Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Washing windows and the mysteries of the universe

If you happened by our little corner of Prescott last Thursday morning, dont worry - what you saw was real. I was outside the Picayune office with squeegee, bucket, towel and footstool. The windows are still far from clean and streak-free, but theres a noticeable improvement.

Now dont get the wrong impression. Its not at all that Im a neat-freak and will be running around with mop and dustcloth on a regular basis. In fact, if you happened to witness the window-washing event, you should have taken photos. Its likely a rare occurrence - rather like spotting Big Foot in our fair city.

Let me explain how the window-washing episode came to be.

I had 17 minutes of free time last week. Thats not to say that things have been busy for me - hectic is a more appropriate word. But I digress.

I felt that I should put those 17 minutes of free time to good use, especially not knowing when Id have even seven more. So I began pondering the mysteries of the universe.

What is the true meaning of life? came up first, but I know my limitations. I had 17 minutes. Time to consider smaller mysteries.

How do bugs get into the light fixtures? Its a legitimate question. I know the bugs are drawn to the light. But theres a tiny crevice between the light cover and the fixture. Moths with wings manage to get in there. I even found a lady bug inside a photo frame. The only explanation I could come up with was summed up in one word - determination.

With that particular mystery solved, I moved on to another.

What should we do with that big window in the front of the Picayune office?

That one was pretty hard until someone else pointed out that Memorial Day falls in May. That sparked an idea. I shared my idea with a few people and even those who found they were going to have duties associated with the project agreed it was a good idea.

Heres how itll work. If you or someone you know have ever served in the military, bring your military photos by and well display them for the entire month of May, through Memorial Day. Remember to bring copies - those photos are precious and you shouldnt risk your originals.

The men and women who have served in our military have made tremendous sacrifices. Lets show that we know Memorial Day is more than a day off work.

And if you know how that ladybug got into my picture frame, you can let me know when youre dropping off your photo.