Little cookstoves, in wheelbarrows

David Roybal shared this photo with me in 2020, and I am adding it here in 2025. I suppose of all blogs one about a medieval conveyance contraption isn't time sensitive. 🙂

The photo led to a video, showing how to make the little stove:


"Take advantage of old trolleys - clay and cement - turn them into portable cooking stoves"
Without the wheelbarrow, I saw this stove in action in India. It burned little dried patties of water buffalo dung.

There was another stove-in-wheelbarrow, in Brazil, here:


Wheelbarrow stove, Brazil
Hers is on blocks, as it were; no wheel. 🙂

Entryway

An arch between parking lot and Open Space, Albuquerque. Photos by Holly Dodd. Art credited below.

Joshua Robert Willis made it for the City of Albuquerque in 2017 or earlier. It's called "Archbarrow."

Here are more images of this and its relatives, and the concept art, on Joshua R. Willis's blog: Archbarrow/Barrowhenge. (Use "next" or "view thumbnails" when you get there.)

The Magic of Belle Isle

A wheelbarrow leaning, partly blocking a door, early in the film "The Magic of Belle Isle," might symbolize a place that used to be kept up and worked on, but that is sitting between residents now. "Your move," maybe is the message.

Under the Tuscan Sun

From the film "Under the Tuscan Sun" (2003), at 1:13 or so —— an artsy construction scene with three metal wheelbarrows:

Fireworks launching pad

New Mexico, July 2025

Muninn Raymundsbairn took the photo and let me keep it so you could see it!

China, 1960+/-

Wikipedia says:

The Great Chinese Famine was a famine that occurred between 1959 and 1961 in the People's Republic of China. Some scholars have also included the years 1958 or 1962.

This photo has to do with the famine, and unless they were digging irrigation or creating terraces, it doesn't look much like farming, but it is from a YouTube video sharing evidence that China's population might be much lower than they claim.

Video should start about two images before this one (narratively in context).
As to the wheelbarrows, though, they have a large wheel and the tray is flat above that. Not as stable as a European wheelbarrow with the wheel smaller, and out front.

Other Chinese wheelbarrows: Chinese Wheelbarrows

Heavenly Wheelbarrow

Happy wheelbarrow in Mississippi

"Wheelbarrow in my friend's garden.... I saw it there and thought of you. Happy anniversary to you and Keith!"

—Lydia Koltai

Lydia sent that in 2016, and fb memories showed it to me again in 2025, our 41st anniversary.

I failed then to share the photo, but here is it.

Dirt-bike tire on a wheelbarrow

I don't know who sent this to me, or whether it just appeared spontaneously. It was showing on my phone when I woke up.

The last third of the video talks about the practicalities of fitting your own replacement wheel. I don't know what skills or tools it would take, but the results seem good (except it's only a side-dumper; not a big deal under the circumstances they show). The video demos of the old ratty wheelbarrow pre-bigwheel are fun.

Trompe l'oeil, in Germany

Though the poster claimed it, others say it's by Peter Böhringer, and is in Oldenburg, Germany.

(where I saw it on facebook)

Twenty Flowers

Laurie McPherson, in Corrales, New Mexico, sent this in 2020, but somehow I failed to save it here where it belongs.

It's impressive when a fullsized wheelbarrow can only hold about 20 flowers!

Wheelbarrow Succulent Fairy Garden!

Jodi Stinebaugh shared this facebook find, and wrote:

Sandra Dodd, for your wheelbarrow collection. Dianne German, I know it's not a sand tray but it feels like it belongs in that family. Now I know what I could do with my old, beat up wheelbarrow. ❤

Wheelbarrows in Lagos

Marieke van Der Graaf, writing of things she saw on moving to Lagos in March 2024:

"- some people sleep in wheel barrows at bus stops, they use the wheel barrows during the day to make money and bring goods for people and then sleep in it (waiting for another job?)"

Her post is public, and there are a few photos, but none of a wheelbarrow. Not yet.
Public post for those on facebook

Traditional Korean farmyard

From the kdrama "My Liberation Notes," episode 5, the front yard of a farmhouse. The low table is called a pyeong-sang (flat table), and it's used as a room, in that people leave their shoes on the ground. Sometimes a small table is put in the middle (for food or drinks), or sometimes it's just for sitting, or lounging.

There are other Korean-looking things, and the wheelbarrow is probably generic, rather than local. But I've seen more plastic (rather than steel) pans lately, and this one has a steel brace in the front, rising from the axle, to strengthen the part that might be holding the most weight when the wheelbarrow is in motion.

A planter with a story

Posted on facebook by "Cottage in the Oaks":

This old wheelbarrow sits out by our woodshed, and we plant different flowers in it with the seasons. It was my grandfather’s wheelbarrow….the only one he ever used. He used it for all of his gardening, for cement to lay foundations for his business and home….it’s huge! Lots of legacy and lessons in that wheelbarrow. And for many years now it has held a special place in our garden…a little spotlight. The daffodils have just started blooming in it, and in a couple of months it will overflow with coleus. 🤎

(those on facebook can read the comments there)

Thanks to Theresa Larson for showing me.

Somebody's great idea:

Theresa Larson sent this video to me.

Revamping old posts

Note to self, mostly.

Things older than September 2013 have been checked and improved. Flash videos aren't working, but the code can be changed. Some have been fixed and code can be borrowed from those:

Larkrise, July 2013

Knights of Badassdom, February 2014

Most of my posts don't have links or videos. Good!

Many sites and blogs I had linked from are gone. I would like for that not to happen to this one, as there are things here that aren't elsewhere. The videos above are not part of that, though, really...

Cactus, Spain

Ester Siroky took these photos in 2021. They came up in facebook memories, and somehow I failed to bring them here sooner.

I don't suppose wheelbarrow photos are very time-sensitive.

Awkward...

ONE part is left, of this wheelbarrow, and it's still being used. 😊

My daughter (that's her in the photos) works on a farm (farm education program) and the tray of this old wheelbarrow had been filled with compost. All its other parts are gone, so it needed a hauler. 😊

I think it's very sweet that it's still in use.

Teri and Angus in Norfolk

—Animals of and photos by Cathy Koetsier

Stylized cartoon wheelbarrow

A cartoon in The New Yorker (or at least put out by them electronically):

It only has one handle and one stand. Very two-dimensional cartoon wheelbarrow.

The cartoon isn't very funny, but it's a rough year for humor.

---

https://www.facebook.com/newyorker/photos/a.430906773868/10159202832163869