We’ve shown a couple of pictures on Facebook of the two dumpsters worth of stuff we took out of the basement. As we write this a third dumpster is being loaded with the last of the junk. The untold story is that in addition to the forty-two cubic yards of trash we removed from the basement, there is also a LOT of scrap metal that is being recycled. And mud; lots of mud. Or maybe muck is a better word.

The muck is made from the remnants of things that someone once thought important enough to keep. There were several pieces of furniture that had long since rotted and who knows how many cardboard boxes that contained who knows what for who knows how long. All of it basically just rotted away into muck. This muck clogged drain lines, which meant that more water collected in the basement, which helped to rot more stuff. It would have been an interesting intervention opportunity for a hoarder’s family – someone could have locked their hoarding relative in the basement and forced them to face the reality and the folly of collecting so much junk.

We’re happy to say that that opportunity, though, has now passed. The basement is nearly empty and actually starting to dry out. We are really looking forward to the day that we can call it “a dusty old basement.”

There were a few treasures that we were able to save. Here are a few photos of some of them.

These are some of the first items we recovered. The old pharmaceutical bottles will find a place in the decor of the flats, as will the funky US map and the barbershop sign. Does anyone know anything about Dave’s Barber Shop?

A police cruiser spotlight and a fan for an Airstream trailer are interesting, but we can’t think of a place for them in the design scheme.

Unfortunately, the 20 gallon stone jar met with an untimely end when the rusty metal handle broke while it was being cleaned.

We’ve written before about the old Victrola. All that is really left of it is the turntable, stylus arm and the console lid. We hope to be able to display it somehow because it really looks cool.

The mowing scythe is an item that is causing some controversy: Shawn loves it because it reminds him of his grandfather and he would love for it to hold a prominent place in the Flats. Amy, however, doesn’t see the large implement that is sometimes associated with the Grim Reaper as something that will fit into her design scheme.

The 48 star US flag smells of mildew and is very tattered, but is too cool not to be used somewhere in the decor of the Flats; maybe under glass?

How funky is the stage light? It is a definite candidate for re-wiring and retrofitting with an energy-efficient bulb. Look for it to be included in the finished Lafayette Flats.

OK, now this is the most bizarre find of all: A half-full 55-gallon barrel of Anhydrous Lanolin. We have no idea why it is there, but from all appearances, it has been sitting in the same spot for at least 40 years.

There are still a few things that are being cleaned up. We’ll post some pictures once they are.