Taylor's Army Surplus

4042 N. 1st St.

WHAT were these white boots used for??

A hidden gem on N. 1st! Who knew?! Certainly not me. In over 3 1/2 years, I'd never even noticed the rocket suspended from the sign or the cannon displayed in the parking lot.

It was so cool in here that if this place had a donation box like museums do, I would've put in some money.

It's fascinating inside!!

The outside never would've gotten me in the door but our son had been in several times, so I went with him.

Hung around the tops of the metal corrugated walls are jackets of uniforms from all over the world. Fascinating.

In a back room they have a rack of similar jackets for sale for $9.99.

One can also purchase British Pink Military Parachutes for $89.99. If one so desires. (I wonder what could mega-crafters do with that particular item?!)

Mixed with basic merchandise like wool blankets and sturdy plastic buckets with lids, you'll find multicolored, jungle-appropriate (I guess) long rain ponchos and a surprising variety of stuff. There's a full-size army jeep parked in there, as part of an attractive display.

I could go in several times and wander and enjoy myself.

Check it out!

Boots & Boot Pullers

Here's whatcha do: put your heel into the u-shaped groove of the puller, and then ease your foot out of the boot. You know, kind of like when you step on the back of one shoe with the other one, to help get it off. Nice, eh? "Saves your back." Who knew?

Check out all the designs and colors of the boots. Different kinds of leather, heights of the tops, shapes of the toes - I guess square is popular right now. Crosses are common icons for decoration.

Royce Brooks Garage

AKA "Bobby's" - which is how one woman I met writes it on her to-do list when she needs to get her car fixed. I actually look forward to having our cars worked on because it means I get to go and bring my work and wait in the waiting area at this garage. First of all, I like it because it's cleaner than my own house. You can practically eat off the floor. Yes, I repeat, it's an automotive repair place. Next, there's no T.V. wedged in front of clientele to shut them up. No squawk-box blaring in front of the small number of chairs, forcing you to listen to murder & mayhem. Just a steady stream of customers come in and out, often chatting about one another's lives. Good work is being done all around you. I find something both relaxing and inspiring about the racks of tools and the lifts moving up and down, and things being fixed. The whole place is clean and Bobby is really good with people. And cars. It's a well-run place.

Vacuum Cleaner Hospital

Although dustier than your average hospital (: we had quite a good experience getting our Dyson repaired and serviced here. I liked the humor of the sign, which included a vacuum with its tongue hanging out and a thermometer. On South 14th St.

Allen's Taxidermy

Wow! Who knew? I previously knew almost nothing about taxidermy. What surprised me about this place were the iridescent feathers of the turkey, and the exquisite design of the bird. Allen's has an extraordinary reputation in the area for quality work and service. Evidently, during the White Tail season they have a 6 month+ waiting list for jobs. The animals and birds on display give one a good chance to look at them up close. The shop is off the highway on the way to Clyde. The purple flower was outside the owner's residence and I've no idea what kind it is, but it's beautiful and otherworldly.

It's About Time

This store contains a mixture of antiques, vintage and new finds. Anything one of the three co-owners likes and brings in to creatively display is for sale. In a review of this place, I first read of the Japanese term, "wabi sabi" and am now I'm enraptured by the concept. It means something like "old and new together," and is about finding beauty in worn, used things and how they juxtapose with new items. Some cool life lessons in there, yes? The way furniture, jewelry, wall art and home decor are artfully combined in this shop offers loads of inspiration.