A Tough Audience And Purgatory

In Real Time as I'm beginning this Post, it's the Evening before the "Bountiful Market" Autumn Event at "Sweet Salvage".  I've got to pick up an Antique Mercantile Haberdashery Cabinet and Antique Cast Iron Buffalo Bank that my Friend Big Kenny agreed to hold for me until this Month when I can Buy them.  Other than that, I previewed the Event Online and frankly, barely a nod to Autumn and Halloween is completely absent so, I probably won't Buy anything else or stay too long.   Which is exactly what happened at the last Event I attended, I probably was in and out in 15 Minutes and Bought nothing... took few Pixs... for the same reasons.  And Yes, at least Sweet did Two Halloween Events since they kicked an early Soft one off in August, but, none in October is just a Letdown for me.  Coz October is THE Month for one really.

 Definitely will have no reason to arrive early and stand in Line.  Especially since last Month they let about 35 People Line Jump and gain early access by over Half an Hour, which pissed off those at the front of the line who'd stood in the Heat for over 1-2 Hours.  So, there was no point in coming early to secure the best entrance and be uncomfortable and endure the Heat.  I know my Two items are being Held for me so, no urgency to arrive at any particular time or endure any discomfort at all this Month.  Plus, the Preview Pixs didn't Wow me either, very little in the way of Vintage, Antiques, Salvage or OOAK Merch.  So, no Merch Incentive plus no Halloween Incentive leaves me Yawning and finding little to be Incentivized.  I know, I'm a tough Customer sometimes to draw... but then again, so are most if you expect them to drop some Coin in these tough Economic times.

I can go into any Import Shop for new Imports, or Big Box Store and get Mass Produced Merch, usually at a Bargain... so, at an Event I want something Unique, OOAK or harder to Source, Extraordinary, Inspirational, potentially more Valuable and an Investment.  Lately, most Events are starting to resemble a lot of Tasteful yet Common Chain Store Merchandisers.  And I rarely Shop at those, let alone make them a Destination and Calendar a visit.   I do Hope when I arrive I'll Feel differently and it will have Atmosphere that Photos can sometimes lack and not do Justice to the Presentations?   I only Cribbed about 3 of the Online Preview Pixs this time and Edited those to cut out parts of disinterest that was peripheral distraction.  I don't know how much I'll be Inspired to Photograph whilst there?  The Above Vignette I did Like tho'.

Most Pixs of this Post, unless I come up with something better at the Event, were dredged up from Halloween Seasons Past, when it was Done Up Right and I really Miss those bygone days of not shying away from going Full On Halloween and Autumn Vibes on Steroids!!!   Now it's all so watered down, and may I say, bordering on Boring and lackluster by the time October rolls around.  *Le Sigh and Resting Bitch Face*  When the Goodwills had more Halloween than anyone else in Retail this Year, well, whatssup with that?!!  Seriously, I suspended Buying anything when offerings were so absent or limited.  And since Halloween now outpaces Christmas in Retail Sales and Customer Enthusiasm to Celebrate it, it's a missed Opportunity IMO.   These days Retailers need to know it's a Tough Audience out there and we will be critical if we feel they fall short on Delivering.  When I Critique something, I keep it 100%.

Usually I will leave flattering Reviews when deserving of one tho', I Support Small Businesses and still do.  Of coarse, some of my favorite Unique Haunts did Close during Pandemic and I Miss them Year Round.   But I especially Miss them during the Holidays, nobody really took their place to fill the Void left behind.  And I do Miss the Good Ole' Days when it was a heyday for such places that did carry Uniquely Sourced Merch... and the heyday of Blogging too... it's all changed now.  When I was trawling my Photo Archives the other day, to pay a Tribute to my recently Departed Cousin and find some Pixs of him, I'm glad I snagged some Oldies but Goldies of the Holidays for Posts now.  Since, chances are, I won't have anything much to Photograph in October that is Seasonally related now... bummer!!!   And, it remined me of how much Better it all was... I'm not looking at it thru Rose Colored Glasses and heady Nostalgia magnifying it, it WAS Better by far!!!   We've just Lost the Best of it... and of them IMO, along the way.  Yes, a remnant remains, but altered too.

