Reader's postcard inspires adventure in vocabulary

"I do not seek. I find."

- Pablo Picasso

Do you know what a lingcod is?

I didn't. But Gene Pollock, of Washington, Ga., mentioned it on a postcard he sent in this week, and I had to look it up. I found out that a lingcod is a voracious predator. It has 18 teeth and is extremely aggressive.

I also found out it's a fish, which I suspected because Dr. Pollock said he had found the lingcods on a fishing trip to Ketchikan, Alaska, "with a group of 13 fishermen from Washington, Ga."

Good for them! According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, lingcods aren't true cods but can grow up to 80 pounds and usually provide a tasty meal.

Speaking of tasty meals, Jan York sends postcard greetings from Wisconsin, where (surprise) she found "lots of great cheeses. It seems like most places have batter-dipped, fried cheese curds, and they sure are good. We are now on our way to learn all about cranberries - Wisconsin's No. 1 fruit crop. (Tell Mark Lane 'Hi.')"

Ms. York also sent a card from Iowa, where she found "the corn is taller and the stars are brighter ... and the people are super-friendly ... just like Augusta."

Regular correspondent Belle LeRoy sends a postcard from Tennessee and one from Kentucky showing a mountain still.

"Stayed sober when I saw it," she writes.

Katherine Lively is enjoying New Orleans. Bobbi Lane is in Kansas visiting family and friends in Wichita, Lawrence and Kansas City.

Ryan and Lani Yearicks and infant son Robert send greetings from beautiful Gwinn, Mich., where it's been "just as hot ... as Augusta."

George and Julie Berry, of Augusta, are in Chicago to meet son Kevin, who is riding his bike with the Journey of Hope from San Francisco to Washington, D.C. Kevin even took time from his travels to send a card himself, from Madison County, Iowa.

Mandi Haroldson of Girl Scout Troop 80 in Martinez is in New York "on a Girl Scout Destination. and wants to send all my friends of the CSRA Girl Scouts a hello!"

Rose Marie McNeill, of Thomson, is enjoying Hawaii with her daughter and two granddaughters. Evan, Donna, Jacob, Theresa, Justin, Wendy, Tammy, Cody, Lee, Courtney, Summer, Mitch, Darlene and Esther are in San Antonio attending the C of C General Convention with the gang from Aiken and North Augusta.

And Carol Sweeney, of McBean, is having a great time in Arkansas visiting her 9-month-old granddaughter.

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TODAY'S JOKE: Bill Wood reminds us: "If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it will always be yours. If it doesn't come back, it was never yours to begin with. But, if it just sits in your living room, messes up your stuff, eats your food, uses your telephone, takes your money and doesn't appear to realize that you had set it free ... you either married it or gave birth to it."

Reach Bill Kirby at (706) 823-3344 or bill.kirby@augustachronicle.com.