The genesis of “wrambling,” the birds, a love for Wendy’s, and grammar, of course
By Chuck Wiser, I write the words to share what my eyes see and my heart feels
When I first started my writings, inspired by Wellsville Sun owner/editor Andrew Harris’ invitation to share my poetry and opinion writing with others via the Sun, I contemplated (briefly) and accepted the invitation. Why? Because as a youth and even young adult I wanted to “be a writer.” Upon contemplating a name for my “blog,” my first inclination was to name it “Wiser Words.” That idea was immediately discarded, realizing that the title implied that the words would be wiser. I then settled on “Words From Wiser,” and wrote the first few with that title. Shortly after, since my thoughts and subsequent thoughts did have a tendency to “ramble,” I switched to the title of “Wiser’s Wramblings,” and that name has been my un-official trademark since. What triggered my start to this Wrambling, was a recent note to the editor wherein my writings were referred to by a reader regarding something published under the older moniker.
For some reason I now like to attach the “W” to other words starting with the letter “R” as it seems to fit as indicated by its use in the words “Write,” “Wring,” “Wrestle,” “Wrought” and “Wramble.” And, so, the Wramblings continue once again.
So why the title of this piece? Because these writings do make me wiser in the sense that my research into words, their etymology, and especially the details or backgrounds of the topics I pick to write about, help me keep on learning, each and every, day. As I have mentioned in my writings previously, during my college teaching days I had to learn most of what I taught as I went along. That inspired the love for learning that keeps me going, keeps my mind “youthful” and active, and inspires my thoughts and writings. Writing my Wramblings does make me wiser.
My next topic of discussion, already noted in previous writings, has been inspired by a quick look out our “Bird-Sun Room” window. As I watched, the bees were swarming around the jelly feeders making it difficult, if not impossible, for the Orioles to eat their mid-morning jelly breakfast. Thanks to the nocturnal “wramblings” of the “wraccoons,” we need to bring the feeders in overnight. As soon as we wake and arise in the morning we replenish and refill the jelly dishes and take them outside, often temporarily displacing the already waiting birds. Almost immediately, the feeders are swarmed by the bees. If the infestation isn’t too overwhelming the birds are pretty much immune from the bothersome bees which either don’t sting them, or perhaps whose stinger can’t penetrate the feathered covering of the birds’ flesh.
The inset picture above does not show any bees, although I do have some that do, but does show some of the culinary offerings we provide for the Orioles. It doesn’t, however, show the jelly dishes. The Orioles are not the only birds that favor the jelly, as the woodpeckers, especially the “Red Bellied Woodpeckers (RBWP),” which we cannot keep away from the feeders, do. I have noticed that nearly every species of bird that visits us, or apparently is anywhere in the area, will eat from our jelly dishes. This includes the Woodpeckers, Finches and Wrens, Bluejays, Any type of the many Black-birds, and even the Robins.

As you may have noticed in the Oriole and oranges photo, the orange’s pulp is already well cleaned out. Early in the summer bird feeding season the Orioles pretty much ignore the oranges, so we only put out a few. Later, when the Orioles start feeding their young, oranges play a larger role, so we put more out for the birds. A secondary motivation, or at least attraction, of the birds to the oranges, would be that the oranges are not favored by the bees so are more accessible to the birds. As nighttime falls upon us and we go out to gather up the dishes for overnight “in house” storage, we often must shoo away a “coating” of bees as the entire surface of the jelly in the “condiment size” dishes is covered with bees. We have tried some of the on-line suggestions for discouraging bees, but they don’t usually have any effect. Those things, like vegetable oil or cayenne pepper powder sprinkled or applied on top, as suggested, also discourage the Orioles.
I am not a big fan of going through the “drive-through” of eating establishments such as Burger King and McDonalds, but I do have a soft spot for Wendy’s, as their chili recipe is very close to that of our own. Since I normally make this visit while “on the road” to, or from somewhere, I like to “drink” the chili from the cup it is dispensed in. To facilitate this, it is more easily done if the chili is a little more “drinkable,” which results if the chili is taken off the top of their cooking vessel and they don’t dig down in getting a lot more of the beans. Having gone through one local Wendy’s a couple of years ago their server suggested that I ask for the chili to be more “soupy.” I now place my order using that term. I still request that they scoop the chili off the top but add “so that it is soupy and more drinkable, so I can eat it as I drive.” A few weeks ago, on a Sunday early afternoon, I passed through the Olean Wendys “drive-through.” The “server” couldn’t understand what that meant so I said I “needed it scooped off the top so there was more liquid and less beans.” When I pulled ahead to the pick-up window, I had to wait a minute or two before they handed my order out to me. I paid “rounding” the amount off and “tipping” the server(s) with a couple of dollars extra.
