While we were discussing some of the unusual
and humorous incidents that have happened to us while collecting insulators over
a period of seven years, it seemed that every recalled incident brought another
one to mind, like the following.
Your wife didn't really appreciate the
sacrifice you were making in getting out of a nice, heated automobile to collect
some insulators in January until you brought back an ice cold CD 127 and
accidentally(?) touched her neck with it while showing it to her. That caused
instant cold goosebumps and some very heated language.
Along the Baltimore and
Ohio tracks in southwestern Ohio, it was necessary to walk over and around a
large dead snake while checking the overhead lines. On the third trip that you
made past him, the 'dead' snake decided to move, and so did you !
Somewhere in
the bushes along the Big Four right-of-way near Loveland, Ohio are several
beautiful No.20's (CD 133) and a couple of nice olive green CD 152's that fell
into the bushes and three trips back to the same area have failed to uncover
them from their hiding place. Why didn't you get them the first time? Easy, they
were in a patch of 'jiggers' and it was mid-August.
In the town of Stone
Mountain, Georgia a general store owner tried to be very helpful and upon being
asked if he had any insulators, he replied, "No, but could you use some
good ground wire?"
By the way, wouldn't you like to have the portable potty
concession along the railroad tracks?
You thought that you could easily acquire
an opened railroad lock from the old station mailbox by slipping it out of the
hasp and quickly putting it in your pocket. It sounded very easy and you did it,
but unfortunately the lock had just been freshly painted with Rustoleum aluminum
paint and wouldn't be dry for several hours yet.
Isn't it disappointing when a
line of 'carnival' insulators turn out to be just clear ones covered with
Alabama red dirt?
And when you are skulking around where you really
shouldn't be why is it that each little sound is highly magnified -- like the
terrified little rabbit who sounded at least six feet tall as he scurried away
through the bushes.
The wooden Coke cases that hold twelve big bottles are great
for carrying insulators to and from shows and sales, so it was a disappointment
as you had your eyes on a couple of cases to add to your collection when a
little tyke darted out of a nearby house, ran through the frigid February
evening air, snatched up the cases and dashed back into his house where his
father was anxiously awaiting to use the cases -- for firewood!
Didn't your fellow
club members razz you something terrible when you displayed a small portion of
an apple green "teapot" which you had purchased at a recent show? Of
course, they changed their tune at the next meeting when you produced the Boston
Bottle Works, CD 158 with 'Patent Applied For' and four segmented threads that
you had gotten in full trade for the piece of a never before seen
"teapot".
How come the neighborhood dogs don't understand that it is
not their duty to protect all railroad property near their house?
Your friend
apologized when he asked $10.00 for a small ribbed and paneled lightning rod
pendant in flashed red color. "That's rather steep, isn't it?", you
replied, but happily paid him knowing that if there is another one like it
anywhere, it would probably cost about $350.00!
Which is more likely to make you
look innocent while on the railroad right-of-way, carrying a camera or walking a
dog?
Out for a ride near Old Venus off of U.S. 27 in Florida, you checked out
likely looking spots near the abandoned Atlantic Coast Line right-of-way.
Nothing worthwhile on the poles but just where you stopped your car -- a brand new
one dollar bill you don't know where it came from but you sure know where it
went!
We feel that reliving some of these things that happened to us are part of
the great times in our fascinating hobby of collecting insulators and we hope
that you will tell us about some of your favorite times, places and incidents.
So long!
