Angus walks to the end of the garden and is soon joined by a highly enthusiastic male PON.
The female PON is having a flat hair day.
Sophie stays in the kitchen to monitor the college boys having breakfast. She gets fussed over but would prefer a croissant rather than a tickle.
Bob and Angus set off in the car and are at the picture framers at opening time. He has made a new frame and painted it dark green to match the colours of the lavender plant. The battered old print was bought when we were impoverished students in New Orleans forty years ago. Caught in a thunderstorm and with all 'reasonably priced' options full a fresh faced Angus summoned up courage and went to the reception desk at the swishest hotel in town and asked what their cheapest room was. He had $25 to his ( and 'The Fonts' ) name. The chutzpah of youth. The cheapest room was four times that but with rain cascading down outside the desk clerk saw my disappointment, took pity, gave us a suite and threw in breakfast. Things like that make America a special place. We had enough money left over to buy the print. An $8 purchase but now invaluable - a reminder of the kindness of strangers.
The framer is tasked with finding a more modern frame for a portrait of 'The Fonts' great grandfather. Bob settles on the mat at the shop door and watches him work in silence.
The sun beats down. The PONs take long summer afternoon naps in the cool of the downstairs hallway.
What happens to a town when its Walmart closes ? An intriguing story :https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/09/what-happened-when-walmart-left
11 comments:
Lovely story about New Orleans. Although $25 then would probably be like $500 now.
The Font's great grandfather looks like an interesting person.
Gorgeous print but a much better memory! We think the Framer should get in a supply of Jaffa Cakes for bored canine customers.
You can't put a price on a print which comes with such a great memory.
Just skimmed through the story about Walmart - in Oklahoma in the late 1980s, Walmart arriving in town was considered the ultimate sign of a successful community.
Cheers, Gail.
A lovely print, and an even better memory.
The tale of the hotel is wonderful.
The print deserves a place of honor to keep that memory out front often.
Hari OM
...a case of a picture and ex number of words... no price can be put on that. YAM xx
Thank you, Angus, for posting a photo of the newly framed print. That was probably one of your most memorable hotel stays in spite of your many travels since then. Little did you know at the time that you would be cultivating your own lavender in France...and that the print would be hanging on the walls of a slendid home.
I believe McDowell County has one of the worst opioid addiction problems im the country, which just adds more misery to the plight of these poor people. At least the Republicans are having a devil of a time trying to take away their Medicaid healthcare.
What a really lovely story about New Orleans.
And such delightful pictures of Bob caught in mid-skip.
Sophie knows that she’s beautiful, flat hair or not.
Lovely print and a special memory. Really interesting article too. Cheers from BC, where our fires are raging.
Agreed .. I love the fact that we were taken back 40 yrs to learn more about the Font and Angus!
Such a Beautiful Story, And this is we we tune in several times a day.
I think it is special to have such fond memories growing within the lavender print.
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