Intense nosiness about everybody had always existed in the area. Gossip washed in, washed out, came, went, moved on to the next target.

Foliage is not an exact science, of course. Longtime expert Scotty Johnston, the official foliologist for Tauck Tours, where he ran foliage tours for 50 years until retiring last year, has some advice.

Johnny: You are lying! I never hit you! You are tearing me apart, Lisa!

They take the form of excessive intellectualization, an unbalanced critical attitude, constriction, neurotic qualifications, and wishfulfilling fantasy activity of a pathological nature.