Recently I was reading a blog I keep up on written by a youngish fellow (in his 60's) in Sheffield in the U.K. (England, actually).
He had a post about Lebanon, Kansas, which he identified as the geographical center of the contiguous United States.
I commented to him that if he had gone to the geographical center of North America he would have been around Rugby, North Dakota, which is about 120 miles straight east of the town where I grew up.
Today I was surprised to find that he had done a post on my home town, Stanley.
He learned and related that the town, with a population of something over 2,500 people, is a tad less than 99 percent white.
Well, I do remember that there was only one African-American man living there when I was a kid and the population was only around 11 hundred.
There were some Native Americans but I don't remember if any of them lived in Stanley.
I do remember, thinking back, that it was a pretty-much Opie-like existence (as in the old Andy Griffith television show).
All of which brings me to an email conversation I had the other day with another blogger friend in the Seattle, Washington area.
She (Margaret) was saying that the mountain passes in her state were getting hammered with a blizzard, meaning lots of snow.
Which brings me to a conversation I had this morning with a cousin in North Dakota (only about 60 miles from my home town).
She said they were expecting a blizzard to hit at any time and the forecast was for up to 30 INCHES OF SNOW!
Now that's white!
And may I remind everyone that this is nearly mid-April?
I told her I was very happy that I now live in Arizona.
This is about the only white I relate to these days.
30 inches of snow is a good thing. The best of things.
ReplyDeleteYou, sir, are a weather masochist! ;^/
DeleteI don't know how much the passes got but it was several feet. We got snow here too today--just the kind in the air. (which was enough) I love your pretty white tree! It's the kind of spring I can get behind. BTW, there are several states I've traveled through where I saw no or very few people of color. MT was one.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful tree, my white Kemosabe!
ReplyDeleteThe shuttle driver from the car service garage, learning we were from Indianapolis, rhapsodized about the wonder of the race and raved about wanting to see the Indianapolis 500 and asked why would we ever leave Indianapolis.
I said "you mean why did we leave Indiana for California?"
"Yes, with the INDY 500 would you ever leave"
" In one word winter," and added "the race is only one day year!"
30 inches of snow in one storm is, to my ears, a FREAKING BLIZZARD!
30" of snow in April? That's just cruel.
ReplyDeleteI had an ornamental pear tree in the front yard of my previous home. I planted it myself, on purpose because it was fast growing and I wanted shade on the huge front window. Then it flowered. ATCHOO! ATCHOO! ATCHOO! yep, I'm allergic. Damn. I left the tree in anyway and bought more antihistamine tablets. Within two years the tree was shading the entire four meters wide front window.
ReplyDeleteWow! what an amazing tree. Thanks for the heads up re. my "Stanley" blogpost.
ReplyDelete25 degrees here in N AZ this morning. Hope my birdbath like Judy's didn't freeze overnight. Still have great plans to move to Tucson for warmer weather upon retiring.
ReplyDeleteNow that's the kind of white I like to see... blossoming beauty against a blue blue sky. Winter has definitely returned here too. Lots of gray skies and rain. I'm just glad it doesn't snow, but we did get some very pleasant bit of hail. LOL.
ReplyDeleteI also live in Arizona and also have two ormametal pear trees in my front yard. One blooms pink (the first to bloom) the second blooms a little later with white flowers.
ReplyDelete