Tag Archives: surprises

Birthed in the Desert

Things to ponder...., , , , , ,

I wrote earlier about my creative “desert experience” and teased about sharing the flash fiction piece written from this phase. The counts are in and the “YES” votes win.

Do not be surprised, this piece may find a home in a future collection of short stories. 

The Concert

Peter sauntered into the seating area of the concert arena. The patrons were milling around, greeting friends who were at the same event. Many people already seated were chatting with those near them, or enjoying pizza with wine or other drinks. Servers walked the aisles, taking drink orders. Not wanting to draw attention to himself, he nonchalantly glanced from left to right. It was still early and there were many open seats. He was sure whoever purchased his ticket for him was already there, watching him. An usher looked at his ticket and directed him to his seat. It was an excellent location, center stage, just a couple of rows back from the dining tables, three seats in from the aisle. Realizing he would have a good seat for the show, and he himself would be in a prime location for others to monitor, he unbuttoned his jacket and sat down. As directed, he had on a black suit, with a bright orange shirt. He’d left the top two buttons undone, trying to look a little more casual. Clearly, he was overdressed compared to many of the others at the concert event. As he once was told, his movements were stiff, almost robotic. Though he made efforts to appear to fit in, he could not relax. The glasses he wore, which were dark-rimmed and oversized, allowed him to observe others around him easily. He had never figured out how to loosen up when around others. This evening was no exception. His seat was next to an energetic black woman. She was already swaying to the piped in pre-concert music. Occasionally she would speak to him, and he nodded or gave her a brief reply. Couldn’t she tell he didn’t want to converse with her?

The opening act appeared on stage and the crowd went wild. It was during that excitement another couple took the two seats on his other side. The lady sat next to him, but it was obvious she was enthralled with her date. 

He remained in his seat, erect and focusing on the stage. The opening act had the crowd’s attention. They weren’t something he would have paid to see. He sat there pondering how this evening came to be. 

Why am I here?

Who am I supposed to meet?

How many people are watching me?

Is this a set-up?

His thoughts raced as he focused his attention on the performers. The opening act wrapped up their performance. As they vacated the stage, many rose from their seats to get something to eat, or just to stretch their legs. He stood, as did the couple seated next to him. It was obvious they didn’t intend to allow him to leave. They started talking to him. 

Were they the people he was supposed to meet here? The gentlemen introduced himself as KP. The woman never provided a name. As KP talked, Peter responded mostly by nodding his head or providing short affirming responses. The woman, wearing a tight-fitting sleeveless denim vest, tight black jeans and a perky straw hat, kept staring at her partner. Her brown hair curled out from under her hat, framing her face nicely. It was easy to wonder if she knew the man at all, or if this was a new relationship. She would tip her head and adoringly stare into his face as he spoke. He too wore tight fitting black jeans and a casual denim shirt. His beard and hair sported a dignified salt and pepper look. Probably in his mid-40s, KP appeared more casual than Peter and more relaxed. But why wouldn’t he be more relaxed? He shouldn’t know the group was being observed. 

The threesome talked during the switch-up between the opening act and the featured performance. KP did most of the talking. The woman just smiled and fawned on KP. Peter stoically stood and listened. As the main act was setting up on the stage, the three returned to their seats. Before sitting down, KP reached into his pocket, extracting a small envelope which he discretely slid into Peter’s hand. Peter nodded, seated himself, and stared straight ahead at the stage. He thought, oh what one will do for money! It sure makes the world go round. If they only knew. He wanted to turn around to determine if anyone had noticed the transaction, but then he didn’t know who he should look for. He knew there would be a sedan waiting out front after the performance to whisk him away.

The Desert

Things to ponder...., , , , , ,

Some ask, how is a story born? Where do you get your ideas? 
Read below to find a plausible answer to your questions.

The Desert

Stranded in a creative desert
Words escape me
Nothing to show on paper

Wisps of a scene dance through my mind,
then disappear before the words land in my story.

This journey is unsettling
Leaving me feeling ill at ease

Besides being dry and barren, deserts are often hot
To escape the dullness of these empty days
We went to a concert

The outdoor setting provided a great escape from the heat
Venue was filled with people enjoying themselves
An evening breeze blew in from the ocean
A lovely time was had

A threesome unlocked a creative muse within me
The characters were all – characters
I was certain there was a story beneath the surface

Back home, after a lovely evening of music by the shore,
a short story was born

Now, your part…

If you have a desire to read the flash fiction piece born of this evening, click the yes option. If not, click no. In a couple of weeks, I’ll tally the responses. Depending upon what I find, you may get the story. You will be updated.

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(Disclaimer notice for you, my readers. I appreciate your patience as I worked through the details of the form. Thank you.)

