Sensational Signs of Spring

The Spring season is a burst of activity in our natural world after the winter weather thaw. New life begins to emerge in front of our eyes. Spring weather can be ever changing. One day we can experience beautiful blue skies and sunshine, the next day, can bring cooler temperatures and a blustery wind.

Spring mornings tend to be cooler, but the afternoon sun brings warmth after the cold winter season.

Spring is a beautiful reminder of how wonderful nature can be! I hope that you will enjoy my pictorial review of Spring.

Meteorological Spring begins in March. The first official day of Spring is March 20th.
First signs of Spring, blooming crocus Do you have any of these sweet flowers?
Blooming Lenten rose arrives just in time for the beginning of Lent each year.
Forsythia never fails to add beautiful color to the spring season.
Tiny leaves begin to emerge on our favorite Weeping Willow on the Greenway. Piper and I always look forward to seeing this each Spring.
Spring blooming trees show off their unique colors and beauty in Downtown North Wilkesboro.
This year the Tulip trees have been gorgeous!
The March brisk winds and rains often create a beautiful storm of petals reminiscent of the glorious days of springtime.
Spring, Live life in full bloom!
Do you call them Daffodils or Buttercups? Daffodils are one of the first flowers to burst onto the scene after a few warmer days of spring like weather.
Joy was extremely curious about the blooming daffodils her first Spring season with us.
Birds chirping their glorious spring songs.
Our birding section is always a busy area inside the hardware store. If you donโ€™t see what you need, ask us about ordering it for you.
The bees begin to work on the pollination processโ€ฆ not so much fun for allergy sufferers in the spring. Have you already spotted the pollen coating your car or outdoor surfaces yet???
Gone in 30 Seconds Outdoor cleaner and Wet and Forget works great to get your outside surfaces clean and clear of the grime of the wet and yucky winter season.
The tiny, bright green leaves emerge bringing a new sense of life to trees and our natural world.
The grass begins growing like crazy! The winter lull of lawn care is now over and the mowing season begins. Mowologists, are yโ€™all ready? Check out my blog post on Mowing Grass.
Our Lawn and Garden section has been completely updated. Stop by to pick up your chemicals, OR if you have questions on where to begin for the Spring season Lawn Care Maintenance. I have a few blog posts that may help as you begin the spring garden season, check out Pulling Weeds on the blog.
New lawn care items inside our store! Iโ€™m excited about this one for your lawn. Easy steps for each season!
Then comes Tulip season!
Cookie smelling the tulips and daffodils. She loves the tulips ๐ŸŒท! Last spring she would stop by and smell my tulips at the back door every single time. I added a new set of tulips at the front door this year. Just a little too cute!
Spring is time for bright colors Each of these Blue Door Houses are uniquely designed.
Robin egg blue! Iconic spring color ๐Ÿ’•
April often brings the Easter Bunny!
Time to shop for a new Easter Basket!
Grilling season heats up! Stop by to pick up grilling sauces, rub, Traeger pellets or even a new grill.
Yes! We can order you a Blackstone Grill too! All sizes are available.
March 12th is Daylight Saving Time, meaning more hours of daylight. Daylight Saving Time was first enacted during World War I to save energy and resources .
Enjoy the beautiful spring sunshine!
And the Spring morning sunrises.
April showers bring May Flowersโ€ฆ peonies are almost ready to bloom in this beautiful Spring memory.
May brings strawberry season! I love my metal dishpan from Wilkes County Hardware. I use it for gathering, harvesting, prepping garden beauties each spring and summer.
Gardening season begins in the spring! Some folks start seed indoors in the early months of spring, while others wait. Whenever the frost of early May dissipates, the gardening season goes into full swing.
Does your garden soil need a boost? Use this locally sourced soil builder to get some amazing results in your garden this spring.
The best potting soil hands down! Love this stuff! Gardeners, At the end of the day, shouldnโ€™t you smell like dirt during Spring ????
Gardening by the signs. Do you know how to read an almanac? I plant by the signs each year in order to get the best results.
Flowers planted in the spring brings joy for the coming summer season. โ€œBEEโ€ happy itโ€™s Spring yโ€™all!

Canโ€™t Touch Thisโ€ฆ

Did that opening title have you think about the classic song ๐ŸŽต from MC Hammer??? This blog post isnโ€™t intended to discuss music today BUT to get yโ€™all thinking about those surfaces in your home that you DONโ€™T need to touch before you disinfect.

Can you easily identify the โ€œhigh-touch surfacesโ€ in your home? Do a quick visual survey of your surroundings inside your home.

After complying this list of Top 10 โ€œhigh-touchโ€ surfaces I can quickly see which areas I should give extra attention to within this picture. I have a more โ€œintentional cleaning focusโ€ now when Iโ€™m cleaning. Cleaning and disinfecting will be much easier and will help keep my family healthy. But still is takes a bit of work. ๐Ÿคช

Whoever does the cleaning in your home is likely to catch several of these โ€œhigh-touch surfacesโ€ on a day to day basis. I hope that these tips for finding โ€œhigh-touchโ€ areas will be useful.

Spring is less than 30 days away now and it may have you thinking about a good healthy dose of cleaning. So letโ€™s begin with a few basics below.

Spring in full bloom

What are โ€œhigh-touch surfacesโ€??? These are the surfaces in your home that receive the most direct daily contact with your family. High-touch surfaces are the areas where dirt, dust, and germs if left unchecked, will thrive. High-touch surfaces should be regularly cleaned and disinfected daily.

