Underbelly
Here we are on Thursday with Friday Fictioneers, the prompt for which was posted on Wednesday. Confused? Never mind, because it’s story time, hosted as always by Rochelle.
The photo which prompts our 100-ish word story this week was contributed by Kelly Sands and features big clouds over houses. But are they clouds? ARE THEY? Or are they actually Something More Sinister (dum dum dummmm)? My story this week is a bit nuts, so bear with me.
The other stories this week can be found by clicking on Bracken, the little blue froggy, below.
Here’s the photo of the clouds. OR ARE THEY CLOUDS? etc etc.
It came from Outer Space. NASA had pictures and everything.
One evening in late May it had appeared over the sleepy hamlet of Little Frimpton. The residents took it in their stride, as country folk often do.
“What be that, Jed? Looks loike clouds. But not clouds.”
“That be the underbelly o’ one o’ them giant aliens, Jethro.”
“Oh. ‘Nother ale?”
In June it broke wind, hospitalising several members of the Little Frimpton Knitting Circle during a particularly complicated crochet demonstration. Gas masks were distributed to the villagers.
They could only hope that nothing more solid would follow. Though as one pragmatic farmer noted, “It would be good fer moi fields.”
Sunday Stills – Power Lines
I was reading one of Cee’s posts and that put me onto a photography challenge, for which I have the perfect photo! I actually published it a couple of weeks ago as part of a set of photos I took while on a walk from my house to the next village.
This week’s topic is “power lines” and is part of Sunday Stills. I took the photo because I thought the power lines looked quite cool from down on the road. You can just make out the warning triangle at the bottom of the pole, telling people to stay clear – “danger of death”!
From Now Until Eternity
It’s Friday Fictioneers time! Our lovely host Rochelle is back at the helm, and this week’s photo has been contributed by Claire Fuller. Thanks, Claire!
To read this week’s other contributions, click on Bracken, the blue froggy, below.
Prince Ionus smiled to himself as the little band of adventurers crested the hill and crossed the plain. Excellent, he thought. It has been an age since I made new friends!
He watched as they approached the cave. Their triumphant yells became screams of terror as Medusa, emerging from the darkness, froze their limbs with her terrible gaze. Their screams now echoed only within the depths of his mind.
Ionus projected his thoughts outwards. Calm yourselves, my new friends. Learn to accept your situation. Soon we will exchange stories, but there is no rush. We have from now until eternity!
In the Name of Progress
It’s Friday Fictioneers time! Our host Rochelle is taking a break, but the show must go on and this week’s photo (originally a prompt from August 2012) has been contributed by Madison Woods.
To read all the other contributions click on Bracken, the little blue froggy.
It had stood for countless ages. Wars had been fought around its trunk. Lovers had embraced beneath its branches. Countless generations of forest creatures had lived and died high in its canopy.
It had seen sunshine and rain, peacetime and dreadful war. It had witnessed good times and bad, famine and prosperity. It had survived the hottest of suns, the harshest of winters and the most furious of gales.
Centuries of memories lay embedded within its massive trunk. Rock, bone, metal.
The earth shook and the tree wept chlorophyll tears as the bulldozers drew closer.
Welcome to Camelot
On Monday I went for a trip to Tintagel, a little village on the north coast of Cornwall. It’s a tiny place, but boasts more car parks than you could believe. Why, I hear you ask?
I parked in the “Sword in the Stone” car park. Does that give you a clue?
It’s supposedly one of the possible locations of King Arthur’s court, he of “Round Table” fame. I’ve been to Tintagel several times, but this time I coughed up the £6.10 to go onto the castle grounds (owned by English Heritage) for the very first time.
Kastel Dintagel (Cornish) or Tintagel Castle (English!) was built by Richard, Earl of Cornwall in 1233. It is said that Richard built his castle on this spot to link him forever to King Arthur, who according to legend was conceived and born here.
The phrase “Earl of Cornwall” is interesting in itself – in 1337 Cornwall was promoted to a Duchy (the first in England), and it now has a Duke (Charles, Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall).
Anyway, enough of this history/myth/legend! Here are some pictures. The cliff-top part of the castle is actually on an island. You wouldn’t believe the number of very steep steps involved crossing over. I got a good workout 🙂
If you click on any of the pictures, you get a little slideshow thing of larger versions.
Cornish Hedgerows
As it is another lovely day (and I’m still on holiday) I went for a walk to the next village, Ladock, a round trip of just under three and a half miles, so an nice distance for a wander.
In Ladock I visited the village shop (which turned out to be essentially a Portakabin) and bought an ice cream. I also bought a bottle of Diet Coke to drink on the way back as I’m notorious for wandering around in the sun without drinking anything, which leads to an afternoon of headaches and Paracetamol.
A Riot of Colour in the Draligarden!
I’ve been out and about in my tiny front and back gardens with my camera phone again, and have discovered a riot of colour! As usual, I don’t know the names of any of them.
I have arranged it to open the photos in a new window or tab when clicked (depending on your browser setup). They look even better when bigger!

































