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Retired Educator& Co-owner of Wilkes County Hardware

blogging, customer service, Forsythia, garden, gardening, hardware store, Hardware Store Life, Life In Wilkes, March, Natural World, old hardware stores, old school hardware store, seaonal change, service oriented hardware store, Shop Local, Spring, Spring Gardening, Western North Carolina

Spring Gardening Essentials

March 20, 2025 hardwarelifewife Leave a comment

First signs of Spring… Daffodils are blooming

The weather this week is warming up nicely. It’s time to take a quick inventory of some of the essentials that you might need to replace or upgrade this Spring to make your outdoor gardening experience go smoothly. Nothing is more annoying to go look for a needed garden tool to find it is gone and or completely out of sight… leaving you to think where on earth did I put that???? 😬

With 10 Gardening Seasons now under our belt, here’s a quick guide of some of Wilkes County Hardware’s BEST SPRING SELLERS… year after year.

Spring Gardening Essentials

1. Water hose/replacement sprayer nozzle – Yes, this has happened to us too! We quickly realized that our old water hose nozzle needed to be replaced in the middle of a project. Luckily, we knew where to go get one…

If you water frequently during the spring and summer months, you need to evaluate the wear and tear on your water hose AND also consider the consistent sun exposure on your water hose! Did you accidentally leave your water hose outside during the winter season??? It might be a good idea to replace the old worn hose or stop by to pick up a new hose washers, or replacement sprayer.

Wilkes County Hardware also has a good selection of replacement parts for hose ends, washers etc.

2. Pair of new Gardening gloves-Can’t find your trusty gardening gloves??? 🧤 Why should you replace those old, dirty, grungy gloves??? First of all, the wear and tear factor of your old gloves, notice any holes??? You probably need to get rid of them. Then you must consider the dirt itself… soil does what is does… soil has bacteria and fungi that are constantly breaking down organic matter, wearing gloves just makes good sense as you garden. Been fighting in the weeds already??? Notice a patch of poison ivy? Definitely replace your gloves after the exposure. It’s definitely a good idea to get rid of those old ones for a new pair. I must admit I’m guilty about this one!!!

3. Hand clippers- I cannot tell you how many times I have misplaced my handheld clippers that I frequently carry around as I’m working in the garden. It’s always good to have an extra pair!

Good stock of garden trowels, and stop by to pick up a new tool, the Hori, Hori. A fantastic addition to your garden tool collection

4. Grass seed- Need to fill in a small area with grass seed? Wilkes County Hardware stocks 1 pound to 5 pound bags.

5. Weed Eater String – Check your storage cabinet to make sure you have enough weed eater string to finish your garden chores. No one wants to stop halfway through a garden weeding eating task and have to run out to the hardware store to grab another roll. But if you need us, we will be there!

A variety of different types and lengths are available for purchase

6. Pump Up Garden Sprayer- Two sizes are readily available… 1 gallon and 2 gallon pump sprayer are our best sellers at Wilkes County Hardware.

7. Potting soil– Get growing with a fantastic growing medium. Baccto is definitely in order to refill your pots this Spring. Our repeat gardening customers love this potting soil AND it is a fantastic value!!! Other potting soils price their bags per quart or by Cubic foot(based on volume of product and additives) but not this brand! It’s priced by the gallon, making this a very affordable option and a much better value for quality potting soil! As a FULL service hardware store, we load these heavy bags into your vehicle for you!

8. Weed control sprays and concentrates– As the weather warms up the weeds seem to grow better than flowers 😳enough said right ??? Wilkes County Hardware has a variety of different type of ready to go sprays and concentrate weed killers suitable for your specific needs. Stop by to chat with us about your garden care needs soon!

9. “Critter Control”- Many questions arise in the Spring about how to deal with pests in the lawn or garden. Moles, grubs, deer, slugs, snakes, and other insects… the list is long but Wilkes County Hardware has a few product solutions that are readily available.

Deer repellent- This is a vigilant and necessary action in our area. It is also very frustrating for homeowners who have a high deer population in their areas to work so diligently for months on creating a beautiful landscape to wake up the next morning to find their hard work all eaten up by 🦌 deer. Ugh!!!

In order for this product to work Effectively , you MUST reapply after a rain storm, or weekly to keep those pesky deer out of growing gardens.

FYI: On a personal note, I have had to switch methods from using pods to sprays/ granular to keep deer activity to a minimum in my yard. If one method doesn’t seem to work well, don’t feel guilty about moving to another method to see if you can minimize the damage to your plants.

