Ray's Thought for the Day - Dry Northers

Here it is, nigh to the final nonce of a rainless summer in these parts, and we have already enjoyed two dry northers. Great! Just what we needed, I, Ray, spell, irony dripping from my pen. These dry northers are aggravating except that they do provide a respite from the great heat, reducing the probability of chaffing events. But they are hard on the little wonders and do little to relieve the general miserableness apparent on the landscape. Only the irrigated prosper.

Remember back on September 5 of the Julian when we publicized our new month, I am a Pork Rind Stuck in Chiltlin's Throat, and the CB Tree for the Month is big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)? When we did that publicity stunt, we put up a picture of a big bluestem patch with the poor miserable unirrigated grasses in the back ground. Well, this is another picture taken later, just a while ago in fact, of that same patch. Irrigation plus bulbs have produced the amazing wonder of Rhodophilia bifida, our favorite rain lily from foreign parts. Raymone was tardy on the picture so the blooms are about spent.

Excuse me Ray, my bosom companion, may I spell for the nonce, briefly.

Why certainly Crumby, my bosom companion. Feel free to interrupt, anytime.

Thank ye kindly, bosom companion. You may remember that at this approximate time last year, our little globe was hustling along through the stygian darkness of time and space, and now our little globe has returned again to that approximate same location. You may also recall that a hurricane missed us entirely, but left a great heat in its wake that produced the hottest regime ever in these parts for that particular time. We got no rain, then, either. So we are looking at two successive Septembers of the Julian with no rain. Historically, Septembers of the Julian have been rainy. Hark! Times change. Watch out for the Wicker Man!!!!

Some dead air time passes.

Er. Are you all done Crumby?

Yepper Ray, I am done for the nonce.

All righty then. I shall continue with my thought, then. Naturally, the deteriorating environmental conditions in these parts, long foretold but troubling nevertheless, put us in a funk. In other words, even though we knew that the desertification of these parts was inevitable, given the hard work the evil doer ruling class has put into desertification, the reality is still very troubling to us on a personal level. So dry northers are guaranteed to produce mood swings toward the ugly at the CB. Right Crumby?

Yepper Ray, they make us all nervous too. Right?

That is correct Crumby, ugly mooded and nervous. All righty then Crumby Ovate, my bosom companion, I am done thinking for the nonce and you may spell to your heart's desire if you wish.

Why thank you Ray, my dear bosom companion. I may have a spell or two for the nonce. But oh, look Ray, your beautiful sister, the Lovely Druidess Rayetta, has been sitting here in the laboratory monitoring our progress all this time. Hello Rayetta!!!!

Hello boys. Yes, I have taken some time out from my very busy schedule to monitor your progress. And aren't you sweet, taking turns. Plus, you are soooooo polite. Isn't that sweet, too. And see how nice it is when you have dusted and vacuumed and opened up the curtains in the laboratory. Not only is the dark and gloom dispelled by the cheerful light of the fickle Ogma, but there are no troubling dust bunnies apparent. Yes, I am certainly pleased by your apparent progress and pleased also that I took the time from my very busy schedule to organize you twain bosom companions and delimit your heretofore sometimes quarrelsome behavior and messiness. Now that all that's settled, progressively, I need also to have a little chat with one of your girlfriends, Ray.

Er. Which one Rayetta?

Easy that Ray, Ms. Hope Remains, Ace Reporter, is the girlfriend I need to chat with. Where is the vivacious Ms. Remains, at this very nonce?

Er. Easy that Rayetta. Hope is declined upon the Ample Bosoms, much wearied by her narrow escape from the cannibalistic clutches of the boy giant and child Philistine, Goliath.

Hmmm. All righty then, I shall proceed in that direction, once again interrupting my very busy schedule to do good. Bye now, boys.

Bye, Lovely Druidess Rayetta.

The Lovely Druidess Rayetta sashays on off.

Whoa! I wonder what behavioral modifications Hope Remains, Ace Reporter and one of your girlfriends, is fixing to enjoy, Ray.

Uh, oh. Actually Crumby, Hope has this goofy perfume spelled "Bait for a Giant". It may have something to do with that perfume, maybe Crumby, "Bait for a Giant."

Yepper, maybe. That's a little troubling, all righty then. Anyway, I, the Crumby Ovate, need to get a few items off my chest for the nonce. But now I have forgot temporarily what I need to get off my chest. So all those items can wait for Telescope Tomfoolery.