The Ski Trail

Toni posted her old post on this topic and I thought I would too as it is a slow week and I have nothing much to post really right now.
Toni has since stopped posting her creative adventures and I miss them. Toni provides the prompt and you fill in the blanks.
So here is a blast from the pastI hope you enjoy it.
My additions are underlined.

Adventures are fun!
The little is off to her bus, loaded down with backpack and clarinet case.. no coat.. she left it in school yesterday..sigh. But she is layered up with sweaters and sweatshirts. Only half a block to the bus so she is fine.
The kitchen is cleaned up, the french toast was well liked and I am settling down to do the latest Toni's creative adventure for this week  and you should too.
My cup of Pumpkin Spice coffee is steaming hot and I am ready to write....

  The Ski Trail

1.   While cross country skiing through an old country trail I notice a light through the trees ahead. Getting closer to the clearing I see the light comes from a cottage that looks inviting. I remove my skis and walk up the porch steps and knock on the door when I see the sign that says, "Welcome , come in!"    As usual, I do just that. I am no stranger to this cottage or its occupants.

2.   I step inside to a cozy living room and sitting in a big leather chair in front of the fireplace is Mike all cozy in a warm blue and white Icelandic sweater. Next to him on the chair is Jimmy his beautiful black lab with soft and gentle eyes.

"I'm happy you're here",  he said scratching the dog's head.
"Wild horses couldn't keep me away" I replied. "You know I love coming by to see you, Mike."
I  lived up the trail from him a  little ways. When he had sprained his ankle I began coming by daily to make sure his bandage was done right and to get him hot meals. But it was an excuse to spend time with him too. I really enjoyed his company so much.

3.   He smiled at me and gestered to me  to take a seat and a cup of hot chocolate. 
We talk for a bit and play with Jimmy, who is, as always, the life of the party.
"You shouldn't be making me hot chocolate, Mike. You need to rest that ankle. 
He just smiled that boyish smile and said nothing.
I shook my head at him.
 "How about lunch now" I said. He smiled bigger at that. He was hungry.
I headed to the kitchen to prepare him a roast beef sandwich and a steaming hot cup of the creamy soup I had made that morning.
He devoured it.  Mike is a big Norwegian guy and it takes some serious food to fill his tummy.
After lunch I re-wrapped his sprained ankle and pulled his warm woolen socks over top.
Then I  fluffed the over sized feather pillow on the ottoman. He raised his leg and then lowered his foot onto the cushy pillow. It made a whooshing sound as the foot settled in.
I placed his crutches closer to him and got him a thermos of hot coffee and put it on the table by his chair.
I placed a little dish of cookies nearby too. 
+There you go, coffee with cream and your favorite cookies,"I said.
"If you are comfy, I will go get some errands done and be back before dinner time, Mike"
I leaned down and he gave me a big bear hug. 
Jimmy made sure he gave me a doggy style hug too and walked me to the door.
"Now stay put so that ankle can rest and heal" I said shaking my finger at him.
It was hard to keep him down.
4.   Happy and warm in my winter coat, I headed out the door.
I turn to wave goodbye  and I'm surprised to see Mike standing at the door.
"I miss you already," he said.       "Don't leave, the errands can wait."
He was right, they could.

A Creative Adventure in Ireland

Toni has put up another creative adventure just in time of St Patrick's Day and I am joining in with this Irish themed fill in the blanks she has provided.
 You can try it yourself at Toni's Creative Adventures site.

1.   While walking in a countryside in Ireland, I see a strange green glow coming from behind a large  tree.

2.   Being the curious kind I decide to take a closer look at it and see that it is a lantern hanging from a limb of a tree.
Glowing fireflies twinkle around it flitting in every direction..They seem to light up the whole area.
It is fascinating and dazzles the eyes.