Moles– Tunnel networks visible in your yard??? The food source for a mole is the GRUB. If you can get rid of the grubs, the moles will go away. Wilkes County Hardware has options available for mole control or grub treatment.

A variety of options are available at Wilkes County Hardware

Snakes– Ugh! I definitely don’t want to come face to face with these critters in my backyard! Repellent options are available in store.

10. “Wheels”- That’s right… when working in the garden or lawn you need a good set wheels to get the job done. A wheelbarrow or a garden cart can help you move debris, mulch, or even load it up with tools to work efficiently.

Our team at Wilkes County Hardware is ready to assist you with your lawn and garden maintenance this Spring. Let’s get growing!

blogging, Blue Ridge Mountains, February, Fighting The Winter Blues, finding inspiration, Hardware Store Life, January, Life experiences, Life In Wilkes, March, memories, Natural World, NC Mountains, photography favorites, seaonal change, southern living, sunrise photography, winter, Winter Photography

Winter 2025

March 18, 2025 hardwarelifewife Leave a comment

The Winter season officially began December 21st and will end on March 20th. From cold wintry temperatures, a few snowy days, and even icy morning conditions the winter weather has been season to remember in 2025. Thanks for the beautiful photographic memories Winter!

FYI: Two photos below have active links to more recent blog posts!!!! (New Orleans and Cloud Dancing) Please check those out as well 😊

A Little Floral Volunteer… a prelude to Spring

blogging, February, finding inspiration, hardware store, Hardware Store Life, memories, New Orleans, Orgill Hardware Show, photography favorites, service oriented hardware store, Shop Local, southern living, Works in Progress

New Orleans

March 15, 2025 hardwarelifewife Leave a comment

Artistic expression of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina across from the convention center where the Spring Orgill Hardware Show was hosted.

New Orleans… A culturally rich city filled with fantastic food! What more could you ask for in a host city for a hardware show??? We first experienced New Orleans in August 2015, at our first hardware show, and 10 years later, we have returned again for another visit to this wonderful city.

We have found that getting to show early helps us navigate the day (less crowded) and we can explore the city later in the afternoon .

Early morning at Orgill Hardware Show… the exhibition floor is full of people getting ready to take it all in…

Fun with friends! Eric and Chelsea explored the Orgill Hardware Show with us the first day of the show.

Always lots to see!!! Million square feet of space in 2 days… We go in with a definite plan now at each show, finding those vendors we need to reach out to, make orders, then we can “shop” for new products that our customers will enjoy.

Richard is checking out a new key machine at the show. We ordered a key machine and it will arrive sometime in April.

Our Orgill Representative, Steve Foster is set to retire later this year. He has helped us navigate our first show as newbies, and we were thankful to have his expertise in year 10. We will miss him tremendously.

The 2025 Orgill hardware show marked our third trip to New Orleans. We accomplished a lot on our to do list! Now it was time to explore the city a bit. A few constants remain from each trip… beignets at Cafe DuMonde, Mardi Gras celebrations in February, and rich, vibrant culture exemplified everywhere you go, along with the AMAZING food. Sharing my unique photo journey from our recent travels, enjoy y’all!

Always a sweet treat with music on the street

Mardi Gras celebrations were in full swing in late February. Homes were decorated with colorful Mardi Gras trees, colorful lights, and outdoor fence areas were lined with decorations to mark the celebrations.

Outdoor Fences were adorned with beads , a visual reminder of Mardi Gras in progress

A Somber Reminder along Bourbon Street…

This makeshift memorial on the corner of Bourbon Street was moved just two days after we arrived to a permanent museum location.

Security along the Mardi Gras parade path was noticeably tighter…

Heavy equipment trucks moving into place prior to the arrival of one of the Mardi Gras parades.

Mardi Gras Parade Highlights…

We walked to many places during our trip, even though the cold weather and wind was significant… I quickly noticed that city sidewalks were a treasure trove of design… “judging a block by its cover”, literally by the manhole covers and drain covers. Here are just a few captures from New Orleans…

Can’t you just see the history in these old Church Doors???

Good food always can be found in New Orleans, some places never disappoint us when we are there in New Orleans and we always make plans to return.

A new wonderful addition to our New Orleans lineup this year! We will go back!

The line was out the door to wait for lunch!!! Menu boasts Sandwiches and unique salad options… best French fries in town!!! Sorry, no picture, I ate them all!!! 😂

Grand Isle… Our favorite place in New Orleans!!!! Never disappoints!!!

Pan roasted chicken with mashed potatoes and mushrooms

Thanks for the memories!! Hope to see you again New Orleans!

FYI: New product arrivals from our shopping days at the New Orleans Hardware show are beginning to arrive! Stop by and shop today at Wilkes County Hardware.