Your hands may not ever be this dirty.. mine from gardening, but germs can build up and make your family sick. Donโ€™t forget to disinfect your sink handles!

When I use the term disinfect, hereโ€™s the gist of what happens when you do thatโ€ฆto disinfect is using a chemical cleaner to remove viruses and bacteria.

Now the quick breakdown of TEN high-touch surfaces, to disinfect inside your home. These TEN areas are based upon my own personal experience as a mom AND also as one who actively works in and participates in the hardware life. Iโ€™ll be curious to know if you found several of your โ€œhigh-touchโ€ surfaces in your quick surroundings survey of your own home, are you a novice or a pro??? Or maybe somewhere in between???

Top Ten Hardware Life High-Touch Surfaces

1. Think about Small and large appliances (ex. coffee pot, microwave, refrigerator) that are frequently used by each member of the family each day. Donโ€™t forget about things like a can opener, or even the knife block!

Your coffee pot may not be a โ€œhigh-touch surfaceโ€ for your family, but it is at my house. Think about the appliances you use everyday and make sure you disinfect them regularly.
In my kitchen, the refrigerator is definitely a high use appliance. Fingerprints on the door.., etc BUT donโ€™t forget to disinfect the ice and water area too!

2. Door knobs and light switches, & even your house keys!

Your keys go with you all day long to all different places. Give them a good wipe down.

3. The Kitchen Sink. Yes, it is definite.. a highly used kitchen item and donโ€™t forget to clean the faucet handles.

4. The Countertop. This is where food gets cooked & consumedโ€ฆ often my counter gets scattered with keys, phones, and mail. Our kitchen counter is a drop zone of sorts. Yikes! Keys and cellphones are also high-touch! ๐Ÿ˜ณ

At our house the kitchen countertops are often wiped down multiple times a day ๐Ÿ˜ณ.

5. The Bathroom. Clean and disinfect fixtures, sinks, toilet seat, and toilet handle.

6. Remote control for tv, cell phones, iPads, game controllers.

Use an alcohol based cleaner OR spray the disinfectant directly onto a paper towel and then wipe. Allow time for drying.

7. Kitchen chairs and table. If you use it daily, then clean it often. Think about where your family meals occur everyday and clean and disinfect often.

8. Toys and play areas for your children. Kids play hard all day, and make sure to clean toys that are often used by your child everyday and disinfect often.

9. The Pantry. Think about the door knob, and other touchable areas outside/ inside (if you and have kids, or grandkids, they use it frequently throughout the day)

My pantry doors are opened numerous times in one day!

10. The Laundry Room. Wipe down your appliances AND clean your laundry basket! A laundry basket holds all of your dirty clothes AND clean clothes. Wipe them down often. I have separate baskets for clean and dirty clothes but, I regularly clean all of my laundry baskets.

This laundry basket is used solely for clean clothes to take out of dryer and putting away laundry. Cookie photo bombed my picture๐Ÿ˜Ž .
Hereโ€™s a look at a full and very dirty laundry basket in my houseโ€ฆ so yes, I do have to regularly clean and disinfect these often! Your laundry may not be as dirty as mine. My plumber gets pretty dirty. But using a good disinfectant to clean touchable surfaces definitely will help keep your family healthy.

Now that you have my top ten list, what should you use to disinfect effectively?

Here are a few tips that you can use for cleaning โ€œhigh-touchโ€ areas. A more detailed guide can be found with CDC recommendations on cleaning those frequently used areas in your home and workplace. The internet is a plethora of information on the subject.

The Hardware Life Daily Cleaning Tips

1. Begin with a clean surface. Clean area first by removing any visible dirt or dust. I keep a good multi-surface spray handy for quick cleanups.

I often use a Meyers Clean Day multi surface spray for cleaning. Wilkes County Hardware has a vast selection of cleaning and disinfectant products that should be able to meet your daily cleaning needs.

2. Use gloves โ€ฆ a pair of disposable gloves might work best especially when disinfecting surfaces. Throw away once you finish cleaning.

3. Pick Easy disinfectant choicesโ€ฆ Clorox or Lysol wipes. These will do the job quickly and easily.

5. Read the label on your disinfectant carefully. Do you need to rinse after application? Allow for drying time.

4. The Multi surface Cleanerโ€ฆ Keep a good multi-surface spray handy for quick cleanups. I keep one upstairs and have at least one multi surface spray available for cleaning in the downstairs areas my home.

Lastly, letโ€™s evaluate some โ€œgermyโ€œ cleaning utensils and those you might not think to clean.

1. The Sponge.. if you use a sponge to clean, let your nose to guide in your decision to keep or throw out. Your nose knows! If the sponge smells, then it is time to stop by our hardware store and pick up a new one.

2. The kitchen brush- if you have one of these brushes to scrub surfaces in your kitchen, sanitizing it is a must! Put it in the dishwasher after each use.

3. The toilet brush. It should be disinfected weekly or after each use. Rinse well after cleaning toilet, apply a disinfectant spray and allow to dry before replacing into toilet brush cover. Some experts say to replace your toilet brush every 6 months.

4. The plunger. Clean and disinfect after each use and allow to dry.

Sink and toilet plungers are readily available at Wilkes County Hardware

5. The bucket. If you carry your cleaning essentials inside your bucket as you clean at home, donโ€™t forget to regularly disinfect your bucket.

