Spring officially began on March 20th. It’s absolutely amazing to see the changes that surround our world each and everyday during the Spring season. If you blink, you could absolutely miss it! From the tiny, first buds, early flowers, greening of grass, to trees achieving full leaf maturity once again. The Earth is vibrant with the colors of Spring.
The days become longer in this season, bringing us closer to nature as we spend more time outdoors. The entire Spring process is a gradual progression of warming our outer environment all the while, warming and feeding our souls for renewal. Spring… a time of rebirth in nature and also for me. I hope you will enjoy the evolution of Spring of 2025 through my camera lens.
Floral Spring, A Peak Inside The Garden
From the earliest of blooms to the heartiest flowers beginning to emerge as the warmth begins to encompass the outdoors…
First Blooms of Spring, Forsythia Field of Color…TulipsDancing with the SunSnap!!! The colors of SpringYellow Beauty Iris Glory Double White Amaryllis in BloomPeonies are almost ready…In Full Glory…Peony Strawberries 🍓 growing Lettuce!I’m personally experimenting with growing Microgreens for the first time!!! These gems offer a BIG nutritional boost!!!When ready to harvest… Cut, rinse, and dry … store in refrigerator after drying thoroughlyCabbage growing along the Greenway
Landscape Capturesof Spring
As the early days of Spring begins… the leaves were noticeably absent, but as Spring temperatures rise, the changes begin to slowly emerge. How many slight variations can you find from beginning to end of this sequence???
Hues of Blue Cloud Action Crisp Sunrise Light Frost… the greening of grass begins Monday Sunrise… it’s the simple things Contrail Sunrise Breaking ThroughDark Clouds, April Rain Quiet April Morning Sunrise Sunset Hues and a different viewFoggy Morning in the GardenGolden SunriseThat Touch of Pink Evening Sunset
Spring Mountain Time…
A Spring trip back to Buck Mountain to watch these beautiful mountains grow into Spring, and oh my goodness… I’m in awe…
Mountain Laurel in Bloom
Cicadas…
The arrival of Cicadas in our neighborhood this year is a first. My initial, first memories of these bugs dates back to my childhood playing in my grandparents front yard listening to the consistent, noisy music of these creatures in Elkin, oblivious to their impact on the surrounding landscape.
Now, in present day, each time I go out my back door, those childhood memories come flooding back to the forefront, of those past, playful days, and now, in the process of adding new memories of cicadas in my garden.
I completed a of research about how cicadas life cycle to learn more about the impact of these creatures. My poor little dog, Cookie is so intent on hunting these critters each trip outside that it has become almost impossible for her to accomplish her “natural business”because she gets so distracted by them.
Finding Bigfoot
The legend is strong, about the wandering Sasquatch, in our foothills… Can you believe that he has been spotted at our local grocery store this Spring??? I simply couldn’t resist taking a moment to grab a quick peek for myself and a couple of pics.
Happy Springtime everyone!!! Hope it has been an adventure filled season for you as well!
From the exterior view of Wilkes County Hardware most would just visually see an old, vintage hardware store. But these old walls within this building holds many stories. If you never wander inside, that’s probably all you would ever see. But once inside the hardware store, you are transported back into an earlier time, the gravitational pull of the inquisitive forces takes hold. The questions may begin and the walls reveal its past through the stories that Richard and I have come to know and love about 324 10th Street.
When you walk into Wilkes County Hardware, it is a step back into time… concrete floors that are authentic, wood stove for heat, all natural AC… doors open letting the wind blow in from front to back door.
Some stories are legends of sorts, while others are definitely true. Tall tales have been spun as folks have gathered in our space, sitting around the wood stove, and life events have unfolded inside this old hardware store. After all, the building dates back to the earliest years of 1900. These aging walls hold all the tales of our past.
Our historic hardware store is often a comfortable place for sharing and relating stories. Richard and I have been the keepers of these stories for ten years now. As a wise soul said recently, “nothing ruins a good story like the truth”, but truly these walls need to reveal a few of these stories. It is my hope that you will learn something new about our business on 324 10th Street that you didn’t really know until now…letting the pictures and captions tell the stories.