A new journey begins, blogging, Cloud Dancing, finding inspiration, Hardware Store Life, journey in life, Life experiences, Natural World, photography favorites, retreat, Thin Places, Works in Progress

Cloud Dancing

March 6, 2025 hardwarelifewife 2 Comments

Have you ever heard of the expression, “Get your head out of the clouds?” If someone says something like this to you, they want you to be more “grounded in reality”… focusing less on daydreaming.

Air flight offers us the opportunity to be “in the clouds” and to Cloud Dance… flying through and above the clouds. Being in and above the clouds offers us the opportunity to witness a place where our humanity is not truly visible everyday.

The world of aviation offers a unique experience to be able to see our world in a very different and special way. When I fly, I always reserve a window seat so I can watch the clouds, and the sky. Graciously, my husband always grants me the courtesy of the window seat.

**These clouds are tightly packed together**

I will admit that some flight opportunities are a bit rougher initially, in what I like to call the process of cloud dancing (turbulence) where the journey into the thick cloud line that permeates the sky is like playing a game of hopscotch at times. You must get above all the clouds in order to see clearly, gaining visibility.

One of the last flight memories that I recall during takeoff, the sky was looming with clouds… gray and dark. Snow and ice was forecasted to arrive later in the afternoon. The sun appeared to be lost. As the final preparations for our flight began, The pilot came over the speaker and said to all flying companions on board, “Folks, this might be a bumpy ride ahead.” Once in flight and our elevation increased, the cloud dancing experience began.

Silence expanded in the main cabin and the motion and movement into the cloud line, and a small amount of turbulence was underway.

**Sun beginning to set over the Clouds**

Flying into those clouds, it was a total cloud fog. I couldn’t see anything for what it seemed like several minutes. A bit of anxiety rushed through my mind. But, the sure and steady handiwork of our flight crew, we were quickly approaching higher altitudes.

Another quick glance out the window restored my sense of confidence. The plane was now above the clouds and the flight path was visibly clear. The immensely thick cloud layer was visible and comfortably below. I immediately caught the first glimpse of the sun that day and I was stunned momentarily…a revelation was beginning to unfold in that moment of Cloud Dancing.

There it was… shining above that cloud line, it was so bright that I began to instantly squint my eyes with the light bouncing against the white, fluffy cloud line. I was in awe. There was the SUN unseen to me earlier that day because my actual physical location was below the clouds. I was having a moment of wonder and enlightenment after that Cloud Dancing experience. I’ll elaborate a bit.

Low level, stratus clouds create fog. When our heads are “fogged over with the mundane things” we may not have the opportunity to CLOUD DANCE. Once above the cloud line, we can see the light, the SUN.

Once above the cloud line, a clear flight path creates less resistance and the thinner air allows for a higher speed for the aircraft to move forward. The time to reach your destination will literally just “fly” by! My thoughts were racing with this idea of the sun being above the clouds… the metaphor was felt internally. Maybe we need to get above the clouds to find our path(light) and soar.

Which brings me to the mention of Thin Places and connecting to my experience of Cloud Dancing. A dear friend, Sheree Sloop, shared the concept of Thin Places with our retreat group several years ago. A Thin Place is an experience or a place where you feel at peace or have a close connection with God. In Thin Places, the distance between heaven and earth becomes “thinner” with these encounters. These experiences are not usually destinations that you visit… these are personal experiences that are unhurried, unique to the person, where we can catch a glimpse of heaven and beyond. The experience can be transformative and inspiring.

Cloud Dancing was a Thin Place experience for me. The awe and wonder of being above the clouds was breathtakingly peaceful and the message that was delivered from the “holy ground” experience of Cloud Dancing was received.. finding the light above the clouds. He’s the light always. Being in a place where humans rarely tread… in the clouds.

Every Thin Place experience is uniquely different in the eye of the beholder… Cloud Dancing may not be a Thin Place for you. I have flown several times prior and not had this experience before. Why this time?? I believe that I was in a quiet reflective state and receptive to God’s message.

The beauty of Thin Places is the nearness or connection to God is key. Yes, you can find your own Thin Place. It could be a walk in the woods, driving alone in your car, a quiet reflective prayer, finding solace in a communion service, rocking on your front porch, or even simply enjoying a sermon in the church pew… the common factor, the “Holy Ground” experience… the sense of sacredness, and the connection with God.