6. The Mop. Let your nose be the guide again! If it smells, it is time for a new one. Regardless of the type of mop you use, the mop should be clean and disinfected. Your floors will be as clean as your mop. Some recommendations are to replace your mop every 3 months depending on the style of your mop.

I found this quote as I was working on this blog post, โ€œour house is clean enough to be healthy, but dirty enough to be happyโ€. This reigns true in our house. Things are never perfect โ€ฆ shoes are often in the floor, keys are on the kitchen counter, blankets are thrown about on the couch, and two sweet pups roam absolutely everywhere. But it is HOME! I clean intentionally now that Iโ€™m more aware of surfaces that require an bit of extra โ€œlove and workโ€. Deep cleaning occurs when I can get to it. Whether you are a novice or a pro at finding all the frequently used areas of your home, home should always be a place a of comfort and joy. Happy Spring Cleaning Yโ€™all!

Cookie and Joy

Blogging About Blogging

This topic is seemingly double talk to most of you todayโ€ฆ Blogging about Blogging. I think it is worth the time to explore the methods to my blogging journey.

Since I began my blog in the summer of 2018, I have gotten these questions more than once:

1. How do you put together a blog post?

2. What inspired you to write about this topic?

3. Do you have a list of topics that you write about?

My blogging experience is not vast. I blog simply because I enjoy the creative aspects of blogging. I donโ€™t think my blog will ever become a viral sensation. My blog started out as a way to chronicle our new journey into hardware store ownership. After my retirement from the education world of work, it became a way to continue my creative interests.

My first blog post was extremely short and I used the picture that was generated from the blog builder website, meaning my skill set knowledge of the new blogging techniques was limited. I just recently changed that first photo from that first blog post.

Looking back, at the first several blog posts that I created, I donโ€™t think I included any pictures at all . I simply hadnโ€™t thought about including those! If you look back at my first blog posts, they still donโ€™t have photos and I think Iโ€™ll leave them that way so I can visualize my own personal growth.

Pictures add a visual for the reader to enjoy and adds connections between content and images

Over the last few years, pictures have become a greater feature in my blog posts and I have grown to love them as part of the story behind the blog and a nice way to break up large pieces of content within the blog to give the reader a visual break.

When it comes to blogging, Iโ€™m a novice. I have completed and published approximately 109 blog postsโ€ฆ and I blog when I have time and the inspiration. I donโ€™t have a huge following but I do have a few, sweet, loyal fans.

A well known blogger once said in an interview, that her biggest fans were not her friends or extended family. Iโ€™m not really sure why that is the case. Sometimes folks may not fully understand or appreciate the purpose of a blogโ€™s intent, how to navigate the technical side of a blog, or take the timeโ€ฆ well the list is there.

But, in my own personal experience of blog creation/writing, I have found that to be somewhat true, with the definite exception of my Mom and sister-in-law. They are both consistent readers of my blog and are always there to support me and give me a boost when I need it the most. Thank you so much for always taking time to read my blog and sending me feedback Mom & Kimberly!!! It is much appreciated! Love you both dearly! ๐Ÿ’•

I am also very lucky that I have dear friends who read and comment on my blog regularly. Thanks for your support! Yโ€™all make my efforts worth the work.

But when it come right down to the nitty gritty of writing, and getting a blog post together, my process of writing has definitely evolved over the last few years. When I first started blogging, I would finish my blog post in one sitting.

Workโ€ฆ not usually the place where I can write. Home is my favorite place to think and create.

Typically now, that is rarely the case. I will write for a brief period of time and then return to that same blog piece later onโ€ฆ it could be weeks between writing sessions or a matter of a few hours. Most of my blog posts are written over a period of a few weeks due to the time consuming nature process of writing and editing. Sometimes it takes a few months to finalize a blog post.

Hereโ€™s where most of the magic of my blog happensโ€ฆ in my notes section of my phone. The unfinished drafts, the list of topics in my queue.

The writing is only step ONE! Once that is done, I add in the photos. The photos are selected carefully from my vast collection of photographs on my phone matching the content to the images. I do use stock photos occasionally in order to make the images and content of blog interconnect.

My handy blog toolโ€ฆ my phone. I very rarely use my computer anymore to complete a blog post from start to finish,

My most productive time for writing and editing tends to be in the mornings. Iโ€™m more of a morning person and my brain shuts off as the day progresses.

My pups tend to pile into my lap as I work on the blogโ€ฆ my helpers ๐Ÿถ

The longest span of time that has elapsed for writing /editing a blog post was ONE year! I began writing Women in Entrepreneurship and I didnโ€™t actually publish it until a year later.

I almost didnโ€™t finish this one! Iโ€™m so glad I left my draft copy going! If you havenโ€™t read about Women in Entrepreneurial roles in Downtown North Wilkesboro, please check it out!

My topics for a blog post are chosen. They maybe seem random but often it is just things Iโ€™m thinking about, discussion topics from things happening inside our hardware store, or I may write about items that I think my readers might enjoy. And yes, I now have topics in queue for a future time.

In the queueโ€ฆ pound cake

Ultimately, I write and create because I simply enjoy it. It is a great way to convey a small piece of our lives to a greater community often sharing a bit of insider knowledge with my readership.