Here’s our building in 2015, it was a bit of maze as you entered…shortly after we purchased the hardware store. Every surface was lined with merchandise One of the first things that came from our home, initially, was a rocking chair that WE rocked our son in when he was a baby. Richard and I wanted to create a more “homey” /welcoming atmosphere inside our business.Harry spent everyday at WCH and many hours in the rocking chair. Richard and I loved him dearly and considered him to be our family.In memory of Harry💕, to read more about the rocking chair The Wooden RockerIn 2015, a good chunk of the front windows were covered over with pegboard. They used this area for hanging long handle tools. To make better use of our shelf space, Richard and I decided to uncover this area and use our space differently! My what a treasure we found!! These beautiful old doors!!! And MUCH needed light streaming in!!!Wayne worked diligently to get the old, vintage door lock working again. During the hot months of summer, we now open these doors for extra air flow. And it helps tremendously!!! All natural AC!!! This wood stove is a treat and a treasure during the winter months… keeping us warm. To learn more more about the history of the stove, use the link The Warmth & Sweetness of the Winter ChillMany folks have gathered to warm by the stove or even to sit by the stove. We have been told that a handshake deal was made inside the hardware store to begin Vannoy and Lankford Plumbing 🪠 many years ago. As good friends gather around the stove, ideas often emerge. Friday morning meetings are regularly held inside the hardware store now. Coffee, laughter, stories, and business matters are often central. It’s not just guys, I’m there quite often!🤪Friday morning Small Business Advisory Council in full force… this Friday group of minds spearheaded the process of creating a Downtown Merchants Association and eventually, the festival known as Spooktacular. This ladder spans the back wall of the hardware store… and yes, we use it every single day! Still working on researching this little gem.., more stories to be told later. One of the unique features of our “Old School Hardware Store” is the freight elevator. Secret being told, the remaining oral history that we have been given is a bit disjointed. So we have in earnest, started trying to track down some information about this elevator from the direct source… the company that built it, Park Elevator. Park Elevator is one of the oldest, independent elevator companies in the Southeast, dating back to 1898. Yes, the elevator still works! This was the original wall of owners as we were told… BUT… the far left gentleman… well, that was not Mr. Eller…revealed to us by his descendants when they visited us a few years back.This restored photograph arrived from Mr. EE Eller’s family. Now hangs in its rightful place on the owners wall. Read more here Mr. EE Eller, Chickens and Turkeys… Nothing but Clucking, Gobbling, and Plucking out the TruthWe always get lots of questions about why our picture isn’t up there, we feel it’s proper to wait until our time as hardware store owners is up to be up on the wall, keeping up and honoring the previous tradition. Pictured left to right ( Ellers, EE Eller Produce Company, Mr. Yates- began hardware store for his “friends” who were working in moonshine, Harvey Barlow hardware store/began locksmith business next door , Gerald Lankford continued Wilkes Hardware)Due to the impact that Mr. Eller had upon our community, dating back to 1904… we decided to honor the building’s heritage, by using the chicken as the basis of our hardware store logo.The Chicken HatWords truly can’t express the agony… a summer storm brought immense rain into our building in 2020. Days of cleanup and a tremendous outpouring of love… thanks to a wonderful group of friends who spent long hours helping us clean up the mess.Water entered the back door of our neighbors at the lock shop. Their front door was locked, and the water quickly piled up inside to knee deep…😬Our key desk was originally close to the lock shop which held a connected door. In 2015, we decided to move the key desk to its current location, near the back door. Harvey owned both businesses for many years. The connecting lock shop door was a revolving door that folks moved in and out of often prior to 2020. After the onset of Covid, and the massive flood event, access was closed.After the flooding event in the summer of 2020, Sandbags were placed under the connected lock shop door. We now use this area as needed retail space. We occasionally get folks in who wish to head towards that door… but they quickly find out, it is not accessible. Key desk current location! You may or may not notice differences in our brick at the back door, well, here’s the reason why… a runaway truck from the Lowe’s warehouse which sat up above us (looking out our back door)Look up the next time you drop in… see if you can find the tell-tell signs of the runaway truckSmashed right through our walls Ugh… The aftermath… And this happened on our D Street side several years later… Can you notice any differences in the brick??? We updated the side of D Street with our logo chicken , thanks to Andrea Baldwin for her artwork! A perfect photo opportunity!A lot of people are confused about the location of the original Lowe’s. The common misconception is that it was in our building. Looking out our back door, you can view the home of the original Lowe’s.This old safe, it’s not going anywhere fast!!! It’s a beast!!!
