Hillbilly Yard Sale!

[TOW]

It's yard sale time here in Damascus, Virginia. Every year at this time there is a city wide yard sale to kick off Appalachian Trail Days which is a big ole bash to honor those who have came to Damascus via the Appalachian Trail. In 1921 Benton McKay, an educated forester and self trained planner who worked for the federal government part time wrote an essay proposing the trail as the connecting thread of “a project in regional planning.”
By 1937 the trail was reality.

The trail traverses fourteen states starting on top of Mt. Springer, Georgia and ending on top of Mt. Kathadin, Maine covering a distance of 2,167 miles give or take. Along that route the trail travels right through the center of Damascus, Virginia.

What you think you might need and then some things that you may never use can be purchased here and right now! Tools, toys, fishing items, mowers, air jacks, stickers, Tupperware bowls, dolls, baby clothing, baseball caps, sizzling magnets, false teeth, wigs, kerosene lanterns, mirrors, bouncing balls, jackets, hot dogs and cookies are all up for grabs. You can get deals here right now!

I got a deal right at the break of dawn this morning, at least I think I did anyway. In the First Baptist Church parking lot I found exactly what I was looking for, three brand new stainless steel pots for eight dollars! I had spaghetti at home and no way to cook it, now I can hook it up for my hiker friends that are always hiking through town. Then I purchased a Koss stereo and a toaster for only twenty bucks! The toaster doesn't work, but the stereo is fine. Maybe with a little tinkering at the hands of my landlord we can have a toaster. That guy has the touch to make anything work! In fact I decided to sell a few items as well. I laid two Briggs and Stratton engines in my landlords yard and a push mower. Before I went too far off he had the engines sold and the mower running! I kept the mower. As he once put it, we're rednecks and we got to make things work when we can.

As I walk down the street there is laughter in the air. A yard sale of this proportion seems to bring out the cheer in people. If they're not purchasing something they are visiting or meeting someone new. There are people from the surrounding communities that have come to sell their wares as well. Even a few professional dealers that make flea marketing their form of employment are here selling kitchen knives, Tye dye t-shirts, leather goods and everything that goes with that type of set up.

We even have a carnival in town. They've been here for four days now and will be packing it up tomorrow. The town is filling up with hikers as well, camping where ever there is a space available. By this time next week Appalachian Trail Days will be in full swing with vendors in the park, a talent show for locals, hikers or whoever else might want to jump in and perform. Heck fire, I might just get up on that stage and yodel till the dogs come home myself. I'll probably win first prize too! "Yodellayyeeyoh, yoohoo.................." Not bad, huh? I'll probably get shot if the truth be known.

Hillbilly yard sales, that's what these are know as down here in the deep jungles of southwestern Virginia. Yep, that's what we are. Hillbilly's! I think "Hee Haw" was even filmed here back in 1822?

You might even find some home canned goods like beets, green beans, corn, pickled pigs feet, hogs snout, and chitterlings. I got a dog I'll sell ya that don't even belong to me! He or she is worth a thousand or more , but I'll let you have it for $9.99! Whadaya say?

Larry Riddle May 12, 2007

[Gray Blazer]

Whee doggies! Save me some of those false teeth, I may need them later on. I wish I could come to trail days and vend some of my AT pics with the hillbilly barnwood frames and just hang out. Maybe I'll be up that way later this summer. Peace and love, Ya'll.

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

Sounds like a mini version of the annual Highway 127 yard sale - it goes thru five states and runs for 630 miles. We did about 25 miles of that one year - exhausting, but some great buys and heard several stories you just couldn't make up.

[Dances with Mice]

Home canned chitterlings? Really? You're making that up now, aren't you?

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

I doubt he is making it up, DWM. The raw ingredients (you don't want to know) are only available within a few hours of slaughtering a hog and they get tough when frozen (or so I'm told - hiker toes are the most disgusting thing I will eat )

[Dances with Mice]

I doubt he is making it up, DWM. The raw ingredients (you don't want to know) are only available within a few hours of slaughtering a hog and they get tough when frozen.

Oh, I've been elbow deep in a tub of chitterlings. I know --exactly-- what chitterlings are and how they're processed from start to finish. Or end to finish. Whatever.

I've never heard of them being canned.

Hey, Larry! Pick me up a couple jars, ok?

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

::: dino makes mental note not to sample DWM's ramen :::

[Dances with Mice]

::: dino makes mental note not to sample DWM's ramen :::

Why hush yo' mouth! I was well into my 30's before I learned "chitterlings" was spelled using an "r" and "g". Must be one of those French words or something.

Anyways, Ramen ain't fit for a mess of chitterlings. They should be eaten hot out of the frying pan garnished with fresh picked basil leaves and scallions with a side of honey-mustard or creamy horseradish sauce. I'll drop by your house and fry y'all up a batch.