And, along with Shops Closing, there were Friends in the Industry who Retired, or Moved Away, or Passed Away... Bloggers included.  And I Miss every single one of them too, it's just not the same without them.   Looking Back and seeing Images with them in the Pixs, often choked me up in fact as I was Reminiscing while doing the Deep Dive into my Photo Archives Blasts From Holidays Past.   My Friend Ron, Below, at one of the Preview Parties they used to Host before the Halloween and Christmas Events.  Ron and his Wife, Moved Away to a Southern State Destination and may have Retired from being Designers, they were exceptional at it.   She'd battled some Serious Health Issues and perhaps it was time to just relax and take it easier.  It's a lot of Work and Pressure to Host an Event, especially a Themed Event, even one that just runs for Four Days a Month.

So, I don't want to diminish all the hard Work that probably still goes into Hosting any Event, it's considerable, just that the Merch now isn't the same and thus, neither is the Atmosphere sometimes.  Perhaps it can't be, Supply and Demand always dictate the Market after all.  I see some folks standing in Line for Hours to go Buy something they could have picked up anywhere, anytime, and probably not spend as much for it.   I'm just not that Customer and never will be, so the Appeal isn't there for me unless you do carry extraordinary... and not just the ordinary that I know where I can always get THAT anytime and at the best prices, becoz it's not difficult to Source.  I get around.   I think my Sales at the Antique Mall have been consistently decent becoz I try to mostly carry Merch that is harder to Source or even Find now.

The Man and I did Environmental Cleanup early on Wednesday Morning and collected 20 Lbs. of Aluminum Cans in just a few Hours, it Paid for Lunch.   There was a nice Breeze before it got Hot and we found a stretch of Road we'd not done Cleanup on before, so the Haul was good with very little effort and we cleaned it up nicely along that stretch.   I found a good Quality Garden Rake, an Old License Plate, and a damaged but nice discarded Road Sign too.  Booyah!!!   I found some small Change too, funny how you find Money Lost in the most unlikely places!  This was Roadside on a stretch not traveled much and kind of out in the middle of nowhere... just nice Pristine Desert that is Scenic and between Destinations.  We always bring Refreshments and Snacks with us, sometimes even Lunch and Dine Alfresco out in Nature, it's so pleasant and restorative, plus, good Exercise and Fresh Air.

Well, USUALLY Fresh Air.  There was a really big Fire to the Far West of us tho' that we could see and were Curious about what was on Fire?   On the Wind you could sometimes smell it and it didn't smell like anything Natural burning, more like acrid Smoke from Rubber or Plastics burning.   But, when I Googled what it was from, it is allegedly a Prescribed Burn of Vegetation along the River Bottom to eliminate thick Vegetation that could present a Wildfire Hazard if not Managed.  They had Road Closures and the Smoke was really thick and acrid smelling, drifting thickly into the City.   So, anyone with respiratory issues might have struggled to Breathe during the Burn.   But, it could be better controlled than a Wildfire would be and if they do it Oct-Feb it doesn't interfere with Wildlife Breeding Seasons.  It also rids the Natural areas along the River of Invasive Plant Species and enriches the Soil.   They were only doing it for a Day, but didn't Advertise it much, so, it could alarm people living near it.

So, it looked like the whole West Valley was on Fire and until I knew what was actually happening in a Controlled way, it was Alarming to see such a wide expanse of thick Smoke to the South and West!!!   We drove until the Air was clear and cleaner to Breathe.   The Man has advanced COPD so I couldn't risk him having a Medical Emergency and felt bad for Residents enveloped in all that low hanging Smoke all day.  I'm quite sure it prompted some Emergency Room visits.   Anyway, where we ended up was lovely and beyond where they were doing the Burning.  There wasn't a whole lot of Traffic at first either, but when that Roadway started getting busier is when we were done anyway.  Too much Traffic can make it dangerous to be doing Roadside Cleanup.  You have your distracted Drivers, your Speeders, and your Assholes who like to drive too close to you on purpose.

 

We do get the Appreciative Drivers who yell Thank You out their Windows and truly think Roadside Cleanup and Environmental Cleanup Volunteers are providing a necessary Public Service.   ADOT, Policing Agencies, Park Services, Fish and Game Employees, and Preserve Rangers almost always Thank us profusely and check up on us to ensure we're safe and doing okay.  We're hardier than they expect, given we're a couple of Old Geezers.  *Winks*  It's in the consistency of doing anything that you develop the Stamina and Physical or Mental acuity for whatever it is.  A Body in Motion stays in Motion, and all that, is True.  I've never let my Trips around the Sun inhibit me from doing whatever I can still do and enjoy doing.   Too often Seniors let Age become an Excuse for everything and anything and it doesn't have to be.

