I say pecan, you say pee-can

For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together.

For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad.

Edwin Way Teale · 1899-1980

Old-fashioned ingenuity: Thanks to several pecan trees in my yard, I had the honor of inheriting my granddad's pecan picker upper. Although there's fancier and costlier gizmos on the market, I suspect this timeless design is still sold in county co-ops across Mississippi.

Granddad's bountiful pecan harvests were a testament to this tool's usefulness. With his pecan picker upper in hand, he barely stopped long enough to pose for this photo before heading back out to gather more nuts:

C B Smith · circa 1988

Newfangled improvement:
Metal coffee cans were useful enough, but their heyday is over. Plastic containers like this one have a number of benefits to make the switch painless:

Sturdier lids Lighter weight Doesn't rust Easy-grip handle for toteability All of which makes them (you knew this was coming) the perfect pee can.