The Progressive House!

Went back to visit a very cool little local thrift store/junk shop on the outskirts of town today on highway 395, 'The Progressive House'.

It's one of those old-school stores, a cross between grandma's attic, an eccentric yard sale and treasures found in an old barn.  The folks who run it give off a definite Hippie/Burner vibe and are very chill and fun.  When you first see the place it gets your attention right away:

 Flowers decorate the eaves all along the front...

One of the signs for the place was created using repurposed items and glass...

Another sign.

The also have 'Burma Shave' type signs all along northbound Highway 395 advertising their stuff nailed to various fenceposts.

We hauled along some outgrown clothing of the kid's to donate...

Their 'Open' sign.

One of the ladies there had painted this skateboard.

Then you get to go inside...

Cool door knocker.

And when you DO go inside...well let's just say that you can't look fast enough.

There is stuff hanging from the walls and ceilings as well as stacked on the floor and stuffed into every available nook and cranny.

Cool vintage lamps...my husband fixed me with a steely look and said, 'NO MORE FUNKY LAMPS'.

An old stump revamped into a costume jewelry rack...

Nothing is priced. When you ask how much something is, they smile pleasantly and ask you how much you think it's worth, and that's what you pay!

Someone has quite the eye for creating fun little scenes, and mixing modern with vintage.

A collection of vintage games and home movie equipment, it was like opening the hall closet door at grandma's house.

Love the Mid-Century Modern look of the logo on this projection screen.

A shirt signed & gifted to the shop by a tourist group.

The back of the store...

I struck out on what I had my eye out for--stuff for funky outdoor yard garbage--but the kid snagged herself some strange rubber duckies, and I unearthed a couple of old world atlases that will become origami and some fun chicken coop decorations...because what's the point of even having a chicken coop if you can't decorate it and make it into something silly?

More weirdness, and coolness...

Yeah, you never know what you're gonna fin--

Wait--'Leather Goddesses of Phobos'?!
While I stare goggle-eyed, husband shrugs and says, 'Oh yeah, that was a game.'

It's true, you never know WHAT you'll find in a thrift store...

Yay, Poultry Show!

Today was the big annual show & sale for our poultry club, the Northern Nevada Poultry Fancier's Association.  Usually we are centered in Reno, but today the show was held out in Fallon at a friendly rancher's HUGE steel barn, which took some time to drive to.

It was lovely and cool inside, a welcome change from the heat outside.

And chock full o' chickens!

Sadly, or perhaps for the best since I have NO willpower when it comes to chickens, the sale area held only a few lonely roos, the hens having all been snapped up first thing in the morning.

So we walked around and admired the chickens.  This little fellow was dashing and he knew it.

The Creole bantams were beautiful.

As were the large breeds.  This hen barely fit in her cage.

But she was VERY dignified.

Unlike this frizzled Silkie roo, who we couldn't stop giggling at.

It's really hard to say if he could see us or not.

Another huge chicken that barely fit in his cage.

There were other poultry there, too!  Like these...uhhh...

They looked geuinely offended at being labeled 'Turkeys', Champion be damned.

After the show we wandered and explored a bit driving home, and in Fernley came across this cool sculpture, the Bottle Cap Gazebo!

It glittered in the sun so, that at first we thought it was either a tile or colored mirror mosaic. 

The kid eyed it.  'Can I climb it?'
I looked closely at the thing. It indeed sported a ladder inside leading up to a sturdy-looking platform.  'Sure, I guess so...'
She beams, and we walk over to the thing.

Oh.  Never mind.  Kid scowls momentarily, then runs off to explore the thing from the ground.

Turns out it's from Burning Man!

Although being out in God-forsaken Fernley, I have a sneaking suspicion it was hauled halfway home from Burning Man and then someone came to their senses and realized they had nowhere to store it, thought fast and donated it to the town.

However it got there, it's way cool and a gorgeous thing.  The shading was impressive and well done.

Even the underside is fascinating.  You can see some of the numbering on the bottle caps.

After this it was getting late, so we grabbed a cold drink at a nearby AM/PM and headed back.  Across from the station was this sign:

Extraneous apostrophe aside, I'm glad they clarified things by adding little drawings of chickens.  This IS Nevada after all, and that kind of thing is legal in certain areas.