I left Wendy’s and pulled over to the side of Rte.16 as soon as I got to the “four-lane”, to remove the top off the chili container to facilitate drinking it as I drove. The first thing I noticed was that the chili cup was only about 2/3rds full, and that the fries were cool. Upon sipping the chili, I found that it was literally cold. I immediately did a “U-Turn” and returned to Wendy’s, wanting to speak with a manager. I parked and went in. There were a few people in line, so I waited at the end of the line as the two servers worked frenetically to fill the orders for “after church” drive through, and in-house, customers. I was in hopes that a manager, or some other Wendy’s employee would come within my sight, not wanting to disrupt the two (lonely) employees. During that 10 to 15-minute wait, I didn’t see another soul behind the counter and the two that were there were obviously overwhelmed keeping up. I decided that they were already behind, and not wanting to add to their problems I left. I didn’t eat/drink any more of the chili until I got home so I could heat it up. My intention was to return to that Wendy’s at another time to confront a manager with my dissatisfaction with the service on a previous Sunday. After a couple of weeks passed, not having a good enough excuse to waste the gas for an Olean trip, I gave it up.
I had a doctor’s appointment in Rochester yesterday (Wednesday) so I went through Wendy’s, off Jefferson Drive, on my way home. I went inside to make my order, reciting my usual request for drinkability. I waited for my order, paid and headed home. The Fries were good, and hot. The chili tasted great and was hot and the cup was full. But…it was much too thick to drink (safely).
My wife is a fan, and frequent on-line shopper at QVC. The other day I was listening to the commentary regarding a product by one of their “sellers” as they pitched their wares. I scratched my head when the sales rep made the statement that: “We get our merchandise directly from the manufacturer, so it cuts out the middle-man.” Huh? Aren’t they then the “middle-man”?
Next topic may be a little awkward or of questionable “appropriatenesability”, but here goes. I made a comment to my wife the other day as she was preparing to “use the facilities,” saying “go for me while you’re there.” Memories of my mother came flashing back as I recalled a similar conversation from my early childhood. I had heard that phrase used earlier, by an adult, when I was “a kid,” so, being the wise-ass that I already was at that age, I said to my mother in a similar situation; “Go for me would you?” She didn’t say a word in reply, but when she returned to the room where I was, she said: “You didn’t have to go.”
If that was too tacky, I apologize, but will continue Wrambling with a couple of short notes that may evolve into full topics in the future.
- Now that I have found the “undo” symbol I have already used it twice in this writing. The second time was adding this “bulleted” format.
- We live on the Back River Road in Scio, and near where County Rte. 31 heads toward Friendship. Lately it seems, working mufflers and/or “exhaust suppression systems” have become a thing of the past. Vehicles fly by here, or up the knoll on Rte. 31, with bellowing sounds that seem to exceed or defy sound decibel measuring systems. How or why is “noise pollution” from vehicle exhaust system allowed? Related to that, the same concern is attached to diesel system vehicles that not only roar by as they pass by but do it leaving a black cloud of unburned hydrocarbons in their wake.
- Wiser Wordplay: The term “gussied up” came into my mind the other day. By formal definition it means; “Dressed in a fancy or very fashionable way.” Not a phrase you hear much these days. One of these weeks I am going to do an entire Wrambling on those types of words, and word play. It was especially meaningful to me when I would hear a former student say: “I remember my grandparents saying that.”
- Another favorite topic of mine, perhaps also in that future dedicated Wrambling, would be some of those words that aren’t only spelled in a weird way, but are difficult to say properly because letters are arranged in an awkward order. A couple of examples would be prerogative where the “r” is not located in the word where it is pronounced. Another, even more common, is the word Wednesday. The “d” is silent. A few more would be; Colonel, February, Mischievous, Remuneration, and Worcestershire. Library is a word that correctly is pronounced the way it is “spelt” except a very common mistake in speech is to drop the first “r” out and pronounce it “libary.”
- I am Wiser but not necessarily wiser. Contact me at IM.Wiserdad@gmail.com if desired.