Architectual Histories

The brick is from several places in Tampa. One place was the house at 13th and New Orleans. He had torn up his brick driveway to put in a concrete one. He just left the brick on the grass on the side of the driveway. Susan asked me to ask him what he was going to do with them. He gave them to me for free.

The rams heads are from my neighbors yard. She was redoing her yard and gave them to us. I think they are made of plaster or some soft material that the rainwatches leaches away. It has a coral feel to it. They now hold a plant in a pot.

The round inset concrete table top is from the Travelers Motel. This motel is located on Nebraska Avenue, north of Fowler. Writer Connie May Fowler lived in that motel as a child and it was featured in her book "Before Women Had Wings". We lived a few blocks away from the motel on the other side of the Interstate when Susan read the book. What a surprise to find the motel in the book was just around the corner from us.

One day after we moved to Seminole Heights, we were driving down Nebraska headed home when spotted the table top at the motel laying broken on the ground. She asked me to see if I could get it. Maybe to break up and use for a walkway. So I did. I told them my wife was an artist and wanted to use the pieces for an art project. So they gave it to me. Heavy, heavy thing. Took it home. Since it was rebared together, we decided to keep all the pieces together and use it as a base.

Moving it once I dropped it on Susan's fingers. Fortunately nothing was broken.



So, if your wife or partner asks you to ask, go ahead. All people can say is no. If they say yes, well, cool stuff comes home.