Of Pictures, Beads, and A Porcelain Clock

Another year has only just begun and I have been having so much fun. Well not everything has been fun. I just finished, with the aid of my son, Andrew, insulating my new shop. Seems the fellows we hired didn't feel like the inside walls, the ceiling of the hall, and the bathroom needed doing. They left behind enough to have finished all the nooks and crannies, but just didn't think putting it in was necessary. I didn't agree with them, but as they had already been paid off and gone, it was up to me to see it got done. Being the single minded person that I am, or Missouri Mule stubborn, as my family will tell you, I stuffed every dad-gum place that could be stuffed with the, "leftover", insulation. There will be no toilets sounding like a thunder-jug in my shop thank you, nor echo chamber lumbering staircases either. It was one nasty itchy job, but hopefully now my shop will be a refuge of peacefulness and harmony. One can only hope! Anyway, enough on that, now on to my delicious finds.

This delightful picture was such a score, it still takes my breath away to think of it. It measures approximately 24" by 36", and was taken with a high end digital camera of Heceta Head Lighthouse on the Southern Oregon Coast, using a wide angle lens. It has been dye printed on aluminum and my snapshot of it just simply doesn't do it justice. Like kind photo's of this view and process can be purchased online at various photographers sites for around $1,450 dollars. The fact I paid under twenty at Goodwill pretty much makes it the best bargain I have ever made. The bonus being that I love the picture.
Many years ago, when my children were young, I and my hubby went on vacation with them and traveled up the Oregon Coast from Florence in southern Oregon. This lighthouse is situated in a lovely spot 13 miles north of Florence and thirteen miles south of Yachats. It is a great spot to stop and have a picnic lunch and look at the stunning views. I am so happy to have found this picture and will certainly be hanging it in my new house.

Heceta Head Lighthouse was named after the Spanish explorer Bruno de Heceta, who explored the Pacific Northwest during the late 18th century. In 1892, a crew of 56 began construction of the lighthouse. Because of the site's seclusion, building materials were either shipped in, if the weather and tide permitted, or brought from Florence by wagon, the latter usually taking four or five hours. Stones were brought from the Clackamas river, near Portland, Oregon, and bricks came from San Francisco, California. Completed in August 1893, the entire project cost $80,000 and consisted of:
The lighthouse, houses for the light-keeper and two assistant light-keepers and their families, a barn, and two kerosene oil storage buildings. Two storage buildings were built to store the kerosene so that should one catch fire and burn there was backup oil to keep the light lit.
If you happen to be in the area I highly recommend a stop at this lighthouse. It is a photographers delight.

In another shop I found this delightful vintage blue and white porcelain clock by Schatz. The clock was made in Germany, but I think it will go beautifully in my Dutch kitchen, don't you?!

In the same shop I found this wonderful historic Keystone View Company stereo-view of a native woman making a birch-bark canoe. I love historic pictures like this and was very surprised when doing research online to find three other pictures, obviously of the same Indian camp taken at the same time as my stereo-view. Unfortunately the site didn't really tell me much more about the picture or who took it. Just that it was a Chippewa Indian Camp and they were making a birch-bark canoe.

I have no doubt birch-bark canoe building is nearly a lost art, which is one of the reasons I like to preserve pictures of this type. It gives us a snapshot of history that otherwise would be lost and forgotten.

This gorgeous piece I found in yet another store and is something else indeed. Now at first glance you might think that this is a piece of Native American art. I sure did! This was folded up and tucked under a shelf and I almost missed it. It is not woven cloth but is made up of very fine seed bead work. It measures 20" x 39" with a 1" beaded trim and is truly amazing. I just might add it weighs a ton too from all those glass beads. To my surprise the tag said it was made in Africa, so I did a bit of research when I got home. I found that the Zulu and other tribes in South Africa are noted for their bead-work, and have made pieces similar to this. I was never able to pin down this exact piece or its pattern however, so more research is needed. I just thought it absolutely beautiful and it cost less than it would have cost me to buy the beads. Which just goes to show, one persons toss out, is another persons treasure.