Thursday, April 8, 2010

Whatcha gonna do with all that junk? all that junk inside your trunk?

Now that we all have the annoying black eyed pea's song in our heads it's time to clean out some of the junk-in-my-trunk.
Not the one I sit on, not that I have much of that anyway. The car's trunk needs to come another day. I think theres still toboggans in there and a whole mess of sand and hair from god knows what.
I mean the trunk in the barn. After a winter of throwing stuff in because it was too cold or I couldn't be bothered or organize it you would be surprised at the junk that accumulates in there.
Gee, everything and then some. How on earth did I not lose things in there? Oh, thats right I did.

Indigo has her opinions on this spring cleaning stuff. I feel the same but it's gotta be done.Here shes sporting her new "indigo" halter. I mean the colour, and her name. The colour of her name, there. She broke her fun purple one with the gold horse overlay when she had a bit of a fit in the trailer the other day. Thats for a whole other post.
Indigo is the impatient supervisor today along with Simon, one of our snaggle toothed barn cats. He's the only cat in the barn with a name because he is so darned cute. A name other than fleabag, cat, pusskins, GET THE HECK OUT OF MY TRUNK YOU TREAT STEALING MANGY CAT!. Mostly because Simon just suited him and my friend Sarah named him and it just stuck.

I love old steam trunks. This one was made in the early 1900's in a shop in Kitchener, a little city a few hours from here. It was a steal at $40. The trunk is not your ordinary steam trunk. It's about a third bigger than the other one I have and most of the ones I have ever seen. Someone painted it black and bright yellow at some point. I re-painted it black and red. I even put little details on it like this horse.

What a mess inside! Read those four bumper stickers there. My favorite is the top left one, heheh.Stuff is just tossed in there wherever. Theres my brushes, folgers coffee cans full of first aid under the brushes and braiding stuff, my natural ride bareback pad, a couple bridles, cat treats, half chaps, helmets, SMB's, wraps, A MOUSE!!
I have no clue how he got in there but he was dead. Not too long ago luckily. I think I dropped my rasp on his head the other day. I didn't take pictures of him cause it was kind of gross. I haven't a clue how he would get in there that thing is shut tighter than a drum when I don't have it open. Serves him right, the intruder.
BAD CATS!! To think I give you treats, even sometimes let you eat my pizza crusts and you let mice into my trunk. Hmph!
It is also a very good time to wash your brushes I try and do mine minimum once a month.

I start picking away. I see the bottom. I don't know how all the stuff I took out fit into the trunk.

Theres Indigo's lifeblood on the left there. An apple, some carrots and cinnamon hearts because she ate all the scotch mints. Spoiled horse.
Two coolers which I no longer need since it's warmer out. Bags, more bags. A random pin which I stabbed myself with. No clue where that came from.
I also found about 5 pairs of gloves and about 4 more that didn't have a mate. No wonder why I can't ever find gloves. I put them on top of the stuff in my trunk and the never ending black hole sucks them up.
I also found the riding crop that has been missing for 4 or so months. I almost bought a new one the other day I am glad I didn't. I know theres more around here someplace but I can never find them.

Folgers coffee can's are the best. Theres so many uses for them in the barn and they reseal. You could use them to put grain rations in, scoop grain. The possibilities are endless. I have one for vet wrap and other first aid, one for ointments, one for braiding stuff, one for hardware. Speaking of hardware I also found a long lost hammer in there. Haven't seen it since last spring. You could use them to put grain rations in, scoop grain. The possibilities are endless.

Eugh. Dirt, dust, wrappers, feathers. I think I need to clean the junk out of my trunk more often.

In the end it was a productive way to spend an hour I wanted to use for riding, but it finally decided it was going to rain the second I put a foot in the barn door. Oh well. My junk in the trunk is a lot more organized. Who wants to start betting on how long it will actually stay this way? Wagers start at mucking 5 stalls. Hehe.

Next task, sweeping the barn walls, floors and rafters. Can't do that though until after next week. I finally got my appointment for the allergist and I am told not to take any meds or expose myself to known allergens until that time. This is gonna be hard considering I have been getting horrible sinus headaches on a daily basis the past week or so and am around dust and mould all the time.

