start cutting hay. But, if you come later we'll be right over there and we'll see ya and we can tie our horses up to the hitching post and come help you. How many you need? 10?"
"Actually more like 20." I replied. "But I can always bring my brother." We walked back toward the van and I told him I hoped his haying went well. I backed out of the drive way and drove down the road to my home and back to the 21st century.
:D I loved reading this. Both well written, thought-provoking, and challenging as you take a look at a glimpse of life that not many people these days are familiar with or ever stop to think about.
ReplyDeleteQuestion, did you actually get railroad ties for your garden? If so can you post a picture of what it looks like? It sounds really cool!!
God bless, and thanks again for sharing with us (I love reading your posts)
Yes Mandee, we did get railroad ties for our garden to go along the outside. The project is not yet complete but I will see what I can do about posting a picture once it is!
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