Posted 5 years ago
AnythingOb…
(1778 items)
Truth be told I've been slightly envying this shelf for a couple years now, while seeing (also lamenting) it sitting outside on my next door neighbor's deck. As we all know, most wooden things (esp. 'unfinished' ones) don't often hold up too well under such circumstances... :-( :-(
Then what to my wondering eyes should I see suddenly moved 'curbside' at their house while I myself was leaving for work this morning, looking rather forlorn indeed still sorta full of 'backyard detrius'. <ughh> When it was still sitting there when I returned home for lunch, I finally looked a little closer at it then ultimately tipped it into my truck to take back to the shop and try to clean up with the air hose/etc -- one way or the other it looked like it was still *all there*, even if crusty with crud.
Once I got it there I finally discovered the likely reason they set it out -- turns out there's apparently some variety of big yellow/black bumblebee looking insects called "carpenter bees", things that for some reason like to eat/bore holes into soft pine wood. (which this shelf is made of) ALSO TURNS OUT that some of 'em had found this thing and started to 'set up shop/chew into it'. Note the light colored 'bullet holes' visible on its outer LH side between the K and E in the upper word "WHISKEY", a couple more spots visible inside the 2nd shelf down, there are actually one or two more not seen. Several of these insects indeed were still hidden somewhere inside it (unbeknownst to me...I checked it for spiders, but not bees??) which I only discovered (then chased off/extinguished) when beginning to clean it up in the parking lot. <eeek>
And anyways, then after a most thorough brushing/airblasting/inspection and only a little bit more gentle TLC, HERE'S WHAT I GOTS. I actually think I quite like its now somewhat 'weatherbeaten' look, which to my mind will fit in sorta perfectly with the rest of my (too many) assorted old wooden crates that help form my interior decor. ;-)
The 3rd pic shows a small label on its lower backside confirming both its lack of a whole lotta 'age' and its KNOB CREEK BOURBON heritage. There's little doubt it was first a liquor store display merchandiser, which if I hadta guess probably came from the bottle shop a couple blocks north of my house. (I know my neighbor shops there too, anyway...? <lol>) It measures basically a foot deep/wide, and stands 5'7" tall.
LAST PIC IS JUST FOR FUN -- as any of y'all who share your lives with furballs will instantly understand -- it was literally snapped ~2 mins after the shelf arrived 'inside the house' later this afternoon. Apparently it "passed inspection", since he then spent the next hour+ curled up dozing on what will do doubt end up being "HIS" bottom shelf. <rolleyes> Oh well, it still has 3 others plus its top for me to stack full of other crap, once I actually find someplace to put it?? <LOLOL> :-) :-) :-)
Woda kitty sends his THANKS to you Thomas, for that!! <lol> I've visited 'bourbon country KY' a couple times myself but only to the Maker's Mark distillery instead...never to any of the others nearby. It is a truly gorgeous part of the USA, and I hope I get to further visit again sometime?!!
I probably should have included this link to the official Knob Creek website too just for the record, with the caveat that as an "alcohol manufacturer's website", anybody that clicks the link will be required to enter their 'over-21yrs birthdate' to get much beyond the opening page. <groan>
https://www.knobcreek.com/
Woda and I both offer our most gracious THANKS to: bobby725, blunderbuss2, Watchsearcher, Brunswick, fortapache, elanski, keramikos, yougottahavestuff, and ho2cultcha for your kind comments and <love it>s!!
Indeed keramikos, 'the kitty way'. :-) :-) :-) Also oh-so-typical, he hasn't since seemed to pay any further attention whatsoever to it...no doubt that cycle will start over again once I *do* get the time/inspiration/motivation to actually move it to some more 'permanent' location in the house, instead of just randomly dumped sitting in the hall. Just like every other 'boxlike' thing I've ever dragged home, in fact...?? <ROTFL>
Love them cats! Nice piece also!
Thanks SO MUCH more to iggy, elanski, and mikelv85 for your further comments and <love it>s!! I suppose I should find/bring home a tiny little bit of some sorta semi-matching color of wood stain from work, to touch up the obvious little bee-hole marks with a q-tip...or not...what say y'all?? They'd no doubt age naturally as well eventually...??
UPDATE for this item as of today. Seems as though that particular sort of bees are *very industrious* little creatures, indeed?!!
As I sorta imagined might be a possible outcome, it turns out my initial efforts to de-bee it weren't fully successful. Such bugs (in general) do tend to leave their offspring behind (sorta sealed in whatever environment) to continue to develop don't they, whether the guilty insects are extinguished or not meanwhiles...?? And indeed, one morning a couple wks after I brought the shelf into the house (and just dumped it in the hall to sit and chill while I continue to think about where to put it) a few little fresh bits of what looked like freshly chewed-up pine appeared on the carpet under it. RUTTRO...a little prompt work with the vacuum cleaner seemed to extract yet one more of the little flying hazards.
The additional application of a little bit of 'bug spray' were then applied to that bore hole and sealed off with packing tape, along with the other bore holes. All was good for another week or so until (!!) yet a little more freshly chewed up pine crumbs appeared inside a taped over hole...and right BACK outside the thing went... <EEEK>
SO, today it got one more ride in the back of the truck. More air compressor/vacuum/etc, plus the application of even more bug spray, shot into a little funnel poked into any/all holes I can't see the ultimate end of from outside. With reasonable luck, mebbe the d*mn thing is now finally safe to bring back into the house and try to find somewhere to really put it/start to load it up...?? <LOL>