"My best guess here is that one of the nearby businesses (probably the funeral home considering the type of oil) had setup a quick outdoor painting station for something long (maybe baseboard or handrails). Since the 2x3's have brush strokes from being stained/painted, they were probably used to keep the workpieces off the boxes. I think the oil boxes were used because they were easy to move, provided a decent work height, and were heavy enough to remain stationary in the event of an accidental kick / strong wind. The outdoor setup was probably to keep the fumes out of the business, and the whole setup was removed after the residual finish on the 2x3's was dry. Only thing left to do is go into these businesses to find which one has freshly finished long objects."
"The author of McMansion Hell is not so anonymous. She is the wonderful and snarky Kate Wagner. Here is her Ted Talk on McMansions which is sure to be both informative and comedic."