Finding a Gem

[Lakota Wolf]

Lets start with,,,, You just found that sweet little gem, sitting along side that old garage,, partially covered with ivy and vines,, a branch from a nearby tree hangs just above it. It's aluminum is faded and what paint it did have is peeled and faded, That lonesome propane tank on the front tongue is leaned over, only being held in place by the weather cracked supply hose.The chains hang motionless,even as the breeze rustles the tall grass around them, Mother nature is trying to claim its next victim.

The chains have rusted allowing no movement, but hold steadfast to the welds on the tongue. The wire plug has long seen the days of use, having succumbed to the elements as a few strangley wires remain.

You gaze at the front of this little gem, noticing the one proud and bright yellow lights on each upper corner are sun bleached white and cracked. The small front window is hazed with the suns heat and years of wind blown dirt, followed by thunderstorms with torrential rains. A fair amount of moss growth is noticable in the upper right corner, with streaks of green and black running down the front.

Most Normal people wouldnt even think twice about looking any further, But,, People who love the Older, vintage classics are far from Normal,, We are a unique breed of people, who look beyond the rust and age,,, we look at potential. We are the type who like to get our hands dirty,, make something old, new again,, and to some, bring meaning to life. Some are young,, working the daily grind, and trying to enjoy the weekend get a ways with family and friends, Some are, like myself, retired, and bored, yet want to keep the mind busy along with being able to get our hands dirty, like a little boy in the dirt box with his new tonka truck. With age comes wisdom and most importantly,, patience.(I'm still working on the patience thing).

Lets continue shall we?  You walk along the right side, noticing the over all shape is still appeasing, a few dings and dents,which by the way adds character. You look down and notice the cute chrome hubcap is still in place, Not as shiney as it was back in the day, now mostly covered with the rust of years sitting. The tire itself is barely recognizable as it as succumbed to years of neglect and age. As you walk around the back, you see the tell tale Roll back of the rear with the aged and cracked round tail lights, which those to have succumbed to the harsh sun and weather, now showing more pink, then the magestic red as they was did.The thin box bumper is mostly gone, from the relentless rust attack, yet still maintaining what it once was. You walk around to the other side to take a peek inside. You grasp the handle, feeling the weakness of the door, You hear the latch click as unlatches and opens free, You pull gently as you hear the old hinges creak and groan and you have the door open to gaze the inside of this long forgotten gem .Hanging on the inside of the door over the little window is the remnants of what used to be a curtain,, tattered threads of what must have been a nice window covering. You smell the years of closure wafe out,, a dusty and musty stifling scent. Not quite enough to make your eyes water, but enough to step back to take a breath of fresh air., You finally step inside. Eary silence as you have just stepped back in time 30 years. You notice things have been left and not moved sinse the day she was parked and left to the elements.

Old pots and pans sit on the stove, now covered in years of dust and cobwebs. The burner covers now coated in heavy rust, the oven door sitting crooked, a lone cookie sheet barley noticable inside. The sink has a few plates and cups, that seemed to have been washed but not put away, now covered in years of dust. The small refigerator hangs open,,having not seen use sinse its parked days,, the plastic shelves now cracked and yellowed. The dining area has its table still set up on its pedistal,, leaning to one side as the wood has aged and warped. the cushions on each side have been claimed by the local rodents and are now just stingy fibers and chewed foam. The ceiling shows signs of the occasional leaks from many rain storms, a single roof vent rattles as the remnants of a screen flap in the breeze. the cover is long gone. The over all flooring is still fairly firm and stout,, not something you would usually find in such an old trailer left to the elements. The side windows are weatherd and stained with years of dust dirt and grime,, the remaining screens are just scraggly pieces of wire. Over all.. this ole Gal has survived a life of memories with maybe a small family,, or the guy who took it on hunting trips with his buddies, Its hard to tell,, But now sits idle as mother nature reclaims her.. This is a chance to take this ole gal, and bring her back to life,, to breathe in some more time for her to proudly roll down the highways once again,, to bring smiles and miles to her new owner. A little spit and polish and elbow grease and she will roll like new..Just because she was put to pasture,doesnt mean this ole gal wants to quit,, Yes, shes tired, But deep inside she wants to run,, run with the pack of other ole gals,, show off her shiney chrome wheels, blink her fresh lights,, make someone happy.

Hope you enjoyed this story blog.... When I sit still long enough, I like to put thoughts down.

[Dawn Michelle]

This was wonderful!!!!!! I needed to read this tonight - now Juno may not be quite in the same wilted shape as the lady above, but you definitely pegged some of my dreams to bring our girl back to life. Thanks so much for posting.

[Russell E Johnson]

And oh what thoughts they are. Makes me wanna take her home right now. Of course DW would have other ideas since we have one sitting the driveway right now that needs lots of attention. But that is a secondary issue, along with a few more knots on the head. LOL