The First Day of Spring

To celebrate the first day of spring, my husband and I set the alarm clock early in hopes of finding unannounced garage sales. With the weather forecast being in the mid-60's today and the snow being mostly melted, we had dreams of locating those first-of-the-season yard sales. We determined a possible route at which brave souls might have set up shop for the day. The "Doctor's Lot", "Mike's Inland Seafood Lot", and the "Closed Gas Station Lot" were our three main drive bys. We figured that if anyone was out there, they would be at one of these places. To our surprise, we found our first sale at the "Doctor's Lot." A man and his 10 year old daughter had set up a few tables and a clothing rack for us to peruse. The little girl was wheeling and dealing in an attempt to make a sale. I was impressed with her ability to barter at such a young age. She knew the nuances of selling, keeping in the mind the goal of making a few dollars and moving her merchandise. We bought a pair of sunglasses, a handmade pottery container, a concert t-shirt and a recycled Keen purse for the grand total of $7. With smiles on our faces, we felt a sense of accomplishment. Spring was truly upon us. It was like seeing the first daffodil or finding the first morrel mushroom. We had made an educated guess that had paid off. With one behind us, we decided to drive around to the other hot spots. On our way through downtown, we found another impromptu sale set up across from Ram's Rack in the lawyer's parking lot. We used the drive-by technique and decided it was worth a look. My husband turned the car around and we parked and got out. They were friendly and told us that they were selling a few things to make a little pocket cash. I knew that they were ready to make some deals. We found a framed piece of embroidery, 2 sets of vintage saucers and matching tea cups, a pair of Columbia pants, and a pair of wood clippers-- total $9. With our cash flow running low ( because we were not as prepared as we should have been), we decided to drive by our final possibility at the closed gas station on the 105 bypass. To our relief as well as our disappointment, there were no sales in that lot. We were satisfied with our finds this morning and glad that spring had finally arrived! For all of you in this area, it is safe to say this has been a hell of a winter. I am glad to say farewell to the dark days of winter. Now, the crocuses are showing their blooms and the daffodils are about to bud. Yard sale season has started for those hardy sellers who do no fear cold dark mornings in which to set up shop by their car headlights. Thank you folks for being the committed beginners of the new season. I was glad to give you some business this early March morning and I can't wait to see more of you as the weather continues to warm.