An Observation Of Sheer, Rustic Genius
American Ingenuity At It's Finest
Look at those beveled edges, such substance, no wayward deer stands a chance!
Today, I had to open the library after it being shuttered for a three day holiday weekend. There was also an accompanying snow storm, intermittent power outages, resulting computer "issues," impatient patrons that don't see library hours signs, and a backlog of emails to contend with. That said, I am in need of a little levity, so I thought I would share with you all an image that brings me great mirth.
The burg in which I dwell has a population of about two thousand, and for Idaho, that is a respectable sized town. We are not the most populous of states. That said, there is a pretty interesting cross section of humanity inhabiting the pine patch that makes up our neck of the Idaho panhandle, and as a librarian, I get to observe and appreciate all that is served up on the local section of the humanity behavioral buffet.
A few months ago, I walked by the office window and glanced out of it as is my habit. I spied one of the greatest things I have ever beheld. An old Ford pickup with an extra special bumper. What makes this bumper so spectacular is the sheer genius of it. Here in the Inland Northwest there are a multitude of junk yards full of old Ford pickups with available bumpers. There are machine shops, the internet, mail order catalogs, and even pieces of metal that can be wired to the frame. I have seen all manner of bumper apparatus, but until that moment I had never pondered the use of a tree as a bumper.
Lodgepole pine. It grows like hair on a dog around here. In fact, it is kind of like a weed, sprouting out of the ground so thickly that you need a machete to work your way through it. Or at least a couple of hungry goats. The enterprising and frugal creature that used a cut to fit piece of Lodgepole pine for a truck bumper saw past the traditional use of Lodgepole as a structure or firewood element, and instead adorned it's straight and true form with red spray paint and attached it to their truck as a proud masthead of ingenuity. I can't even talk about this bit of rural handiwork without smiling. Beholding the image of such creative genius always brings me joy, and I hope that those that dwell in the land of Steemit enjoy a chuckle or at least a smile as they observe the awesomeness.
The picture in the this post was snapped by a very amused me on my iPhone.
Written with StackEdit.