Spud Shuttle lands at the Fork in the Road

by Timothy Rutt

All eyes are on the large object as it wends its way through the city streets, to the ap-peel of cheering spec-taters ...

No, we're not talking about Endeavor. We're talking about a six ton potato.

The Idaho Potato Commission has created a real-life version of a classic postcard, mounting a giant faux-tato on a flatbed semi truck and taking it around the country on tour.  It's to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Commission and raise awareness of Meals on Wheels -- which, of course, this is.

(A real potato this size would take 10,000 years to grow -- and who can wait that long for fries?)

The Famous Idaho Potato Tour will make its way to these parts on Tuesday with a stop at -- where else? -- The Fork in the Road  at St. John and Bellefontaine in Pasadena.

The Fork (a creation of the disturbed minds of Bob Stane and Ken Marshall at the Coffee Gallery Backstage) will host the super tuber on Tue., Oct. 16, from 11 AM- 6 PM to benefit Meals on Wheels and Pasadena's Union Station.

Bob Stane emails: "Visitors to the event,  which is free and open, are encouraged to bring potatoes, and other non-perishable foods, for the benefit of Union Station as well as potato and fork gags.  Those dressed in potato sacks will be given special attention,  appreciation and ridicule.  To truly, “dig” your potatoes, bring a garden fork designed to free tubers from the ground.  Show and Tell is encouraged as are all sight gags."