Photos of Gold

I am a glutton for punishment and brought home a box of photos from my parents house.  I figured that I had already sorted out quite a few into albums years ago, so it wouldn't be too bad.

And it's not, it's not a full paper box worth of photos but there were a few surprises.  Photos of my parents, who haven't seemed happy in years, actually looking happy.  Photos of me that I hadn't seen in years.  Fire department and fireworks photos that need to be shared.

One group were photos my niece found that were nearly ruined.  She showed them to me and I just asked her to throw them in the box because you never know.  I looked at them a little closer yesterday and they were of a major bridge being built here in Skagit County.  Kind of a big deal.

There was a weathered envelope in there also. I noticed that the letterhead said CAT, like in Caterpiller Heavy Equipment.  It was a photo shoot, of all things, of my grandfather on a new CAT bulldozer, building a very prominent road in Anacortes.  There was also a newspaper clipping from the shoot. 

That discovery was the biggest and best out of all.  I scanned them all in and put them on my facebook.   It was fun to share that little bit of history with everyone.

There is a jumble of old, old, old photographs of folks I have no idea whom they are.  It looks like it's from my dad's family.  As both of his parents died young-ish and left behind spouses and we had a disconnected father, we have very little information or photographs from his side of the family.  

When my great aunt died in early 2000's, my dad was the executor of the will.  This let us have unprecedented access to our past.  I have a small box of photos that I brought home, knowing that they would be lost forever if I left them anywhere but in my possession.  Otherwise, we would have nothing.

Posting these photographs on facebook gained me two cousins from that side of the family.  This will hopefully open the door to a little more sharing than ever before.

In a random little, mostly empty photo album, I found a photo that was washed out.  I think it was a dinner table set of a holiday dinner.  I think it's my grandfather, when he was still married to my grandmother.  

I scanned it and did some doctoring and can see it a little better.  But it turned into one of those horror show moments for a minute when I noticed the reflection in the mirror and then Who is that in the corner!?!?!! 

I think it's my grandma, but it could be a ghost for all I know.

So, the adventure continues.  If you don't hear from me again, it's because I lost my mind or that spooky lady in the photo has taken me.