Ballpark Flea Market

Denver has a once a month flea market in the summer between 21st and 22nd Larimer Street. I went last Saturday with my friend Karen in search of a bench or some type of seating for my garden. I woke up at 5:30am, did all my chores, had my coffee and met Karen at 7am for our drive to Denver.

I drove our pick-up truck to haul any great finds we bought home. Karen and I felt like we were going on a hunting trip! Only we weren't looking for ducks, pheasant, deer or elk....and ummm, we weren't packin' any heat.

We parked in downtown Denver and plunked our change into the meter for 2 hrs time. Oh, I love Denver with all it's pavement, tall buildings, concrete, cars, meters, and city-ness! I am such a country mouse now.... I couldn't live there anymore tho' I do appreciate it when I come to visit.

The very first vendor we came across had a bench and one of those 1950's metal bounce chairs. My heart began racing and I could feel the adrenaline hit. I took the smaller wares displayed on the bench off, set them to the side and I sat down to test the bench out. It is old, weathered, big enough for 2 people, has arms, a back and lots and lots of peeling paint. I love it. It seemed sturdy and comfortable enough.

I asked the woman how much for the bench and the metal chair? She lowered the price on each and sold them to me for $125. Score! I think my new bench has a lot more character than a metal glider. Karen and I moved on to see what other treasures might be waiting.

I LOVE flea markets. I love looking at the random pieces of life from different generations. Images of childhood and grandparent's houses come rushing back when you see a particular piece. Karen and I told small stories from our lives when something brought back a snapshot of the past.

There were so many good things to see and touch and want! I overspent... I bought a weathered paint chipped stool to place between my bench and metal chair to either hold drinks or another somebody.

I found some old transom windows with iron fitted into each corner. Karen and I agreed we'd never seen anything like them and they were so interesting! I bought two. One will go up outside our front door and the other will hang from the pergola Furry Husband plans to build... in a year or two. (the right sort of wood is really 'spensive!)

This is a pergola similar to the one we want to build off our front door leading to the garden...

I also found a small cedar chest. I'd been looking for something to put in my horse trailer... something to store extra saddle pads and equipment. Something I could sit on and something sturdy enough I could stand on it to climb into the gooseneck area. It's perfect! Small enough it doesn't get in the way and sturdy enough to sit / stand on.

Karen found a couple of comfy outdoor chairs for her yard and we called it quits. Headed back to the truck, pulled it up to the flea market, loaded up our treasures, strapped it all in and drove home happy with our successful hunt!

I'll be polyurethane-ing the heck out of my bench this weekend to weather proof it. I don't want the wood to age any more than it already is. I'll post pictures when it's done, in the mean time, it's sitting protected from the weather in our hay shed so every time I feed the critters I get that tingly excitement of a great find all over again!