A sweet sound

Barbara Bolte isn't exactly sure when she began collecting wind chimes, but she knows what prompted her to hang the collection of 400 unique pieces from the rafters in the garage of her Orchard home.

" I started by hanging some out on my front deck and the wind just ripped them apart," Bolte said. "I thought, 'I don't like this,' so I started hanging them in the garage."

Inside, the sweet sound of chimes declare peaceful intent, soothing the soul, providing peace of mind.

Bolte's collection includes pre-made and handcrafted chimes.

"The dollar stores are a good place to find them," she said.

She's also designed several pieces.

One features a barn with barnyard animals as chimes. Another resembles the vase encapsulating a rose in "Beauty and the Beast." An old lantern, adorned with a painted flame, drips icicle chimes. Bolte repurposed a painted birdhouse by adding a four chimes.

"I try not to purchase a new chime all the time," she said.

Yet, she often finds a new chime to add to the collection.

When she found a chime with miniature pianos, she knew it needed an upgrade.

"We need an orchestra, not just pianos," she said. Bolte added banjos and other instruments, creating a soothing sound effect.

Her favorite: a multi-colored wind spinner that moves in opposite directions.

Visitors ooh and ahh at the collection, especially local elementary students who have made the short jaunt down the street to Bolte's house.

"Everybody who knows me knows I have them," she said.

Bolte's collecting habit isn't limited to chimes.

The garage walls are covered in butterflies constructed from wood, plastic and metal.

Bolte isn't sure how many butterflies adorn the walls.

She added the first butterfly to the east wall of the garage after a friend presented one as a gift.

"It just built from there," she said.