February 4, 2011

While Driving


While driving through the Palouse countryside in April of 2010, this chorus line of silos took me on an unexpected, secondary journey. As soon as I spotted them I was jealous. After spending thirty-five plus years in a home under 1000 sq feet, all I could think was, man, look at all that great storage space! Sick, but true. Having no fields, thus no grain to worry about; some mental renovating began as I drove along.


With my own silo I could line the walls with shelving and mount a library like ladder on a rail. It would circle round the room allowing me to grab what I needed from my well marked, well STORED, boxes. Of course my silo would be equipped with great lighting, insulated walls, no moisture and a small utility elevator for raising and lowering the boxes.


Being utilitarian by nature, my silo would have wonderful curved metal doors. They would slide wide open, allowing my little bobcat tractor to back in and haul out larger items when needed. The bobcat would live on the ground floor of my well aged red barn. You know, the one with the giant loft space, all set-up with work tables so my friends could come over and work on projects of small or huge proportions. Heck, we would have enough room to make hot air balloons or boat sails if we chose. And then...


Well, I suspect you have the idea. My drive, which was already filled with endless gasps in reaction to the amazing Palouse landscape, also provided a chance for imagining. No grand inventions or life saving ideas were developed. A few of my heros and sheros; Leonardo Da Vinci, Johannes Gutenberg, George Washington Carver, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, Madame Curie, Jonas Salk, Temple Grandin, Michael Braungart & William McDonough, Racheal Carson and the like, got there first. (As if)

But that drive was a wonderful opportunity for a bit of creative relaxation. By the time I returned home, our cozy place seemed just fine in it's proportions. Oh, and that storage fantasy? It came true, in the form of a small metal space a few miles away, made just for that purpose. So far, it is organized and requires no elevator. Still dreaming of that communal workspace, but that is small potatoes compared to a less cramped living space. It has entered my mind that development of an electric version of a small tractor might be timely. Hmmm.


Seems it took getting out to see in. My, my, my, silos.
(Apologies. Blogger is having some creative time of its own with paragraph spacing today.)

2 comments:

Teresa Evangeline said...

What a great idea - your own silo! I've been craving a Quonset hut for a similar purpose. Beautiful photo.

Sea Mist and Sunsets said...

Hi Teresa,
I've wondered over time about Quonsets as well. That curved shape would really cut back on roof debris, snow, etc. There were a number of them in the hot valley I grew up in as well. Really versatile.
Glad you liked the photo, though some of those red rocks would sure be fun to shoot about now.
Hugs,
Chris

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