FROZEN FIEFDOM 

THE WHO, WHAT, WHEN, AND WHERE

Below you shall become acquainted with some of the more important elements and characters of the story.

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Smoke Signals, Bells and Whistles!

Meet the colorful mix of those who were in charge of leading the herd, the local hot spots, the weak, the meek, and those who peek;  have a bird's eye view into the shenanigans of local characters with highly charged hormone levels, and become familiar with a whitewashed community whose way of life was covering a multitude of dark and dirty secrets.   

In no particular order, or level of significance: 

UWTF:  The only local radio station bearing the call letters which caused folks to question the initials and for what they stood.  Heard daily on the Shortwave (aka Medium Wave) Band.  A busy hive of jive, rhythm, songs, news, weather, and crushingly boring call in shows featuring garage sales, lost dogs, and fishing reports. 

The official notification station for listeners to "man their posts" when a predetermined signal was broadcast, most times a preselected song was sent out over the airwaves, but others were used.   Usually on air between 5 am and Midnight, unless the DJ had a hot date, or had received the "don't be late" signal to fast forward the regularly scheduled shutdown time, another signal for the pliable and easily controlled locals to get in line and do as told by the "Mucky Mucks".  

Station slogan:  "Tune In For Our Signal!"

A subsidiary of:  Dark Side Broadcasting, Inc.

STFU:  The one and only local TV station which offered a very limited selection of programming; including the now tossed soap opera "Merry, Merry, Quite Contrary", a variety of game shows including a locally produced truth or dare style program entitled "Do As I Say", a couple of hours of childrens programming,  a nightly news broadcast with two week old national and international news, Thursday evening bowling leagues from Russia (previously taped), and an old classic movie each Saturday and Sunday night at 9:00 pm.  

The station experienced frequent "station identification" breaks, blasted at double volume the "emergency broadcast system" signal at irregular yet frequent intervals, and dropped off air completely at times, even during calm weather.  

Station Slogan:  "You ain't seen nuthin' yet!" 

Wholly owned and operated by MightMakesRight Government Broadcasting

Mowudown:   An archipelago of mixed sizes off the coast of British Columbia and due south of the Gulf of Alaska.   Once belonged to Russia as an outpost, but was purchased by England in 1899, and remains a territorial holding of the UK.   Beginning in 1902, Australia began shipping its less than desirable citizens, outlaws, and a few political wannabes to Mowudown, as a payback for having England's undesirables dumped on their continent decades before.  

Chumyouup:  The capital community of Mowudown, with was situated on the largest inhabited island.  The pastoral scenery of rolling hills, a few mountains, and lush year round coniferous trees contrasted well with the bare rock face on the sides of the large caldera on the north side of the island, which was a formerly active volcano.  

"Big Jim" Jones:  The Governor of  Mowudown, a publicity hound and former East Coast resident but rumored to have been run outta Dodge by some who thought he was horning in our their turf.   Born Walter Donaldson Underhand in a small town in New York state in 1946, he changed his name as a teen and it became official after 10 years of continueous use.   Landed in Mowudown via the biweekly barge service as a deckhand, yet quickly bullied and bribed his way to the top seat in the loosely formed territorial government.   

This song from 1972 by Jim Croce could have been written about ol' Big Jim. Click on the link here:

You Don't Mess Around With Jim 

JoJo Smith:  Appointed as Mayor of Chumyouup by Big Jim; elections were for show only, everyone knew who would be sitting in the big chair during the next Chamber of Commerce meeting.   JoJo was originally from Wisconsin, the land of cheese and sausage.  It was no surprise to anyone when he built and operated the Sodom and Gomorrah Sausage Company in1948, although many did question privately how he was able to scape together the coin to do so, as he was frequently out of town and had no local employment until after the groundbreaking of the facility began.  

This JoJo wasn't nearly as smooth nor as savvy as Boz Scagg's vision of a "JoJo".  And when I was about 11, I learned that a jojo was a large potato wedge, dipped in light breading, and served with ranch dressing in Ketchikan, AK.   Worked for me, but you can't beat Boz.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTipl7FbIWI

Carlos Luis Hernandez:  A Mexican National who arrived in Chumyouup sometime in the mid '30's, and was known locally as "Chuey".  He owned the local watering hole, held after hours illegal poker games in the back room, and had the only craps table in town.  Rumor was that he had received it from an appreciative individual who owned a casino in Las Vegas, The Red Herring.  Rumors flew as to what Chuey had done to receive such a magnificent gift, and tall tales can be remarkably close to the truth at times.  Chuey could be found sweeping the steps into El Golpe Bajo every morning at 6:15, regardless of the weather.  Some say he named his establishment after holding a contest for naming the bar during the annual sheep shearing show and bull rodeo, while the participants and spectators were all well fueled.  The popular vote was for the name "One Low Blow", but didn't make the final choice.  Chuey pointed out that his booze was the least expensive in town, without stating the obvious that it was the only public drinking place, hence the name.  

Prius Anderson:  This story is told from her point of view. She has many similar personality characteristics and physical features of an ordinary kid, and will seem hauntingly familiar to some readers.  Her name means "first", "formerly or before" although she was actually the third child, having two older brothers, two younger sisters, and one younger brother.  

Uncle Charley:   Charles Point.  He married the Widow Anderson after her husband died while tidying up the downed electrical lines during a big blow one December.   A single man of not much financial means,  he was former military and easily herded into the local greater good theory.  "No skin off my nose!"  and "Survival of the Fittest"  were his mantras.    He was one mean Son of a Bitch, and only a weak woman with no means of support and carrying baggage would have hitched up with him.  Charley had a public persona of charm and charisma, but it was left at the dock when he entered his "castle".  The offspring of the Widow Anderson feared him, and he either apparently practiced some form of birth control while married to the Widow or GOD thought that he'd seen enough of his kind and wisely didn't add to the brood she'd already produced.  

Fielda Anderson:   Born in Chumyouup as Fielda Joy Harold in 1940 to parents from England who didn't have much.  Life wasn't easy as Father was away much of the time, being a "man" and "providing for his family", which constituted the being out of town fishing, logging, shepherding, and running tours much of the year.    Fielda's mother (Mumsi)  resented having no cash on hand much of the time, and doing all the work raising the children.  Fielda was a rather attractive child, and while she wanted better for herself, she never quite reached that goal.  After her first husband and the father of her children died, she had a look around and hitched up with the first male lookin' her way.  Not one of her better moves, but he paid the bills, at a price.  

Mumsi Harold.   The mother of Fielda and her brother Thomas, grandmother to Prius and her siblings.  Mumsi was a rather quiet woman who enjoyed reading and a good cuppa.  Arrived in Chumyouup in 1935 with her husband on the steamship "Smuggler's Run" from Vancouver, BC, after a long journey from London.