Hillside Farms Adventure

Today was an unexpected surprise.
Mt friends, Bob and Karen Colleran called me and asked me if I would like to go with them to Hillside Farms in Issaquah. Karen found this place from a gardeners blog and always wanted to check it out.
As luck would have it, I had nothing on my plate today expect make a pound cake~ so, off we went!
We met John, whose family used to have a petting zoo. When his kids grew up and out, he decided to retire the place and go on the road "picking". And that is where all his treasures come from. He has a love for rocks ( petrologist) and teaches blacksmithing and jewel faceting. A man of many talents indeed~
 So he brings his treasures home and sets them all over the property and it is your job to look. And scan. And double take and not become overwhelmed.

There is rusted paraphernalia everywhere the eye can see. You need a Union Pacific Railroad wrench? ( turns out, Karen needed three) he has them! These things are OLD..and stamped , which makes them so cool. You need antique ovens? Yeah, he's got them. Oh, and his cat Tiger seems to like to camp out in them.

As you drive up the driveway, you notice tons of old shutters, door frames, plywood reindeer. ( what?)

Park and explore. That's what we did. I came across Tiger, their black cat who like to show off for me. I didn't mind one bit.
Then I came across a glass round filled with old telephone insulators. I love these things!









Machinery parts, antlers, blacksmiths materials galore. And I hadn't even made it to the house yet.

When I did, I found some vintage collectors spoons ( which my sister Marie will be the happy recipient of, shhh) jewelry, rocks, a ton of marbles, kitchen stuff, and this FASCINATING Doctor's bag. I tell you, if I had a disposable income to the tune of 320 dolllars, this bad boy would be mine.

It was filled with glass vials that STILL had the medication in them with cork tops. The one side flapped over to where the stethoscope and other assorted supplies would be. This was one cool piece.

I wandered around and discovered something I did not know. He had a collection of Vaseline glass: Vaseline Glass is a particular color of yellow-green glass that is made by adding 2% Uranium Dioxide to the ingredients when the glass formula is made. .He had a blacklight on them. Annnnnd They flipping glowed! I never knew that!  Turns out, that is how you tell it is genuine...it will always glow in the dark! How cool is that?   I wandered until I came upon some cool old Lions Paw Shells  and a big piece of coral. Oh yeah, they became mine as well.

What fun it was to turn a corner and discover something I have never seen before. He had tribal masks, military buttons, oh, I cannot possibly tell you all the things he has, you'll just have to go visit and see for yourself!