OddWA #11 - Everybody Needs A Hobby

A team of forestry workers were treated to an unusual sight ten years ago in Southeast Washington. The crew of 14 were busy planting trees when they noticed a strange craft approaching a herd of elk on a nearby hillside. The curved disk flew in an uneven, "wobbly" manner. As the herd bolted, the craft managed to snag a single adult elk, wobbling even more and occasionally bumping into trees as the animal was lifted from the ground.

The captive elk soon disappeared and the UFO made it's halting, ungainly way up into the sky to the east, vanishing from view.

Given the awkward behavior of the craft and the strange timing of planting trees in February, I'd say more than one party in this tale may have had diminished capacity that day. Whether this we due to distilled spirits, or some sort of freaky space hooch is entirely up to you.

CK

OddWA #10 - A Mythical Tomb

The Internet. It destroys almost as many myths as it creates. It was common knowledge among the populace of Washington for many years that untold number of workers are entombed in the vast structure of Grand Coulee Dam. I remember kids telling each other with ghoulish glee that once a worker fell, his cohorts were powerless to save him, or stop the immense, relentless cascade of wet cement.

Great story. Imagine my relief and disappointment to find that this never happened.

Yes, several workers did perish during Grand Coulee's construction, but nobody was trapped in wet cement. It turns out this didn't even start with Grand Coulee -- It started with an accident during the construction of Hoover Dam some years earlier. The tale later migrated to Washington.

Even in the original story, nobody was really trapped -- It turns out the cement pours were done in many shallow layers. Plus, it doesn't really help the structural integrity of a dam to wall up a bunch of dead guys. Go figure.

Still, I had to make this picture to commemorate a simpler, creepier time.

CK

Everybody Loves DeathSpank

DeathSpank meets a wizened old adventurer. And chickens.

DeathSpank. He doesn't shoot first and ask questions later. He doesn't even realize there are questions.

To celebrate DeathSpanks impending arrival on the show floor at PAX this coming weekend, 1up is running a weeklong series of articles about the game, Ron and the fine folks at Hothead. For my part, I may descend from my secluded aerie above far flung Bothell to take in the show. As co-creator, I fully expect this to net me a stick of gum and/or t-shirt.

Read all the glorious coverage here.

CK