Hmmmm .... I don't seem to have directions to your domicile. When can I expect that unfortunate oversight to be corrected?

Larry! Got those jars yet? The dinos are counting on you!

[Dances with Mice]

Hmmmm .... I don't seem to have directions to your domicile. When can I expect that unfortunate oversight to be corrected?

Your PM box appears to be full but I agree that would be a very, very cold day.

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

I've emptied my PM box. However, I'm not about to give directions to my home to anyone who comes bearing chittlins (glad to know you know the proper way to spell this).

I tried them once many years ago. I was seven months pregnant and at a party. They had been prepared by the hostess' mother - a lady who was the best soul food cook I've ever known - so I'm fairly sure she knew how. Most at the party were eating them and kept encouraging me to try them. One bite and I spent the rest of the evening in the upstairs bath worshipping the porcelean god. That is the nastiest thing I have ever tasted.

[Dances with Mice]

I tried them once many years ago. I was seven months pregnant and at a party. They had been prepared by the hostess' mother - a lady who was the best soul food cook I've ever known - so I'm fairly sure she knew how.

First, listen up y'all: Miz Dino did not PM me with specifications on how cold a day it would have to be for me to fry chitlins in her house. That insinuation was my attempt at humor and a pure fabrication.

Second: No human with an intact sense of smell, pregnant or otherwise, would have been able to eat anything in a house in which chitlins have been fried. It's an outdoor thang. Way outdoors and downwind from the house, best if upwind from a neighbor you don't like.

If done well the taste is kinda like pork skins but chewier, they'll be nice and crisp if fried in good hot lard.

Larry! How many did you score? The countdown to the SoRuck has begun!

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

DWM, don't tell me someone took our tom-foolery seriously. DWM and I are friends and since we are both ALDHA members, he has my home address and phone number. You people will just have to join it you plan to bring chittlins to my door.

[mweinstone]

aw shucks lar, ya make the town sound sweet.witch it is.damm shes a sweet town. im commin as fast as i can. want sumpin from this here city?we gotz us chocolate cigars.we got organic everything. want organic scoll tobacco/ we got it. need freezed dryed japenese illegal black deer antler or rhino horn and a little thinggy to cook it? we got it.lets say you needed a chocolate covered onion. yup. singing dog gram for pooches birthday? sure, 1 800 doggift. need jewels? we got jewelers row, the third largest pile of rocks in the world outside of antwerp.i could stop and pick you up something from condom nation. its a supermarket just of condoms. not kidding.if you need a beautiful dominatrix to come over right away and spank you,.. we have ten for each man woman and child in damascus .phily is the third or fourth largest city in the country. we have the sins of babalon and the treasures of the tajmahal. we got crack and we got murder. we sell souls and we buy girders. to build tall offices ,and stack folks up. just makes folks pissed and go corrupt. at lunch each day,they find a way, to the park, and close thir eyes nice and dark, ant sit and think , about a place like damascus, and how philly stinks.

[Jester2000]

I loves me some yard sale.

[Dances with Mice]

And Larry? I should have said this first: That was a great report! Really outstanding. Made me feel like I was there.

We just funnin' some, y'know?

[Smile]

Is there anyplace to sell/trade gear at TrailDays on Sat or sunday?
Thinking about going..... have a bunch of stuff.

[D'Artagnan]

I've emptied my PM box. However, I'm not about to give directions to my home to anyone who comes bearing chittlins (glad to know you know the proper way to spell this).

I tried them once many years ago. I was seven months pregnant and at a party. They had been prepared by the hostess' mother - a lady who was the best soul food cook I've ever known - so I'm fairly sure she knew how. Most at the party were eating them and kept encouraging me to try them. One bite and I spent the rest of the evening in the upstairs bath worshipping the porcelean god. That is the nastiest thing I have ever tasted.

My uncle once pulled a fast one on my mom when he and a buddy of his offered her a "pork tenderloin" biscuit. A couple bites in, they both started laughing. She knew then that it wasn't pork tenderloin. Turns out it was "mountain oysters" which she promptly returned to sender. There are just some things that weren't meant to be eaten. (Calf brains & eggs, chitterlings, beef tongue, oxtail, etc.)

[peanuts]

beef tongue and oxtail are delish!!!!yumms.......

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

Have to agree with Peanuts on oxtail and tongue. I even like brains and eggs. Chitlins, however, are just too gross for words. I can't begin to describe the taste.

[Dances with Mice]

There are just some things that weren't meant to be eaten. (Calf brains & eggs, chitterlings, beef tongue, oxtail, etc.)

Whoa, wait now, some of these things are not like the others. Tongue boiled in salted water then cooled, sliced thin and served on crackers with cheese is great. That's good eats.

And oxtails I hear are good for soups but I haven't tried it and have no opinion. There's a lot of things good for soups.