Revisiting the Land Trust 5/23/09

Lake Claire Land Trust Yard Sale

Not far from my home is a unique green space known as the Lake Claire Land Trust. The Land Trust is sort of an unofficial peoples park, it hosts drum circles, is home to an emu, contains many community gardens, a sweat lodge and a small pond filled with algae and bullfrogs. Strangers who wander into this remarkable green space often remark “So this is where the hippies went to”
Each year the Land Trust puts together a fundraising yard sale and for the past several years I have documented the curiosities that its supporters donate to help with the upkeep of this urban oasis.
Today’s sale was in the cul de sac on Arizona Ave. the same locale used in past sales. Many of the same things or things that were more of less identical had returned this year. These included a well used looking pile of plastic toys, outdated electronic devices with tangled cords, mismatched cookware and kitchen utensils.
As I perused the book collection a volunteer was sorting the philosophy volumes. Among some titles there were “Bhagavada Gita”, Love Magic”, “Who Moved My Cheese”, “The Whole Soy Cookbook”, “Art of Serenity”, “Getting Rich” and “Beyond Pendulum Power”. A selection of tattered board games dominated one whole table. One notable game was entitled “Don’t Wake Daddy”. Clothing was much more orderly this year than last as item were hung neatly an arranged fashion. Last year the apparel was randomly dumped atop a massive pile of wood chips and mulch.

There are always a few surprises at this event. A very tiny sailboat with trailer was parked in pavement looking for a buyer and a small hatchback was loaded with old TVs. If they do not sell (as expected) they can be driven to a recycling center. One notable item was the reappearance of a strange oval painting I had seen at two sales in prior months. This odd rendering of a horned naked woman with mystical designs on her entrails may be the monkey’s paw of Atlanta yard sale items. I photographed it them noticed that w woman was purchasing it. When I told here about how it keeps reappearing she responding that she was going to use it for a prank. It seems she is house sitting for a friend and is planning to hang it in his house to surprise him when he returns. He lives in the area so I expect to see it soon at another sale.
In addition to strange artwork the Land Trust always has a huge collection of boxes of old New Age magazines offered for free. If one ever needs to get an old copy of Dream Journal this is the place to find it. In addition to all this the sale featured home made peace signs, henna painting, fresh bakery items and Tarot readings. I bought a brownie.



Countless copies of free new age journals.


















The horned woman returns.