Diana: Wait, hold it, hold it. For the 100th our guest is the who?
Blog: Not The Who. The Circle-Slash-Carrot Burro of Oatman, Arizona.
Diana: Yeah, I heard you the first time, I just couldn’t believe it.
Blog: Believe it.
Diana: The burro that daughter Katie photographed on her Route 66 trip, the burro with the circle-slash-carrot sticker on his forehead. That burro?
Burro: Um. Is there a problem? Should I go back to Oatman? Would you rather get The Who?
Blog: No, of course not. You’re a perfectly fitting guest for this auspicious occasion, Mr. Burro.
Diana: This I gotta hear.
Blog: And you WILL, if you’ll let me get on with it.
Diana: Sorry. Take it away, Blog....
Blog: Burro, first tell us about life in Oatman.Burro: Oatman has the zip code of 86433 and burros roam all over the town. And there are like a hundred-some people, too. And the zip code is 86433.
Burro: Oatman started when some prospectors struck a ten million dollar gold find in 1915. It became a mining town, and burros were used to haul rock, water and supplies. The mining stopped in World War II, so the burros were set free and became wild. Then when Route 66 was built, Oatman became a tourist town, and the burros hit it off pretty well with the tourists. ‘Cause they had carrots. Burros like carrots better than gold. I would like some carrots.
Burro: Then in 1953 they moved Route 66 and the people didn’t come. And there were no carrots either. They didn’t have zip codes back then either.
Blog: You seem pretty enamored of the zip code concept, Burro.
Burro: I would like 86,433 carrots. But I can’t even have one.
Blog: Even though Route 66 and the people have returned, you can’t have carrots. Which brings us to that sticker on your forehead, Burro. Why are you sporting a circle-slash-carrots sticker?
Burro: No one else is! The other 86,433 burros get carrots!
Blog: 86433 is the zip code of Oatman, Burro...I don’t think it’s the population of burros.Burro: No, you’re right...it isn’t.
Blog: You seem pretty downcast--maybe you don’t want to talk about the sticker?
Burro: Oh, I’ll talk about it. It’s there to keep the tourists from giving me carrots because I’m too young to eat carrots yet.
Blog: Oh! Well, that’s not bad. When you’re a little older and bigger, you WILL be able to have carrots!
Burro: I’ll NEVER be older and bigger. The carrots will all be gone by then.
Blog: No they won’t. There will be lots left.Blog: Because there are, um, 86,433 carrots! That many carrots will last, um, practically forever!
Burro: They will? Okay! I’ll just wait till then then, thanks Blog! Oh, and it’s funny, because 86433 is the zip code of Oatman, too!
Blog: The world is full of amazing coincidences, isn’t it?
Burro: Blog, I can’t see your face because you are non-corporeal, but Diana’s face I CAN see and she looks puzzled. Does she want a carrot?Burro: Do you want to explain, or should I?
Blog: Uh...sure, you go right ahead!
Burro: Diana, I know the Internet is a big, famous guy that everyone in the world knows, and I am just the Circle-Slash-Carrot Burro of Oatman, Arizona. But Blog wanted your readers to know that it doesn’t matter how famous you are, even someone like a little burro can be important too. The Internet makes a lot of people smile but so do the burros of Oatman and other burros, too. And I make a lot of people smile because I have a sticker on my head with a circle-slash-carrot on it. So that’s why, Diana.
Diana: Huh. Well, that sure makes sense to me, Burro! Well said.
Burro: Thank you. Now I’m going back to Oatman to wait to get bigger. Please tell the Internet that everyone in zip code 86433 says hi. He does know that’s the zip code of Oatman, right?
Blog: He sure does, Burro. I hope you get your carrots soon!
Burro: I would like 752 carrots, please.
Blog: I have a feeling our Randometer is your biggest fan, Burro. Readers, thanks for visiting and we look forward to bringing you the next hundred posts! We close with a lovely video of the burros of Oatman, created by Life Journey guy and featuring the nice song “Say You Believe,” by Amanda Kaletsky. In other words, our friend the Internet brings you our friends the burros. Enjoy!
Woohoo - you're a blog centenarian! How does it feel to be 100?
ReplyDeleteI have lots of carrots here I don't want. I'll be sure I take them with me the next time I go to that travel destination spot of Oatman AZ.
It's quite a milestone, especially to have done it in under 7 months! And by all means, bring those carrots...hopefully by the time you get there, the burro will be old enough to eat them. :-)
ReplyDelete