Hi, Ho! Hi, Ho!! It's off to the sales we go

Are you ready for the SEASON? Come wind, rain or shine, it’s a go. You know the drill, wear a hoodie, bring along a wind breaker, a hat, sunglasses just in case we get some rays in the Coulee, and put on a pair of comfortable shoes. And don’t leave home without some coins.

But wait, if you need a pair of cheaters, like me, here’s a tip. Bring an extra pair (this is the voice of experience speaking here) so when one pair gets accidentally knocked off of your face, or dropped and stepped on, or disappears into the abyss where all lost pairs of glasses go, you can still see and shop on.

I can’t let you go until I touch on this whine, so please mull this over. In the style of a former U.S.A. Olympic ice skater who said on network news a long time ago, “Why Me?,” here’s the whine. All too frequently, my ride, aka Black Beauty, gets low on gas. It seems like this happens when I’m on a mission, like heading out to shop the yard sales in the Coulee. You would think that I’d learn, but no; what I’m inclined to do is this: get in BB, start up and discover I’m low on gas and then think to myself, “Why Me?” After whining around in the truck for a bit, I get going, hoping that I don’t run out of gas until after I make the rounds. Yes, I know, it’s dumb so I’m telling you now, keep your yard-sale ride full of gas, just in case you have to get to a sale quick-like.

Check out this flash from the past that I researched prior to the recent Colorama Festival. Here’s how the locals called for help. A front page news story from The Star in its mid-May 1955 edition featured a new fangled police radio system for the Grand Coulee Police. Placed in service, a new ’55 Chevy sedan was equipped with a V8 engine and the latest technology, a two-way radio that “worked” in conjunction with department’s phone (land-line). In those days, to contact an officer, you called #102, and if the officer on duty was out, you left your name and number on an answering machine which would tell you to call #207 if you had an emergency. Then, the officer would be contacted on the two-way radio from the office phone. This new service was available 24-7. Calling 911 was not even a dream back then.

And now it’s time for a VIQ (very important question). What exactly does the phrase, “Yippie Ki Yay mean in rodeo talk? I’m thinking it’s more than the standard greeting, “Howdy Partner,” or is it like the shout-out, Yah Who. If none of these phrases work, how about, Way To Go? Never mind, let’s not spend too much time on this. Rodeo talk is spontaneous. My favorite is exit comment is: Happy Trails, the 1950’s western tune made famous by Roy Rogers and Dale Evens when they were seen in horsey t.v. shows. Just before they rode off into the sunset (really only off camera) they would smile to all of their fame in t.v. land, sing a couple of lines then turn on camera and trot away. Trigger sang along too.

Were you on the sale trail recently? If not, you missed out on some fantastic sales in the corridor (Electric, Grand, Coulee, and Elmer cities) including a two-day living estate sale that had all of the elements that both guy and gal buyers are looking for, like a garage brimming with “man stuff” with hand tools selling at a fast pace and furniture pieces, such as chests of drawers, and nightstands, gone in a flash too. Also, there was a great selection of hard bounds, paperbacks, magazines, and cookbooks, prices at 25 cents and up. And Miss F.D., that’s me, spied several boxes loaded with nicknacks of all kinds for a quarter a piece. The folks putting on this sale were helpful and willing to deal on prices. What more can a buyer ask for?

Check out the weekend advertised yard sales in The Star. There’s some funky, junky, rusty and wonderful stuff out there, just waiting for you. Happy Trails to you, until we meet again.