I just read today that the shift is starting in the blogging community to a more focused content approach. I very thankful that my blog is still going strong with a mix of personal insights, thoughts, and a lot of our hardware life. Thanks for sharing and supporting me in this blogging space.

Splashing into 2023 with new personal goals yโ€™all .., stay posted!

Dark Skies and Beautiful Light

โ€œOnly in darkness can we catch a glimpse of the fullest lightโ€œ

We lost a dear friend late last week. It has been extremely difficult for me, Richard, and our entire staff to digest this loss. Monty was truly an amazing person. Those of you who also know him, will absolutely agree with me on that. His joyful laugh was infectious and he brought a lively nature into every conversation.

Monty has been a significant part of our team for the last few years. Montyโ€™s work ethic, and life experiences was a model that other staff members noticed and worked to exemplify his success. Monty had the heart of a true entrepreneur. He was willing to take risks, try anything new, and discuss the potential and possibilities of โ€œthe what ifsโ€.

Monty came to Wilkes County Hardware during the Covid years. We couldnโ€™t have been more blessed by his steadfast presence each day. His business experience was invaluable to both of us.
Monty was always the first one to acknowledge a customer who needed assistance. He also would step in and help out with any taskโ€ฆ pictured here, Monty is helping Richard with measuring rope.

Iโ€™ve tried to wrap in my mind the impact he has left upon all of usโ€ฆ mentor, friend, and most definitely โ€œhardware store dadโ€ and dear friend to all of our staff. As a good dad model, Monty always had a kind heart, offering food those who were hungry, and even advice when you needed it. Iโ€™m not sure that I can fully grasp, and vocalize everything Monty has done for us. His daily life impact will be long lasting. Montyโ€™s actions demonstrated that he truly cared for all of us and wanted only the BEST for every single staff member at Wilkes County Hardware and everyone he encountered in the surrounding community.

When the Smitheyโ€™s building burned last summer, Monty and Diane spent several hours with us as we watched and waited to see if our building would be impacted by the fire. We appreciate your friendship and love.

Grief is hard. I ask that yโ€™all send prayers to Montyโ€™s family, as the journey of grief is beginning. Monty loved his family. We also covet your prayers as we grieve and try to transition to life without him inside our store. Monty will remain a key part of our heart inside Wilkes County Hardware and we will carry his love with us forever.

Thank you Monty for bringing beautiful light into our world. We will miss you dearly ๐Ÿ’•.

Nuts and Bolts

Workโ€ฆ the mechanical manifestation of energy, according to science. Work it could be said, is the โ€œnuts and bolts โ€œ of what we do each and every day. After all, nuts and bolts are not the whole of a project, they are only a portion of a project.

The successful concept of work today creates within the soul a feeling of pride, satisfaction of a job well done, and contribution back into your greater community in some type of capacity. Today Iโ€™m offering yโ€™all an inside look at our hardware workโ€ฆ the โ€œnuts and boltsโ€ view of what we do each day.

Walking inside Wilkes County Hardware may take you back into a time of nostalgiaโ€ฆ viewing our old building, wood stove, historic elevator, or even remembering a time when hardware stores used to be full service for the customer. We still do that each and every day. Our customers always come first! Customers are the essential element in our business, and that is why we are customer service oriented in what we do! Wilkes County Hardware is definitely more than a place to go pick up a few nuts and bolts.

They just donโ€™t build them like this anymore, check out the size of those beams yโ€™all!
Elevator view from top down
Wood stove heat keeps us moving and going in the winter months.
Our nuts and bolts aisle

Yes, we have several folks who stop by to shop our extensive selection of nuts ๐Ÿ”ฉ and boltsโ€ฆ whether you are looking to purchase one or two or even multiple boxes. But did you know that we do the following things as well??

1. Key duplication

Wayne is a popular guy in our key area! We duplicate keys, rekey locks, can make chip keys โ€ฆ ask us if we can help you out with your key needs

2. Kerosene wick replacement

Wick repair is ongoing, unsure which wick you need? We can find that for you too!
A work area for repairs like kerosene wick repair, tool repair, lamp repair

3. Threading and pipe cutting

Galvanized and black pipe threadedโ€ฆ if you have never done this, it is a labor intensive job and takes time to do it well. Kudos to Richard who does most of this laborious task.

4. Glass cutting up to 36 inches

This custom piece was recently done for a customer and it is ready to go!

5. Chain cut to exact length

Our display showcases the chain we have in stock and ready to go home with you! Measure twice, cut onceโ€ฆ cut chain CAN NOT be returned please know how much you need before we cut it for you.
Folks often ask about what we use our upstairs space forโ€ฆ we measure and cut chain, tubing, rope, do window screen repair, window glass cut, and pipe threading is all done upstairs.

6. Basic lamp repair

Have a lamp that is acting all weird.. we can fix it for you or you can do it yourself with these simple pieces
Light bulbs, extension cords, fuses, and basic electrical supplies we will help you find what youโ€™re looking for in order to get your to do list completed

7. Tool handle replacement

Replace your own if you wish!
Or we can do it for you!
Our lawn and garden section is usually a busy spot year round. Ask us if you have questions about a project, or product.

8. Pool water testing for free!

Pool water testing is always a good idea when youโ€™re a pool owner
Wilkes County Hardware keeps a variety of pool chemicals in stock for sale

9. Roll pipe cut to length (most hardware retailers sell the entire roll) and copper pipe

Roll pipe cut upstairs
Copper cut to length or sold by roll
Need to do a small plumbing repair? We can cut these to length as well This display is found on the plumbing aisle.

