Have I shown you this little drawing? I thought I had, but I couldn’t find any evidence of it searching the blog archives. Anyway, I have always liked this vignette. I don’t know why; probably because I like to waste time in cozy cafés myself. I can’t remember what I had in mind when I drew it. Perhaps it was intended for coffee-cup art. There must have been some purpose, because I seldom draw for my own amusement. Whatever the project, it was never realized. I like this scene so much, I’ve drawn several versions: a larger version, a warm-weather version, a less somber, more frivolous version. OK, so maybe I do draw for my own amusement now and then. There is even one mirror-image version, with Gene seated on the left and Arlo and Janis on the right. This leads me to think the purpose of that particular piece was coffee-cup art, for that would have put Arlo and Janis front and center for right-handed coffee drinkers. I’m thinking I might work a version into the new Web site. Remember when the Worldwide Web was new? It was perceived as a gathering place, often a metaphorical café. I have always liked that, too.
Café Arlo & Janis
By Jimmy Johnson
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159 responses to “Café Arlo & Janis”
Old Bear, he also wrote Roads to Quiz: an American mosey. I found it an excellant companion to Blue Hiways, it covers numerous short voyages down the less trodden pathways. He has out or soon to be released nook on the writing of Blue Hiway.
sand, ref your comment above, my comment from 10 AM-ish this morning that got “left behind”…
“Jimmy mentioned William Least Heat-Moon several years back when discussing travel books. (Can you believe this blog has been around long enough that we can use the phrase “several years back”?) I meant to read him then but never got around to it. I see that a large on-line purveyor of e-books has several of his titles listed. Apparently he even wrote a book about writing a book (Blue Highways), which is the way to do it if you can get away with it, as I’d imagine it cuts down on the amount of research you have to do.”
OF due 1755-1815 CST. Peace, emb
http://www.nps.gov/features/yell/webcam/oldFaithfulStreaming.html
JJ: Would you please consider posting the other versions of this strip here?
I think I’m not the only one who would enjoy that very much, in the way an art lover likes to explore the pieces of sometimes-incomplete art that an artist intended as “studies”.
Ghost: I actually saw “My Little Chickadee.” It came out in ’40, so I may have seen it on its first run, when I was 10-12. More likely I saw it at Cornell, possibly with my girlfriend of 62 years. Just watched the trailer, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Little_Chickadee, remember little of it. There’s a scene where Fields steps on an *insurance agent’s glasses, and the agent opens his attaché case, and takes another of several pair out. Apparently West and Field had a dispute and she never made a second movie with him. Nobody’s asked, and they’re both dead, but I wouldn’t make a movie with either of them. I’m probably in some videos because I was there. I know I’m in the one where I accepted that award for that same girlfriend.
*or some such.
Peace, emb
Nice blow, twd. end of the 20 min. window. Suppertime. Peace, emb
http://www.nps.gov/features/yell/webcam/oldFaithfulStreaming.html
Page hasn’t reloaded, no idea what has come before, but just wanted to say I am joining the traveling ones in spirit – listening to bluegrass and folk songs about trains on NPR. Happy place found. ????
I promise there were no chickadees nibbling off of tables in Paris cafes — not only are those claimed rather vigorously by common house sparrows, but chickadees hang out in trees, and are fairly hard to find in cities (although there are usually some around large parks). Most amusingly, it’s because Europeans don’t call them chickadees — they’re t i t s. But that word doesn’t make it past some censors, so the popular name may change out of necessity!
Dear Soleil, your information on chickadees was wandering in my brain, but I couldn’t express my thoughts as precisely as you did. You are perfectly right. I follow the blog of a bird-lover and photographer in Scotland, and they have the Great … what you said … and the Blue…what you said. Both very like our Chickadee.
The marsh tit and willow tit are almost indistinguishable from our black-capped chickadee and the former used to be considered the same sp. as ours. I saw various tits in East Anglia in ’52-’53. Peace, emb
P.S. Guess that settles the moderation question. I hope Brits don’t change those names. Can you still refer to an IQ-challenged person as a boob?
NB: I didn’t recommend that you do so. “Do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly . . . [Micah 6:8.”
Peace, emb
The only problem with the “now you see it, now you don’t” mugs is that if they get put in the dishwasher the heat and detergent kill the paint and they don’t work any more.
I’ll put in my order for a large mug, with the artwork as is above, thank you very much!
Of course, if someone were to do a collection of strips centering on Arlo’s adventures in cooking this would make great cover art!
Ghost, I saw your Cheezburger link just after I poured my cup of tea from my TARDIS tea pot. 🙂
Jackie, be safe!