One of the stories that has been passed down to us … a downtown bank was unable to get the safe open to begin the banking day. The bank manager called down to Mr. Yates and asked for his assistance. Could he loan him the cash to open up the bank while they worked on opening the safe? Mr. Yates agreed to help. The bank sent two guards down and wheeled back the cash from the hardware store in a wheelbarrow. Problem solved!
The day we will never forget, the fire across the street at Goodwill. A Story in Pictures
This was a life altering experience. The uncertainty was very real, our neighbors down the street were worried about the fire spreading down the street to connected buildings. We were asked to vacate our building in a matter of an hour. What could we do??? Nothing, but pray and wait. We spent many long hours waiting across the street at Dom’s Bakery. Thankful for our neighbors and friends there. 💕
Our community of firefighters and rescue workers came from all over the county to help fight this fire and stayed all night. Every single fire company in Wilkes responded to this fire. Very thankful.
When we began in 2015, Richard and I knew only a small portion about this old hardware store. We have come to believe that this old hardware store building is like an onion, and we slowly peel a layer away at a time, learning a bit more each passing day and asking more questions about what we don’t know.
We sincerely appreciate and wish to say “Thank you” for sharing all of your stories about 324 10th Street. It has been an honor and privilege to gather these memories and stories, helping to keep this building and business alive long after we all are long gone, in hopes of creating a lasting legacy of intertwined experiences of Life in Wilkes… as our building history boasts the beginnings of the poultry industry in Wilkes, the legend of moonshine, and the hardware industry rooted right here in Wilkes.
Beginning in early 2024, I wrote these opening lines: “I have decided to take this year and document and capture memories… from our everyday life activities. Everything isn’t glamorous, we work long hours, 6 days a week, but Richard and I find time to share and unwind. I hope you enjoy a few of my favorite collected moments via photography.”
What a journey it has been! Here’s a look at a few of my photo favorites from each month in 2024. Below each photograph, I will include the original link to each month from 2024, in case you missed it or would like to see more photos from each month.
A brief dusting of snow began December 2024, making me long for a bit more.
December marks the beginnings of the winter season. Winter… a time of perseverance and optimism for spring will come.
December, Christmas is near.
A Light DustingSnowy Morning SurpriseSnowy Stack At DuskWinter Solstice SunriseWaiting on SunriseDecember 31st… That Touch of Pink
Random Happenings
You never know what you will find in the middle of a grocery store parking lot! Parking lot golf????
Christmasat Home 2024
Fresh Mistletoe for Christmas! Thanks to Kim Reid for the adventure!New additions this year to my green plants to add a festive flare, pine cones and berries for the holiday season Our Christmas clock is a family favoriteBobbles and Santa Handmade Christmas Handmade Christmas Handmade ChristmasThis Christmas was the first year we put our inflatable back out in several years. Our sweet little neighbor has enjoyed it so much this year. Our original “Snowy” the polar bear was injured by heavy rain earlier this month. Santa was our quick find as a replacement.Cookie watching over her neighborhood
Thank you to everyone who has followed along my year long photographic journey in 2024 exploring the everyday life of #thehardwarelife. I’m excited about new opportunities in 2025! Coming soon, the Favorites of 2024 revisited. Stay posted on the blog.
November 1st hit me hard this year. October is a very, very busy month in our world… two festivals occur each year in Downtown North Wilkesboro. Apple Festival begins the month of October and Spooktacular concludes the month.
As I began to put the Halloween decorations away, it occurred to me that Light Up Downtown was 21 days away. Literally, as a downtown merchant we are moving from Halloween into Christmas season as quickly as possible 😬.
Always a fun time when Santa drops in for a visit!
Wow! So much prep work gets underway between each holiday season and festival… BUT that would require a different day and blog post!
My mind wandering, task in hand, Halloween decorations being packed away and beginning to think about the upcoming Christmas season ahead… Light Up Downtown North Wilkesboro marks the official beginning of our “Hometown Holidays” here in Wilkes. I began to reminisce about my personal experiences of Christmases past in our hometown.
Time flooded my memories… the ultimate focus, making memories with our son by recalling upon the Christmas experiences that we shared together here in our hometown.
All of these Christmas memories were a core holiday remembrance that I have coined as a “Hometown Holiday” Memory.
A visit with Santa at Talia
I can vividly recall taking “B” to Light Up Downtown to view all the lights in the Downtown corridor, seeing Santa at Talia, or even snacking on a homemade cookie as we wandered through the Christmas Open House at the old Wilkes Courthouse.
