1912 was a very good year

All of these pics were taken while it was still in the carport. I thought at first it might be missing some pieces, but I reassembled it when I got it into the garage and nothing is missing, except that one pilaster.

I have always always wanted a piano.
A couple of weeks ago, my neighbor across the street passed away unexpectedly. I was driving by and almost had a wreck when I saw the funeral home wheeling his body out of his home. I was shocked. I had just talked to him a few days before when he was out looking for his dog, Belmont.
I looked for his obituary in the paper, but apparently he had no family. The landlord came over every couple of days and threw stuff out of the house for the garbage men to pick up. Usually before the trash truck would show up people would have been looting through the garbage. I don't have anything against people taking stuff from the curb, I've done it myself, but these people made a mess. At one point there were mattresses and clothes strewn about all over the lawn.
Finally the garbage men came for the last time. I watched in complete awe as the men fed the truck a full size sleeper sofa, a regular non sleeper sofa, a queen size mattress, a recliner and a desk chair.
So the house has been quiet for a couple of weeks. No more dogs barking, nobody coming and going.
This morning as I drove by, my kids pointed out a piano sitting in the carport. I didn't see it, but as I came back home I got a good look. It was beautiful. And pretty old. And pretty beat up. Nevertheless, I have always always wanted a piano. I walked over to it and tinkled on the keys a couple of times. The sound of the out of tune keys was carried away on the cold morning breeze. There was nobody around. I went home and wrote a note and left it on the piano. I stood by the kitchen window and watched, hoping someone would show up. I was pouring my third cup of coffee, when I spied the landlord's familliar red truck pulling up. I was off like a shot. He had my paper in one hand and the phone in the other. "Are you Julie?" he asked. I was out of breath, as I replied. "How much do want for it?" He just grinned. "Nothing", he said, "I was going to have to haul it off to the dump". I couldn't keep from grinning either. I asked if he would be willing to help me push it across the street to my garage. He answered affirmitively. I quickly rushed to the house of my next door neighbor (the angel) and asked if I could impose on him, would he help us wheel it across the street. He also said yes. He couldn't keep from grinning, either.
So here it is. It's in pretty rough shape. It's missing one pilaster on the right front (the other has to be glued back on) The beautiful veneer is scratched and in one place broken on the bottom back, the pads need replacing and it needs a serious retuning, but I don't care. Did I mention that I always always wanted a piano?


This is what it would look like were it restored.