We all have objects from our youth that seem to stick in our mind and almost become mythical for one reason or another. One thing for me that rolled into my memory and never left was a large wooden spool (the kind that electric and phone companies have their cables rolled on). The one in question resided at my grandparent's house. At the time I didn't know where it came from or how it got there. All I knew was that it was always there and it was used for sooo many things! It had to be about 3 feet tall with even wider dimensions for the top and bottom. It had been painted to slow its deterioration from the sun, wind, rain, and snow, but other than that it was "as-is"... and it was perfect!! Made out of good lumber and bolted together in such a way that it was both sturdy and durable--the spool was made to industrial specs. Best of all, if it wasn't in the right spot for the job you could just turn it on its side and roll it to where you needed it:) It turned out to be a really invaluable tool for a variety of rural activities. It was used as a work table, a canning prep area, a fish cleaning station, and much more.
A little while back I had the chance to ask my grandma where that spool had actually come from. The answer, "Oh we went down to the local electric co-op with the pick-up and picked it up."
"Well, how much did they charge you for one of those back then," I asked.
The answer, "it was free."
Free...I was on it!!!
Since my electric co-op is close, I gave them a quick phone call. Sure enough, the spools became available from time to time and all you had to do was put your name on one (or more) then show up with something to pick it up with when it was ready. It didn't take them long to notify me that a spool was available. When I got there they were actually dismantling some unclaimed spools and throwing them in the trash. A waste to be sure, but it showed me that much like pallets these wooden treasures often go unappreciated. The gentleman in charge pointed me in the direction of the one he had set aside for me and even loaded it up on the spot with his forklift. Oh, and there were actually 4 or 5 sitting there when I got there because he didn't know exactly what size I wanted:) I took two off of his hands since it was all we could get crammed into the pick-up bed. I then shook his hand and was off.
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| Our cool spool |
I've since come to find that these wooden spools become available at several places, not only the mentioned electric and phone companies but also wiring retailers and others. All you have to do is keep an eye out for them and then go in and ask what they would take for one. Chances are they will tell you to take as many as you need. They may even help you load them...because spools and the folks who let you have them are cool!!!
