Stalking the Elusive Nova

The Nova. The one-year only 1953 improved Necchi BU. I'm sure that there are places in the world where they are so numerous that they run in packs, but here, in the backwoods of Pennsyltucky they are very few.  Blame it on sub-urbanization, or a decline of natural habitat, or eroding feeding grounds, the fact remains that the population of local Novas has been in decline.  

I have hunted them. Stalked the Nova in it's natural environment and have always come up short. Today however, there were fresh tracks on wet ground. 

We left camp shortly before Oh-eight-hundred and climbed Snake Hill summit hoping to make Avella by mid-day. The going was slow due to heavy ground saturated with spring rains. Once, if not twice, in between peaks we thought we might lose its trail with the in-and-out GPS.  Eventually though, we entered the area where it had last been spotted.

  

Here's the evidence I was presented on Thursday. 

A simple advertisement denoting an estate sale and among the many photographs there had been a flamboyant Singer wildly displayed in the foreground as if a peacock all un-whirled. A decoy. If you look beyond it, in the quiet dim of the background you can make out the indisputable Nova shape, the tell-tale N on the backside, and that somewhat obtuse line of rear inspection plate. (Yes, I know, it's sad that I recognize these things. It really is, I know. I know. I promise to get out more.) 

This morning we were hot on its trail, and when we finally got there, the peacock was no where to be seen. I took a deep breath and pressed further into the basement and for a moment I didn't see it because I had it in my head that it was black... but there it was... camouflaged in green.  

A handwritten sticker applied with a loop of tape asked forty five, and yet, I wasn't quite sold. I searched the drawers and they were all empty, and the attendant suggested I see the box upstairs of sewing related items and that's when I found the accessories box, and another one, and another one...

When we got home, hiding in one of the boxes behind a selection of new needles was a pack of  embroidered labels that said 'Hand crafted by Anne' so that's what we've named her. 

This is Anne of the Green Novas right out of the trunk and onto a cabinet top in the garage. She's still dirty and musty and not quite willing to move as she should - but it's all very encouraging.  There are spots of missing deck paint, and the obvious need for a lamp cover, but overall in she's in great shape. Hopefully by tomorrow I'll update this with a test stitch.

The other surprise of the day was found in a Clarks box (note: no Coats). When we opened it, the contents took a moment to sink in. I can safely say that I have never in my life seen anything like this before, and I probably will never see it again:

A real shame that peacock ran off as quick as it did...