The Man's Specialists marvel that I've kept him Vertical this long and assisted him in rehabilitating successfully.  They had expected his demise some time ago.  He Jokes that I won't ALLOW him to Die... Nope, won't LET him.  In full Transparency there IS some Truth to that... he doesn't have my Permission to.  *Bwahaha*  He thoroughly enjoys Environmental Cleanup Duty and often gets ready to go just in case I take him to do it.  *Smiles*  Yes, it is Comical to see him Ready with no place to Go... and the Kiddos tell me, "You really should take him Canning... look... he's been ready for Hours now!"  *Awwww, and LMAOROTF*   Sometimes if I say Yes, he's already heading for the Truck and can move like a Blue Ass Fly if he wants to do something!   This is how I KNOW he can still Move with some Purpose if it suits him to.  So, he can't lay it on thick otherwise and Trick or Fool me.  *Winks*

Now, whilst trawling Photo Archives I do have my Sentimental Moments to where I Miss certain things about previous Properties we've Owned and Sold.   Like, the Villa Boheme' McManse had so much Space we had Empty Rooms and Unused Rooms we could Stage for each Holiday in ridiculously excessive ways without it interfering with Daily Life.   And the Historic Property had so many Outbuildings and Exterior Spaces lending it to Decorate more extensively Outside the Home too.  And another Property we Owned had a whole Neighborhood that did Halloween Decorating together, so the entire Street was Done Up and culminated with a Big Block Party for Halloween on the Night of the 31st.  All the Adults dressed in Costume and people did come from Miles around to Experience it all and bring their Families.   All that can be a Tough Act to Follow.

 This Property is very large too, so, eventually The RV Garage Mahal will be THAT Space for me, since, The Main House isn't large enuf for such Indulgences during the Holidays.  And, the Exterior Space either, since, we Irrigate, so, it wouldn't be practical to Decorate where you Flood the Space.  Plus, this Acreage has more Private Space that cannot be seen by the Public or even Guests, unless you gave a Guided Tour.  So, anyway, tho' Halloween Present cannot compare to Halloween Past, I do Hope to make Halloween Future more Extreme once I get all the Projects Done around Forever Boheme'.  We're actually Jump Started again and well on our way.   I am now about 97% Done in the Decluttering and Cleaning of the Common Areas of the Main House and will begin on the Boudoir by next Week.  One I kicked my Ass into Gear and got off the Pity Pot of going it Alone, I made Progress.

And, it Motivated The Son to do some Extreme Yardwork improvements for me too, so I was pleasantly Surprised when he did the Reveal of what he'd been Secretly doing for me.   He Works a lot of Hours so I rarely expect him to Dive into huge Home Improvement Projects around here on his Time Off.   His Career is very demanding and I know he's too nervous to do the things his Sister assists me with, he's rather like a Bull in a China Shop and is Aware of that making ME nervous too.  *LOL*  The Man, well, he requires so much Supervision and Task redirection, or running damage control behind his efforts, that it would be like asking your Toddler to Help.  It's too much of a distraction and you'd be better off doing it yourself.   Sometimes I'll give him little Jobs to do when he's Curiously Stalking me and getting in the way while I'm Working.  But, overall, he's disinterested if his Shows are on and he's deep into his Reruns of NCIS or Alaskan Reality Shows.  *LOL*

I find it rather Ironic how he'll immerse himself in "Homestead Rescue" and then neglect his own Property... but... whatever.  I guess on the Canvas of his Imagination THAT is Possible and this is not?  *Eye Roll*  He wanted this Property even more than I did when we were seeking a Forever Home, but, in Application, I knew he would be fairly Checked Out in the whole Moving, Moving In, Maintaining it, Processes.  He has been for the last Three Moves becoz his Health Tanked a long time ago. When he was forced into Medical Retirement, we had a Shift from the Workaholic I Married and Knew, to where he gave up on doing ANY kind of Work.  It became a True Four Letter Word for him to where he thought and felt he could no longer do anything anymore forevermore.  And you can't even Shame him into trying most of the time now... he just sits around like he's waiting to just Die.   Which is Why he doesn't have my Permission... it's his Penance and this is Purgatory dammit.  *Winks*

*******

October and Halloween Vibes coming to you from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian