16 March 2010

fork plant tag holder

I find forks in the road. And I don't mean a choice of multiple paths, I literally mean forks. I find them all the time! It's the strangest thing. A plastic fork, I could understand. But they're always normal, everyday, stainless flatware forks. 
1) What are people doing with forks outside? I can't think of any occasion where I've taken a fork outside, other than for a backyard picnic or barbecue. And then, everything is contained and cared for.

2) Do these people forget they have a fork and just leave it near the road? Do they toss it like trash? Does an animal find it and carry it a while?
I just don't get it. I used to walk past them, making sure they were well on the side so they were out of the way and hopefully the owners would find them. But the last two I've found, I've brought home.

The first one I brought home was in the middle of the road, and had been flattened by multiple cars. Ooh, a flat fork? I thought. I can do something with this. I ended up poking it, handle side down, in a flower pot and putting a tag with the plant's name between the tines. It looked very cottagey, funky, and cool.

But I lost it. Or I tossed it...I'm not sure which. Anyway, I don't have it anymore. And I miss it. Good thing I find these forks all the time.

I found another one last week, but it hadn't been flattened. Easy enough. I grabbed my hammer and my 2yr old helper and set to work. 
A few whacks with the hammer was all it took to make that fork as flat as a pancake. No, flatter. J loved helping (we held the hammer together).
Then I used my fingers to bend the tines in the center a little bit back and the ones on the sides a little forward, to accommodate my tag.
And I just plopped it into the ground, handle side down. Isn't it fun?
It also works in pots, of course, but I have nothing growing in my pots yet. 
My birdie sure is cute, though. 
(A gift from Mom a few years ago...thanks Mom!)
I'm really getting excited about spring and being out in the yard again. I found this old sign board in a pile of wood Hubs was going to trash. It was here when we moved in, and I've always liked it. It has such charm, such character. But it's just been sitting on the ground for 3 years because I don't know what to do with it. Any suggestions?