Category: Uncategorized

Buttons. What are they? Most people see them every day, but how many of us stop to think about buttons? I would wager very few. Buttons are small. They are also round, usually. Some are square. They hold things together. That is what buttons do. I was reflecting on this topic yesterday evening when Koko…

Humming. What is it? Most people have done it at one time or another. Some people hum in the shower. Others hum while they walk. It is a sound made with the mouth closed. Why do we do it? No one really knows. My moustache began to tingle the other day when I heard a…

Ventriloquism. What is it? That is a question many residents of Moose County have been asking themselves lately, and as the sole cultural authority within four hundred miles of anywhere, I suppose it falls to me to explain. You’re welcome. Ventriloquism is the art of throwing one’s voice. Why would someone throw their voice? That…

Hinges. What are they? Most people don’t think about hinges. I didn’t think about hinges either, until my moustache began to twitch this morning while I was opening a cabinet in the barn. That twitch, as regular readers of this column know, is never wrong. It told me that hinges were worth writing about. You’re…

Awnings. What are they? That is a question I have been pondering lately, and I suspect the good people of Moose County have been pondering it too. An awning is, essentially, a piece of fabric that hangs over a window or a door. It provides shade. It also provides shelter from rain. These are facts.…

Brooms. What are they? Most people would say they are sticks with bristles on the end, and most people would be right. But here in Moose County, brooms mean something more. What do they mean? I’m not entirely sure, but my moustache tingled when I picked one up last Tuesday, so there is clearly more…

Sundials. What are they? Most people have seen one at some point, probably in a garden. They tell time using the sun. That is what they do. They have been around for a very long time. How long? A long time. I was thinking about sundials the other morning while enjoying my coffee — a…

Knobs. What are they? Most people never stop to think about knobs, but most people are not journalists of my caliber. A knob is a round thing on a door. You turn it. The door opens. Simple. But is it? Is it really that simple? I was contemplating this very subject Tuesday evening while seated…

Whistling. What is it? It is, quite simply, the act of pushing air through one’s lips to produce a sound. Most people have done it. Some people do it well. Others do it poorly. Why do they do it? Nobody knows. I was reflecting on this very subject Tuesday evening when Koko walked across my…

Twine. What is it? Most people don’t think about twine. I didn’t think about twine either, until my moustache began to bristle this morning over a bowl of Swedish meatballs I had acquired, free of charge, from the Old Stone Mill. The bristling told me something. It always does. And so I turned my attention…