Sunday Score!

Earthen and glazed

After a pre-dawn walk, coffee and yard work, I was ready for an estate sale. Paul and I headed out to a sale that I’d received email notification for earlier in the week. The photos attached with the email showed some really great planters, but since today was the second day of the sale I was not hopeful that they’d be available still. And, I was right. All gone. Not having satisfied that garage-yard-estate-sale jones yet, we rode around looking for signs. We found some, but when we drove past the sales they advertised, they were not for us (not being in the market for baby junk and lady’s clothing and shoes). Now close to home and about to give up the hunt, we came upon one last sign. It was an interesting property, two acres with a grove of orange trees in front and the house set way back on the lot. Walking up the long driveway, I’d noticed tons of pots and planters in a pile in the trees and was elated when the homeowner said they were for sale (with the exception of a large river rock encrusted number). Now I got to do one of my favorite things: rooting through a pile of interesting stuff — and, it paid off! I found all the pots you see in the earthy group, above, including a tall terra cotta elliptical conduit, assorted glazed pots, a big clay bowl, a shell-encrusted cache pot, a ceramic half-pot inside a geometric metal stand, some pot supports made from corrugated metal in the shape of a flower, another terra cotta pipe with a metal support, and a large shapely clay urn with a leggy metal stand (helpfully offered by the homeowner). A great haul, right? Well, there’s more …

Heavy and light

… I got all these pots and planters, too! I had also dug up a variety of curvy ceramic pots — including a circular one with an embossed forest scene, and a long driftwood-lookalike — all in white and cream. The homeowner, seeing the pots I was interested in, then mentioned that he had others I might like and he showed me the three concrete planters on the right. Their rough surfaces featured a Greek key pattern and grape detail that would go perfectly in my pagan temple area. We added them to the pile. When it came time to pay for everything, the homeowner was asking for an amount that was insanely low, so I offered him more. How much did all this great stuff cost? Just $60! Thanks, David, they’ll have a great home.