The Hub and I went down to the gallery to pick up the works of photography that were taken down. The gallery gave the CMPG an entire upper room for two weeks, and then, at the end of that period, we had to condense our works to a single wall.

I was lucky, and surprised to sell Squash! and Squash Too! two prints of mine that were mounted and framed together. They were, as you can guess, pictures of squash. Actually, they were together, my second favorite entry, but The Hub didn't like them at all, almost talked me out of putting them in....

So far, as far as I know, Friend Will has sold 4 of his pieces, Scott B. sold two, and I sold one. I am so happy to see Friend Will finally get the recognition that his talent deserves!

Antionette, the gallery manager, was pleasant and cheerful as always. She was surprised that The Hub decided to take down all of his work, but he did it so that the other photographers in the group could have more space on the wall and hopefully make more sales. Because of him talking up the gallery show, he wound up showing some of his handyman clients his portfolio, and actually made a sale that way. And Antionette asked for his handyman business card, on account of they constantly need somebody to patch the walls! Talk about being in demand.

He felt, and I agreed with him, that the gallery where the work was displayed wasn't the best place for his work. The gallery has a lot of Disney animation cells, and other artwork in a bright, somewhat whimsical vein. I'm not saying that it isn't "serious" art - it is. But The Hub's photos are mostly of sweeping, magestic landscapes, lighthouses in the snow, etc. They're somber looking and a little on the traditional side. This place is a little more cutting edge.

He felt that, since his handyman business is going so well, and he really enjoys it, he wanted to give up his space for his friends, some of whom are launching or re-launching their photography careers. He admires their work and feels like it has a better chance of selling. He wants as much to see everybody else succeed as he wants to succeed himself. He was happy, he said, just to have his stuff up, and the sale he made will not have a commission taken out by the gallery. It was his way of trying to do something for friends who have done so much for him and for us.

I did leave 3 works of mine up. Two of them are small, County Sundown and Sunflowers. I left up Thundering Blue & Bright Train which are mounted and framed together. Those are the ones I guess I "believe in" the most in terms of hope for commercial sucess.

It's funny, my favorite picture didn't seem to generate any comments at all, and I brought it home with me, along with two others, today. You never know what the public will like.

Anyway, on our way out of town, we passed one of the many antique shops in Ellicott City. We walked by a window, and I looked in and saw a lamp which looked identical to one I put in a yard sale before we moved to MA. It was a rose colored, victorian reproduction type thing I bought at Bed, Bath, and Beyond for about $25. I think I sold it for $3 or $5.

"Hey, that looks like my old lamp!" I said.

"What? Oh, yeah. Yeah, it really does. Wow, I wonder what they want for it?"

"But it's not an antique!" I said, "Lets go in and see."

This place was an "antique mall" - a place where sellers rent space and the place is staffed by a few clerks at a central register. So the seller wasn't there for us to talk to directly.

Not only did it look like the same make, model, and type of lamp I had put in my yard sale on account of it was a pain in the rear end to change the bottom bulb and The Hub never liked it anyway, it had a distinctive tilt to the top globe. I think Patrick, the greyhound, hit it with his tail once. This lamp had the same slightly tilting globe.

"That IS your lamp! Remember, I tried to fix how that globe droops? Remember, I didn't even think it was worth putting it in the yard sale? I didn't think anybody would buy it with that crooked globe."

"Well turn the tag over!" I laughed.

He did. "$50!" he exclaimed, so loudly that the clerk looked up at us over rims of his glasses.

I laughed so hard I almost fell over. I guess there are two morals to this story: you never know where your stuff is going to wind up and, if you're in the market for an antique lamp- let the buyer beware!!