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Sharing My World 2015 Week 37
Here is my post for Cee’s Share Your World.
If you could have three wishes granted for you alone, what would they be?
Ah, for me alone. Finally a “wishes” question where I can be selfish and not wish for world peace and the desire to open a donkey sanctuary.
I wish for the power to bend the universe to my will bwahahaha. I don’t need the other two wishes, since I can now do anything I want with the first one.
What is the most incredible natural venue that you’ve ever seen in person?
I’ve seen so many great places, it’s hard to choose. I don’t know that they would classify as “incredible”, rather “beautiful”. I’ll go for St. Nectan’s glen, since I have some pictures handy. Obviously the little cairns and tree decorations were put there by humans, but the glen itself is natural.
Now, the definition of venue is “the scene or setting in which something takes place”. So let’s make this a “venue” by imagining that in days gone by, pagan ceremonies were conducted here. Probably witches dancing around naked :-).
Is your hair short (total neck and ear showing), medium (covering ears and neck), long (below shoulders) or extra long (at least halfway down your back)?
Short. I tell the barber “8 on top, 4 on the back and sides” (that’s 8th’s of an inch I think). I have it cut every 4-5 weeks so it stays pretty short.
List some of your favourite blogs.
Ooh, I can’t do that! I’d hate to miss any out. I follow a lot of people who write for Friday Fictioneers and Mondays Finish the Story, plus a number of other blogs. I’m sure you’ll see my little gravatar around the place!
St Michael’s Mount Part 2
In my second (of three) posts featuring pictures taken at St. Michael’s Mount off the Cornish coast, we’ll have a last look around outside and then venture into the house itself. I accidentally uploaded these photos full size, so be careful if you want to make them bigger and you’re not on a fast connection.
A nice view out across the bay, or sea, or whatever it is.
Were going inside here in a minute!
They have strange taste in sculptures.
Getting closer to the house.
One last look back at Marazion before we go inside.
Inside looking out.
An impressive library.
Now that’s what I call a ceiling.
Inside the little church. Wow, they have their own church!
That’s quite the impressive organ :-).
This is probably St. Michael defeating Satan, or something. Maybe I should have read the guide leaflet or some of the little plaques dotted around the place.
His and hers royal waiting chairs. That’s Queen Elizabeth II on the left (our reigning monarch) and on the right, presumably her dad, King George VI.
Next time we’ll see some more photos outside, including my harrowing walk back across the Causeway of Doom (it’s not called that, I made that up).
St Michael’s Mount Part 1
Here are some photos I took on a trip to St Michael’s Mount a couple of weeks ago. It’s off the south coast of Cornwall, near Marazion. I was given a guide leaflet which probably had some history in it, which I didn’t read :-).
I’ll do this in a few parts as I can’t choose between all the photos I took.
I parked up the beach a mile or so away to avoid the tourist traffic, so I had a nice little walk. There it is in the distance.
The tide is in so it looks like I will have to brave the high seas to get there.
And so we set sail in the mighty ship “Sea Mist”. I hope we don’t sink!
At last, after a long and harrowing sea voyage (3 minutes), tired but victorious, we reached our destination.
Hmm, looks like a bit of a climb.
Up I go, stopping often to take in the view (and catch my breath).
If that tiny hatch leads to the Giant’s Well, I’m guessing he was often thirsty.
The Cornish flag flies proudly over a bunch of slightly dodgy-looking cannons. Let’s hope we don’t have to repel invaders!
Next time we’ll take a look at the view and then enter the house (where photography was allowed!).
Friday Fictioneers – Dead End Street
Here is my story for Fridy Fictioneers, hosted by Rochelle. The photo was contributed by David Stewart.
This week I went for “gritty reality”. It’s a bit clunky but it’s good to try something other than “humorous dialogue” once in a while.
To read this week’s other stories, click on the blue froggy.
Copyright David Stewart
Rusted cars line the curb-side, burnt-out shells long abandoned. A starving tabby scrabbles for morsels in the long grass, forgotten by apathetic owners. Half-dressed women stand on the corner promising excitement with dead eyes while their watchers, dressed in leather and gold, control their next fix, their lives. A young man staggers against an ageing fence, his pockmarked face and spider-veined arms mute testimony to his addiction, the infection in his lungs only hastening his demise.
People look but don’t see.
People hear but don’t listen.
People speak but say nothing.
This is life on Dead End Street.
MFTS – Accept No Substitutions!
Here is my little story for Barbara Beacham’s Mondays Finish the Story. The supplied sentence is in bold in my story. To read this week’s other contributions, click on the little blue froggy!
Copyright Barbara W. Beacham
From her small balcony, the witch watched the world go by.
She had no choice, actually. And the world went by really really fast. In fact, mostly it was just a blur. She could make out details, sometimes. When she’d cast the spell, people had clippity-clopped by on horses. Now they shot past in horse-less chariots!
It was that “time in a bottle” spell. Maybe she shouldn’t have substituted grapes for eye of newt? But eye of newt was awfully expensive, and grapes looked, well, roughly similar. She didn’t think the Goddess would notice, She was always so busy. And now the witch was the one trapped in time, her house the bottle.
