This morning I travel down I-85 taking exit 160 to Efland North Carolina. I traveled 30 miles North down Efland/Cedargrove Road to the living estate (personal and real estate) auction of Sam and Gertrude Borland. Two years ago the Borlands decided to down size after 65 years on the family’s homestead. Both Sam and Gertrud attended the auction along with a host of family and friends. I was told that both Sam and Gertrude are eighty something. However, I would have guessed their ages to be sixty-five years or so. I asked a family member what Sam did as a vocation and with such devotion and love she answered there was not anything that he could not do. Judging by the four section tool outbuilding and the extensive collection of equipment and tools, I can imagine this to be true. Sam and Gertrude have seven children. The auction was an emotional event for their children, there were tears shed. After all this was their homestead and every square inch of land held a memory. This auction signaled the end of a season for their parents as they had known. However, given the appearance of both parents, I would say that they have lots of life and years ahead to come.
There were lots of items up for auction. So much so that three auctioneers rotated around to worked two auction venues. There was a huge outbuilding that housed an extensive collections of shop tools and small hand tools. There was another outbuilding that housed Sam’s mother estate item. The “wow” purchased for the day was made in this building. A hand made sideboard was estimated to have been made in 1810 or earlier. I was told that this piece of furniture had been handed down from Sam’s grand parents. The final bid on the sideboard was $12,650. Before the sideboard was secured away I was able to capture a picture.I purchased a couple of kitchen items and founded another quilt to add to my wall hanging collection. A picture of the quilt follows. I was disappointed in that there were items I wanted from both outbuildings. I walked back and forth between both buildings trying to gauge when those items might come up for bid. As fate would have it I missed the opportunity to bid on those items by minutes in my back and forth travels. This was a day when I needed another person with me. Nonetheless, the drive into Cedar Grove was beautiful. I would love to own a homestead there. It is country living accessible to the Raleigh/Durham area.
This auction experience was different, I would not rank dual auctions at one location as my favorite type of auction. The people at the auction were friendly enough. But the best part of the day was seeing what I consider as icons, husband and wife in union for 65 years. Thank You Sam and Gertrude Borland for publicly, sharing an end of a season to your lives and a embarkment on a new chapter. And while the auctioneer did pronounce a couple items SOLD to my number 131. The best things at auction are not always the assets up for auction but the assets of lives lived in union with more seasons to come.
