If you have ever found an ‘OH I have to have it’ item you understand this tale. It did not start out as one of our vintage hunts but things happen. So we went to meet a friend to pick up our 65 pounds of honey. Trip up was pretty uneventful UNTIL we passed the architectural salvage store. To this day I remember seeing the trellis as we passed by and the OH I have to have moment but tempered with a rational thought of we should check that out on our way back. Thinking back this was most likely the first error in this trip.
Honey pickup achieved now back to the salvage shop for THE FIND! A large fleur de lis trellis made of rebar – sigh! Perfect for the garden – sigh. Okay, the right price after a bit of discussion, which I am rotten at but it worked out. Purchased – oh I bought a seven foot trellis over an hour from home and driving a ’04 Chevy Classic. [hint – it does not fit – ANYWHERE]. No bungees. No wrappings. No twine. So Rose is off to the local hardware store for transport stuff. I stay with the trellis. Once she returns we strap it down and protect the car roof with the cloak and chair cover found in the car. Head for home!!
Driving in the slow lane at about the minimum speed limit, we kept hearing a creaking. The images in my head were of lovely gouges in the roof of the car. People passing us pointing and laughing. Hmmm, is it really so odd to have something tied to the roof of a car? Suddenly we noticed that the point of the fleur was no longer visible – which would mean a slide of over a foot – oops. We pull over and put on the emergency lights. Timing is everything I have long believed it but never really appreciated as much as I did on this day.
This being near Halloween, a local corn farm has done up the corn maze and has an inflatable giant that people can walk through. Our roadside stop happened to be right next to the giant inflatable – well – sleeping giant. Once out of the car what did we discover? The true reason that all those people were pointing and ;aughing at my poor little Chevy – it looked like it had been crowned – literally. Did you know that rebar creates a fairly simple frame that will bend when it hits the highway air flow? The fleur part of the frame was bent into a 45 degree angle like a crown on the roof. WOW! Remove the trellis from the car. Rose is carefully bending it back into position while I explain to the nice State Patrol Officer that we are not stopped to take pictures of the giant but that we bought a trellis that won’t fit in my car and seem to be having issues. He laughed – me not so much. Slow speeds down to the very minimum we can with getting killed and made it home. 
It does really fit into the garden perfectly. It’s story of how it came to be there is finally entertaining rather than embarrassing. Lesson learned. We now carry tarps and bungees in the car ALWAYS. Better that than have to pass on a treasure we have to have. 
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