Slam Po-dunk

The Albion River in Mendocino County has been described as "a little podunk river." The real Podunk River is in Connecticut. It is 13 miles long. A total of 400 pounds of water chestnut plants were hand-pulled from the shallow Vinton's Mill Pond in the Podunk River basin. This plant species is not the same as the water chestnut used in Asian cooking. Approximately 15-20 tonnes of fresh Chinese water chestnuts are currently being marketed annually in Australia. "They even know it in Podunk, wherever that may be," commented Mark Twain. The loading dock in Steamboat Willie, released in 1928, the first Disney cartoon to feature synchronized sound, was named "Po Dunk Landing". Mark Twain wasn't around to comment.