Saturday, November 20, 2010

It's that....

...time of year, with Halloween and Thanksgiving,
when pumpkins are used, and I'm not kidding;
use for pies, soups or decoration,
it becomes a favorite of the whole nation.

One things for sure, it tastes really good,
and as a decor it cheers like it should,
so we have a town, in Alabama, it gained it's fame,
where pumpkin is king, Pumpkin Center's the name.


Top: A sign tells the story.
Middle: Pumpkins for sale.
Bottom: And pumpkins to read by, or at least look at.

Friday, November 19, 2010

When they...

...founded the Town marked by axe cuts on a tree,
there was conflict about them, which set the mind free;
so they named the place Accident, which makes perfect sense,
so they didn't have two names - and a chain-link fence.

If you were to live here, or do if coincidental,
you'd be known quite commonly as an Accidental!
It's a small town in far western Maryland, the state,
but it has the County High School, which really makes it great.


Top: Sign at the Town Office.
Middle: The County High School.
Bottom: Zion Lutheran Church.
NOTE:  There aren't many public buildings in Accident.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

It started...

...at a tavern, many years ago,
when boatmen went to drink, when the water was low;
the locals didn't like them, and so they would goad,
by saying they drank so much, they swelled up like a toad.

That's how the name of the place came about,
now it's celebrated, each year with a shout;
and I guess it has a bit of fame,
the story of how Toad Suck came to get its' name.


Some of the signs around Toad Suck Arkansas.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Have you...

...ever been told to go to hell?
This is a subject that I've learned well,
so here are some hells, you'll have a choice,
the next time someone has that in their voice.

There are more Hell's that can be found,
in the US, in Norway, or where ever you're bound;
just take your pick, which one do you want,
if you've been told to make Hell your haunt.


Top: Downtown Hell, Norway,
Middle: Looks like Hell, Norway is freezing over.
Bottom: Hell, Michigan is frozen!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Double Trouble...

...how's that for the name of a town,
it's part of a state park now, no need to frown,
it was, at one time, a true company town,
so, maybe there was enough trouble to go around.

The company had a sawmill and cranberry bog,
so you could harvest, or go saw a log,
in the Pine Barrens near the New Jersey coast,
the company folded, and the whole town was toast.


Top: A workers 'cottage', some buildings have been preserved.
Middle: A painting of one of the bogs.
Bottom: Harvest time for cranberries, the bog is flooded, the berries float and are sucked up with a vacuum.

Monday, November 15, 2010

A short...

...side trip to northern Manitoba for now,
up way there where there ain't even a cow;
out of the way and out in the woods,
a test of time, so I'll show you the goods.

I guess you could call this, a kind of frontier,
you'd be all alone with little to cheer,
people do come here to hunt or to fish;
but some of have only curiosity on our dish.


Top: A hidden cove.
Middle: In the Nahanni National Park
Bottom: Riding Mountain Lake, Nahanni National Park

Sunday, November 14, 2010

When we...

...think of icebreakers we my picture large ships,
but there are different sizes, that travel down the slips;
most are large and heavy, ocean going things,
but some are small and able to go 'round the big ones in rings.

Some are used on the rivers, inland from the sea,
from the Penobscot to the Mississippi, they are there to see,
freeing up the ice for barge traffic to and fro,
breaking up the ice to make the rivers flow.

Top: The Cutter Tackle (or Bridle) on the Penobscot in Bangor/Brewer Maine.
Bottom: The Cutter Healy with a science party in Antarctic waters.