Jan 3rd 2013 08:20 am Pure as the Riven Snow
Where I come from, the familiar bromide is, “it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity,” meaning, of course, that a combination of high temperature and high humidity is a double whammy that can make life particularly miserable. Well let me tell you, it works the same in winter. It’s not the lack of heat, it’s the humidity. We’ve had a particularly wet fall and winter, which has been a good thing from a drought-breaking perspective, but it makes for a bone-chilling kind of discomfort that belies the actual temperature. We haven’t had a snowfall yet, but this is the kind of winter when they occur. So, a snow cartoon.
Posted by jimmyjohnson / Vintage A&J
62 Responses to “Pure as the Riven Snow”
carl on 03 Jan 2013 at 8:57 am #
it’s perfect stout drinking weather.
Mindy on 03 Jan 2013 at 9:04 am #
Never eat the yellow snow.
emeritus Minnesota biologist on 03 Jan 2013 at 9:08 am #
Carl:
Right, though I see no reason to abstain from stout or porter, esp. Taddy Porter, in warmer weather.
Ghost Rider 6 on 03 Jan 2013 at 9:09 am #
That’s what the Eskimos say.
Debbe, I suppose one could make the case that Junior is already in rooster heaven. I was interested to hear you say that you “think his crowing helps stimulate the hens into laying.” I started to add that that had always been my experience, but then I realized that if I did, I would be on the receiving end of severe remonstration from certain citizens of A&Jville for weeks and weeks (or for the rest of the day, whichever came first). And if you have ever been the victim of remonstration, you know how painful that can be.
Speaking of painful things: Mindy, if you were male, it’s not likely you would have had to look up the term “blue [deleted]“; you would have known from experience what it is. And also that the awful affliction does not really have anything to do with the ambient temperature. Did John explain to you the “cure” for the condition?
Mindy on 03 Jan 2013 at 9:18 am #
Yes, John explained the cure and I told him that he could wade right into the snow after which I’d towel him off, as he did me, and then remedy his affliction. At this point, I plead a Mindy. What amazes me is how many times, during our stay on the Mountain Walled In Pond, that he leaped into the snow screaming like a banshee and scaring any deer within a five-mile radius. Sandcastler? It wasn’t dope. It was Wild Turkey and Southern Comfort [served separately] mixed in with post-pubescent hormonal tidal surges of unexpected ferocity. I may just drag him back to the cabin this weekend as well. Back to Blue [deleted], it turned out that I was familiar with the condition, having inflicted it from time to time
even before I looked it up. When John first used the term I immediately said, “Show me.” And he did. And I almost blushed but settled for pushing him in the snow.
Us? Smoke dope? Well, there was that strange herb growing amongst the bamboo but I have no idea what it was or how it got there…but I’m not joking when I say that, more than once, the County’s eradication efforts utilizing National Guard Huey Helicopters resulted in armed troops swooping down…only to realize that it was a bamboo grove and not the Mother of all Mary-J Patches. No one every bothered to look past the first few stalks.
Not that there was anything there! Oh, forget it…
Steve From Royal Oak, MI on 03 Jan 2013 at 9:30 am #
I’ll repeat the post that had on the prior thread:
I have to agree with Arlo on his New Year’s Resolution. I would urge all of you to follow his advice and keep active. Physically, mentally and spiritually. I am living proof that keeping active physically is an excellent way to recover from a major operation. I realize that I am extremely fortunate, as sometimes things do not go as planned, but losing a few lbs. and walking 20 minutes a day will rejuvenate most of us.
Anonymous on 03 Jan 2013 at 9:50 am #
There is that great little town in Pennsylvania near Intercourse that is named Blue Ball. Those Old Dutch had a sense of humor.
Ghost Rider 6 on 03 Jan 2013 at 10:12 am #
I’ve been told that in Pennsylvania, Intercourse is 10 miles away from Blue Ball. Ouch.
Denise in Michigan on 03 Jan 2013 at 10:21 am #
Jimmy, you’re so right about the humidity and cold. 40 degrees and damp can feel colder than 22 degrees and dry.
The Usual Suspect on 03 Jan 2013 at 10:34 am #
So when you reach Blue Ball, you are still a good ways from Intercourse?
Jean in Dahlonega Ga aka Trapper Jean on 03 Jan 2013 at 11:01 am #
Who was it that said “I used to be Snow White, but I drifted”? Sounds like Mae West.
