Rummage Roundup

Day Fifteen. Saturday; warm, sunny, wind light. I open up early. W shows a valuable jade ring. J puts the dates on the sign with velcro: not enough dates. Donations pour in and the workers are hot, tired, and cross. Shoes are retrieved from the recycling. The mud has muckified. S wants records to spill out into the aisle. I am offered a Rudolph hat. The bride at today's wedding is O and R's daughter. They aren't dressed for rummage. R locks her phone in the toy department. J and I talk about the situation at Vintage. L talks to me about cats. A shows up, driving dangerously, and takes some scarves home. Do we need signs on the playpens?

Day Fourteen. The storm Isabel knocked out the power, ate up a chunk of the outside of Bon Ton Barn, and dropped a confetti of green leaves over the Somerset Hills. A branch fell and hit a car. Was that T I saw? Donations were off again, in the aftermath. J growls and drives back to work. A cowboy hat from W. No Holiday department again. There isn't really THAT much mud, considering.

Day Thirteen. Warm, wind, clouds: Isabel approaching. Donations are somewhat light, and the sorters clear up their area fast and everything is secured as well as possible. I hang more signs. The new dumpster is already full. J is down on her lunch hour to pull vintage: the message puzzled her and I am too incoherent to explain. K talks to the town. I take some tarps to boutique clothing for them to protect their stock. J likes to drive in the wind. Now we wait.

Day Twelve. Clear skies, warm, nice breezes. I have my first pictures back, including the fertility photo. Delivering more than usual; K is not around with special requirements. There is some concern about the storm, but not a lot of anxiety; it is sounding less ominous today. But we're out of reach of the weather reports. The mud is going to be terrible. The vocal toys scream from their bags.

Day Eleven. Clear and comfortable. The Tuesday man returns. D and I put up the banner at the corner. B gives me a hammer. I admit my confusion about the jewelry. Another green van is in th shop, so K has her daughter's Neon. The mud is less than I would ahve expected after last night's storms. I don't know why I leave anyone messages. K leaves early to take the Tuesday man home for a nap. I wear a funny hat, to much acclaim.

Day Ten. Cloudy, humd, periodic cloudbursts. I return Mrs. Noah's hat. There is another door open this morning so I take more time securing the place at the end of the day. I hand off the jewelry to W. She cut her hair but her car is still dirty. The potholes are full of brown water and the mud tracks are starting to appear. B and L are back from their trip, AS also back; a lot of energetic men at the end of the day. I roam. "Lost In Space" becomes strangely mixed up with "The Graduate" in K's mind -- "Dr. Smith, you're trying to seduce me!!"

Day of Rest. She was the parade marshal.