I was sitting at the kitchen table, having a win streak on Candy Crush, when I saw Hick through the open mini blinds. He had picked up something, and put it on the corner rail of the back porch. I thought it might be one of Juno's bones from her dog house collection. I didn't think to ask about it when Hick came in. That would have invited conversation, and I really don't want to have to concentrate on Hick's convoluted explanations when I would rather kick Candy Crush's rumpus.
When I left for town, I saw that the object on the corner of the porch rail was NOT a bone from Juno's collection.
No. It's not a flute, nor a piccolo. Not a crack pipe, just in case some of you were about to suggest that! It's a chime. The next-to-last chime.
Is there anything sadder than that wind chime? Except maybe the parched wood of the porch rails. I know we've had this wind chime for a long time. I think my grandma gave it to Hick for Christmas one year. She was always giving him odd trinkets like that, and he LOVES them! The wind chime was quite annoying at times, as I stood at the sink washing dishes (a humming dishwasher might have disguised the sound), with the cold winds of winter swooping in from the northwest.
At first I thought the wind chime had a hole broken in the side. But that's just the see-through opaque view where you can glimpse the innards of it. I guess after all these years, the strong fibers holding it together are not so strong.
I guess most people would take down a wind chime with only a single chime left. Not Hick. He carefully laid that next-to-last chime on the corner porch rail. I suppose he thinks it might jump back up and attach itself? Or that the main body will regenerate more chimes?
Oh, wait! I might have found something sadder than the parched porch boards! The rusty BBQ utensils hanging there. Don't worry. Those are NOT the ones Hick uses with GassyG Jr. Don't know why he didn't throw them away. At least the next-to-last chime won't be lonely.
Looks like we also have a tree fallen over in our backyard forest. I'm pretty sure it didn't make a sound.
SWMBO would never let a wind chime go unrepaired. Well in the old days anyway.
ReplyDeleteThat is but one of the many differences between SWMBO and Hick!
DeletePerhaps he thinks you will fix it for him?
ReplyDeleteIn that case, he's got another think comin'!
DeleteHas Hick saved the other chimes as they fell off? He could restring them and it will be like new. If he uses an oiled string or some fishing line it will last much longer. I love chimes and miss my "big" set that got ruined when a certain someone ripped it down and threw it under the porch cupboard. I could have spent hours untangling those half metre long strings, with the half metre long chimes attached, but I was so upset at the time I just put the whole thing in the bin. I have plenty of smaller chimes now, but none outside where they might get stolen.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen any other disconnected chimes. I didn't even know they were falling off. As long as I heard the chiming, I didn't give it a glance. IF Hick had the other chimes, he'd probably put it back together, because he likes doing handy repair things like that.
DeleteSorry about your giant wind chime! I bet it made quite a noise.
It was beautifully musical, like church bells almost, in a low tenor.
DeleteWhile ours was shrill and jingly! I would have preferred your version, but the chimes might have maimed one of our pets as they fell off one by one due to Hick's neglect!
DeleteSomeone will pay .50 for it.
ReplyDeleteHICK would probably pay .50 for them at the auction!
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