3.   Much to my surprise  I  almost sat on a Leprechaun as I bent to sit down by the tree to enjoy the firefly show.
 "Don't sit on me, girly!" he said shaking his fist and huffing with indignation.
I stood open mouthed and amazed at what I was seeing. I shook my head to clear the cobwebs. No change, the leprechaun was still there looking up at me.
"Well, are you going to apologize for nearly sitting on me, girly?" 
"Yes. I am sorry. Do you have a pot of gold?" I asked.
The question startled him and his eyes opened wide. His mouth opened and closed a couple of times, speechless. I had caught him unawares with that question.
He leapt up and broke into a run across the valley toward the mountains.
 I am not sure what possessed me, but I began to run after him, but he was too quick and nimble and disappeared into the evening mist.
It was no use to continue, it was getting far too late and I could barely see the path anymore.  
And, after all, I was only frightening the little man. He probably thought I wanted his pot o'gold.
 
4.   Deciding this must truly be a Irish fairy tale, I, laughing, thought to myself that what began as an average day turned into an adventure for sure.
 

Starlight Tree House A garden surprise

Monday greetings!
Today is another chance to participate in Toni's Creative Adventures,
which, of course, I really enjoy.

Click to join in

The Garden Surprise

1.Walking through a public garden I came across the strangest and
most beautiful tree house you could ever imagine.
It was huge. Larger than any tree I had ever seen before.
It had begun to grow in the dim, distant past before Noah built his marvelous ship.
I had never seen this tree in the garden before, I thought.
How could anyone have missed it and how in the world was it not famous?
Its enormous size and the house built into it were amazing to me yet strangely familiar as well.
I felt a welcoming vibe that bid me to knock.

Starlight Cottage Tree House

2.   Truly in awe of what I was seeing, I stopped and and looking up saw that the top
of the tree reached up into the stars.
You could climb that tree and visit the stars!

3.   Can it  possibly be meant to just be admired or is it possible to live in this house?
I knocked on the door and very quickly a tall, handsome man answered.
"Welcome" he said."You are very late but I have been expecting you all these  years
 I've wondered what has taken you so very long. It can only be that you have taken
 twists and turns along life's road and neglected to come back home on the proper path."
I could barely speak. I had no idea what was happening but I did know I belonged
in that house.
"Come and have a seat over here," he said and gestured to a chair beside
the large bookcase.
It was filled with first editions and rare works of antiquity.
"While you make yourself at home  I will get you a cup of tea to settle your nerves."
He chuckled to himself and I sat down to see where all of this would lead.
I was strangely drawn to him.
We talked for hours and I began to realize we had known one another in other times
 and other places. I had lived  in this tree before and I would live in it
again with this wonderful man.
No one else could see that marvelous tree , but it would always be here for me anytime
 I needed to come and I knew I would come often and
 I knew that one day I would stay forever.

4.   I'm so glad I decided to visit this garden today
or I never would have found my way back to my life.

Thank you, Toni, for this wonderful set of fill in the blanks that enable us to create little tales.
The picture is a painting I did when I first set out to try to paint.  .
"Probably back in the tree house days of old"..she said winking.

A Bayside Adventure

Thanks for another great adventure Toni.  Click on the graphic to join in  Toni's adventure. It's fun!
As always you can click on any picture to see it full sized.

The Bridge Across The Bay

Barnegat Bay  Bridge  (internet photo)

1.   Walking slowly on the bridge across the bay I suddenly stopped to watch the bridge open to allow a boat through.
That is always a big thrill no matter how many times you see it happen.



2.   A feeling of peaceful serenity came over me as I relaxed and watched the process from the shore.
The boat was gliding along so gracefully, her sails bright white against the blue sky.
I am never bored by the bay or the bridge that takes me to the ocean side of town.
The barrier island which separates me from the ocean is just across the bay and I can see it and it's twinkling lights at night.

The bay by my house

3. The sun rays in the water captured the sheer beauty of of this area I love so much.
It dazzles the eyes but I love the glittering diamonds that dance on the water.


4. Reaching the end of the bridge I thought to myself , "It was a great day. I am grateful to have lived it."


  About my story:

I live on Barnegat Bay.
The song My Eyes Adored You by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons mentions the bay because Frankie is a Jersey Boy.
You will see the mention of "walking home every day over Barnegat Bridge and Bay, till we grew into the me and you that went our separate ways.." in the short video of the song below.

What a nostalgic song it is for me.





No matter where you live, bay, mountains, country, city, I hope your day is a special one.

