Hardware

Today, as we were driving through the orchards of olives, oranges, lemons, limes and prickly pear cactus, my hostess worried that this would be boring for me.  We were going to buy supplies for a raised bed garden. I assured her a trip to Sicily's version of Home Depot would not be boring.  I do not want to spend all my time in Sicily doing touristy stuff.  I want to live like a real Sicilian so off we went to the big box hardware store. It was a lot like Home Depot.  The aprons were green but they still had the same stuff for sale - ladders, power tools, 2x6's in 8 foot lengths.  We only know they were 8 foot lengths because we brought a tape measure.  It's too much work to convert metric into feet.  Things for sale at this hardware store that I don't usually see are electric cement mixers, glass blocks in varied colors, and stepping stones shaped in, off all things, maple leaves.  We bought our lumber and soil and manure.  My granddaughter got bored and hot at the store.  I kept handing her items to inspect.  Look at this box of screws.  She looks them over carefully and hands them back.  Check out these pliers.  She likes pliers and holds them for a long time before handing them back.  What about this board?  She inspects both ends of the board with her fingers and pushes it away.  I put her stroller close to a roll of plastic so she can inspect it carefully.  One thing different about this hardware store and hardware stores back home is that the cashier will take several minutes to smile and wave and talk to the baby in the stroller.  I prompt her to say "ciao" and to wave but, as usual, she does it after we walk away.  Because of all the lumber I have to sit in the front seat on the way home.  I see we are much closer to Mount Etna than before.  We're actually up part of the slope of the volcano.  I see a farmer walking through his orchard with a sprayer in his hand and a yellow container of something strapped to his back.  The container is too small to hold water so I would guess he has fertilizer, pesticide or herbicide.  This is a big field.  Now it is 3 o'clock in the afternoon and there are no clouds to block the hot sun.  This guy is working hard. Some of the fields still have elevated cement aqueducts for irrigation but most fields have hoses.  We all drive downward toward home singing a rousing rendition of Old MacDonald Had A Farm.  Ee Ie EE Ie Oh!