Country barn antiques offer surprising stories

Georgene "George" Scott's husband, Bob, had the foresight to plant trees when they purchased the house, barn and land in Rosburg on the Grays River. Bob's keen vision transformed the harshly lit pasture into a shaded, lush and serene grove.

They bought the house despite their early misgivings. An unwelcome odor had permeated the walls, and the mess of rooms weakened the flow in the home. After a flood, they gutted the whole house, and like the property, it, too, was transformed. They created a more open space and added bold paint and the art and furniture collected during their travels. A huge and ageless butcher's table from Mexico sits in the kitchen.

The Scotts had been living in a 300 year old home in Mexico, just a few hours north of Mexico City in San Miguel de Allende, a town whose adjectives frequently refer to its beauty and its magic. They met many expatriates there, writers, artists, movie stars and other people who had worked behind the scenes in Hollywood.

Scott became friends with Mary Martin, who had played Peter Pan on the stage. Scott once asked Martin, "What is the best thing you've done?" and Martin replied, "Flying across the stage when I played Peter Pan at the age of 70."

While in San Miguel de Allende, Scott and her husband designed metal furniture. They needed an address in the US and Bob had read a story about the Grays River Valley. They came up to check it out and one thing lead to another.

Scott has lived in so many places it took a while for her to name them all. She and her husband, Bob, went to high school in Tacoma. She studied journalism at the University of Washington, got married and had five kids. Later, after she divorced, she met Bob again and by this time, he had his own seven kids. They married.

San Miguel de Allende was by far her favorite place to live, but Rosburg has its own beauty and magic, and she loves it too.

Behind her home is the Bed and Breakfast with two suites, attached by a large deck that surrounds the place. Trees and plants, outdoor art and seating are all around.

Scott runs an antique shop out of the historic barn that sits behind the home and bed and breakfast. She has collected a lot of things during her travels to Europe and Latin America and sometimes she takes consignment. She sells antiques, gifts, collectibles and primitives. She doesn't do a lot of advertising, so many times, tourists find themselves there as they meander on their way to the coast.

Usually they come back. As with the B and B, she relies on repeat visits.

"Sometimes people will come in and talk about something they had purchased from me in the past," Scott said. "I will remember the object but I won't remember them."

Every item in her shop has an origin and a story, from the skis and the wedding dress with the 24 inch waist, to the painted ceramic basins designed by an artist she knows in Mexico and the textile work and art that line the walls.

Scott's Country Barn is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 12-6 p.m. or by appointment. It is located at 86 Altoona-Pillar Rock Rd. in Rosburg. If you would like to make an appointment or a reservation for the B and B, the phone number is 360-465-2227. Her email is georgscott@wwest.net and the website can be found at http://www.scottscountrybarn.com.