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ABC’s of Wilkes County Hardware…

September 13, 2023 hardwarelifewife 2 Comments

When people walk into our hardware store, they often say y’all have just a little bit of everything here don’t you!!! As we have entered into year number 8 of business, we have slowly expanded and refined our offerings to our customers. Here’s a sampling of our product offerings via ABC’s of Wilkes County Hardware.

***Top down view overlooking the back corner of Wilkes County Hardware***

Let’s begin by diving into the Amazing finds from All Around the Hardware Store! Sometimes our building might be considered an “Antique” due to its advanced age…1905 is A long time AGO!

A- Almanac, acetone, axe, American Flags, animal repellents

B- bird feeder & seed, BBQ sauce, brooms, bi-fold door hardware, bungee cords, batteries, black iron fittings and pipe cut to size, bolts

C- Customers! We can’t do this without you!!! Thank you for shopping with local with us! It’s soooo easy to forget about local businesses when you’re busy running errands or just headed to that “box store” for something on your to do list. Keep the CASH in our community!

***Thanks for shopping local and keeping the CASH in our community!***

C- Caulk, candy, command strips, canning supplies, cleaning products, compression fittings, chain cut to size

***Clorox wipes and much more can be found in our cleaning area***

D- Drill bits, DampRid, Denatured Alcohol, driveway and asphalt coating/pothole patch, door locks

E- electrical supplies, eye hooks, Ecos soaps, extension cords

F- Freight Elevator .. we have an Oldie Goldie, I bet you might find this as you wander through the hardware store.

***The old freight elevator… We don’t use it much anymore but it’s still works***

F- fastener aisle, flower seeds, fly strips, fly swatters, flashlights, fuses(replacements), flower pots

***Sometimes all you need it just one bolt or fastener… that’s ok with us, no need to buy a whole box. This area of our store is often full of customers all day long.***

G- Gardening tools, garden seeds, grass seed, gloves, glues, grilling accessories, Greased Lightning, gas cans, galvanized fittings and pipe cut to size, window glass cut to size

***Lawn and Garden area has been moved towards the front of the hardware store. We are excited to offer new products in this busy area for our customers.***

H- hammers, hooks, hinges, hand tools, hose barb, Howard wood cleaning products, honey(it’s local y’all!)

***Only local honey sold at Wilkes County Hardware!!***

I-I didn’t know you had this! I should have come here first… we have heard this a few times over the last 8 years when folks find what they need and more as they shop.

I- Iron Out, ice melt

J- Juxtaposition of old school hardware store with excellent customer service found in 2023 versus “the box store experience”in 2023, no self service checkout here.

J-Japanese beetle traps, joint compound

K-keys duplicated with ease, knives, kerosene heaters & replacement wicks

***Wayne has been a fixture inside Wilkes County Hardware for over 20 years. He just celebrated his 85th birthday!!! I bet Wayne has made a key or two for you.***

L- Ladder wall, this wall showcases some of our amazing local artisans work.

***Our local artisans are prominently featured along the back ladder wall.***

L- lag screws, locks, light bulbs, laundry detergent, Lodge Cast Iron, Lava soap, Linseed oil, Lexel caulk, liquid chlorine

M- Mural.. have y’all noticed the new mural on the front side of the building? Why the chicken??? Our building was a poultry processing plant in its early years.

A more detailed account is linked here for you from an earlier blog post. https://hardwarelifewife.com/2022/11/21/mr-ee-eller-chickens-and-turkeys-nothing-but-clucking-gobbling-and-plucking-out-the-truth/

M- Meyers Clean Day, Magnets, mineral spirits, mops, Milwaukee, metric bolts

N-nails … we don’t sell these by the pound anymore but we have small size packs available for purchase as well as larger sizes, National Hardware what an amazing selection of all things related to home hardware and more!

O- Order it for me please! Yes, we special order items for our customers each and every week

O- O-rings of all shapes and sizes!

P- Pool supplies, paper towels, PVC fittings, PB Blaster, Pex fittings, plungers, plumbing supplies galore! PVC pipe, padlocks, potting soils, polyurethane and and plethora of so much more!

***Our plumbing section has been recently updated***

Q- Quite a step back into time.. our building dates back to 1905, they don’t build them like this anymore. You can quickly find what you need and save TIME by not driving to a box store fighting the traffic or the crowd… and if you need our help we are here to answer any questions you may have about your project.