And it simply wasn’t a Hometown Holiday without heading down to Memorial Park to select a Christmas tree.
Our Hometown holiday experiences continued with The Annual Christmas parade sponsored by the Wilkes County Chamber of Commerce. The ultimate celebration of the parade each year, was the final view of Santa as he waved to all, boasting a joyful Merry Christmas !!!!
We always enjoyed the togetherness and loyally participated every year. We gathered with friends to enjoy the moments of Hometown Holidays that seemed to happened seamlessly every year. To those who put these events together, I say Thank You! The Christmas memories are precious and very special to not only my family, but to many families who participate in these local holiday celebrations and events every year!
Another part of Hometown Holidays: Christmas plays, and church on Christmas Eve
My personal reflections went even deeper. The Gifts we give at Christmas will often be forgotten years down the road, but these “Hometown Holidays” memories will stay with us and will be remembered always.
That thought put a bit a perspective into Hometown Holidays Season that is now upcoming for 2024. So my personal goal for this Christmas is to explore and experience new Christmas hometown holiday events.
All the Christmas lights are on! Light Up Downtown 2024
Will you also accept this opportunity??? What new memories will we all make this Christmas 2024 by experiencing something new in our hometown??? After all, Christmas is a special time with family and what could be better than by establishing new traditions and memories.
Looking at the list below, our hometown is full of opportunities for families to gather and create hometown Christmas traditions and memories. Christmas Memories are simply timeless treasures of the heart. Go make some new Hometown memories this holiday season!
I’m looking forward to new Hometown Holiday Memories, and a return trip to the Gingerbread Festival this year! Last year was our first time seeing the talent of all of our local gingerbread makers, and can’t wait to see what’s in store for this year!Coming Soon: Look for the next edition on the blog, Handmade for the Holidays.
What special hometown holidays events do you always look forward to each year???
Hometown Holiday Events in Wilkes at a Glance! (Definitely not a complete list but gets you started)
Light Up Downtown North Wilkesboro- November 22, 2024
Reindeer Games- Wilkes Playmakers December 5-8
Wilkes Literacy Gingerbread Festival- December 6-7, 2024 at The 1915 Event Venue
Christmas in the Commons- in Downtown Wilkesboro December 7, 2024 3:30-8pm
Holly Jolly Christmas Party- Wilkes Art Gallery- December 6th
Wilkes Chamber Singers- Performance of The 12 Days of Christmas – December 8th St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 3pm, Tuesday December 10th North Wilkesboro Presbyterian 7:30pm.
Community Lovefeast- Candlelight Service in the Moravian Tradition, North Wilkesboro Baptist Church Sunday December 8, 2024 7pm.
Sip and Shop Holiday Market- Wilkes Art Gallery December 9, 2024 5pm-6:30pm
Annual Holiday Market- Wilkes Art Gallery December 10-21
A Storybook Christmas Parade- Saturday December 7th 3pm
Wilkes Heritage Museum Christmas Open House- December 7th 10am-4pm
Christmas Carriage Rides-in Downtown North Wilkesboro December 5, 7, 19, 20,21
Santa And Mrs. Claus visits Tripp Mercantile- December 7, 20,21 (4-7pm) during carriage rides
Christmas at the Cross- Candlelight service at Faithfest Thursday December 12th 6pm.
Friends of the Library Holiday Book Sale- December 12 5-7pm, December 13-14 9am-5pm. 611 Cherry Street North Wilkesboro (buy one get one holiday books on Friday and Saturday!)
Santa at Liberty Theater and FREE movie-Polar Express Friday December 13 6pm. FREE movie runs from December 13-19, 2024.
Breakfast with Santa- Wilkes Playmakers Saturday December 14 9am-12pm
Santa at Dom’s Bakery- Saturday December 14th 2-4pm
Grand Ole Christmas Show- JAWC- December 19th 7:30 pm
Festival of Tables- Benton Hall Thursday December 19th, 2024 6pm.
Santa at Cook’s Sporting Goods-Saturday December 21, 2024 1-4pm
AND Don’t forget your memory making Annual shopping trips to Wilkes County Hardware for handmade Christmas gifts, stocking stuffers, picking up a Santa key for the kids, and warming by the stove.
See y’all soon!
Living the "hardwarelife", join us in our journey of hardware store ownership
The Hardware Life - A wife's journey into the hardware business 