A BEDTIME STORY...

Once Upon A Time...

...long, long ago,

 before we had our Cottage

 and before we had moved to the Gold Country,

we owned this house. 

 We knew

 it was not going to be

 our forever home,

 only a stepping stone to take us 

to our place of retirement, 

our foot in the door, so to speak. 

 We owned it for about two years,

 rented it out, 

and then sold it.

During the time 

we had the house,

 we would come up every weekend, 

spending the time to drive around,

 looking for just 

that special place...

...and we did find it,

 but before that,

 we began noticing a couple 

that we would see 

almost everyplace we went.

 They were elderly, 

he very petite,

 always wearing a wide brimmed hat 

and suspenders;

 she was definitely 

of larger porportions,

 in a brightly flowered dress

 with her gray hair

 done up in a bun. 

 They drove a long, vintage Cadillac

 with big fins.

 They were a sight 

you don't readily forget 

and we often

wondered

 about their story.

One Saturday,

 we happened upon a yard sale 

in an old house.

  The house was desperately 

in need of repairs. 

 The rooms were littered

 with papers, books and all things 

unimaginable. 

 It was very smelly,

 to put it mildly, 

and after seeing a number of cats,

 alive and dead, 

we knew why.

You might imagine

 most people would hold their breath 

and run away,

 but if you are a "junker at heart"

 and are always expecting 

to find that "pot of gold",

 you know the answer to that

  As we made our way 

through the rooms

 you might take a guess 

as to who the owners

 of the house were!

 The "odd couple",

as we had come to call them, 

that we had been seeing around town,

 dressed as usual,

 and holding court 

among the remnants 

of their life.

We made our way

 up a very narrow, 

steep and twisting stairway 

and it was in one of the bedrooms 

that we found our treasure.

  We had been looking for

 an iron bed for our guest room

 and this one was perfect. 

 After settling on price

 and figuring how to untangle the frame

 from the old mattress

 and all the newspapers, magazines, etc. 

that were holding it down, 

our biggest dilemma became apparent; 

how to get the bed down 

the narrow staircase.

The only way

 was to walk out the window,

 onto the roof of the floor below,

 and lower the bed to the ground 

two stories down. 

 It was a very "iffy" solution, 

considering the shape of the roof, 

but it was our only option

 if we wanted the bed. 

 At this point 

I was down below 

and I do remember taking pictures 

of the procedure

 but can't find them anywhere.

  You will just

 have to take my word for it. 

 It was a scary sight to see.

As you can see,

 we were successful 

in getting the bed out

 and it has been enjoying 

a better life 

ever since.

As most good 

bedtime stories go,

 there is a beginning and an end, 

and this one 

is no exception...

...as I said 

in the beginning, 

we sold this house 

and the new owners 

took it to another level...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I often wonder

 what happened to the "odd couple". 

 I would imagine

 they have passed by now

 but their old homestead lives on

 as a bed and breakfast

 known as the Emma Nevada House. 

 We have taken a tour through it 

and it is a far cry 

from when we first saw it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As I mentioned, 

we did find our Forever Cottage 

and after many years 

the changing and the fixing 

is still ongoing and, 

I imagine,

 will continue 

for time to come...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As for the bed, 

it has been a place of rest 

for many important and beloved guests 

in its time here,

 but none more loved 

than the current occupant...

"Bless'd be the spot, where cheerful guests retire."

Oliver Goldsmith

And They Lived Happily Ever After...

The End  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Progress Report:

...Judy...

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