10. Gas and plumbing fittings โ€ฆ including a good selection of Pex and Shark Bite

Compression fittings and flared fittings of all sizes
Our plumbing aisle is a bustling place on most days

11. Vast selection of furnace filters

Ask us and we will gladly help you find your size of furnace filter

12. Window screen repair

This is a basic list of our service offerings.

13. Knife and scissor sharpening

Working on a knife ๐Ÿ”ช for sharpening

As yโ€™all can see we work hard to be a full service hardware store for our customers. Our goal is to keep our customers coming back to us for all of the things that they need for any project. Thank you for being a great part of what we do each and every day whether it is a purchase of nuts and bolts, a key or even a bag of bird seed. We couldnโ€™t be here without you!

Coles bird seed has become a very popular item for our regular customers
You need to clean it or scrub it, we can probably help you!!

And we have locally sourced items too!!!
Locally made soaps, candles, pottery, & woodworking
Stop by and find some โ€œGreat Stuffโ€ that you didnโ€™t know existed inside our historic walls. Sorry for the pun yโ€™all.

So there it isโ€ฆ the โ€œnuts and boltsโ€ of the hardware life daily work. Stop by and see us soon. We appreciate your support of our small business. YOU are the part that holds all of our work together in our nuts and bolts analogy. Thank you for joining us in our journey of the hardware life for the last seven years.

Mr. EE Eller, Chickens and Turkeysโ€ฆ Nothing but Clucking, Gobbling, and Plucking out the Truth

Who is Mr. Eller you may ask???

He is the gentleman who built the current building that houses our hardware store in 2022. Mr. Eller placed his business, as you may have guessed, in our current building on the corner of 10th Street and D Street in North Wilkesboro.

Wilkes County Hardware in November 2022

To our best known facts, the building dates back to 1905. Mr. EE Eller was a premier poultry & produce dealer in North Wilkesboro. EE Eller Produce Co. was one of the largest turkey, and chicken wholesalers. EE Eller was a major processing center for local farmers to bring turkeys/chickens into North Wilkesboro. Ironically, it was probably one of the first poultry processing plants in our town.

An artist rendering of Wilkes Hardware from several years ago

Farmers would literally herd their turkeys from down the mountains in Ashe, Watauga, and Alleghany Counties in order to collect the cash proceeds from their labor filled task.

Ellerโ€™s staff would process/sell their flock. Could you imagine the sight that it must have been??? All of the sudden the flock of turkeys appeared on the roads in Wilkes!!!! Men guiding them with corn along the way, flocks of turkeys gobbling, wobbling with wings flying everywhere!!!! I would imagine that the sight of this was pretty common in the early 1900’s in rural Wilkes County. I bet the turkeys never suspected any “fowl play” on their journey. The old newspaper article did say that one of the largest turkey drives that ever was processed by Mr. Eller was 1,500 turkeys in one drive!!!

Signage like this one marked the path for local farmers to EE Ellerโ€™s Produce House. Thanks to Jerry Dameron for sharing this photo collection with me.

Once a flock of turkeys arrived at EE Eller Produce, they were processed/ dressed for shipped via train. Our local train station was just down the street from our current store location. The train destinations were mostly in Northern states after leaving the North Wilkesboro station. According to local oral history, it is estimated that Mr. Eller processed at his height of business, 1 million chickens and turkeys!!!! Guess that was all “gravy” for him after that!!!!

I have written about the history of our store before but, new facts have come to light! Letโ€™s โ€œde-featherโ€ this poultry truth!

To those loyal readers of my blog, this will be new information for you. All the โ€œpluckyโ€ truth, as we know itโ€ฆ A few months back, we were lucky to have a few family members of Mr. Eller to drop in for a quick visit. Up high on the wall held 4 pictures of what we had thought were the past 4 owners of the building, but it was ultimately revealed that the charcoal drawing on the far left was not Mr. EE Eller.

Many of yโ€™all know this was the Wall of Fame inside our hardware storeโ€ฆ check the wall the next time you shop with us, it maybe a โ€œfeatherโ€ shorter than before
Who really knows who this guy could be??? The truth is that we did not find any visible clues inside the frame or even on the back of this old charcoal drawing

Further reading and research has revealed that Mr. Eller moved from the corner of 10th and D Street building to Forester Avenue in 1941 to a larger location. Wilkes Hardware moved into the 10th Street location sometime later on, I havenโ€™t been able to determine a definite date yet but we know it was sometime in the 1940โ€™s.

It was fascinating to โ€œpluck outโ€ the facts about the origins of this historic building we currently reside in each day. As time allows, Iโ€™ll continue to research more about the history of Wilkes Hardware and even Mr. Eller. For now, I think we have โ€œgobbled upโ€ a few new fascinating facts about our historic past.

Hope I โ€œbeakedโ€ your interest a bit in our history but just โ€œwinging itโ€ and wishing yโ€™all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

November

My morning usually starts with breakfast and a large mug of steaming, hot coffee. After breakfast, I usually try to check notifications on our social media and put out new stories on our most active social media accounts. My morning routine was in full swing today when I came across a post about the first day of November. It was a cute one, Bette Milder in her best Sanderson sister costume on the left side of the screen and on the right, Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold, of National Lampoons Christmas Vacation. The gist is that Christmas has officially begun today on November 1st.