Today, at last, the reversal spell was ready! She raised her hands, chanted… and with a thunderclap four hundred years caught up with her all at once.
It was weeks before someone found the little pile of dust where the witch used to be. Evidently, substituting cheap cotton for expensive silk in the “protection” element of the reversal spell was a no-no.
Well, that was easy
Yes, I’m back. Windows 10 actually installed without a hitch. Yay!
Here we go!
That’s good to know. Um, what apps?
How nice!
That’s a relief. If this hadn’t have worked I would have been unamused.
And it’s all good in the hood
Total time to upgrade – around 1 and a half hours (including 2.6GB Windows 10 download). Yay!
Sharing My World 2015 Week 36
Here’s my regular Share Your World post, hosted as ever by Cee over at her newly redesigned blog, Cee’s Photography. Thanks for hosting, Cee!
If you were a pen, what type, style and colour would you be?
A pen? Hmm. I’ve imagined being a multi-billionaire, a top footie player, an international playboy, but never a pen. Black ink. Nothing too fancy. But with some sort of clicker mechanism on the end. Having my head dragged across paper all day would be bad enough without someone constantly chewing on my ass.
How many languages do you you speak?
That depends on what’s meant by “speak”, from a “fluent” point of view.
UK English, obviously. Most American English words and spellings (thanks US TV!) and some Australian English slang. French (enough to get by in restaurants and the like) and German (enough for simple conversations).
Do computer languages count? ASP.NET, VB.NET, C#, ASP, VBScript, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, JQuery, T-SQL, PowerShell.
Are you a listener or talker?
Definitely a listener, especially around people I don’t know. I need to get a sense of people before saying too much so that I can slip into the conversation unnoticed.
Rather Have: Which would you rather have, 2 million dollars or true love?
Is this true love that will remain that way, or the true love which quickly fades into tolerance (he asked cynically)? I think maybe the cold hard cash in my pocket would be the way to go here.
I’m about to take the plunge and click the “upgrade to Windows 10” button! So if I go quiet for a little while, it’s because I’ve screwed my laptop. Yay :-). Wish me luck…
Friday Fictioneers – Carpe Diem
Here’s my story for Friday Fictioneers, a weekly photo challenge hosted by Rochelle. The photograph this week was contributed by Jennifer Pendergast.
To view the other stories for this week, click on the blue froggy.
Copyright Jennifer Pendergast
Pete, designated “Team Leader”, read the instructions.
“Row across Doom Lake, navigate the Rapids of Certain Death and finally enter the Canyon of Damnation.”
“Um,” said Charles, “this sounds awfully dangerous.”
“These team-building exercises always sound like that,” chipped in Nancy. “It’s fine!”
“Well,” said Charles, “I don’t like the sound of it. I’m not going.” He watched his workmates sail off before going back to his room. He popped a beer, tripped over his slippers and broke his neck.
The moral of this story? Seize life. Because that bullet with your name on it? You’ll never see it coming.
MFTS – What Goes Around…
Here is my story for Barbara Beacham’s Monday’s Finish the Story. This week’s photo was provided by Marcy B. Ayanian. She also provided the opening sentence! The opening sentence is in bold in my story, and to view this week’s other contributions, click the blue froggy.
I spent all day yesterday holding on to a comedy story with grim determination, but couldn’t think of a decent ending so I’ve written this instead.
Copyright 2015 Marcy B. Ayanian
As her mount shifted uneasily under her, she grasped the brim of her old felt Stetson, gazed upwards and remembered Jean Pierre.
The way his eyes flashed with amusement at some joke. The way his body moved while playing tennis at their Paris manor. The smile on his face when he repeated “I do” at their wedding, the smile which remained throughout the reception, and later, when they were alone…
The way his beautiful eyes opened wide as saucers as the laced brandy took effect, the poison causing his heart to falter, then stop.
She even spared a thought (however briefly) for the maid, eyes streaming tears as she was lead to the gallows, lips protesting her innocence of a crime she didn’t commit.
Lady Genevieve smiled as she rode back to the manor – her manor now – and looked out over Paris.
In the shadows lurked her butler, sometime lover of the maid, a grim smile on his face as he watched her sip the cocktail he’d so carefully prepared.
Sharing My World 2015 Week 35
Here is my post for Cee’s Share Your World for this week.
What made you feel good this week?
Nothing in particular, really. Life just trundles along. Everything is nicely stable on the contentment scale. I did visit St. Michael’s Mount. I’ll do another post with pictures, but here’s a little taster.
For potlucks or parties do you cook it yourself, buy from a grocery store, or pay for catering?
I don’t really go to potlucks or parties, but I would certainly buy something from a shop. Pay for catering? That sounds a bit too high class for any sort of party I would be invited to. And me cooking would likely lead to some sort of unfortunate mass poisoning incident :-(.
What is your favourite part of the town/city you live in. And what Country do you live in?
I live in England. I guess my favourite part of my village is my house. There isn’t a lot more here. The shop, the village hall and so on.
Complete this sentence: My favourite place in the whole world…
… is anywhere with lovely scenery. Ireland, Scotland, Cornwall, Wales, anywhere I’ve been and seen lovely places.
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Woohoo!
I totally didn't win!
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