“Most speckled birds are chickadees to me.”
“There are Eagles, Crows and little brown birds – only variations thereof.”
One field mark of chickadees is that they are not speckled.
“”All birds are ducks, eagles, or dickey birds.” is a quote from a U.MI. zoogeography prof., in the mid ’50s. He, of course, knew better, and would be interested in any zoogeography problem that a particular sp. or family of birds helped solve. If I remember, his specialty was the geogr. distribution of Middle American lizards [they have many more than we do], he specialized also in being curmudgeonly, and was probably jealous of all the attn. birds get / hobbyists.
Actually, any aspect of our physical universe is fascinating, once you learn something about it. That, however, requires learning a few facts, some names, and some new vocabulary. I had no interest in ornithology because of the childish [really] way it was taught at Cornell in my junior yr., Spr. ’50. When I first came in ’58 to my job here, I had to teach it! I’m now a believer, and enjoy Elohim’s universe that much more. Actually, the best ornithology texts even into the early ’60s were pretty rinky-dink. [Speelczech recognizes rinky-dink, but not Elohim. S’czech needs a course in bible studies.] Peace, emb
I agree that the cafe scene would be perfect cover art for next book. Just need to flip the scene to put Arlo and Janis on the front cover for wraparound art. In fact, you could just title the book Cafe Arlo and Janis and you wouldn’t need to change the lettering!
Hey Y’all. Something just struck me funny about the logo for the web page. The Cobra they are leaning on has a strong resemblance to a bulldog in the front. Look at how the little bumpers stick out like the bottom canines on a bulldog.
See what I mean?
http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/english-bulldog-2217463.jpg
“Remember when the Worldwide Web was new? It was perceived as a gathering place, often a metaphorical café. I have always liked that, too. ”
Long before there was an Internet (nevermind a World Wide Web), there was a WELL (the Whole Earth ‘Lectronic Link), a metaphorical village, with cafés, taverns and stuff (I was the founder of The Book Store).
Denise, yes, Harlan Hubbard, one of most remarkable “life books” you will read, Also sequel when they go into bayous of south Louisiana. This was WWII era and I don’t recall the war in book, just the river and people they meet along the way.
Yes, I am fine even if I almost had to call Jerry for the B and B room. I am in only room with any lodging accepting dogs from northern Florida down to Keys tonight. I am sure Ghost has slept here. Why are all these people here this week? Unbelievable! From Gainesville to the Keys is one giant paved highway and strip mall, condos. Worse than LA-CA.
Had great early dinner before the wait for tables took off which was 10 minutes after we got seated. I said, “No, no, there is no wait for a table. Get in here!” Mrs. Mac’s Kitchen in Key Largo, fed helper prime rib special, I had the seafood special but there were 20 others I would have enjoyed I think, just in case I were to drive down for the champagne brunch on Sunday which is unlikely tomorrow. Sleeping in even more than normal unless things change.
Waiter was studying ecology of ocean and marine science, loved that I knew Howard Rice and Robert Ballard. Should have dropped Anne Murrow L. name too but I had already had good service by then. Seriously, I love people who care if our oceans or our lands live or die, to me they are heroes.
Special included stone crab claws, conch fritters, grouper, Gulf shrimp in two styles, crab cake and ended with their famous key lime pie. Only dessert I have eaten all week. It is my birthday, so I celebrated. Unless you count plaintains as a dessert?
Love, Jackie
Neat thing was in a space of minutes we were talking to a lady from Bosnia, another from Japan who gave helper an origami bird in elevator, a lady from Venezuela, there were people speaking Spanish, French and English (not Texas) around us, sounded like United Nations on a good day.
Went thru two toll booths were lovely Jamaican accents wearing identical tropical shirts uniforms. I said, “I just paid you at last toll booth” and my helper asked how she had gotten there so fast or was I driving in circles?
I am horrified they have finished paving over Paradise with parking lots and little box houses.
However, the attitudes are actually refreshingly sweet and funny, I don’t think there are any angry people in south Florida unless they are tourists. Locals are nice.
Love, Jackie
Sounds like you are managing to have fun on this trip. Try this website and see if it helps any finding rooms.
http://hotels.petswelcome.com/florida/
Good luck with the rescue.
Happy belated birthday, Jackie. I’m glad you gave yourself a trip.
Why would they have a problem with dogs from north Florida? Some of them go outside to do their business because that’s where the bathroom is.
And a happy birthday too. Are you picking up Hemingway’s cats?
Let me know if you need anything down there. I have a cousin in Marathon.