In reality, yes, it probably has officially begun. Retailers have had all things Christmas up and in stores for a few weeks nowโ€ฆ trees, lights, and decorations. Hallmark Christmas movies have been featured on the television for the last few weeks and I would bet some folks are ready to get onto a healthy dose of holiday spirit with Christmas lights, and trees .

So what happened to the season of Thanksgiving? It is now a holiday surrounded by a kickoff of the Christmas shopping season. Iโ€™m not debating the right or wrong way to celebrate the month of November in this blog post, but my thoughts are just reflection upon the season of Thanksgiving.

Thanksgivingโ€ฆ a time of gratitude, grace, thanks, blessings, and giving back to our community. After all, the smallest blessing can be received even from the tiniest of things in life.

Shouldnโ€™t we hold the season of Thanksgiving in our hearts every single day???

Thanksgiving is now just 23 days away. What will I do differently over the next few weeks in preparation for this important holiday of Thanksgiving besides shopping for a turkey & dressing???

Iโ€™m actively working on my November โ€œbucket listโ€ and I donโ€™t think putting up my Christmas tree is high on the list right now.

Hereโ€™s my current brainstorming planโ€ฆ

What would you put on your November list???

1. Create a Thanksgiving playlist of music. ( FYI: I have a working playlist now and will continue to update it as the month progresses.)

2. Make & bake a pumpkin spice treat, pumpkin muffins??? Thanks mom for sharing the recipe.

3. Make Hot Apple Cider – Muddled with spices

Looking forward to this blend on a cool evening or Sunday afternoon

4. Fire pit and marshmallows

5. Friendsgiving fun.. itโ€™s been a couple of years since we have done this, but going to try to do this again.

Pumpkin spice buttercreamโ€ฆ. It was so delicious!!!

6. Try a new soup or stew recipe for a cool, โ€œfallishโ€ evening meal

I already have one soup recipe on my list to make so far!

7. Enjoy the simplicity of every day life in the season of Fall.

8. Gratitude postsโ€ฆ share posts that are inspiring and complete at least two a week on my personal IG page or Facebook page.

Sharing on my stories will be a constant in the month of November. Check back for posts and other updates.

9. Watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, with popcorn of course!

Popcorn is a definite movie treat!

10. Create a list of must watch Thanksgiving movies ๐Ÿฟ or shows. This one will be a work in progress for 2022โ€ฆ so Iโ€™ll let you know what ends up on my list when it is finished.

Life is short. I canโ€™t believe my son is grown now. It was just like yesterday he wanted to go turkey hunting with my dad while riding the golf cart. Treasure each day it is a unique gift.

November might actually turn out to be a nice month yโ€™all, with more reflection about blessings, thanks, gratitude, family, friendship and slowing down to enjoy the last days of Fall.

Give thanks for a little, you will find a whole lot in return.

Fall isโ€ฆ A Mosaic of Everyday Beauty

The colors of Fall is distinctively different from any other season of the year. The Fall season is truly a mosaic of colors of the rainbowโ€ฆ green, gold, red, orange, & brown set against the bright blue sky.

Fall isโ€ฆ the joy of watching the trees turn colors over time

Our natural world which we have grown accustomed to during the summer, suddenly changes into a magical world of autumnal colors, happening almost overnight it seems. Iโ€™m sharing my favorite, everyday hardware life Fall photos with yโ€™all today to celebrate the season of Fall using the caption of Fall isโ€ฆ

Fall is โ€ฆ Gorgeous sunrise and sunsets with beautiful golden hues showering the skies
Fall isโ€ฆ Picturesque views
Fall isโ€ฆ Enjoying the view from your own front window
Fall isโ€ฆTrees showering with colorsโ€ฆ red, yellow, and orange
Fall isโ€ฆ Leaves crunching at your feet as you walk
Did someone say leaves??? ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐ŸTime to rake! ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ
My nephew used to say when the leaves fell in the fall, they were just making friends on the ground ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ
Fall isโ€ฆ Finding pumpkins of all shapes & sizes
Fall isโ€ฆ Making all of your favorite apple recipes
Fall isโ€ฆ Brushy Mountain Apple Festival! Always the first Saturday in October
Fall is.. the beginning of festival & holiday season! We are so excited to be a small part of the new family friendly festival which will be hosted on Saturday October 29 4-8 pm
Fall isโ€ฆ Thanksgiving! Do I need to say more?? Yum!
Fall isโ€ฆ Getting ready for cooler nights by the fire pit
Wilkes County Hardware has got yโ€™all covered for Fall logo gear. Stay warm with these sweatshirts or find a new long sleeve logo t-shirt to layer with for those cooler weather days of Fall๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ
Fall is โ€ฆ Sโ€™mores time
Fall isโ€ฆ Making your favorite soups, stews and comfort foods
Fall isโ€ฆ The perfect time to make a pan of cornbread
Fall isโ€ฆBringing the smells of fall inside as the weather cools down
Wilkes County Hardware has in stock Acorn Spice, Mum, and Apple Cider hand soaps to keep your favorite Fall scents inside your home.
Fall isโ€ฆ A great time to add some warm wood tones into your home decor
Fall isโ€ฆA busy time for animals preparing for the upcoming winter season
Deer spray, & granular repellents are available at Wilkes County Hardware. For our bird lovers, we have new suet feeders & suet nuggets!
And of course, we have excellent choices for keeping the birds coming back to your feeders for the entire Fall season! No additives or fillers.
Fall isโ€ฆ Spotting the busy & maybe a bit of mischievous activity of critters along the Greenway
Fall is.. Stopping to just enjoy the scenery
Fall isโ€ฆ seeing the same places evolve into a new seasonal phase from the lush green trees to the barren & bare trees of late autumn.
Fall isโ€ฆ seeing the same places evolve into a new seasonal phase from the lush green trees to the barren & bare trees of late autumn.
Fall isโ€ฆ seeing the same places evolve into a new seasonal phase from the lush green trees to the barren & bare trees of late autumn.
Fall isโ€ฆ Finding those spooky, foggy morning memories
Fall isโ€ฆ Preparing for the first frost
Fall is.. Predicting the first fire of the season in the old wood stove inside our hardware store
Fall isโ€ฆ A Mosaic to be enjoyed by us all. Fall isโ€ฆ simply enjoying your surroundings everyday.
๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ

A Story in Pictures

The Smithey Building has long been an anchor store on 10th Street. Our across the street neighbors for the last 7 years. Showcasing this 33,000 square foot building here in this early morning photo of Apple Festival from a few years ago
A storm unloaded a lot of water onto our front sidewalks & back parking lot in a matter of 8 minutes! Some of our 10th Street neighbors experienced water inside their buildings after the rain. One marked component of the storm was intense lightning.
The first capture of the flames from the fire on August 30, 2022 โ€ฆ Tuesday evening around 5:30pm as Richard & I saw the North Wilkesboro fire department pulling into 10th Street.
Firefighters are quickly getting the hoses out and getting ready to work
Wilkesboro firefighters also quickly responded to the fire and placed ladder truck into position
The smoke was getting more intense. Businesses on the same side as Smitheyโ€™s began to move valuable goods to safer areas. Other business owners from 10th & Main Street were there to help.
Cars were moved from 10th Street. It proved to be a challenge because of the firehoses, emergency vehicles, narrow openings, and difficulty finding a few of the car owners.
Around 6:45pm NW police asked all businesses/residents of 10th Street to vacate buildings due to safety concerns. We stayed across the street at Domโ€™s Bakery. We felt we should stay as our livelihood was in danger.
Firefighters were pushing a ton of water on the fire. Firefighters had to take the tanker trucks to nearby water towers to get more water. I think it was estimated that the fire consumed over 4 million gallons of water.
It was at times, difficult to watch. The smoke billowing from the building.
11-12 different fire departments responded to the fire.
The top floors have begun to fall through to the main floor of the Smithey building
A fork-like piece of heavy equipment was used. It was interesting to watch it maneuver onto 10th Street in between the hoses and the buildings.
Piercing through the old windows.. yes! The original facade was covered up with the existing Smithey exterior.
Some of these firefighters have worked all day long and will continue to work into the late night
Just no words.. ๐Ÿ˜ข Around 10:00-10:30 Wilkes Oil brought a truck to refuel the existing fire trucks. They have now been on scene for 5 hours.
Richard & I spoke to the fire scene chief before we left for the night around 11pm. The fire was definitely under control and being well managed. The street would remain closed and we could open with back door access on Wednesday morning
Firefighters worked all night long. Hereโ€™s a early morning photo from Wednesday morning. The extent of fire is quite visible.
These hoses are HUGE!!
At the height of the fire on Tuesday evening, firefighters had 4 different ladder trucks going at once!!! Wednesday morning, two remaining ladders are busy putting the flames down
The buildings next door were very lucky that no substantial fire damage occurred.
Water pouring through the roof
Some of these firefighters had been on shift for over 24 hours.. working at fire department or other jobs. Exhausted but dedicated! Thank you!
All ages of firefighters were on deck.. thanks for keeping our community safe.
๐Ÿ“ธcredit: Monty ๐Ÿ˜Š
Bringing in the heavy equipment for demolition

Demolition started with the little corner buildingโ€ฆ the old gas station side

Building Demolition took only a few hours. We could feel a few vibrations during the demolition inside our building
10th Street was opened for full traffic by 5pm.
All within 24 hours!!!
The demo/ grading team has done an amazing job! The bricks seem to be a popular item for onlookers to stop by to take a piece of the building with them.
We have heard many stories that so many people have shared with us over the last few days of experiences at Smitheyโ€™s Goodwill. A dear couple actually meet there and eventually married. ๐Ÿ’•
We will miss our historic neighbors but looking forward to the next chapter that the new building will bring to our town, in whatever form. ๐Ÿ“ธ credit: Sonny

“The Chicken Ghost”

The tale I am about to unravel goes back way in history to the beginnings of our store… well, actually before it was a hardware store. Our original building was constructed in 1905.

In the early 1900’s, our building was known to all the residents of Wilkes as EE Eller Produce. Mr. Eller was a major poultry buyer/ dealer where local folks would bring in chickens, and turkeys for processing.

Hereโ€™s an old advertisement from local newspaper

The processed chickens & turkeys were loaded up on the railroad cars just down the street. The North Wilkesboro Train Station was a bustling center of commerce in our town.

It was a major operation that farmers routinely made their journey into North Wilkesboro from the surrounding mountain areas and nearby communities.