A Trip to the Museum

Most definitely it is time once again to go on another adventure with Toni!

click the picture to visit Toni

The Art Museum
1.   With not much to do and living in the city, tonight I decided to visit the local art museum before it closed. As I entered I encounted the ticket agent who seemed terribly bored.

2.   Looking straight at me and greeting me with a smile  he said "You are my 10th costumer today. It's been a very slow day  because of the weather."
I paid the fee and went into the museum hoping to relax a bit. It was a terrible day weather wise and nice to see some lovely art work instead of the steady downpour outside.
There was a nun standing and looking intently at one painting.
As I stood next to her she said, "Lovely, isn't it? Do you know what it is all about?"
I had to admit that I really didn't know what the artist had in mind but I had my own ideas.
She explained the painting and it was then I realized this was the great Sister Wendy!
Pleased that I was so keen on her teaching she offered to take me around and explain some paintings to me.
3.   Guiding me through the Great Room where all the great masters of art and their paintings and sculptures stood I was amazed to see all the paintings through the painters eyes via the descriptions and stories of Sister Wendy.

4.   Upon leaving I wondered If what I had seen was truly a new beginning in  love for art and art history. Sister Wendy had awakened in me a great interest in knowing why and where and how.

Sister Wendy is an art teacher but that is putting it very mildly. She is a joy to learn with. This lesson is amazing and a little shocking, too.
The series is on YouTube, so do yourself a favor, continue your education with a trip through the world of art with Sister Wendy.
This video is very short.

Ancient History and The Quiet Place

Toni has a new fill in the blanks adventure for us this week. She keeps coming up with great new ideas every week and I am joining in once again since they are a lot of fun and stretch your imagination.
If you are not trying these you are missing out on a great opportunity and a way to keep the brain moving and growing.  Some people think they have no imagination or that it is hard to come up with a little story. Well, rethink that, my friends, because that is just something you've let yourself believe. You can do anything you put your mind to do and doing these, even if you feel you "can't" will open you up mentally and challenge you to grow and do more.  Try some of them.
This is the last adventure she is posting because few tried it.
Having given my lecture, I will now move along with the adventure :) ...Thanks, Toni!

The Quiet Place
1.   While looking for a quiet place to rest my tired body after a bad day at work I stumbled on a section of the university library that I had never been in before.

I work as a teacher at the university's college of archaeology and I had a particularly bad day because of a run in with another professor who sticks to the ridiculous party line about the megaliths .. well never mind. I had a bad day and I was looking for a quiet place to rest, relax and read a few papers.

I found a room in our enormous library that I had no idea existed.

2.   It was the most beautiful place that I had seen in a long time.

3.   I turned and spotted a big soft leather chair that was perfect for reading and relaxing for a bit.

I read and re-read the papers on the megaliths and knew that the explanation made no sense. These stones were precision cut. A stone mason told me that he suspected a laser may have been used and I was certain that pre-history is not what  most would believe.

I recalled Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the Atomic bomb, telling newsmen who had asked him how it felt to be the first man to explode an atomic bomb, that he was only the first in our time, but not the first at all. 

He quoted the Bagavad Gita,part of the Hindu Vedas, where Vishnu tells the Prince, "Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds"  The Mahabarata  also reports nuclear war and the resulting devastation.

It acurately describes atomic bombs being exploded well over 5000 years ago and we know that several cities and deserts in the world today show evidence of atomic blasts complete with extreme radiation levels.
I sat and pondered all this and realized that there were forces in this world that did not want the truth to be known about history, real history anyway. It proved far too many things they seek to destroy.
The Vedas were written 5,000 years or more ago and we know they were already much older than that at the time.  Pre-flood I surmise.

4.   After a long quiet while I knew I had to get home and that one person would never change this. It would require a change of heart in a humble humanity that doesn't believe it has all the answers.

Irish Adventure

Ireland, Mother Ireland! Toni takes us there with her latest creative Adventure and I am joining in with a bit of a ridiculous tale. 

A Visit To Ireland
1.   While walking in a countryside in Ireland, I see a strange green glow coming from behind a large tree. Walking up to it I find a cell phone whose screen is blinking on and off with an emerald green light.

