A Gnomist, the Grand Weed of the Dandelion Federation, is shown in this secret photo. Note: The Grand Weed often wears sunglasses on his face as well as his shirt.

Although scouts  pull reconnaissance duty – going  through neighborhoods, looking for lush green lawns to invade –  the GW*  has been known to make forays of his own as he relives his days in the ranks. You know, out in the field – so to speak – sizing up potential locations.

That is what he was doing when this – did we mention secret – photo was taken.

We also have a photo of The Grand Weed making Dandelion Angels in a lawn that was carpeted by the little yellow insurgents. Because to publish it would give away the identity of our agent, we will wait until we have safely brought him in from the yellow.

*Any resemblance to Santa Claus is purely coincidental.

Yes,  my little buddies at the Peanut Butter Cafe & Roadhouse are pleased that I returned from  a long errand over to Middlebury in much better mood. I did miss the dogleg on Ind 13,  though, and wound up going down Amish roads full of potholes. I’d say I saw more old-fashioned Monday laundry hanging out than I have in a long time.

Then when I saw a Taco Bell sign and felt myself craving it, it turned out to be a combination Taco Bell/KFC. Dang. I drove right on through the parking lot. I was obviously out of Amish territory at this point.

So I got home and Summer had done an excellent job at the cleaning tasks for which she was hired. Even a candle and an oil lamp lit. We fed the dogs and I sat down and thought about The African Queen and Katherine Hepburn drinking bottled water and the Humphey Bogart/John Huston duo drinking alcohol in the jungle; Hepburn was the one who wound up with the water-borne parasite.

I start thinking about the transport of safe water and a thought popped into my head: We could dehydrate it. I know, but it sounds doable on  paper. This would be a good argument for simple, straight-forward words, but I think I have a few hours fun left in the dehydrated usage.

Would an irrigation ditch be a dehydrated river? You just ship the river bed and then add  . . . well, you know.

Soon I have to tell you about the Patron Saint of Gnomes* who came out from Iowa. But gnomes are dandelion allies!!!! I guess we need to sit down for a pow-wow.

*No, it is not LZP; it is a figurine that sat on the knick-knack shelf at Der Bingle’s and LZP’s maternal grandmothers.

Family pictures from Der Bingle. This one, which I have scanned in two parts was from the time when my father-in-law was in WWII.

William A. Vance Jr.

The inscription on the back –