Another Day, Another 'Junk' Yard

  When I was a kid, I loved…and I mean LOVED…going to the dumps with my Dad.

  What we called 'the dumps', was just the place where people would bring large amounts of trash as well as the big stuff you wanted to throw away. Refuse. 

  We had the regular trash guys that came by the house every week to pick up the normal garbage, but the dumps was for big junk, too. Construction leftovers, or garden junk, old household items like furniture and busted appliances.

  Anyway, maybe once or twice a year, always on a Saturday, Dad would load up some stuff, and I would happily join him for this exciting hour of fun.

  I got to throw bottles just to hear them break, watch the zillions of seagulls eating garbage, and best of all…see what kind of stuff people threw away.

  A treasure trove of unwanted and discarded flotsam and jetsam.

  It was heaven.

  Now…as a grown up woman (I use grown up quite loosely, as I am always about eight years old in my head... on some days twelve..), when we come across any kind of junk place, I am all over it.

  Thank god Johnny is right there with me on this. It would be a drag if he didn't get it. Poor fella. Married to a certified, dyed in the wool tomboy must have its challenges.

  Oh, and news flash…this isn't a phase. As the years go by, you just become an old lady tomboy.

  That fascinating history now aside, I can share some photos from the latest Italian junk shop we recently visited.

  We have passed by this place so many times over the years, but never stopped in. We have another place we go to every year, which is also great, but I really have wanted to explore this one.

  And so we did:

SO. MUCH. JUNK.

Lots of cool rusty stuff.

Really fine items I would love to put in my garden back home.
Or here…someday.

Tables and tables of the good stuff.

Johnny almost lost it when we spotted these.
His fantasy, ladders. Olive wood, hand crafted ladders.
And plenty of them.

I can think of a million ways to use all of these.

Sculpture, really.

  There were lots of rooms of stuff, too. Most were too dark to get any decent photos, but these areas, below, had windows, at least.

  I am so impressed with the tidiness and organization here.

  The dust did get to my sinuses, though.

I think you could find just about anything you could ever want here.
Well, almost….

A fine collection.

Such an odd assortment.
I loved it.

  All I know is, when we do finally live here full time, this will be one of the first places we come to, just to get weird stuff for the house and garden.
  I can't wait. Fingers crossed, this place will still be here.