Q- Quick knife/scissors sharpening done in a matter of a few minutes, Quartz piston clock… locally made

R- Repairs made to lamps, kerosene heaters, re-screening windows, and tool handle replacement

***Fall and winter season is a busy time for Kerosene heater repairs***

R- Ready Seal, rodent control products, Rid-X , rope cut to size or just buy it by the package.

Rocking chair… we brought this chair from our house once we bought the hardware store. I rocked my son as a baby in this rocking chair. It was a sweet reminder of home. Harry loved this chair as well.

S-Staff… we are blessed with an amazing team!

Richard & Coby … these two can fix just about anything!

Lisa .. we can’t live without her! She is a gem

Lastly, Carter Call … I don’t seem to have a good photo of him but he has been a star pool guy all summer long! Look for him at the hardware store in the afternoons and Saturdays to come!

S-snow shovels and sleds, locally made soaps, suet, screws ( sheet metal, lag, stainless, self tapping, wood, deck), spray paint, Shark Bite, sandpaper, stove pipe, screwdrivers and much more!

T- Take a few minutes to wander from the front of the store to the back of the store.. you never know what you might find!

T- Traeger Grills & pellets, tape, tape measures, toilet repair, toilet paper, Tarn-x, TSP, tarps

***We keep a variety of pellets in stock for our established Traeger customers.***

U- U-bolts and unique gifts from locally sourced artisans

V- Don’t be vexed by our selection of furnace filters, we have so many different sizes in stock!

V- Vulcan 55 gallon drum liners for your trash can

W- Wood stove… warm by the fire on those cold days

***It won’t be long until this stove will be back in action again!***

W- wheelbarrow, WD-40, window glazing, water hoses, locally made wooden bowls and boards, weed eater trimmer line, wing nuts, wrench

X- Xacto blades, Xtreme contractor trash bags

Y-y’all are always welcome

***Our doors are normally open for most of the warmer months, and conversations are usually flowing most of the day… near the old wood stove.***

Y- Yellow Quell- did you know that we sell pool supplies and test pool water???

***Pool season runs from May to September for most of our pool customers. Thanks for shopping locally with us!***

Z- Zep products, Zip ties(cable ties) , Zero-G lightweight hose

***The best water hose for watering plants***

That’s just a glimpse of some of the familiar hardware products that we have inside Wilkes County Hardware. Richard and I are proud to continue into year 8 with new products to be added into the hardware store lineup as the next year progresses. Thank you for your business and continued support.

A new journey begins, August, bucket list, flowers, Foggy Morning, Hardware Store Life, southern cooking, southern living, Summer, Summer Photography

Everyday Summer Gallery

August 19, 2023 hardwarelifewife Leave a comment

Summer is yet another season. Many of y’all may not enjoy the hottest months of the year, but don’t forget to savor the memories you make each and every day with those you love. Each photo I have taken has a connection to those I love, even though it may not a visible sign to you as you view each image. I hope you enjoy my favorite collection of summer 2023 photographs and remember to enjoy each day.

Summer is simply incomplete without the best fresh fruit

This little zinnia was too cute not to capture, simply imperfect but stunning at the same time

Our new mural was completed this summer outside the hardware store

Summer in Wilkes County, cut hay, roll it and putting it up

The Blue Ridge Mountains, storm is coming

Heavy August Morning Fog… Foggy mornings in August could indicate the snowfall forecast for our coming winter season

Summertime Vacay… a walk along a pier to find this Oldie Goldie

Kudzu blooming is aromatic and distinctive

Dog Days of Summer, flowers, garden, hardware store, Hardware Store Life, Homemade Ice Cream, July, Natural World, old hardware stores, pools, recipe, seaonal change, Sonker, southern cooking, southern living, Summer, Summer Fruits

Fine Tuning…The Dog Days of Summer… Yes, “Siriusly”

July 2, 2023 hardwarelifewife Leave a comment

Did you know that Sirius XM radio name originated from the star Sirius, also known as “ The Dog Star”???

Y’all know when The Dog Days of Summer time of year has come, the weather can be intense. Once these days arrive, they can be long and sweltering. Dog Days can be an unbelievably unpleasant portion of the humid Southern summer season… akin to a dog’s wet tongue wagging endlessly to cool down or the literal feeling of being slapped in the face with a wet washcloth when walking outside.

