Sunday, October 16, 2005

Scribbles: Trees Turn Colors—CRAYON MISSING!

This Just In from The 65th Crayon:

“At first I thought it was a trick of the light. They’ve been getting a lot of rain around here,” said the 65th Crayon upon reaching his favorite cookie tin in Bedford, Massachusetts on Friday. “I came out early to visit my friend, Chip, at the Tollhouse Inn. On the ride from the airport, I kept getting glimpses of something that didn’t seem right. Frankly the greens were looking strange to me,” he said. “Being a crayon, I’m sensitive to such things.”

“It became apparent that even now and then one of the trees wasn’t green.” The depth of our super sleuth reporter’s concern colored the statements coming over the cell phone he was using. “The trees were red, orange, and yellow—alien colors,” he remarked. “I talked to Chip about it as soon as I arrived. Chip seemed oblivious. He doesn’t get outside often—too much dough invested in the cookie biz. I had to check it out myself.”

The 65th Crayon had flown out to the Commonwealth at the invitation of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Head High Out-of-the-Box Crayon was to sit alongside Clocky, the winner of last week’s NO BELL, BOOK or CANDLE Award, as Co-Parade Marshall in a toilet-paper, ticker-tape parade through the bedroom suite where Clocky was first tested. Clocky won the prestigious NBBC Award given by the Royal Order of the Benevolent Society of Pure Color Wax Crayons for being the first alarm clock that runs and hides when you try to turn it off.

“As soon as I saw the trees, I called Clocky to demur. I had to leave a message. Every time he heard the phone ring, he ran and hid.” our crayon comrade reported. “As much as I wanted to be part of the festivities—I’ve never been a Co-Grand Marshall before—I need to check out this alien tree invasion. It could be nothing but it could be serious,” the Superhero of Crayons stated. “We don’t need unearthly things going on in Massachusetts.”

The 65th Crayon reported back in after 24 hours spent in stakes and deep cover, posing as a pencil.

“I’m relieved. The thought of alien tree people was colorific.” the 65th Crayon sighed when he called in on Saturday. “It seems the red, yellow, and vibrant orange leaves are a phenomena of Earthly nature. Leave it to trees to do such a thing,” the reporter expounded. “It seems that they put their chlorophyll away for the winter and start showing off for a couple of weeks.”

“No self-respecting crayon would ever give up control of his color,” said Forest Green shaking his head.

“If I did such a thing, I’d be deadwood brown,” said Cerulean. “My mom, Aquamarine, would send me to the box for sure.”

“Crayons and trees are both tall and hug-able,” said our sage reporter. “But it appears there is much we don’t know about each other.”

“The parade turned out fine without me or Clocky. I understand he’s still somewhere in hiding,” the reporter informed us. “Wait. An alien bus just drove by. It appears to have eaten a passel of people!”

At that point the cell phone connection was lost.

Massachuetts Authorities say that Massachusetts is famous for bad cell phone connections and for bus loads of people out to see the fall color in any sort of weather.

Management of Letting me be . . . having the utmost faith in our invincible investigator has decided to wait before putting out a purple crayon alert. It is our wish to avoid any action that might embarrass or thwart our robust reporter.

Anyone with information pertaining to the whereabouts of the 65th Crayon is asked to comment within any article on this blog.

—me strauss Letting me be
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America’s 50 Favorite Colors

“The Colors of Childhood,” Smithsonian Magazine, (November 1999)

Scribbles: Crayon NO BELL AWARDS

For links to additional Scribbles Reports by the 65th Crayon,
see the sidebar listing under his picture and profile.
Scribbles Reports by The 65th Crayon appear Sundays in Letting me be ...
The 65th Crayon is a copyright of ME Strauss. All Rights Reserved.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Puns! I love puns! That 65th Crayon is a genius. :) As to his present whereabouts, I'm prepared to bet that our intrepid reporter, having solved the strange case of the ungreen trees so effortlessly, is now on the trail of another important, nay, earth-shattering story. I have complete confidence that he will turn up later with some colorful story upon which he will wax lyrical. After all, it's not as if he's a novice at this - he was the inventor of that first principle of all good reporting: "stay within the lines"!

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Thanks Gone.
It's good to know you have faith that our tall, purple, and handsome reporter will be coming home to use safe and sound. He did do a find job at settling that tree issue didn't he?

smiles,
Liz

Anonymous said...

He saw that autumn clouds also lose their colour, washed out like old socks and, horror, less and less purple as the days go on, never mind pinks and ambers.
I think this might have sent him off for a quick stiffener?

Anonymous said...

It is true that the trees have started to turn into flaming colors and be very un-green.

Sadly, it is also true that Massachusetts (or as an Aussie friend of mine calls it - Massawhatsit) is frequented by alien buses that abduct foliage observers. If the 65th crayon was seen gazing at trees, he might well have been spotted and taken.

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

I know, Ned. I know.
And he has no experience with such things. He thinks aliens are friendly creatures like crayons. Oh I know, he tries to put up a tough fight the aliens front, but it's all show. He's not meant to be on the X-Files.

smiles,
Liz

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Oh my Cheryl,
You don't think . . . that our little crayon has an alcohol problem doe
you???

I'm holding my breath waiting to hear from him.
smiles,
Liz

Anonymous said...

He could be visting me :) I swear I saw a glimps of color darting amongst the leaves this weekend.

We've still got some GREEN leaves. But even the strongest willed are starting to shift colors.

:)

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Well, Jennifer,
If you do catch a glimpse of the 65th, tell him to check in with the office. Sometimes he gets so focused. He forgets such things.
smiles,
Liz

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure that alcohol in small doses is too much of a problem to wax crayons, sp long as he doesn't end up well oiled. He might not be so lucky if he fell in to the Coca Cola trap.

No, I'm sure he's fine. Unless he's chunky.

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Hi Cheryl
Thanks for your clarification. I don't know much about crayons and alcohol. Mine weren't old enough to drink . . .
smiles,
liz

Anonymous said...

Such a colorful story of subtly shaded characters with vivid ideals.

For the whereabouts of 65th, I'm sure someone of such a dark, passionate color will blend among all the others
until he finds his way back home.

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Thanks Garnet,

A man of your quality knows a few things of shady characters and how they might be. Thank you for your colorful description of what you think might be happening.
smiles,
Liz

Zanymuse said...

DR . John listed your blog. I am glad he did because after reading several recent entries I am looking forward to returning here to read more. Great Blog!

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Hi Zanymuse!
How nice of Dr. John to introduce us! I'm delighted to meet you as is my alterego the crayon in the story here. :)

We're around anytime you want to stop by to say hello! ;)