I just wish we would get enough snow to make ice cream with. At least then I’d feel like the cold was worth something instead of just being cold. No, I’m not wishing back the 90 degree heat, thank you very much!
Mindy on 03 Jan 2013 at 11:39 am #
Jean, you got it right. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/maewest130936.html
There’s one I love, “They called me Ginny for short, but not for long.” but sure as heck if I post that one certain devious conspirators will accuse me of being Ginny of The Village infamy.
Mindy on 03 Jan 2013 at 11:39 am #
Oh, phooey.
Galliglo in Ohio on 03 Jan 2013 at 11:44 am #
Trucker: Thanks for that link! Loved it, especially the alto sax. If listening to a wailing alto sax doesn’t move you, you must be dead! I know what you mean about being born too late. Seems like all the great music is in the past…
Boise Ed on 03 Jan 2013 at 12:07 pm #
In today’s retro, it looks like Arlo is wearing Luddie’s food dish.
Nancy in Bucks County on 03 Jan 2013 at 2:21 pm #
Don’t overlook Virginville, PA. The Dutchies seem quite focused on such things…
Mindy on 03 Jan 2013 at 2:36 pm #
Nancy, does the buck stop there?
Craig T. on 03 Jan 2013 at 2:42 pm #
I agree completely about the humidity. I lived almost two decades just south of Wisconsin and spent a fair amount of time dealing with sub-zero weather (and a LOT of time from 0-10).
The weather that really makes me shiver, though, is when the humidity is over 80% and the temperature is in the twenties. The cold seems to stick to me.
Blinky the Wonder Wombat on 03 Jan 2013 at 2:47 pm #
I’m surprised that no one mentioned that Paradise isn’t far from Intercourse.
Mary in Ohio on 03 Jan 2013 at 3:14 pm #
We had your winter last winter,JJ. This year we are back in NE Ohio, where there is no humidity* but when it is single-digit cold it IS cold.
*right now. This may change by the weekend.
sandcastler on 03 Jan 2013 at 4:07 pm #
Just back from an underground excursion, see my early post was as Anonymous. How strange is that?
Mindy from Indy on 03 Jan 2013 at 4:14 pm #
Coldest week yet and I went and chopped a good chunk of my hair off. It annoyed me for the last time.
Sorry to read about all the pet losses. Even though my little diva meows me a what for on a regular basis, I’d be lost without her. And anyone who claims cats have no personality can meet Blacklight – even *I* don’t have that much attitude.
Mark in TTown on 03 Jan 2013 at 5:20 pm #
Ya’ll had to get me started with the unusual town names. Now I’ll have my revenge. Try this list: http://listofweird.com/place-names/
sandcastler on 03 Jan 2013 at 5:53 pm #
What, no Deadwood,South Dakota? Seems the list is shy a few good towns.
Steve From Royal Oak, MI on 03 Jan 2013 at 7:28 pm #
Michigan has Paradise in the Northern peninsula and Hell in the lower. On the west side you can drive to Climax…but please keep both hands on the wheel.
Ghost Rider 6 on 03 Jan 2013 at 7:43 pm #
Spunky Puddle, OH?
Uh…no comment needed, I guess.
Mark in Boston on 03 Jan 2013 at 7:45 pm #
Massachusetts has some nice towns: http://youtu.be/gIkCeyih3lM
Mindy on 03 Jan 2013 at 8:46 pm #
Not as good as Intercourse, perhaps, but there’s a small community near Bristol, Virginia legally known as Goose Pimple Junction. I thought that was near Mayberry, North Carolina….John says that he’s been to Hell, some years ago, and he grinned and said something about the Hershey Highway. I assume he’s referring to Hershey, Pa., and I suspect I should have checked that one out on Google or Bing! Knowing John, he’s running a joke one me. Let me know, please, so I’ll know whether to get crude up against the side of his head. Figuratively speaking. Or maybe downright Medieval?
emeritus Minnesota biologist on 03 Jan 2013 at 8:50 pm #
Mark:
I browsed the list of place names and noticed a Climax, in GA, I think. One could quite reasonably encounter a headline in the Fargo Forum, “Fertile woman dies in Climax.” Two towns so named are east of Fargo, in NW MN. There is also a Hell, MI, near where I did my doctoral research. I think it may now have a store that sells T-shirts. Neversink, NY [on the list] is the site of one of the reservoirs in the NYC water supply system. Wife’s dad was a civil engineer who spent most of his career working “upstate” in that system. Before that, he built NYC’s Triborough Bridge. [He had help.] Have you run into Buffalo Alice? Wm. Cody’s sister? No, an exit off of I94 W. of Fargo. Buffalo is north of it, Alice south. Interesting pastime to note exit signs along freeways: often they sound like first and last names or other odd combos.
sandcastler on 03 Jan 2013 at 8:58 pm #
EMB, I love dreaming up small stories based on exit sign names. All this time I thought I was alone crazy, now I know that any least I am not alone; still unsure on the crazy part.
