We've been home a week. Weather has been beautiful - 60's. I told the kids I don't know what they have been complaining about, this is great weather. Silence in return.
I have spent three days of raking and cleaning up the yard. I don't think I can stand any more good weather. Could work myself to death! I've made six trips to the dump in my little Nisson pick'em up truck. God am I stiff and sore today~! What's that old saying, it takes me all night to do what I use to do all night. That's me.
Yesterday I was going to pen a blog entitled "thoughts on the way to the dump". But, for some reason all my great ideas have left me. Although I do recall my mom saying that her dad, John, would often return from the dump in Billings with more stuff than he took to the dump. So in honor of my grandfather John I dedicate this post. After Mom's funeral two years ago, the family visited the home place, the Evergreen Farm west of Billings, Montana, the home of my cousin Barry Kindsfather and his wife Bonnie. Much of what remains in the yard is a result of the efforts of my grandfather. Especially the concrete works that he created. He had a love of working with concrete that apparently he and I share. During this last visit I took the above photos. They were taken in September of 2007. I remember talking with my mother on previous visits as she explained these "works of art". The last picture is of a large flower pot made from an old "chamber pot" that grandfather returned with from the dump. The wet concrete was formed around the pot which sat upon a base. ( I can't remember what salvaged item the base was made of - dang it). The scaled effect on the outside was achieved by taking an old tablespoon and pulling down on the wet concrete. The inside of the pot was used to place the soil within which the plants were planted.
The middle photo is of a huge flower pot he sculptured. The internal structure was made from two wagon wheels that he, once again, dragged home from the dump. The base was created from raw concrete and the top part was scalped around the two wagon wheels. He used the old tablespoon to give the work that textured look. At one time, as memory serves me, there were two of these large pots, one on either side of the side walk leading up to the main door of the house.
The first photo is of a grape arbor that he constructed of concrete and cedar. It exists to this day. As I viewed it that day in September, I was struck by the planning and work that it must have entailed! My mother related that Grandfather did this all in the morning before the farming work day began. Immediately in front of the arbor was a rather large fish pond that he had constructed and stocked with gold fish and Koi. Both structures exist today, although the fish pond has been converted to a flower bed.
All of these works of art were constructed in the late 1920's and exist to this day. Many of these types of concrete works still exist in the yard. I never met my grandfather. Some days I think I have! He exists within me. Oh, how I wish I had met him. He died at the young age of 55. He was the son of German parents who immigrated to the U.S. from Russia to give our great country the knowledge to raise sugar beets. Oh, how my mother loved that man. I am sure I would have too!
Dad, Papa, Skip, Gordon
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