Many years ago Janis saw a set of rooster salt and pepper shakers and liked them. I of course immediately bought them for her. A figurine of a rooster was next, along with some tea cosies, hot pads and oven mitts. Other figurines followed. Soon there were roosters everywhere in the house. They continued to Multiply until Janis finally decreed that there be NO MORE ROOSTERS! When we bought our property the first building we built was the services tower out by the road. It sports a fine steel rooster weathervane which I fabricated for Janis. After the shop was built we noticed traffic was going kinda fast down the driveway and we needed a friendly sign to remind people to go a little slower. So, at Janis’ request I did up a nice little sign - with a rooster perched on top of course. Over the years, the sign has been relocated many times as the driveway was re-routed, the new house built and eventually the yard was landscaped and the driveway paved. For the last five years or so the sign has been shunted to the side under the giant walnut tree, not really used as it was designed but still proudly on display. It’s been bumped a few times by vehicles and run into rather hard by the forklift a time or two. The paint was beginning to show it’s age a little as well.
Last year when our friends from Vala’s Pumpkin Patch visited our studio, the owner took a real shine to our rooster sign. He indicated they might want a similar one when the budget permitted but for now there were many other priorities. We did a large order of signs and features last year and this year an equal number. Recently, as we planned out the load plan for the shipping truck we noticed a little empty space - just the right size for the rooster sign. We decided we would add our signs as a bonus for our very good customers and friends in Nebraska. This week we moved the sign into the studio after a deep pressure wash to get rid of the dirt and moss that had accumulated through the years. Then, I set to repairing the damage from its tangles with various vehicles and the forklift. I was surprised to see that other than three small dings and some minor scrapes the sign was still in amazing shape after so many years out in the weather, a testament to how well the materials we use stands up to considerable abuse. Becke brushed on several coats of new paint and the required glazes and the sign looked as good as new once more. I hope our rooster enjoys its new home on a Nebraska farm!
