The Wood Shed as Art

This is our project tomorrow.

Some paint, some straightening up, possibly some outrageousness.

This is the wood shed next to our house. It was left standing when the original house burned down twenty years ago. We commemorated that difficult time with a singed fish.

Two years ago, we spent a day painting the wood shed’s old birdhouses that had fallen into disrepair. You’d think we had nothing better to do with our time than to dilly dally with old cans of yellow and blue paint. In that moment, we didn’t. Days when you have nothing better to do than paint an old birdhouse are precious indeed. We gently brushed each one with color and then urged it to last just a few more seasons. The barn swallows need their homes.

Sadly, we are expecting a new neighbor, someone whose reputation as an abrasive sort proceeds her. By next summer, there will be a newly constructed house occupying the vacant land next to our house, just feet away from our wood shed . We are not keen on this but such is life. There is a limit to what can be controlled, especially land if you don’t own it yourself.

Oh well. As potentially distressing as the thought of a close-by neighbor can be, we do think it’s an opportunity for self-expression. Thus, we are gathering up our paints and the artifacts from having lived up here on the shore of Lake Superior for many years so we can represent. You know, show who we are. It won’t exactly be like the Watts Towers, only our modest expression of art and presence.

We aren’t artists but we have paint and time. And we are undaunted.