Every so often I jump out like a crazed jack-in-the-box from behind the counter of an antiques mall I occasionally work at and ask people why they are buying an item or items. Then I snap their picture--with their permission.
As you can see from the below picture, I don't scare people too badly and they are usually quite happy to share their Florence finds with the world.
This time I found Tom Flower of Westcliffe shopping in Florence.
The picture just shows a little of what Tom was buying. Lots of grey enamelware, old timey kitchen items and a few vintage tools.
Tom told me he was an agricultural teacher for 22 years and retired in 2011. But shortly before his retirement he embarked on a new passion--restoring chuckwagons.
And this chuckwagon restorer extraordinaire found quite a few items in Florence that were just right for his latest project.
Tom shared this picture with me of a chuckwagon he's working on at his Westcliffe property.
Honestly, after looking at his beautiful picture--I thought: This is what Colorado is about. This picture exemplifies not only the breathtaking beauty of southern Colorado, but the spirit and ingenuity of people working to preserve the past in ways that are more than relevant today.
Hopefully someday we'll get to see a picture of Tom's finished project, outfitted with some of his Florence finds.
We found Tom Flower this time in Florence. But will we find YOU in Florence?
You'll never know when and where--but I might just find you in Florence and ask you to share what you found and what you plan to do with what you found.
