It's a rainy day at the farmette, although it continues to be muggy. Bit of a relief after yesterday, when we topped out at more than 30C, which is rather warm when you're helping with a garage sale.
It was both a sad and fun day. The reason for the sale was Sandy's father-in-law Cliff passed away last fall and his house was sold recently, so many of the worldly possessions that the relatives didn't want or need had to go.
Cliff was a great guy. Respected local businessman. Community minded. Lifelong Kinsman. And had a pretty sharp sense of justice, too.
He was also a bargain hunter, and it showed in the many, many things he had accumulated.
So, bright and early yesterday morning, I set out for Meaford to meet up with the family and help out where I could.
Cliff's house is ideally located right on the water. Gorgeous gardens, a pool and a good chunk of land meant that Cliff and his partner Anne were very comfortable.
My sisters Sandy and Barb and Cliff's daughter Jennifer's family had most of the items out before I got there. Everything from tools to household appliances to glassware and jewelry, books, pictures and all manner of sports equipment. If you couldn't find it, it doesn't exist.
It was already hot at 9:00 a.m. when I arrived, and there were lots of people doing their own bargain hunting. It was all outdoors, and people did their social distancing as much as possible, while wearing masks. Hand sanitizers were also strategically placed around the tables.
As the day wore on, and the cash box filled up, we started to get a bit giddy. The boxing gloves that were going to be sold were actually loaded back up into the Thornton Nissan for the ride home. Cause they were so much fun. At different times during the day, I caught mother Sandy and daughter Erin hamming it up with their pugilistic stances.
Sister Barb was in her glory. Queen of the garage sale and sniffing out deals at consignment shops, Barb loves the world of organizing and commerce. She orchestrated Mom's and Dad's sale, and has helped Sandy a number of times over the years. I don't think she's paid more than about $2 for any of her clothes over the last few years.
While it seemed a bit surreal, masking up and getting on with life felt much better. Inside the house, we could de-mask, eat, and cool down in air-conditioned comfort. Having lots of shade around the property helped, as did staying well-hydrated.
While quite a bit was sold, there was a LOT left over, and we managed to pack it up and get it tucked away in the garage by about 4:30 p.m., ahead of the forecasted rain we're experiencing today.
Living in interesting times sometimes isn't all it's cracked up to be. The lockdown has sometimes been tough.
Yesterday was a nice step in a bit more social direction.
As we move forward into the light and out of our isolation, carefully, let's all agree that staying safe is probably the best bet.
Until next week.