What spring cleaning do you do/have you done/plan on doing but might not get to it. I try and clean my trunk twice a year but that doesn't always happen. The barn when it's too dirty and I have time. Ahh springtime.

10 comments:

Unknown said...

Great job, and a good use of a rainy day in the barn. I love those bumper stickers!

Perhaps the mouse was a ... payment from the cats for all the treats they've been stealing?

It's a great trunk, and I think it's time I look into one. Right now I just have a collection of smaller boxes and it's starting to get pretty annoying...

Jeni said...

I have two trunks actually. One is a repurposed tool box thing that I can lock at the boarding barns. The other is a big wooden .. umm I guess it would be a "quilt box". I use it for blankets, wraps, winter stuff... I toss in moth balls and bay leafs to keep the critters out.

Cleaning... blankets first, tack gets a good scrubbing, inspection and repair, brushes get soaked and cleaned (this is important in a boarding facility as you would be amazed at who just grabs a brush and brushes other horses). I take this time to restock my first aide kits. etc.

Maybe by middle summer I'll be cleaning/arranging my own tack room!!! shhhh !

Fantastyk Voyager said...

Nice trunk- love the stickers!

Thanks for sharing your contents. I need to do some cleaning in my tack room. I'm almost inspired...

Janice said...

I need to do a good barn cleaning but it is so dismal today I just can't bring myself to do it. The wind and snow would blow back in at me yuk. i think I will go hang out in the Greenhouse instead.

Laughing Orca Ranch said...

Good for you. The stickers are great, too. I'd wager that the neatness won't last more than 24 hours. hehe!
And that's only because your a gal who actually uses all her stuff on a daily basis.

I'd love to clean my tack room, but the gophers chewed the electric line to the barn and the tack room is very dark. I guess I could just bring a lantern up there, but that gets annoying having to move it all over the place just so I can see what I'm trying to clean. bleh!

I did clean out my grooming bucket yeterday, though. Wow....the stuff that was in there blew my mind.
No dead mice, but there was mice poo and dried up orange peels and even hair from when I trimmed bridle paths. lol!

~Lisa

ps I don't think I can go to Ireland after all, though I'd love love to. I've been so focused on this ACTHA CTC and Apache's trailering issues, that I don't have time to renew my passport. darn.
I can't wait to read and see all about your trip, though. And I hope your allergy issues are over by then, too.

Juliana said...

Indigo is just absolutely stunning. Your playlist is great and brought a huge smile to my face today!

Grey Horse Matters said...

It's amazing the junk we accumulate every year. Good clean up job though. I love old steamer trunks, used to have one years ago and used it for an end table.

Simon is pretty cute. Love the expression on Indigo's face and her new halter is beautiful and suits her.

allhorsestuff said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
allhorsestuff said...

Oops...I deleated!
Well, starting over...Good job on the cleaning up!
I too did that at my place last mo when the weather turned suddenly ick and I was in the Moood!

I love Steamer Trunks and that was a great deal for yours. I had to get the "rubber maid" type with wheels to roll it to and fro. I move it alot and it made sense!

We do have 2 of those Old trunks in our home though...handy for storage space, when in there is none in a 100 yr old house!
Ours have this handy SHELF with compartments..it sits on the ledge around the top, I spied in yours as well.
YOU are an very handy girl Sydney, you should make one for yours. So cool for the bath or vet or clipping day...remove it and just take it on over to your Indigo!

Love the new halter..hope all is well otherswise..does sound like another post..oou.
And that cute cat, needed a name!
KK
I took pics for you and will psot them of the handy dandy self if you need a prototype-will measure?
cCn you tell...I love to organize and small spaces is my forte'

Unknown said...

My friend and I picked one up at a garage sale for her that still had the shelves in it but I would love pictures of yours. I want to get a big wardrobe to store my saddles and stuff in but theres really not enough room in the barn, height wise. Downfall of the old dairy barn. The barn is over 100 years old now, been moved and everything and it's still standing.

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