2.   Being the curious kind I decide to pick it up and see what's going on with it.

3.   Much to my surprise I bend to get hold of it and the phone rings!
I answer it and a voice on the other end says, "Lucky Charms, they're magically delicious!"
"Who is this?" I ask. "Sure,Rabbit, now Trix are for Kids!".  My question is followed by the sound of distant, but loud, stiffled laughter.
"What is this all about? Where are you calling from?" I say into the phone.
The voice responds saying "In the valley of the jolly..ho hoho.. green giant."
Then, from over the hill, I hear a deep rumbling voice begin to laugh. The laugh is so big, so loud it shakes the ground around me and I feel the earth shake even more as I realize that giant footsteps are headed my way.
4.   Deciding this must truly be a Irish fairytale, I laughing think to myself "feet don't fail me now" as I run back in the direction I came from as fast as I can.
You will note in the 3rd video that Galatians were Celts (Gaul). My interest stems from the fact my father knew Irish Gaelic and my grandmother spoke Kumri or Welsh. She was the only one of her parents children born in America. They spoke only Welsh at home. The videos are all short.

Another Adventure with Toni

click graphic to get to Toni's place

The Fork In The Road

1.   While driving down a country road you come to a fork in the road. Being there are no signs for either road you decide to take the road on the left which is lined with trees.

2.   You notice as you're driving along this road you see in the distance what looks like a UFO landing in the middle of the road!

3.   Stopping the car you wonder if you should get out and walk over to it, but you rethink that silliness quickly and get back in the car. You don't want to get involved!
Turning the car around to go back the other way you hear a loud BANG!
You look back over your shoulder and see the UFO exploding into millions of rubbery pieces.

You finally get out to look and see a dozen people run from a nearby field to the 'wreck' and you decide to run over too.
As you get closer you see a giant Macy Parade sized helium  balloon in the shape of a UFO had been popped by a huge tree limb.

4.   As you walk back to your car you can't help thinking that today turned out to be a a pretty funny day after al.

Here is an alternate story for those who couldn't stand the first one.

While driving down a country road you come to  a fork in the road. Being there are no signs for either road you decide to take the road on the left which has no fork , just a spoon.
You notice as you are driving along this road in the distance, a complete set of silverware lining each side of the road! There are forks all over the road, not to mention spoons and knives and serving utensils too!
 There are hundreds of them!

Stopping the car you decide to have lunch and are grateful that you are able to use one of the knives to cut your big Philly Cheesesteak sandwich in half!
The sandwich is more than a foot long and you were afraid you might not be able to handle it with your little hands.
The knife made it more manageable.
As you walk back to your car  you cant help thinking that this was the best Philly Cheesesteak you have had in a long time and this isn't even Philadelphia!

Toni's Adventure..

Adventures are fun!
The little is off to her bus, loaded down with backpack and clarinet case.. no coat.. she left it in school yesterday..sigh. But she is layered up with sweaters and sweatshirts. Only half a block to the bus so she is fine.
The kitchen is cleaned up, the french toast was well liked and I am settling down to do the latest Toni's creative adventure for this week  and you should too.
My cup of Pumpkin Spice coffee is steaming hot and I am ready to write....

  The Ski Trail

 click pix to visit Toni

1.   While cross country skiing through an old country trail I notice a light through the trees ahead. Getting closer to the clearing I see the light comes from a cottage that looks inviting. I remove my skis and walk up the porch steps and knock on the door when I see the sign that says, "Welcome , come in!"    As usual, I do just that. I am no stranger to this cottage or its occupants.

2.   I step inside to a cozy living room and sitting in a big leather chair in front of the fireplace is Mike all cozy in a warm blue and white Icelandic sweater. Next to him on the chair is JImmy his beautiful black lab with soft and gentle eyes.

"I'm happy you're here",  he said scratching the dogs head.
"Wild horses couldn't keep me away" I replied. "You know I love coming by to see you, Mike."
I lived up the trail from him a ways. When he had sprained his ankle I began coming by daily to make sure his bandage was done right and to get him hot meals. But it was an excuse to spend time with him too. I really enjoyed his company so much.

