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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 23, 2016)
Columbia-Pacifi c i 2C THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016 The Daily Astorian To mark this special time of year, Damian Mulinix traveled both sides of the Columbia River seeking out holiday lights. Here are a few he discovered. George Vetter/For The Daily Astorian Gary and Melodie Chenevert’s home at 3285 S. Hemlock St. in Cannon Beach celebrates the Humbugs. GUEST COLUMN Ahhh … Humbug! Humbugs actually love Christmas By MELODIE CHENEVERT For The Daily Astorian Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly curmudgeon who hated Christmas, said “Bah! Humbug!” He became famous and so did that phrase. Today no one says “humbug” with- out “bah!” How would that make you feel if you were a Humbug? Sad. That’s how you’d feel because Humbugs actually love Christmas. Their favor- ite carol is “Oh, Hum All Ye Faithful.” I fi rst met the Humbugs in 1984. We lived in Kennewick, Washington, in a house built in 1908. I was trying to think of a unique way to decorate that big house when a tiny voice whispered, “Humbug.” It made me smile. The problem was I had never seen a Hum- bug. No one had. As I won- dered what they looked like, that tiny voice said: “We come in colors like you do “But brighter — red and green and blue. “Of course we can be tick- led pink “And some have polka dots that blink.” Every Christmas for the next 32 years, no matter where we lived, the Humbugs vis- ited us. From Washington state to Gaithersburg, Maryland, and fi nally, to Cannon Beach. Right now you can see them at 3285 S. Hemlock St. Of course, real Humbugs are not 6-feet tall. They are so tiny that several can fi t inside your inner ear. That’s where they live and work. They have a big job. They are responsi- ble for all the humming in the universe. Meet the Humbugs Would you like to meet them? Here they are: Humdinger: anything that makes you tap your toes and clap your hands. HoHum: mostly lullabies, but also sappy love songs. Humdrum: every catchy commercial jingle, and he wrote the theme for “Jeopardy.” Humperdinck: opera snip- pets and classical outbursts. Humphrey: a free-range hummer. He says it’s jazz, but ng Wish a i nd You rs a You sometimes we think he just can’t fi nd the melody. Humbugs have a great sense of humor. What’s their favorite bird? The humming- bird. Favorite nursery rhyme? Humpty Dumpty. Favor- ite author? Ernest Humming- way. Favorite food? Humburg- ers and fries. And for dessert? Humble pies (no upper crust, just pudding on graham cracker dust). The Astoria Column stands illuminated by strings of multi-colored lights at dusk. Always in rhyme Since Humbugs know fi rst- hand how hurtful words can be, they rarely use words. But when they do, their words always have rhythm or rhyme. Frankly, they fi nd words very confusing. This is just part of the list they gave me: Like tied and tide or sale and sail. Or right and write or pale and pail. Like clothes and close or eight and ate. Or ant and aunt or weight and wait. Like fl ower and fl our or bear and bare. Or bowled and bold or hair and hare. Humming along People are always mis- spelling and mispronouncing words. Humbugs’ pet peeve is the word “human.” It is NOT pronounced “hue-man.” The correct pronunciation is “hum-in.” Every year during the holiday season, a giant, lighted sea serpent roams downtown Long Beach, Wash. Seaside’s Christmas tree has large bulb lights that flash along with prerecorded music that plays from the base. “We hum in you. It’s what we do. “For us you’re merely transportation “To every hemisphere and nation. “From Planet Earth to outer space “Together we hum everyplace!” They think the world would be a happier, healthier place if people did less talking and more humming. Hum if you agree. If you want to see them for yourself, you’ll have to hurry. By the end of the year, they’ll disappear, but they won’t really be gone. Even though you won’t be able to see them again until next Christmas, you will still be able to hear them. And whenever you hear someone hum, they hope you will smile and say, “Ahhh … Humbug!” PS: On Jan. 1, the Hum- bug House will revert to being the home of Gary and Melodie Chenevert and the Lost Art of Nursing Museum. The Warren House at 107 N.E. Skipanon Drive in Warrenton features a large lights display that is synchronized with music broadcasting from the house. The show runs from 4:30 to 10 p.m. nightly until Jan. 1. Very Merry Christmas & Happy New Year WE DELIVER! CALL FOR A QUOTE! • 85029 HWY 101, SEASIDE • 503-738-7328
