Largest Counties in US by Area
San Bernardino, California 20,105+ sq miles
Coconino, Arizona 18,661
Nye, Nevada 18,158
Elko, Nevada 17, 202
Mohave, Arizona 13,469
(Maryland 12,405)
Apache, Arizona 11,218
(Hawaii 10,931)
Lincoln, Nevada 10,636
(Massachusetts 10,554)
Sweetwater, Wyoming 10,491
Inyo, California 10,226
Harney, Oregon 10,226
(Vermont 9,616)
“Add to the account?”
“Yep, Pete. Thanks.”
The store proprietor wrote out the receipt. “Road crew
from Kenora says they’re ready to run the plows this weekend if the forecast
holds.”
“I heard the forecast.”
“Not ready to call it a season?”
“Not yet. Just think I can get in another week, maybe
two.”
“Must be awfully cold in that old cabin.”
“Damn cold, truthfully. But just another week or so.”
“Okay, Vaughn. Maybe this week is the big one for you. Take
care out there.”
Vaughn nodded and picked up a full sack in each arm. The
walk down to the boat was short but steep. The gray cloud cover was low and the
air hung heavy.
The ride out through the small passes between tiny islands,
some not much more than rock outcroppings, took less than an hour. There were no
gulls about, no loons, no geese. No sound other than his own motor. Vaughn was
grateful for the lack of wind and the rain holding off.
Back at the dock, he tied off the boat and toted the groceries
up the steps to the tiny prospector’s cabin. Vaughn set the bags on the counter
and took off his coat and hat and tossed them on the small dining table. He lit
the small gas stove to heat water for coffee, and as he put away his food for
the week, he heard the wind come up.
He grabbed two of his 2-gallon jugs and jogged down to
the pump. At least the lake water was still clean, and as always would be cold.
Vaughn set the jugs down and began to pump. The line would take about 2 dozen
pumps to get the water flowing.
Just as the water began to run, a chilly rain started to
fall. Vaughn slid a jug under the
spigot. As the jug filled the wind blew a little harder and the rain
intensified. He finished with the first jug and rubbed his wet bare hands on
his jeans.
As he pushed the second jug into place, the first
snowflakes appeared. He kept pumping as he felt the wind push harder against
his back and legs soaked from the rain. Then the rain was gone, now all snow.
Steadily he pumped, his hands turning red in the cold.
Vaughn gave his head a little shake. “What the hell am I
doing out here?”
Lyman
2023
Thanks to the US Geological Survey for confusing me about pronouncing the word subsidence while I was watching a YouTube video on recent activity at Geyser Hill in Yellowstone NP. For some reason the spokesperson chose not to use the preferred long i, stress-on-the-second- syllable pronunciation. As for me watching such a video, cast your aspersions elsewhere.
I see Wendy's is promoting a late-night run for the Baconator, a double patty with 6 strips of bacon, and 2 slices of cheese for a 1010-calorie punch that certainly suggests sweet dreams. If you have the stomach for it. Hold the fries?
My cucumber plants in pots are suffering from heat stress this summer. Never had this problem before and the temps haven't been unusually hot around here. Makes the skin and even the fruit bitter as in spit-out-immediately-bitter. Makes me appreciate a ripe, good-tasting cuke even more.
Over the last month or so, headlines proclaimed a stadium-sized asteroid approaching, or at least a container-sized asteroid, or one around 590 or 570 feet, depending on the news source. Last month one was the size of the Brooklyn Bridge. One, blue-whale-sized. Maybe 98 Scott Kaples would suffice for context. Or not.
An adult male grizzly bear may have a home range up to 600 sq. miles. Think a bit more than 13 miles in every direction from where you are reading this little tidbit.
A Chinese restaurant offered a free meal and other prizes to customers who could eat 108 spicy wonton dumplings. Why 108, I could not say. Regardless, authorities blocked the contest over the issue of food waste. Apparently, no Chinese version of our great patriot Joey Chestnut in the offing.
Last month my little effort here garnered a little over 2200 views out of Singapore. Why--well, why not? And if the translator gets it right, terima kasih!