3.   He smiled at me and offered me a seat and a cup of hot chocolate. We talk for a bit and play with Jimmy, who is, as always, the life of the party.
"You shouldn't be making me hot chocolate, Mike. You need to rest that ankle.
 "How about lunch now" I said.
I headed to the kitchen to prepare him a roast beef sandwich and a steaming hot cup of the soup I had made that morning.
He devoured it. Mike is a big Norwegian guy and it takes some serious food to fill his tummy.
After lunch I rewrapped his sprained ankle and pulled his warm woolen socks over top.
Then I  fluffed the pillow on the ottoman. He raised his leg and lowered his foot onto the cushy pillow.
I placed his crutches closer to him and got him a thermos of hot coffee and put it on the table by his chair.
I placed a little dish of cookies nearby too.
"If you are comfy, I will go get some errands done and be back before dinner time, Mike"
I leaned down and he gave me a big bear hug. 
Jimmy made sure he gave me a doggy style hug too and walked me to the door.
"Now stay put so that ankle can rest and heal" I said shaking my finger at him.
It was hard to keep him down.
4.   Happy and warm in my winter coat, I headed out the door.
I turn to wave goodbye  and I'm surprised to see Mike standing at the door.
"I miss you already," he said.       "Don't leave, the errands can wait."
He was right, they could.

Night Encounter.. Bigfoot

          The Lonely Road
1.   You are driving down a lonely road at night when in front of you, you see
An extremely large figure standing in the road up ahead.
It seems to be looking off into the distance not noticing you or your car.
The figure moves off into the woods in two massive strides and you strain to see what it might be.
Why would a person walk into the  woods at this time of night? It is pitch black in there and there is no trail at this point.
As you question the sanity of the person  you notice your car is moving oddly and what do you know, you've got a flat tire.

2.   You stop the car and get out to check on the condition of the tire and discover it is indeed flat.
You sigh to yourself at the inconvenience of it all, and  you head around to the trunk to get out the spare tire and the lug wrench.  Should you try to change it yourself on this lonely forest

road so very late at night? You know the lug nuts are pretty tight.  You wonder if you are strong enough to get them off.
 No, you decide that it would be best to call Triple A and wait inside the car.  There are bear, cougars and coyotes in the area. You are safer and warmer by far if you stay in the car. It just isn't safe for a woman alone to be outside in this area.
AAA says they will have a truck out to you in 30 minutes which is a great relief and you are glad you signed up for the service after all.
The only problem now is that 30 minutes can be a lifetime when you are nervous.

3.   All of a sudden in the background you hear a deafening, bone chilling roar and   a deep,low growl. Then silence again until a howling sound breaks through the silent night. The hair on the back of your neck is standing up. . Whatever is making these noises has to be huge. This is no little animal.
A cold, evil chill runs through your body again and again.
You can hear something large crashing through the forest.

As a camper you know the sounds of the forest. You recognize a Mountain Lion's cries and roars, you know the awful 'terrified woman' scream of the fox.  You've heard the grunts and roars of bears.  You have heard coyotes howl and bark.  You know their footprints too.
This is none of these.
You've never heard one before but you suspect what it is. You are worried that you are probably right.  You hope with all your might that you are wrong.
The name Bigfoot, Sasquatch, runs through your mind.
You've listened to the Bigfoot Outlaws Radio for a long time and heard their stories. Tim "Coonbo" Baker is a former NASA scientist. He is reliable and has seen Bigfoot up close and personal. Some of the stories are downright horrifying.
You know the Navajo stories about this thing too. It isn't friendly.
With all this in mind you get in the car and lock the doors.
Of course you realize that if Bigfoot wants in, the locked doors will do no good.

When another ear shattering howl splits through the dark night,  you are relieved to know that the sound is moving away from you and you see the lights of the repair truck heading your way.
You want to run up and hug the guy from Triple A! You are so glad to see him.
He works hard to turn the lug nuts on the tire. He is a big, strong guy so you know you would never have gotten that off yourself.   It is a good thing you called and it is nicer not to be alone on this dark, seldom traveled road.
The fellow has the tire changed in no time and man, are you grateful!