Sheree shared a mediation with me as I began to work on this piece. She included this meditation in her last labyrinth group walk that she recently facilitated and I’ll share a portion with you today. Thank you Sheree! “as we set an intention for our labyrinth walk, I would like for us to think about the labyrinth as “sacred space” or “holy ground.” The Chartres labyrinth and others from the Middle Ages were often referred to as a “Road to Jerusalem.” When the Crusades and poverty prevented Christians of the Middle Ages from making pilgrimages to the Holy Land, Church officials commissioned the building of labyrinths in seven of the great European cathedrals. Christians could then make a symbolic, spiritual journey by walking a labyrinth. I often think about the places I consider as “Holy Ground”. I remember how it feels when I suddenly find myself in that thin place. For me, the grounds at St. Paul’s are “holy ground.” The labyrinth in Coventry Chapel especially, seems to be a very special thin place and I know I’m walking on holy ground when I enter it. Sometimes I feel it in my chest, sometimes I feel the tingle on my arms or a shiver up my back. I think of all the dear souls who are resting there and wonder just how thin that veil really is.”

**St. Paul’s Coventry Chapel and Labyrinth**

If you have ever had a “holy ground” or a Thin Place experience, I hope you can connect to my feelings of Cloud Dancing. The next time someone says, “get your head out of the clouds”, let them know that Cloud Dancing is a way to find light above the clouds, and maybe even much more.

blogging, customer service, hardware store, Hardware Store Life, keys, Life In Wilkes, Myth Busters, old school hardware store, service oriented hardware store, Shop Local

Myth Busters: Test Your Knowledge… MYTH v. FACT… Dispelling MYTHS about Common Key Problems

February 13, 2025 hardwarelifewife Leave a comment

The constant hum of the key machine, regular background noise inside Wilkes County Hardware

When I taught middle school students, Discovery Channel had a television series called Myth Busters. Using the Middle School science curriculum, I could easily fit in a few of these segments from Myth Busters and students absolutely loved them!

A recent trip to grocery store… golf balls everywhere in the parking lot… how random??? Or was it???Hmmm 🤔

Learning from this series was relatively easy and definitely related to something that students could make connections to, using real life experiences and experiments shared in that series. That memory got me to thinking about doing some serious Myth Busting in our own business life. Why not share the same type of experience with you on social media about a subject that is in need of myth busters???

What ONE 🔑 “key” topic immediately came to my mind??? KEYS of Course !!! Wilkes County Hardware answers lots of questions daily concerning KEYS.

Why all the confusion and questions about Keys and where to go??? This is probably due in part because one of the former owners of the hardware store used to own BOTH (Lock Service and the hardware store) . Life in a small town, things never change… right??? But, we all know, that everything changes! The old assumptions remain, people still believe that things are the same… but time and ownership of both businesses changes things. What remains between the two existing businesses that is a constant ??? The sharing of information and consistent referrals across the board. If we can’t help a key customer at the hardware store, we refer them to the Locksmith next door.

Hopefully, we can together BUST down the mystery and myths that exist around making keys. We will examine when you should use the services of the local locksmith, with a business location next door to our hardware store.

Welcome to Wilkes County Hardware! Keys are duplicated individually, uniquely crafted by our staff members, designed to work every single time! Guaranteed!

MYTH 1: Wilkes County Hardware can unlock my car door for me, if I have locked my keys in my car.

Fact: Sorry, you will have to call the Locksmith for this one! Bill’s Lock Service is next door to us. Wilkes County Hardware and the Locksmith shop have been separate businesses for 20 years now!

MYTH 2: My existing house key is broken. It can’t be fixed! 😬Ugh!

Fact: Bring in the pieces, sometimes Wilkes County Hardware can “piece” the key back together carefully and make a new one!

MYTH 3: Wilkes County Hardware can only duplicate a few different type of keys.

Fact: Wilkes County Hardware has hundreds of different key blanks! We cut house keys, vehicle keys, boat keys, RV keys, 4 Wheeler keys, etc. The “box stores” in our area are very limited in what they can do as far as key cutting and they regularly send customers to us each week!

Personalized service, and the ability to duplicate a vast number of key blanks is absolutely a game changer, KEYS, at Wilkes County Hardware.

MYTH 4: The Locksmith is located inside Wilkes County Hardware…. I need to talk to the locksmith, is he in here??? Where is he??? When will he be back in office??

We get these questions (via phone and in person) at least once a day… for the last nine years, y’all it’s a lot, just saying…😬

Fact: Bill’s Lock Service is highly mobile. He goes out to help customers and meet their needs, unlocking vehicles, rekeying, etc. We have no idea where he is on a daily basis or when he will be back because he is a different existing business owner. Please contact him directly if you need his services.