During the **Dog Days of Summer**, the temperature can climb well into the 90’s with high levels of humidity too! Ugh!

**WCH Recommends:** A good working thermometer will help you know what to expect during the hottest days of summer.

“Sirius” Facts: Things You Should Know About Dog Days of Summer

1. The Dog Days of Summer begins each year on July 3rd and extends until August 11th.

2. The Dog Days of Summer lasts for 40 days, and it can be some of the hottest days of the summer season.

3. The name, The Dog Days of Summer, refers to the time shortly after the summer solstice and the appearance of the “Dog Star”, Sirius, rising in the summer sky.

No, the name “**Dog Days”** truly has nothing to do with your cute little dog. It’s all about what’s happening in the morning sky. Times have changed from the perspective of the Greeks and Romans, thoughts about ***Dog Days*** but the name has lingered.

“Sirius Superstitions”: Dog Days of Summer

1. Ancient Greeks and Romans believed that Dog Days were a time of bad luck, and drought. The long, hot days of summer could drive men and dogs “mad”… Here are a few superstitions that I found interesting while researching The Dog Days of Summer.

2. Snakes will strike at anything during Dog Days for they are blinded. Be wary as you trek outdoors during these 40 days!

3. If it rains on July 3rd, on the first Dog Day, then more rain will follow.

4. Dogs are likely to go mad during Dog Days.

5. Wounds will not heal properly during Dog Days, the old wives tale suggests that one should put off surgeries until after Dog Days have passed.

6. People are more prone to drowning during Dog Days.

Pool swimming safety is always important all summer long. Swim safely by keeping your pool water clean and sanitized, and never swim alone.

Now that the calendar has hit July 3rd, and The Dog Days of Summer have arrived, how can we all stay in “cool” state of mind all summer long??? Check out the next few sections of the blog for some helpful tips.

AC Cooling Tips: Dog Days of Summer

1. Keep your furnace filters clean! Remember to change your furnace filters once a month!

Wilkes County Hardware has a vast selection of many sizes of filters! Ask us to find your size for you.

2. Try not to place your furniture on your vents, reduced air flow will make your unit work harder. Close blinds or curtains during the day to keep the excess summer heat out.

3. Remember to keep your vents open to allow good airflow throughout your 🏡 home. This helps your AC unit to work properly.

4. Stop by into Wilkes County Hardware and buy a whole box 📦 of filters at once! Plan ahead, saving time and another trip to town🚗. If you don’t see your exact size?? Ask us to order your size!

5. Changing out your furnace filters regularly may save you a bundle in the long run… Spend the money on a filter each month to keep your unit working effectively and stay cool all summer long.

Hydrate!!! Watering tips for your flower garden: Dog Days of Summer

1. Water in early morning or evening. Rain water is ideal, but not always going to happen everyday.

2. For your beautiful container plants, watering daily might be necessary!

**WCH Recommends:** Zero G! This is a lightweight water hose that makes watering an easy chore in the summer.

3. New additions to your garden will need extra TLC. Be ready to monitor them closely and anticipate watering these new plants more frequently than established plants in your garden.

**WCH Recommends:** A good watering can goes a long way during ***The Dog Days of Summer***

4. Water any plant thoroughly if signs of wilt begins. The plant will be under great stress and needs an immediate boost.

5. Water plants and flowers from the base not from the top. Use a watering wand, watering can, or a sprayer that can help you achieve success.

**WCH Recommends:** Watering wands extend the length of your hose and allows for less bending in the garden.

6. If you are using a heavier water hose to water your summer blooms, move your hose in place before turning on the water flow to make it easier to maneuver.

**WCH Recommends:** These hoses are heavy duty and ready to go the distance you need.

Pool Splashing Fun: Dog Days of Summer

Pools are a great way to cool off in the hot, sultry, humid Dog Days of Summer.

1. Pool maintenance is an ongoing process all summer long, even on the hottest days of summer. Chemical reagents that you use to check chlorine & PH need to be replaced each year! If your pool water seems a little bit off and you can’t seem to get a good balance of chlorine & PH, check your reagents!

