Tuesday, May 24, 2011

don't ask questions unless you are ready for answers

There are no elk in Maryland.
This is an important fact to know because there are a bunch of places in Maryland with the word elk as part of the name: Elkridge, Elkton, Big Elk, Little Elk, Elk Neck, Elkview, Elk Valley, Elkwood, Elk Mills, Elk Ranch, Elkmore, etc.
Adult safety partner Ashley and i were at an elk school last week and it got us thinking about names. As we sat watching the water flow past on the Elk River at a boat landing in Elk Neck State Forest we looked at the map to figure out this whole elk-phenomenon. There is an Elk Creek and the Elk River, plus right across the line in Pennsylvania there is an Elk Township, but WHY?
Elk don't live in Maryland. I feel pretty confident that it is too temperate for elk to have ever lived here; at least not in the last 300 years. And i am very confident that if they don't live here, they don't live 25 miles away in Pennsylvania, either.
Ashley and I went back to the school for our second show full of sunshine and giggles about the complete lack of elk in this elk-name infested area. We had closed the stage curtains and turned of all of the lights before we left, so imagine our surprise when we walked onto the stage and there was an open door in the corner -that neither one of us had even noticed in the moring- with light streaming out of it framing...
aaaaaaaaaauuuuuugggghhhhhhh!!!!!!!!
Yes, that is a giant elk stalking us from backstage.
Where did it come from?
How did that door get opened?
Who turned on the light?
And how big was this dang elk?
BIG!

Really, really big.
Compare it to Ashley.
This elk was so huge that she could barely fit into the frame with it.
Never again will i tease the ancient namers about their less-than-obvious naming choices because i have learned that somehow, some way they will hear me and send a giant elk to scare the bejeezus out of me.

3 comments:

Samantha said...

Hehehe, this was cute! Also, I remember learning in school (2nd grade?) that there was at one time Elk in some parts of Maryland. A long time ago, I think over 100 years ago.

Rea said...

And a techno-colored elk, at that!

BrendaNery said...

LOL