A few weeks ago, I went to see my family in PA. Â We had a good time as usual but on the way home, I discovered something that sort of made my day. Â My little town of Tionesta has maybe 500-600 people…tops. Â I grew up there from as far back as I can remember. Â I thought I knew everything about my hometown…my tiny hometown.
I actually grew up outside of town in an even less populated area. Â Anyhow, we always seem to have to make trips “in to town” to get something we need for the next feed. Â Of course, we eat all the time when we visit so we make many trips to town. Â On one of the trips into town, we discovered that there are, in fact, two bells in Tionesta, PA. Â I previously had become acquainted with one bell, but this other one caught me by surprise. Â I had no idea it even existed!
For such a small town, Tionesta has an excellent library. Â I remember going there often where Ronald Childs sat behind his desk, monitoring the check-out cards. Â He was always ready to recommend a book or talk about the history of the town and area. Â Years later my aunt worked there as a volunteer. Â My Mom used to live next door to the library and played in the cemetary that is on the library’s grounds. Â All that is to say that I frequented the library and was pretty familiar with the grounds. Â I thought I knew all about the library and the town. Â Somehow, someone had snuck a bell in on me.
So, as we prepared to leave for home, we stopped and I licked the 2nd bell in Tionesta. Â I learned a valuable lesson on this bell, though. Â It’s an important lesson for all of you bell-licking virgins…a bell that is uncovered is a bell that gets washed by the rain and baked by the sun…it’s a clean bell. Â On the other hand, a bell that is covered by anything is the opposite of a clean bell. Â This second bell was covered and tasted absolutely like my grandmother’s attic…after a nest of baby mice had peed all over 20 year old cardboard…and then baked in the heat…and then laid under a 15-year-old’s gym bag for a week…and the gym bag had old french fries in it.
Anyhow, it was still a bunch of fun and I didn’t come down with mad cow disease or the swine flu…just a lesson in the effectiveness in nature’s washing mechanisms!
How gross!! I bet that did taste real good.
We will be leaving for FL next Sunday so I can’t wait. I don’t think i’ll partake in the bell licking if I see any.
OMG Warren, you freak!
.-= YDavis´s last blog ..This time =-.
We discovered the hospital where my 3rd child was born has a bell outside, about the same size as your latest conquest. I asked my kids if we should lick it – they looked at me like I had grown an extra head. So we decided to see if we could ring it instead. Note to self: Don’t ring big bells without hearing protection – they are LOUD!
Better watch out Warren… in some of them thar small towns bell-lickin will get you 10 to 20 in the hooscow!
Maybe you ought to start keeping a container of anti-bacterial wet wipes with you!
.-= Caprilis´s last blog ..Howard and The Twins =-.
What is a “hooscow”?
Got it, don’t lick covered bells.
.-= Capri Kel´s last blog ..Be On the Lookout =-.
I get Google alerts for Tionesta. I don’t see a name on your post, but it sounds a lot like we might know each other, because I pretty much grew up in Tionesta also.
Jim
You are a sick and twisted man, Warren.
Ron
.-= Ron´s last blog ..Map of homestead =-.
Loretta – you are adventurous…you should try it!
YD – THANKS!
Robert – That’s genius…I will ring any bell I lick from now on!
Caprilis – I know the sherriff there so I may be ok…probably related even!
Capri Kel – you know…the pokey…the joint…the slammer…or as my uncle used to call it, “home”
Jim – I lived there from 1972-1990. Most of my family still live there as well so we get back pretty often. What about you?
Ron – Thanks! You need to try it!
You are far braver than I am. I’m glad you’re still well (physically anyway, mentally – I’m not so sure LOL).
.-= Evil Twin’s Wife´s last blog ..A Flower to Identify =-.
OMG, you make me giggle!!! Did your lovely wife know what she was getting into when she married you?! lol
Cath
.-= Cath´s last blog ..15 MINUTES LATER, THE POLICE CAME. =-.
Boy when you lick a bell, you REALLY lick it. Not just a little dab with your tongue either. Look at that all that slobber! Impressive.
.-= michelle´s last blog ..funny food =-.
Jim, I know you but you probably won’t remember me. Your Aunt Betty was my music teacher through school. I lived beside the Chevy Car Dealer across the street from Betty Ball’s house.
I do not even know what to say to this post…Kim
.-= inadvertent farmer´s last blog ..Garden Beauty Just For Beauty’s Sake… =-.
Oh yeah, yes I do…didn’t your mother teach you better than to go around licking strange bells??????????
.-= inadvertent farmer´s last blog ..Garden Beauty Just For Beauty’s Sake… =-.
I tried but he just didn’t/doesn’t listen. Hope his kids listen better than he did/does.
Oh………yummy………hahahahahaha!!
.-= Erica´s last blog ..Meet Mittens =-.
Too funny and oh how gross! Note to self – NEVER lick anything that sits outside and is covered….
Kris
.-= Kris Bair´s last blog ..BALING HAY =-.
ETW – have you been talking to my mother-in-law?
Cath – luckily for me, she absolutely did not know what she was getting into when she married me…now she legally stuck with me!
Michelle – it makes my mouth water…like a big juicy steak!
inadvertent farmer – My parents must have done something wrong…for many reasons!
mom – nope…it appears they listen the same as I did
Erica – you should try it!
Kris – you are one step ahead of me if you learn that lesson!
You know, now that you made a clean spot, you really should lick the whole bell clean to match.
.-= Grey Wolf´s last blog ..A Series of Events =-.