Frazz by Jef Mallett for November 08, 2020

Dissing “Far Side”??? You’re dead to me.

Rather, a highly complimentary take on “Far Side”!

The definition of “a chore” is “Something I don’t want to do right now.” Because, raking leaves (for example) can be a pleasant interlude… IF you want to avoid cleaning the house AND the weather is conducive.

I like raking leaves. At least it looks like something was accomplished when I finished. And…I get to work outdoors.

Be careful reading here, friends – Caulfield is saying beautiful Frost poems and funny Far Side comics are both common, not rare. Jef’s a fan of Gary Larson’s work, too.

I see what Robert’s game was. If he spent his time writing about the leaves, he didn’t have time to do the raking.

(1) Is this forest a part of the school property? That seems weird. If it isn’t, why is Frazz raking the leaves up? It’s a forest.

(2) Why is Caulfield helping?

You got it backwards. The point was that the Far Side was (is?) always funny.

Don’t rake the leaves!

Frost wrote good fences make good neighbors [Mending Wall, c.1914]. It’s good policy to know one’s boundaries. But that only works nowadays if the guy next door uses a rake and not a blower.

Gathering Leaves is a cute little poem

A hose, a tank, a rancid stench… it had me gagging o’er the fence… as I hosed out that fetid cave… a poem writ by burmashave…

“Poetry is an Echo asking a Shadow to Dance.” Carl Sandburg. I know it’s not Frost but couldn’t help myself.

Whose words are these? I think I know

Anyone with an RV is familiar with hosing the septic / black tank. Now we just have to find someone creative and funny to write a poem. Don’t look at me, not much of a poet.

“Beauty exists only in the minds of its beholders.”

spent the entire day raking and blowing leaves yesterday…had the yard pristine by 6pm as the last real light faded from the yard….woke up this morning….looked out the window to admire our ‘hard days work’ and………. it looked….like we never raked a single leaf….

That’s a great layout. Good job. Thanks.

Jealousy is ugly. It may correspond with the affectation “Jef.”

Don’t rake, mulch. Back to nature and all that.

Rare as a funny Farside? Try rare as a funny Dilbert.

Are they raking the FOREST??

Leaf them where they are. They’ll make excellent compost.

The funny thing is I remember watching an interview with Robert Frost by some Harvard dudes I think. He was every bit the grumpy old guy – telling him they were reading too much into his poems (I particularly remember this comment about the Cliffs of Dover) and also being insulted when he thought they were suggesting writing amazing poems was easy for him.

I think I saw that interview. As I recall, it was David Frost who interviewed Robert Frost.

I want to know where the heck Frazz and Caulfield are. There could not possibly be a thick stand of trees on the school’s property. But I liked how Caulfield deliberately twisted his compliment to make it sound like an insult—and Frazz apparently fell for it.