Signs like this one were placed along the route to guide local farmers towards EE Eller Produce. A big thank you to Jerry Dameron for sharing this picture with me!

I have been told that over 1 million chickens and turkeys were processed in year!!!! Now that you have just a bit of historical background information about our building, our story can officially begin. Here we go…

A few years back during the Brushy Mountain Apple Festival we had a gentleman who was visiting with us in the hardware store and he began to tell us about his experiences inside our old, historic store…. this gentleman had spent some time with our neighbor next door and he stayed in his “man cave”.

Our neighbor had let this man stay in his “man cave” for a few months until he could figure out where he wanted to go and what direction life would take him next. This gentleman said that he would often be awakened around 2 am.

He reported to us that he regularly heard at night… chains dragging across the floor and sounds of chickens. He never could see or find anything unusual once he went to investigate. This man then continued with his story, by stating “now I know all of this is true because I am a reincarnated Buddhist, Catholic priest, I can sense that things happened here”. After that statement, we just simply didn’t have any words.

Our conversation moved to other topics and we of course were super busy in the mix of Apple Festival Day and we all laughed about the story the man told us that day and continued on with our business. Maybe he was being a real “comedi- hen”… ๐Ÿ˜‚

Sometimes when the shopkeepers bell rings attached to our front door, without an apparent reason, we always joke, “it must be the chicken ghost” going back to the gentleman’s story on that Apple Festival Saturday. Lots of times we think it is the wind catching the door, elevation change of the door position, etc. We can usually explain it away….

But it is hard to explain the random chicken feather that just floats down from the ceiling… you wouldn’t think that would still happen after all these years???

Now, I”ll share this piece of information with you as well… we have had a few paranormal/ghost hunters to come into our store to ask if they could set up after hours. They thought our store would be a great location to pick up paranormal activity. We have always declined the request of these folks.

The logo we choose is a chicken to honor our historic roots of our building

The last aspect of our story goes back to the blog post that I did a few weeks ago entitled “Messy Monday”, it was one of those very busy days and our cash register/credit card machine were not working-via no internet plus we had lots of other factors playing into that day that made it a very long and hard day. 

After supper, Richard went back to the store that night to try to make sense of the day, clean up somewhat, etc. He did not get back home until after 10:30 pm that night— here is what he told me the following day.

“I was standing near the front cash register looking down at something and all of the sudden I heard a huge SLAM sound on the front doors, ironically, the shopkeeper bell never moved.” He then continued by saying that he looked up because he just knew someone was outside possibly walking a dog on the street or someone had run into the front door from the outside… it was dark of course but nothing had alarmed or signaled on the cameras at the front door. He could see no one or nothing alarming. 

This picture was published on Facebook in 2021 after our store was closed on evening. A follower noted the figure was in the reflection of the window. No one was outside the building or inside when I snapped this picture

Could it be the “chicken ghost”???? I suspect it could be “fowl play”.   OR even a “poultry geist”๐Ÿ˜‚.

Happy Halloween to all!!!

 

Supper vs. Dinner

Sometimes in conversation as I remember talking to my Granny at the end of the day, I would ask her what they both had for dinner. As she began to talk about her meal, I soon realized that she was referring to her mid-day meal, not her evening meal. My vocabulary was not the same as hers. I quickly learned that her view of supper/dinner was different from mine. Does it matter? Well, I guess it is all about perspective.

A major NC magazine in our state just recently published an article about Sunday Suppers. It was well done. I’m not going to rehash the intent of that article. But, it did bring back up all those supper/dinner conversations that I had with my granny came to my mind when I read the article.

So upon reflection, I began to ponder my usage of “dinner”. I use the term “dinner” all the time to gather my family to the table, but the reality is that we really are seated for “supper” instead.

Why supper??? The word supper is less formal. Dinner can be a full fledged event with fancy dinner napkins, china, etc. But, when we gather at home, it is not a formal affair. Our family is blessed to have passed down to us, the antique farm table that was in my mother-in-law’s kitchen. The table is definitely not formal by any means, and it is the only table around which we gather to eat. At this farm table we engage in the conversations about the day, hold discussions about local events/news, and let the puns roll. (Our form of making our son roll his eyes ๐Ÿ‘€ at us.). Supper at our house is a time to simply gather, eat together & unwind from the day.

This was modeled well in my family as a young child growing up. All four of us always ate together at the table in the kitchen. As they say, “old habits die hard”. Meals gathered as our family unit or shared with friends are a strong part of my memories of home.

Now in present day, the weekends are probably the most relaxing suppers we get to have as a family unit. Saturday evening supper is probably one of my favorite times. This tends to be the meal when we can relax, kick back at the end of the day. Saturday supper tends to be one of our Traeger nights- smoking a good piece of meat, or grilling up fish, or whatever is on sale at the grocery store! Do you guys do that too???

Saturday supper doesn’t have to be all fancy, high dollar meals that breaks your budget ๐Ÿ’ต. Sometimes supper is quite simple at our house–homemade chili beans, or biscuits in a Lodge skillet & country ham, maybe even soup and Traeger grilled cheese sandwich, or lastly, a crockpot meal that we all love.

So I guess when I call my family to say, “dinner is ready”, I really mean supper because that equates to family time. ๐Ÿ˜Š

Happy Supper Saturday y’all !!!

Living the "hardwarelife", join us in our journey of hardware store ownership