**WCH Recommends:** Replace your test kit each year to allow for accurate testing results.

**WCH Recommends:** Pool owners should be well stocked on various chemicals needed in order to swim safely all summer long. Stop by WCH to stock back up.

2. Your pool will take some abuse during the Dog Days of Summer with the intense summer heat and pop-up afternoon thunderstorms. PH and chlorine levels can dive down into dangerous levels if left unchecked. Stop in with a water sample for a FREE water analysis and pick up the chemicals you might need in order to keep swimming safely all summer long!

Tips on Beating the Heat During Dog Days of Summer… Just for Fun 😎

1. Make homemade ice cream during Dog Days. Find the link below for Homemade Ice Cream.

https://hardwarelifewife.com/2022/06/27/southern-summer-making-homemade-ice-cream/

2. Create a Summer Playlist full of your summer favorite songs.

3. Watch your Summer Favorite Movies 🍿 or head to our local Liberty movie theater to enjoy one of the Free Movies each week. I’m definitely going to check out this movie by Al Pacino, Dog Day Afternoon that a friend just told me about.

4. Get outside and put your shades on!!! Enjoy some summer sunshine!

**WCH Recommends:** You can’t beat $3.99 for a pair of shades! Make sure you have bug spray and sunscreen too!

5. Take the kids or grandkids and go pick some summer fruit… blueberries, blackberries, or peaches!

6. Make a Sonker with your fruit picking finds. Find the link below for recipe for Summer Sonker.

https://hardwarelifewife.com/2022/07/26/sonker-summers/

7. Stop by and visit us at Wilkes County Hardware of course! Our doors are always open in the summer, take a seat in a rocking chair, and enjoy the breeze. We keep our drink coolers well stocked with Gatorade and bottled water as well as other drinks. Hydrate and simply relax!

Celebrating the End Of Dog Days of Summer

August 11th marks the official end of the ***Dog Days of Summer.*** Celebrate the end of the hottest days of summer! This year, I’ll play the song, *The Dog Days Are Over by Florence and the Machine on August 11th, will you join me?*

dessert, Hardware Store Life, Home, June, pound cake, southern cooking, southern living, Summer

Pound Cake, A Southern Staple

June 21, 2023 hardwarelifewife 7 Comments

Southern Living 101:

Front porch swings, and rocking chairs with a slight breeze blowing.. can’t you smell the fried chicken cooking inside, the aroma of homemade biscuits, a glass of sweet tea in hand or a cup of fresh squeezed lemonade and let’s add a warm slice of pound cake…. Just another Southern Summer loading in 2023.

WCH Recommends: These 2 Rocking chairs are an amazing way to rock the summer away and enjoy the breeze.

My Thoughts about Southern Pound Cake:

1. Pound cake can probably be found at family celebrations & holiday gatherings especially if they are potluck type gatherings.

2. You will always find at least one pound cake at church picnics or potlucks in the South… after all, it’s an essential Southern staple!

3. Pound cakes are a central part of any good dessert table.

4. Pound cakes are either a grand mystery of baking to some and to others.. well, they seem to navigate any pound cake recipe like a pro.

5. Pound Cakes can be baked different pans… Bundt, loaf pan, or a tube pan AND Most Southern cooks have a definite preference on which they use regularly to bake a pound cake.

WCH Recommends: Tube pans and cast iron loaf pans are great baking standard pans for baking all goodies this summer.

A Trip Back Into Time Regarding Pound Cake:

Pound cake is exactly what you think it is. It’s a fairly simplistic looking dessert. The origin is quite literally what it sounds like… the first pound cakes were made with one pound of flour, eggs, butter, and sugar! In today’s recipe equivalent… 3 1/3 cups of flour, 8-9 eggs, 4 sticks of butter and 2 cups of sugar. When you begin to think about that, most traditional pound cake ratios are slightly different today!

My favorite Pound cake recipe uses 6 large eggs

I didn’t realize until recently, that the first recipe for pound cake appeared in 1796 in the American Cookery Cookbook and Pound Cake Recipe was rooted in Northern European cuisine… Europeans measurements were by weight, hence, a pound of butter, flour, sugar. I couldn’t even begin to imagine how to stir and create a fluffy pound of butter with only using a wooden spoon😳!