4.   You then start your car and the repair truck leaves.
You head back to the highway. This is the last time you will take this old forest road at night!

After many years of wondering, I now believe that Bigfoot or Sasquatch is a real creature.
I try to base my stories on things I have experienced or know about.
In this case I know about it but thankfully have not encountered a Bigfoot in person!
Here is the Pennsylvania White Bigfoot video. One of the best I have seen.
Thinker Thunker makes a good case for authenticiy.



The photo above is an albino bigfoot and was taken from a video  made in Pennsylvania.
 I put stills from the video into Photoshop to examine them more closely and ran the video over and over frame by frame.   In Photoshop I am able to see the eyes inside the sockets and see minute facial movements too quick for the eye.
The facial muscles move and are not within normal human proportions.
As a human your upper lip is about 1 finger width from the bottom of your nose.
On this creature, it is about a 3 finger width and moves up and down with the eye movements.
Your eye sockets are not this low or this huge. These eyes are made for seeing well in the dark and designed to take in lots of light.
You can see pink skin below the white fur/hair. The mouth grimaces and the upper lip moves with it.  The skin and muscles on the skull move.
It cannot be  a mask anymore than the famous Patterson-Gimlin film of Bigfoot from  northern California is a suit.  In the Patterson film you can see the muscles moving in the buttocks, thighs and arms.     They move in unison and no suit can do that.
The gait of the creature is impossible for a human as well. The shin rise is not a human gait.
 A suit with arms as long as those in the Patterson film is also impossible as the hands actually move with the body.  The proportions are not human. Humans do not fit into suits that are not made according to human proportion.
The same goes for this video. The mouth moves, the nose twitches, the brow ridge moves with the facial expressions. This is not possible with a mask. A mask will also not  allow your eyes to be in the proper position on the face when the mouth is so distant from them.
It simply is not a human skull.

I hope you enjoyed this and please, give Toni's adventure  a try. It is a wonderful creative outlet.

Creative Adventures

Adventure Time compliments of my dear friend Toni!
I am in the hospital today for some heart alterations that are needed. God willing I will be home tomorrow as it is an over night procedure.
In the meantime, here is the adventure.  I hope you will join in.

I hope you will also take the time to read my post from yesterday. :)

The Sleepless Night

 

1.   Not being able to sleep this one night a few years back during Halloween, I twisted and turned in bed and turning toward the hallway I  saw that the Jack O'Lantern was still lit in the hall window. I was sure I blew the candle out. Oh well... better late than never.


 



2.   Rising from my bed I decided to walk to the kitchen after blowing out the cancle and get a cup of hot Sleepy Time tea. 
The night was chilly and blustery outside, the kind of night you are happy to be warm and cozy in the house.


3.   This is when I spotted a tall gnarly looking witch looking in my kitchen window!
I was so startled I nearly screamed!   I found myself shaking a bit.

4.   I was afraid that if I went outside I might run into something dangerous.
And when I heard scratching on the window I knew I didn't want to go out side at all.

 I wasn't really sure what to do. Being alone at night can be scary at times especially when you have a vivid imagination.
I tiptoed over to the sliding glass door in the dining area and peered out of the drapes.
The yard light was on now and I hoped I could see what or who was there.
I could not see from this angle. I would have to go to the back laundry room door and look out of the door window, something I was dreading. Whatever it was would be right there as it is next to the kitchen window!
I padded off to the laundry room and took a deep breath. "There is no help for it," I thought, "I must just do it! "
And do it I did!
And there stood the tall, gnarly fingered witch at my kitchen window!

She consisted of an old mop I was throwing out and a  dog cone that was going to  be trashed too. I had stuck the "cone of shame" on the mop head to get it out of the way. You know those cones they give to dogs who mustn't scratch? Yup, one of those.
Some witch.  Ha!
Typical of things around here.
Her waving arms and bony fingers were provided compliments of the green ash tree that grew just off the patio. 
The moonlight and blustery wind gave an animated,  spooky feel to the entire scene.
The woods beyond the backyard were alive in the moonlight and I could hear the Barn Owl hooting at me from the trees.  He was very amused by my antics I suspect.
Well, another catastrophe averted!      Sigh.. I need some sleep and a life!