Mark in TTown on 03 Jan 2013 at 9:28 pm #
It’s not just the town names that make for funny street signs. I can recall one that read “Ahead congested area”. That always made me think of a decongestant for some reason.
When I ran the search that found that list, many more turned up. There was one limited to the UK, which had some really unusual ones.
Ghost Rider 6 on 03 Jan 2013 at 10:23 pm #
Yes, Mindy. That is definitely what John meant. A highway. Leading to Hershey. Pennsylvania.
emeritus Minnesota biologist on 03 Jan 2013 at 10:31 pm #
The Brit ones are a delight. The nearest odd one to RAF Fakenham, where I was stationed for much of ’52-’53, was Little Snoring. I’m sure there was a Great Snoring to match. In MN, Big Falls is a much smaller burg than Little Falls.
emeritus Minnesota biologist on 03 Jan 2013 at 10:40 pm #
Boo-boo: “I’m NOT sure there was a Great Snoring to match.”
TruckerRon on 04 Jan 2013 at 12:10 am #
Paradise is just 3.4 miles from Intercourse, which is 8 miles from Blue Ball, PA.
My favorite town name is Bucksnort, TN.
curmudgeonly ex-professor on 04 Jan 2013 at 12:22 am #
…And let us not ignore the “French Broad”, a river in western NC and thereabouts.
Mindy on 04 Jan 2013 at 12:53 am #
Oh, good, Ghost, thanks. I thought he was setting me up with that comment. I’ll have to stop being so suspicious of him. I thought of another one. On Interstate 81 North, just west of Salem/Roanoke, there is a sign indicating you’re driving through an area known as Butt Hollow. That always gives me giggles.
Ghost Rider 6 on 04 Jan 2013 at 1:02 am #
My sister has said that, although she is extremely proud of and loyal to the family, had our surname been “Butts” she would have changed hers as soon as she attained her majority.
Not that there’s anything wrong with Butts. Well, some of them, anyway.
Mindy on 04 Jan 2013 at 3:01 am #
What rank is she now, Ghost? And what branch of the Service is she in?
Debbe59 on 04 Jan 2013 at 3:50 am #
Then there is French Lick, Indiana…the city has a very unique background going back to the Chicago gangster days. A direct railway from Chicago to there. Al Capone supposedly frequented the resort which was infamous for its ‘spring water’ laxative purifying effects.
Mindy on 04 Jan 2013 at 4:08 am #
What does “laxative purifying effects” mean, Debbe? Everything I can think of just isn’t very nice.
“Strew?” I’ve learned a new word, thanks to Arlo and Janis! Now I can tell John to stop strewing his underwear all over the place! And even speel check likes the word in both forms!
I have a great quote from Al Capone, Debbe: “You can get more with a kind word and a gun that you can with a kind word.” I always have an urge put that wonderful philosophy into play when I go to the not-so-Super Market and asked an employee a simple question such as, “Is there any more fresh eggplant in the back?” and the answer is, “How do I know?” At times like that I’d love to either pistol whip the idiot to within a millimeter of his or her life or else shove a .45 past his or her suddenly broken teeth and say, “Well, punk, do you feel lucky enough to take advantage of this one-time offer to get off your dead [deleted] and go look before I blow half your head clean off your shoulders?” [John says I can actually do Clint Eastwood's voice but he likes my Stevie Nicks imitation best, something to do with a "whiskey voice" of all things. I don't even drink. Much. Often. And never gin or vodka.]
Mindy on 04 Jan 2013 at 4:11 am #
I said “half your head” since the .45acp is about the 3rd or 4th most powerful handgun in the world, the .44 Magnum having been surpassed by the .50 Magnum pistol round and, perhaps, one from Russia that I’ve heard is just a little bit stronger, baby, than the still impressive Eastwood Special. Hey! That would make a great Blues song!
Debbe59 on 04 Jan 2013 at 4:16 am #
Mindy, back to your questions yesterday. And Trucker Ron is right…but big agriculture is a depressing business, especially in the livestock areas.