Strange Things about Pound Cake:

Personally, the strangest reaction I ever witnessed about a freshly baked pound cake, I encountered a few years ago. I had made a pound cake to share with the staff at the hardware store and as we prepared to slice the cake, a former employee shouted out, “let me go find some honey or molasses to go with the cake to cut the dryness of the pound cake”. I was stunned. What on earth was this person’s perspective concerning pound cake??? I realized that they had potentially NEVER eaten a pound cake that wasn’t dry. To never have eaten an amazing piece of pound cake… moist on the inside yet with a crust on the outside.

Comfort Food 101:

Comfort Foods tend to be hearty, homey, and let’s just face it, good for your soul. The mental boost that your favorite comfort food creates, can restore your equilibrium.

As far as dessert goes, Cream Cheese Pound Cake is a family favorite comfort food. My Mom regularly makes this one for us when we visit, so frequently that my niece named Mom’s pound cake, “Nanny Cake”. The name has stuck. We all call Mom’s Cream Cheese Pound Cake, “Nanny Cake.” Now that’s truly Comfort Food 101!

My Personal Tips for Baking A Pound Cake:

1. Grease pan with Crisco /flour dusting mixture instead of using a baking spray. I have never had a great success with using a baking spray. For making a chocolate pound cake, dust with a mixture of flour and cocoa powder.

2. I always preheat my oven… before I begin to mix ingredients. One of my cake cookbooks recommends that you preheat 30 minutes before baking. This allows your oven to fully come up to temperature and allows for even baking of cake layers… I would bet that would extent to a pound cake as well! (Note: Some pound cake recipes are cold oven pound cakes and you are asked to not preheat oven)

3. Use the oven light and your nose! If it smells like it is almost done then it probably is … the oven light keeps you from peeking inside and provides a nice visual . Each time you open the oven door your temperature drops about 25 degrees and adds to the chances of your cake falling.

4. Use a cake tester after baking time elapses to check for complete baking doneness.

5. Pound cake recipes calling for a tube pan won’t always fit in a Bundt pan. (Tube pans have higher sides and will hold more, while Bundt pans are more shallow and fluted.)

6. When unsure of size of your cake pan, use a measuring cup to fill the cake pan with water to determine the pan’s capacity.

7. Read entire recipe and make sure you have all ingredients ready before beginning! Gather ingredients prior to mixing. It’s important not to overmix pound cake ingredients.

8. Bring cold ingredients to room temperature before baking… items like… eggs, butter, cream cheese, milk.

Happy Summer Baking Y’all!

almanac gardening, garden, Hardware Store Life, June, Natural World, southern living, Summer

June Gardening Guide

June 5, 2023 hardwarelifewife Leave a comment

These daisies started blooming last week. Just in time for the beginning of June.

The warmer temperatures are definitely here to stay. After reviewing the almanac for the entire month of June, it appears that it is a wonderful time to share with y’all all of the information for you to get growing this Month in June. No, it’s not too late to plant! We still have plenty of warm days ahead to begin seeds, and enjoy flowers all summer long.

We have a small bundle of these gardening guides left. Stop by to pick one up soon!

June Gardening Guide

**June 3-4 : Harvest Days**
These lettuce seeds were planted in May and almost ready to harvest!

**June 5-6 : Plant root crops, prune to encourage growth**

**June 7-8: Destroy weeds, and harvest crops .** Wilkes County Hardware has a wide selection of weed control products… sprays and concentrate.

**June 9-10: plant, transplant, prune to encourage growth, apply organic fertilizer.** *Black Wonder composting soil now back in stock!*

June 11-12: Harvest crops

June 13-14 : plant, transplant, prune to encourage growth

June 15-17: destroy weeds, harvest crops

**WCH Recommends: A 2-4D concentrate will not harm your grass but targets the existing weeds.**

June 18-19: plant, transplant, seed beds, prune to encourage growth, apply chemical fertilizer

By mid June your garden should be in full bloom!

June 20-24: Barren signs means a great time to do weed control. Never plant during a barren sign… slow to no growth. Never trim bushes or trees during a barren sign.

***June 21st Marks the first day of Summer!***

June 25-29: planting days resume. June 28-29 are good days to seed beds, apply chemical fertilizer.

*June is a good time to address any emerging issues that you might have with your roses. Be proactive, and shop early to prevent any damage.*

June 30th: Prune to discourage growth

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