Our local version of Ground Hog Day involves the old men from the Wheel Bar coming out onto the main drag, squinting down the street, and if they see a tourist, it means spring is here.

It feels strange to be in what is considered the 'old folks' generation because inside us we're not all that old.

Yesterday I went to what is known as a Quarter Auction. It's very similar to a garage sale, but more social. Women gather for 8 hours, from 2 pm to 10 pm. The sellers bring tubs and big Ikea shopping bags full of stuff they want to get rid of, mostly clothes. Sometimes small appliances, hobby supplies, and home decor. The items could be donated to thrift stores, but this way the giver knows they are going to someone who wants it instead of dumped in some warehouse in Denver that might be the purgatory before the landfill.

What intrigues me is that they bring partial containers of health, beauty, and cleaning supplies, and sometimes non-perishable food. It's ideal for trying a new product, and they'll tell you what they didn't like about it - the smell, or how it worked for them. Sometimes it's just that something new caught their eye. I think we've all ended up with tail ends of products that we should throw away.

Each seller has 30 minutes, timed scrupulously, and at the end of their session everyone settles up. Volunteers keep track of how much each buyer owes and makes sure they pay. The bidding starts at a quarter, and most everything sells for less than a dollar.

Another interesting aspect is quite often a past purchase is on the auction block again because the buyer decides it's not what they wanted, and sometimes the previous seller buys it back because they discovered they miss it.

Last night I came home with knitting supplies worth several hundred dollars for $2. The seller was grateful to find someone who wanted her mother's collection. It's a treasure because that woman bought a lot of accessories and nice things that I wouldn't shell out for.

The highlight of my evening was a Beatrix Potter Barbie commemorating the 100 year anniversary of the publishing of the Peter Rabbit story. Universes collide. I can't picture Barbie reading Beatrix Potter, and I can't picture Beatrix Potter writing for Barbie as an audience. I started thinking about the Outlander story - the time travel aspect of it - Barbie goes through The Stones to 1893 and meets up with Beatrix. "Oh Bea! I love your drawings. I'm going to use them as the border for a dress." "Go for it," says Bea.