The Slice Grill Thy Neighbors?

You know you’re in the Inland Northwest when your neighbors intend to use their outdoor grills even after there’s snow on the ground.

Slice answers: “Admitting that you don’t care about huckleberries can make you an outcast in the Inland Northwest,” wrote Chewelah’s Mary R. McDonnell, one of our most faithful correspondents.

Other readers mentioned “guns,” “grass smoke” and “Ice Storm ‘96.”

Advice: “Don’t you marry a college girl, with education fine. For every time you catch a fish, she’ll moan and start to cryin’.” - from the song “Northwest Gal,” by Susy McAleer.

Want the next line? OK.

“But marry a gal with a strong right arm who can wield a club of pine, and smash that fish right between his eyes.”

The rest is in a book called “Washington Songs and Lore,” compiled by Linda Allen - a fun volume we hadn’t perused since the state’s centennial back in 1989.

Same difference: “Are you stoned or just stupid?” - bumper sticker observed by Dan Sackett

The Slice’s Rocktober in the Northwest Quiz: Which of the following was NOT the name of a song Jimi Hendrix recorded?

a.) “Stonefree.”

b.) “Purple Haze.”

c.) “The Wind Cries Mary.”

d.) “Hey Norm.”

e.) “Are You Experienced?”

That’s correct. It’s d.

OK, let’s see how good you are at regional geography: Which is NOT the name of a county in Idaho?

a.) Minidoka.

b.) Idaho.

c.) Washington.

d.) Tonka.

e.) Custer.

Yes, it’s d.

Now see here: Coeur d’Alene’s Kathleen Reffett occasionally searches for her glasses when they are right there on her face.

And Aimee Mankin has been known to reach up to adjust her glasses when she isn’t wearing them.

Doin’ time: Riding an STA bus that has screens over the windows to accommodate billboard-size exterior ads feels like being on a prison bus.

Warm-up question: What Spokane area business makes the most around-the-clock noise?

Today’s Slice question: What Inland Northwest resident tries hardest to avoid ever appearing to be favorably impressed with anything?

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo

MEMO: The Slice appears Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Write The Slice at P.O. Box 2160,Spokane, WA 99210; call (509) 459-5470; fax (509) 459-5098. Visitors assume the stretch of Wall between Riverside and Main is a pedestrians-only zone until a driver ignores the “Do Not Enter” sign.