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Thanks for reading and following my blog.

Linda

Promises

Light Hearted Living..., , , , ,

Here’s a peek

at what’s to come

after the storm…

Sometimes First Impressions are Incorrect…

Ireland, Things to ponder...., , , , , ,

 

We packed up and headed out of Tralee, County KP1030723erry. I’d gotten used to the “green” Ireland offers and had heard so many talk about.
We crested a hill and neither of us could believe what we saw. It did not look like the Ireland we had been introduced to. Our German friends called it a moonscape. I just thought it looked arid and barren.

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A couple days later at a local perfumery (more about the perfumery another day), I learned the area is called the Burren and it offers the most diverse vegetation of anywhere in Ireland. There are only a few Irish plants that don’t grow in this area, and there are many only found here. In fact, there is a wild Irish found nowhere but here.

We walked the Burren and I was amazed. The limestone rocks have many cracks, crannies and holes. They are home to various plant life.

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I understand why so many consider the Burren to be a very special place.

 

 

The Bear and Writing…..

Intro to Change, , ,

Oh my! It is a bear!
Oh my! It is a bear!

The 2012 drought increased the number of bear sightings in our area. I saw four black bears during the late summer/fall season. My first sighting was the one to leave the largest impression. I have thoughts and images of the day that will not soon be forgotten. I was able to put the day to words and the following article appeared in the Aspen Times. Since then, it has provided the springboard for other writings. I still find living so close to nature an enchanting aspect of living in the west.

Oh my!  Another Bear Sighting….

“Did you see that,” I exclaimed!  “There was a bear in the tree.  We have to turn around.”

Tom turned and parked carefully under the overhanging branches at the very edge of the road. He opened the sunroof and turned on our hazard lights. It was late afternoon and sunlight was dancing on the leaves in the tree.  Right there above us was a young bear, firmly seated within the fork of a branch, intently focused on snatching acorns from nearby branches. He was wasting no time in gobbling them up.  At that moment, he reminded me of an oversized snuggly teddy bear.  He was oblivious to us and any other passing vehicles.   He had no idea he was the focus of multiple photos and a short video clip.  The four of us in the vehicle were captivated watching this scene.  He would snatch a mouthful from a limb, and use his paws to pick out the unwanted leaves or branches, which were quickly thrown to the ground.  The pile of leaves and small branches accumulating on the road were evidence of how long he must have been in the tree.  There was no sign of other bears in the area.  I was surprised to one this close to a town and at this elevation.  I heard bears were frequently seen at higher elevations.

Other approaching vehicles slowed to see what we were looking at.  Some snapped photos as they drove by.  The bear was disinterested in all the attention.  We were getting ready to leave the site, as it appeared the bear had enjoyed his fill of acorns.  His agility in scampering down from the tree was amazing.   Tom was watching for traffic in his mirror when he noticed a rental RV parking, and the passengers disembarking with cameras in hand.  They may have been the reason the bear came down from the tree.  Initially he starting lumbering away in the opposite direction, then looked back over his shoulder at the people standing in the street.  Turning, he looked intently at the scene.  We were backing up, and the people were walking toward him.  He stood on his hind feet taking four or five steps toward them before stopping to evaluate the scene again.  It almost appeared he was challenging them. They scrambled back into their vehicle and after several moments the bear ambled away in the opposite direction.  My ‘teddy bear’ image was quickly replaced with the reality of how large and powerful these creatures of nature are.

We all thought the experience was amazing.  I was excited and thrilled.  This was my first bear sighting after moving to the mountains.  I was grateful to experience such an up-close and safe nature sighting of such a magnificent animal.  I was also grateful for the realization of how powerful and quickly these creatures of nature can move, and that this is their domain.  Recognizing it was a small bear, I wondered if there were others nearby.  I pondered how far down into the valley they really do wander.  I was equally surprised a family was willing to get out of their vehicle and approach this wild and un-caged bear on foot just to get a few photos. How much closer might they have gotten if the bear had not turned away and how would the headlines read?

We were on the Frying Pan. We had been busy chatting and enjoying the rock walls or magnificent drops to the valley below as we were driving.  Various pine trees and gambel oaks were the primary trees in the area.  We were with friends; they were directing us to one of their favorite spots, Chapman Lake. We planned a late afternoon hike and an evening picnic. We had just driven through Basalt and rounded a curve when we came upon this diversion to our trip.

We continued to our original destination.  The wonders and magnitude of the mountains and surrounding countryside continued to amaze me.  As beautiful as the hike was and the alluring atmosphere created at the lake as the sun started its decline for the night, the sighting of the bear was the highlight of the day’s adventure.

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