We have something like 16,500 cages, four cages stacked on a slant on top of one another, with the back of the cage covered for ‘droppings’. There are ten rows of cages. We have roughly 79,500 hens. Cages are slanted, eggs roll onto belt, belts bring eggs to another conveyor belt which then brings the eggs into a packing room. The hen room is bio-security, with a foot bath entering and leaving the hen house. The packer carries the eggs into a automated system which can drop 30 eggs into one tray in less then 15 seconds. A hen can lay up to two eggs a day. Each cage has it’s own water ‘nipple’ and each row of cages has a feeding trough that an auger brings in feed….look out when one of those augers jumps the feeding trough..and that has happened more than once.
I like the ‘comfort of the hen house, love to hear them ‘coo’. Since I ‘walk the lines’ two or three times a day, I’ll sing, pray and talk to them…like I said, it doesn’t take much to entertain me. I have two intensive care unit cages where I bring injured hens and try to help them recover. Right now I have three hens in ICU who have received the brunt of the pecking order on their heads from their fellow cage mates. Personally, I feel 5 hens to a cage is a bit much, the bottom rows have only 4 in them
But, yet I do like it, depressing….not really. I take my job seriously and humanely. You know, it can take just one person to make a difference in any life situation. These hens were 20 weeks only on the 2nd of January…so they are still considered pullets…so I have some 79,000 ‘babies’ for the next year and a half to ‘nurture’ My son works with me and does some maintenance and cage repairs, etc. Everyday, he takes Junior out of his cage, pets him for a while and puts him back in his cage that has two hens….my son doesn’t want to overcrowd Junior
“He’s got to have his space, mom!”
…and ba da, bada, that’s all folks…..
Ya’ll have a blessed day.
=^,,^=
Oh, and the temp here is only going to be under 30 again today…this 8 – 9 inches of snow on the ground ain’t going anywhere for a while…ugh!!!!!
Debbe59 on 04 Jan 2013 at 4:22 am #
Mindy…customer service sucks…people just don’t care to even give it 100 percent. You’re lucky if you find one that gives a $hit. But I love your approach to the problem, had a vision while reading it…lol.
While posting about French Lick I couldn’t think of what they called the ‘spring’…it’s sulpher springs. Google French Lick and see what you can bring up.
later…gater
Debbe59 on 04 Jan 2013 at 4:35 am #
Real quick…just remembered an old line from one of Frank Zappa’s songs….”watch out where the huskies go and don’t you eat that yellow snow”
Mindy on 04 Jan 2013 at 5:30 am #
Debbe, I’m not a Tree Hugger or extremist [in hardly anything] although I am a Conservationist and I firmly believe that animals were and are meant to serve mankind in any number of ways, among which is being in the food chain, so I won’t squawk about “industrialization” and “mechanization” along the way. I do love my veal but POW life they suffered, short though it was [veal is rare here, now, but still available although the calf is now simply slaughtered as is any other food steer and not specially "prepped"]. So your chicken farming, for lack of a better term, bothers me not. It seems to be rather humane and obviously you care about what you do. All I can say is thank you so much for the eggs, Dear! If you want, I’ll send you some groundhog or raccoon or a steer or two and even a hog and some sheep!
I Binged “French Lick” since Google had the last whirl and I promised sandcastler to alternate honestly and fairly. The results are really interesting! I’ve never been to Indiana [John has, but if I wake him he'll say ugly and vulgar things] and I think I may start to nag him into taking a road trip! There is another “French Lick” I found that is heavenly delightful but I will not share it!
Mindy on 04 Jan 2013 at 5:31 am #
Or maybe…never mind. This will kill Ghost!
Debbe59 on 04 Jan 2013 at 6:10 am #
Yup….I can hear the sound of his keyboard now……
Mindy on 04 Jan 2013 at 6:13 am #
Is that his keyboard or is it his teeth chattering in erotic anticipation?
Poor man.
Mindy on 04 Jan 2013 at 6:13 am #
Or ARE his teeth chattering. Jeez.
Mindy from Indy on 04 Jan 2013 at 6:33 am #
Mindy – if you come to Indiana, there will be TWO Mindys in Indy (so to speak). Oh the chaos that could ensue! I’ve never been to French Lick, Intercourse, or Hell (heard of them though), but I have been through Bobo, been through both Centers (neither of which are in the center of the state), and both Dunkirks (which are only a few miles apart, albeit in different counties.), and still want to check out Zulu and Santa Claus.
