Fall Samhain Moon
Got a new bar for my chain saw a couple of days ago and in the process discovered Lehman’s Power Equipment. The driveway for it slopes steeply down off East River Road, hiding the building from view as you drive in toward Anoka from Mercy Hospital. When you get down to the bottom, Lehman’s Power Tools turns out to have a large bait wing, too, including a self-service bait shack open 24 hours.
The outside looks like an up north mechanic’s shop, the kind that has hubcaps and old Marathon and Sinclair signs tacked to the wall. Maybe a rack of moose antlers, too. Inside the shop has chain saws, snow blowers, lawnmowers, lots of orange and red. Most important to me this is a Jonsered dealer, so they stock parts for my 20 year old chain saw.
A dog gets up a bit creakily from its tan rug to greet us. I make some comment about the dog and the guy behind the high counter says, “Yeah, been here the whole time. Gettin’ old, though.” I reply, “Yeah, me too.” The counter guy smiles. “Yep.”
Another, younger version of counter guy brings out two different bars, one more expensive than the other. “What do I get for my extra $19?” “Well, this one’s reinforced and milled. It’ll last longer than that one.” Last longer always sells me, so I pick up the new green bar, Kate gives him the family credit card (I lost mine somewhere in the house.) and we settle up.
Outside we pick up a couple of used pallets from a pile with a free wood sign. The sign goes on, “Don’t take sign.” We’ll use this wood in our Samhain bonfire. Gonna celebrate the end of the growing season with a big fire.
When we pulled away, I remarked to Kate, “I feel better having found that place. Folks I can trust.”
