Elvis on Dickey Tree Services fire truck in Portia AR.
Never before in the annals of mankind has the phrase, “you can’t miss it,” been more appropriate than when applied to the Dickey Tree Services fire truck parked on U.S. Highway 63 in Portia AR. One simply does not expect to see a life sized “Elvis,” holding forth (in silence) from atop the cab of a retired fire truck turned tree services truck. Not in your wildest tequila induced dreams. But when you wheel into Portia AR, population 483, there it is. You are not dreaming. It is for real.
See more bizarre goings on at Corndancer dot-com.
Before we go much further with this Bizarre and Bizarrer treatise, may I suggest that you go to the Photo of the Week Page at Corndancer dot com and get in on the first part of this bizarre story.
You will see what appears to be an old Chevy attempting to open a new drive in at a salvage yard and you will begin to understand the high value of “bizarre” in our society. The business has taken a unique decorative track to grab the attention of passers-by.
Dickey Tree Services fire truck complete with "The King." Notice the small "Elvis" perched on top of the ladder.
The fire truck and Elvis are the handy work of Ed Dickey, proprietor of Dickey Tree Services. Ed Dickey and his crew are, until I hear a better term, “internists for trees.” Rather than hacking limbs off, Dickey and crew apply tree “medications” to cure afflicted trees, a noble undertaking. Since Dickey’s patients cannot come to the office and some are several stories tall, the retired hook and ladder truck makes good sense. With regards to Elvis, Emerson said it best, “Hitch your wagon to a star.”
Dickey Tree Services trailer and fire truck
Rain, rain, go away!
On another matter, down here in LA (lower Arkansas), we are making a supplication to turn the spigot off for a while. We understand that April showers bring May flowers. And we like how a nice rain populates waterfalls. But enough is is enough. Moderation in all things please. Amen
Rain on windshield at Taylor's Auto Salvage. Enough already!
Back in the seventies, the Carpenters, featuring the idyllic voice of Karen Carpenter, created “Rainy Days,” now considered a classic comment on a day like to today, a rainy Monday.
SEE OUR WEEKLY GRIST GALLERY:
See more pictures in our Weekly Grist Gallery
See more fire trucks and pictures from Taylor’s Auto Salvage, our bizarre and bizarrer stories of the week, in our Weekly Grist Gallery. Who’s more bizarre, who knows, that’s up to you. If you decide, you can let the world know with a comment below.
Joe Dempsey
Weekly Grist for the Eyes and Mind
http://www.joedempseycommunications.com/
http://www.joedempseyphoto.com/
http://www.corndancer.com/joephoto/photohome.html
Filed under: Behind the Scenes, but wait, there's more | Tagged: Arts, Biology, Business and Economy, Elvis Presley, Fire apparatus, fire truck, Highway 15, hook and ladder, Portia Ar, Portia Arkansas, tree internist, Truck |
Weekly Grist for the Eyes and Mind 
Elvis on an old fire truck is a tribute to both Americana and the human mind. It’s that crazy 3 lb mass within our heads that creates wonderful tributes to humans as Elvis and/or the car in the side of the building look. Let’s face it, I know you have captured your sharing of human oddities as these; nonetheless, the we love them and can’t get enough!
Thanks Frank,
This was another got lucky post. My original target was not available under the circumstances I deemed appropriate, so I set out to explore. This is what I found.
Joe
[…] Not to worry in this case. My passenger, a raconteur and grizzled newspaper editor, with years of “rode hard and put up wet” experience was cognizant of the edifice and explained it to me. Turns out, it is a business promotion. All is revealed in the Weekly Grist edition of May 1, 2011. […]