Alex Roberts made the Times Free Press this week with his plans to jazz up the dirt mound off Highway 27 just past Signal Mountain Road.
God bless anyone who tries to leave the world a more aesthetically pleasing place than they found it. And Roberts certainly fits that bill. (Although it could be said that the trees that were there before were quite nice to begin with.)
That said, the layered, seven-point stars he's dropping on the dirt circle are interesting. (And yes, we use "interesting" there the same way someone may describe a blind date as having a good personality or the way your grandmother would describe your first-grade art project as unique.)
The seven-pointed star is a tribute to his Cherokee heritage -- he told this paper's Claire Wiseman he's "one-sixteenth Cherokee" -- and we commend Roberts for the effort.
We also are quite thankful he's not 1/16 Eskimo because an igloo would be tough to maintain come June.
Maclellan or Gilligan's Island
OK, the Delta Queen is pulling up anchor and paddling away. The Casey barge is taking on more water than the Chick Lock. (Or is that the Chuck Lock, and if it's Chuck Lock and Chuck Norris decides he wants the lock, is our U.S. representative ready to throw down?)
So it goes, and the energy wasted on the Casey barge is staggering. Consider this, that flotilla gorilla -- the biggest hydro-disaster since "Waterworld" was in theaters -- has been a driftwood boil since 2009. And never mind the fact that the Army Corps of Engineers gave that eyesore 60 days more than a year-and-a-half ago.
Forget Allen Casey, the Casey barge is aging like KC and the Sunshine Band, and each looks a lot worse for the wear.
Speaking of the sinking barge and the high-tailing Queen, what are all the river rats going to do?
Somebody needs to get PETA on the blower. We may need a canned food drive or something.
Tough week on land, too
The weather can be a cruel dance partner. Cold. Icy, even. Will leave you downright shivering at times, especially when your job is to forecast it.
So it goes for Paul Barys, David Glenn and Patrick Core -- the three main weather aces for channels 3, 9 and 12, respectively, here in our fair city.
This was supposed to be a week of snowmaggedon. As many as eight inches on Presidents Day. (Although that must have been for President Clinton, because that one was less than forthright.)
The weather-watching world does not hang on 3-degree guarantees or the confounding divide between partly cloudy and partly sunny, which could be the general Rorschach test for meteorologists.
Nope, when snow is mentioned and the Southerners run to the Bi-Lo for milk and bread, because we all know how good a milk sandwich can be, everyone's interest is piqued.
There was a call for more snow this morning, and since my deadline is at 3 p.m., here's the best prediction I can give you. Go to the window. Pull back the curtain. Is the ground white? There you go.
Yes, that's a great deal easier than what the weather fellows are charged with, especially when snow and ice are involved.
Here's what each of the three weather aces had to say about an up-and-down week that was filled with low snow totals and lower temperatures:
Paul Barys: "I have been doing this for 40 years now. The fact that weather affects us all makes everyone an expert. Everyone has an opinion. So I am sort of like an umpire. If you make a mistake, there is always the next pitch. You learn from your mistakes. That is why some of the best forecasters are the older fellas, because they have made so many mistakes they have learned so much! Plus, I do not look at comments on Facebook."
David Glenn: "When you are in a line of work that involves probability, you have to expect change. Wintry weather is one of the most difficult to forecast. A change in just a few degrees at the surface and/or aloft can quickly change the precipitation type. It's quite a challenge and can be frustrating at times, but it's exactly why I am so fascinated with weather."
Patrick Core: "It seems like people's ears perk up for sure. You can talk forever about 80-degree days and sunshine, but when you mention that four-letter word -- snow -- that's when everyone's radars go up ... All we can do is try to do our best each and every time. It's tough, too, because we're always on the edge between rain, sleet and snow in this area. North Georgia may get rain, and the city may get some light sleet, and then areas like Meigs or McMinn get hammered. It's amazing the difference in 25 miles."
No doubt, Patrick. And when it comes to that dreaded four-letter word "snow," it's amazing the difference in a few inches.
Until next week.