Sometimes a sign is worth a thousand words. When I first saw this one along the Mississippi River, just across the Iowa border in Illinois, I couldn't help but smile at the combination of patriotism and fresh fish.
The more I think about it, the more curious I am about the person who put it there by the side of the road. I'm picturing a river rat who spends a lot of time in a boat, who chews tobacco (like my grandfather), knows twenty good baits for catching catfish, and has a jar of stinkbait buried in the back yard right now.
There's a character to go with this sign. I don't have a story for this character right now but I'm glad to have the sign and the possibility calling to me.
Oh, my, there is definitely a character brewing (and spittin' "backer"). Thank you for the post, J!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome--and you're welcome to the sign, too. There's more than one character behind that sign.
ReplyDeleteLOL. Consider it taken... :0)
ReplyDeletep.s. Makes you wonder what "Live Cat" means... Perhaps a few letters blew away in the last storm, taking with it, "Live Scat" where local musicians play every Saturday night. Or, maybe it means "Live Catch," which would make sense... Or, perhaps, they have a "Live Catfish" pond around back, surrounded by cattails and filled with the town's folks dinner... Just thinkin'. :0)
ReplyDelete"Live scat" would be wonderful. I'd go, for sure.
ReplyDeleteThat would be my favorite but I wonder if cat means, as you suggest, catfish and he would conk them as we stand there so we know they are fresh.
But we are making it all up, past the sign, so we can choose whatever of your suggestions works best.
Just come up here to the Mississippi so we can sort this out, Mell. It's the only way.
LOVE how you use the word "conk," Jackie! I've never heard the word used this way! May need a fishin' trip soon! I, did, however meet a man named "Conchy Joe" once...(a different meaning, but still...). He made conch fritters, conch stew, and ceviche on a roadside stand on Harbour Island due East is the Abaco Island chain, in the Bahamas (fairly remote--non-commercial). Conchy Joe didn't have a pinky on his right hand, nor an index finger on his left, but he sure "conched" me out with his food! SO good.
ReplyDeleteAnd, yes, visit to the ol' Mississippi IS the only option, isn't it? Surely, we'll find Live Scat somewhere.