I still want to know how there came to be two sets of same named towns, not very far apart in the same state. Granted, none of the towns are of any real size, but before ZIPs, how did the post office know where to deliver?
Mark in TTown on 04 Jan 2013 at 6:40 am #
emb. actually on the British list there is a Great Snoring. And there is a Frozen Head State Park in Georgia, along with a Big Bone Lick somewhere. Although I can’t remember where it is located. I also ran across a site last night which had t-shirts with some of the names on them so you could wear one which said “I love Blue Ball” or “I love Intercourse” with the state given also to keep things legit.
Have a great Friday, everyone, time to get ready for work.
Mindy on 04 Jan 2013 at 6:45 am #
It was mentioned yesterday, I think, Mark, but Virginia has Hungry Mother State Park her in the Commonwealth. There’s a story to that name that is just too schmoozey to be true.
Two Mindy’s in Indy, both Village People. Wow. They’d move the 500 to Akron!
TruckerRon on 04 Jan 2013 at 7:38 am #
Central Point, OR, isn’t the center of Oregon. North Bend, OR, isn’t near Bend, OR… North Bend is on the coast, Bend is about 40 miles from the center of the state, with the Cascades between the Bends.
TruckerRon on 04 Jan 2013 at 7:40 am #
And then there’s the Crazy Woman Creek in WY: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crazy_Woman_Creek
Ghost Rider 6 on 04 Jan 2013 at 7:59 am #
Random notes (and thoughts):
Debbe: I did google “French Lick,” and you wouldn’t believe what came up. So to speak. Although I’ll bet Mindy would. Thank you for caring about your work. And for Junior. And am I right to think that Junior spends much of his time carrying out the reproductive activity for which his little bird brain is wired, thanks to the presence of his two playmates?
Mindy: Can you blame my sister for not wanting to be known as “Major Butts”? It was very early when I read your “strew” comment, and as a tired mind often does, mine morphed it into another word, one which I couldn’t imagine you not already knowing. I never realized you had such strong feelings about eggplant. (I’ll not speculate as to why.) And “heavenly delightful,” eh? Gee, we learn more about your preferences and peccadilloes every day, do we not? Oh, wait…is eggplant what you feed your peccadilloes?
Ginger on 04 Jan 2013 at 8:00 am #
I often wonder what Jimmy thinks of the Villagers who follow his work and exchanges messages and, perhaps, other things via this web page? It certainly is a diverse group of people! There is a small place in South Georgia, which is actually south of North Georgia, in Georgia, USA, rather than Georgia, Russia, that does not appear on any map I’ve ever found but which intrigues me every time I think about it. Which is about once every five years or so: Sink, Georgia. It’s located near…well, nothing in particular, except, maybe, Frog Sweat. On that note I’m going to go shopping with Mindy and John. There’s a “Goodbye Ginger” party looming and we need to prepare. If there’s electricity where I’m going, which isn’t attached to any execution device, you’ll hear from me again,l Ghost Rider and Psych 101 and sandcastler. Bye bye, Good People! (And in a great, deep, Schwarzenegger voice, (gender indicator deleted) says, “I’ll be back.”)
sandcastler on 04 Jan 2013 at 8:02 am #
Big Jim Hogg, a nineteenth century Texas Governor, had a daughter named IMA.
phil in Missoula, MT on 04 Jan 2013 at 8:32 am #
I’m surprised that list missed Wahoo, Nebraska. I’ve often wondered if the high school mascot would be the Yahoo.
Near Hilo, HI there is a water fall called Pe’e Pe’e Falls, but the road sign left the glottal stop marks out and it says (or said the last time I was there) Pee Pee Falls. I have a picture somewhere, but it probably is on paper and I haven’t digitized it yet. That was from the days I was wanted to retire to the Big Island. My wife put the kibosh on that idea. Too far from potential grand children.
As for strew, its more common usage is in the past tense…strewn.
Steve From Royal Oak, MI on 04 Jan 2013 at 9:14 am #
I am surprised that no one mentioned the “Hick from French Lick” Larry Bird.
Mark in Boston on 04 Jan 2013 at 4:18 pm #
Per U.S. standard, apostrophes are left out of place names (with VERY few exceptions like Martha’s Vineyard). That would explain the lack of apostrophes in Pe’e Pe’e Falls. Not to mention the missing one that should be in Hawai’i.
Mark in Boston on 04 Jan 2013 at 4:18 pm #
No mention of Toad Suck, Arkansas?