MYTH 5: All rekeying of door locks has to be done at the Lock Service Shop, not the hardware store.

Fact: Wilkes County Hardware rekeys locks. Bring your existing lock to us, we can rekey it for you. If you need locks rekeyed on site, then please use the lock service.

Rekeying often takes a bit of time. Customers can drop off locks and return later in day.

MYTH 6: I only have one key to my vehicle. If you make me another key, it will start the car.

Fact: Not always will this be true! If your original key is a computer chip key, and you decide to only purchase a replacement key to unlock the door, it will NOT work in the ignition. The computer chip inside that key sends a signal to your vehicle to activate your ignition. We urge our customers to decide what’s best for your budget, and Wilkes County Hardware can help you with your key needs. It’s never a good scenario to have only one key.

This machine lets our key cutting staff know if a key is a chip key, if it not marked on the key itself.

MYTH 7: My Key fob died and I have to make an appointment at the car dealership to get it fixed.

Fact: Wilkes County Hardware has many types of key fob battery replacements that are readily available for purchase. We can easily replace your battery for you and you can get back to driving in most cases and save you the time and money.

Many times the battery just needs replacing inside your key fob, our staff replaces these for our customers often. We keep the batteries in ready shelf stock.

MYTH 8: I’ve lost my Tool box, house key, file cabinet, or safe key. I’m sure you can make me a new one right?

Fact: You will need to check with the Bill’s Lock Service. He has the capacity to possibly help you. Wilkes County Hardware duplicates existing keys. Think of it this way, when I say duplicate, and I’ll use this analogy… it’s like putting a copy into the printer and a new copy comes out, exactly like the original. You have to have a copy to begin with in order to get a new copy. That’s what we do with keys at Wilkes County Hardware. Whereas, the Locksmith is more specialized, and he can create new keys without a copy, using existing locksmith technology to make a key.

MYTH 9: I thought you guys had stopped making keys!

Fact: Absolutely untrue!!! Wilkes County Hardware has been a destination for KEYS for many years. We duplicate keys all day long and have expanded our key selection in the last ten years! We make each key individually. Wilkes County Hardware also has the ability to offer the following key services: rekey a new door lock to match your current key, Keyed padlocks, and chip keys for several vehicle types. We will be exploring adding additional machines/key blanks in the upcoming future, so stay posted for more details.

The KEY desk is usually humming with activity. We are blessed with a staff that can work seamlessly side by side making keys successfully for our customers.

MYTH 10: I can call the hardware store to ask about a specific vehicle key to see if it can be made there.

Fact: It’s definitely better to see the key you need in person/in the store rather than discussing it over the phone, due to vast number of key blanks that we have. Every key is slightly different. Often, we have customers who believe they have a vehicle key that isn’t a chip key and then after a quick analysis by our key staff, the key, they soon realize, it is a chip key 😬.

Those are our top 10 Myths that Wilkes County Hardware encounters on a daily basis. I hope that this information has been helpful and useful to our customers concerning common key questions. Always, if in doubt, please stop by and we will be glad to answer any questions or concerns you might have about keys.

Sharing a few more thoughts about keys and why our customers keep coming back to us at Wilkes County Hardware with each key…

1. When we duplicate KEYS at Wilkes County Hardware, we have always urged customers to check keys before leaving store (if making a vehicle key) and always bring any key back in if the keys need to be tweaked, no charge!

2. Normally, the key desk has minimal returns. But, all KEYS are not created equal! The quality of the original key is definitely a factor in the making of the new duplicate key, and some keys are harder to cut accurately, especially if it is worn out.

3. If you have a KEY, we will do our best to help you get a duplicate made. 99 percent of time we can probably do it in house, but sometimes we refer people to the Locksmith for a more specialized key.

4. NO KEY… well that is a locksmith job and we will definitely refer y’all to Bill’s Lock Service. Hope that we have busted the MYTHs around 🔑 keys!

Getting back to where I began my opening story I always had my students do a brief summary of the myth that was busted in that Myth Buster video series and tell me what was actually the truth/facts after the fun of the video viewing was concluded. We could expand on these findings and bring it into our science discussions later on, connecting back to what we learned.

So in my final report to you today concerning the actual Facts, not the myths about making keys at Wilkes County Hardware: Key Duplication has been a integral part of our work inside the hardware store for many years. If you have an existing key, we can probably make it for you. No key, please call the locksmith. No more MYSTERY and MYTHS around 🔑 keys! Expert status! Bravo!!!! 👏🏻

How did you score on that MYTH v. Fact checklist today initially before reading the answers??? Just curious 🧐???

The Hardware Life – A wife's journey into the hardware business