Saving Nails....

Over the past several years, I have managed to be privy to or - more often - the "Prime Dismantler" of old, worn out, buildings.

Sometimes, I just happen by at the right time to pick up things others are throwing out. I've even been at the Salvage Yard and spotted a big can of new roofing nails someone had left in a vehicle. The owner was glad to give them to me, so they wouldn't spill in his yard.

At any given time, I usually have 3-4 5 gallon buckets sitting around with various nails, screws, bolts, nuts, washers, clamps, bits of wire, and "Zonferilious" stuff in them.

(I'll let you know what "Zonferilious" means in a bit)

Since it was windy and raining today, I decided that it was time to sort through some of the buckets, and get rid of the trash.

I ended up separating about a 3 gallon bucket of nails, and another 3 gallon bucket of "zonferilious"..

Some of the nails were those people used to fasten tin down with, but I did keep a BUNCH of regular framing nails (and others). Some of the ones in the buckets were bent, twisted, and rusted to the point of not being usable again.

Now, I can just pick one out of the "good" bucket, and use it - I don't have to dig anymore. I have them stored in a 30# Cat Litter bucket, with a lid (and handle). Those buckets come in handy.

I also found out today, that the corn crib I have been wanting is a go. The man lives in Lincoln, and is tired of kids going out to his place and messing with stuff. When it warms up, I will have to recruit a few friends and see what kind of trouble we can get into....

As for "Zonferilious" (pronounced Zon-fur-illy-us)?

This goes back to when I was in the USMC, and stationed at MCAS(Tustin) California.
There was a young Marine in the Structures Shop of a Helicopter Squadron with me. His name was - you guessed it - Zonferillia. He was scheduled to go on a 30 day leave, so he had EVERYTHING from his barracks room packed, and sitting in the middle of the shop floor, waiting for him to get his ride to the airport.

It was taking up a LARGE amount of space in our small shop, so much so, that you had to maneuver around it, just to get out the door. Our Squadron Sargent Major happened to wander in that afternoon....

His booming voice could be heard across the hangar when he asked; "Who's Bull(stuff) is this? A visibly shaken Private First Class (PFC), answered him: "That's Zonferillia's bull(stuff)...."

Thereafter, anything that we could not otherwise classify, was dubbed "Zonferilious Bull(stuff)" or just plain "Zonferilious".

I just wonder, though, if his name had been "Smith" or "Johnson", would it have had the same effect?

I seriously doubt it.....