Here it is after the start of construction last weekend, from Monday evening.
I can see the shape of a freight car. Not that I'm a former hobo or canned food vigilante like Idgie Threadgoode. I've never ridden the rails. But I HAVE sat in traffic at a railroad crossing, waiting for a train to go by. So imagine my surprise when Hick, after telling me he was going to paint his freight car shack today, sent me THIS:
Um. I thought freight cars were brown. Reddish brown. I know they come in green and yellow and red and other hues. But most of them around here are reddish brown. Missouri Pacific freight cars. So...I interrogated Hick on the front porch this evening after he returned from Goodwill with a questionable find (more on that another day), and he said that since the wood soaks up so much paint, he put the white on first. It took five gallons. He's looking for something the color he painted the chicken house. Which is kind of reddish brown.
HOS (Hick's Oldest Son) works for the railroad. He is getting authentic stickers for Hick to apply to the sides once this train shack is done. I'm pretty sure he's buying them with Hick money, or they are being given to him as a perk. I can't imagine him risking a good job like that to fancy up a Hick shack. I haven't asked, but I'm pretty sure this one will have a sliding door.
I'll keep you updated on the progress. Contrary to what you might think, Hick LIKES for me to write about him! He doesn't care what. He's like those kids who want attention, even if it's not the good kind.
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*You may have heard of Boxcar Willie. We had an in-person encounter with him once. But that's a story for another day.
Has he been working on that railroad car all the live-long day?
ReplyDeleteAnd what is the difference between a live-long day and a regular day?"
Hick can only utilize the live-long day working on his railroad car on the weekends. During the week, he has from 5:00 until dark. I think the difference is in how much time can be frittered while not actually working.
DeleteFor once, I think Hick did something right. I have a bookcase made out of cheap compressed wood, which was finished with a brown stain. I decided to paint it a bright red and it also took a lot of paint. The wood just slurped up the paint.
ReplyDeleteMe, agree with Hick? Has the Earth fallen off its axis?
So...let's see...you painted up your bookcase like Ruby takin' her love to town? Because it was thirsting for color like Ruby was thirsting for the touch of a man? Maybe you could get Kenny Rogers to sing about that. IF you can recognize him lately.
DeleteC'mon. You know that you and Hick are two peas in a pod. Kindred spirits. Soul mates. Partners in crime.
Will he actually finish this one?
ReplyDeleteYes. Because the shacks are the ONLY things Hick finishes. Because he's itching to start a new one.
DeletePretty soon you'll find yourself living in a little village.
ReplyDeleteYeah. I have no doubt he'll surround the house when he runs out of room on Shackyville Road.
DeleteHick is to shacks like I am to gardens. I plan to nag all the live long day here to get my green house finished and my raised beds fitted with fencing down the middle to support my beans and squash next year. I would do it myself if I could, but I need some brute force to get it started and I will take it from there. My brute force needs some convincing.
ReplyDeleteThe difference is...your greenhouse and raised beds would produce something.
DeleteVal, I'm telling you, hick is going to surprise you with a writing retreat one of these days. Your luck, it will probably be haunted.
ReplyDeleteEspecially if he furnished it with Goodwill items.
DeleteI attribute most of the basement haunting to a chest of drawers he bought for Genius at a used furniture store when we first moved into this brand new house. Odd happenings and ten degrees colder in Genius's room, then once we moved that chest to the basement, the activity started there.