The open sheds at Grace Cottage are filled with all sorts of interesting things.

The machinery has been collected into the yard near the house and listed for sale.

As we sort through all this stuff we have learned that the former owners decorated their front lawn lavishly for every holiday. We found plastic pumpkins, Christmas trees and

 

a 7-foot tall Uncle Sam.

Charlie drove him across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to our home at The Glade.

A friends of ours who collects Americana was very interested in this vintage fellow.

So Sug and I trucked him to his new home and a very appreciative recipient.  He thinks this unusual item is valuable.

What do you say?

Jo

We continue to find weird items stashed on the grounds of Grace Cottage.

I told you the boys — husband and son — cleared a lot of brush from the backyard.  One benefit is that we can now see the pond dock from the house.

Under all the brush was an unusable, enormous outdoor rug which will have to be cut up and disposed of.  Who stashes a rug under bushes?

Also in the backyard is a sturdy post holding 2 shabby birdhouses.

Perhaps these can be upgraded and made liveable.  Sounds like a good project for a winter afternoon.

Apparently the former owners decorated for every holiday.  Among the plastic pumpkins we found an 8-foot tall cutout of Uncle Sam.  I have a friend who wants him — AS IS.

And I took some better photos of the fiberglass skiff that was hidden under some long-needle pines.

When they pulled it out there was a tree growing in it.  Maybe we can launch it in the pond to see if it floats.

One person’s trash .  .  .

Jo

My son and his wife have seriously begun to clear and clean the property around Grace Cottage — almost 2 acres.

In the sheds, in the woods, in the brush, they have come across more than a few machines.

Apparently none of them actually work.  One way or another we don’t need these contraptions.

Our son listed them on Facebook and someone is coming by to get all of them for a small price.

He also found a boat in under the trees.

We’ll clean it out at see if it will float in the pond.

So much fun.

Jo

One of the aspects of the kitchen at Grace Cottage that befuddled me was the apples that had been hand-painted over the stove.

They were not decals.  Someone had painted them onto the ceramic tiles but they had begun to flake off.

I asked Sug if she thought she could get them off.

Sure enough, with a little elbow grease, they were easily removed.

Now the kitchen color scheme is white and pale aqua sans apple red.  I can work with that.

Stay tuned for the full plan.

Jo