New paintings and regular art updates.
Now I light my way to bed
Lots of thoughts twist in my head.
Have I shut the door and locked it?
Have I done it, or just thought it?
Have I got a book to read?
Till sleep descends within my head.
Will I sleep or will I wake?
Will I see a red dawn break?
Now I wonder what I’ll dream?
Soft and gentle will it seem?
Life is complex when I wake
Sleep reveals a nightmare fate.
Now I need to rest my head.
So I’m off to sleep in bed.
The lake was quiet on that day in November. The little ferry was only open one day a week so people could get supplies from the local village. It had been raining all morning. Grey clouds full of grey rain. The lake remained calm, placid, but the weather threatened to grow worse and the pressure was dropping.
They had caught the ferry earlier on in the afternoon and now they were making the trip back. Suddenly the wind whipped up. The water started to get choppy and white tops grew on the waves that were building up. Instead of the calm trip they were used to, the little boat was rising and falling over the crest of the waves, tipping and twisting. The internal lights came on and the ships captain announced that they were taking in a little water and that all passengers must remain calm, but they should all go to their muster points at the front and back of the ferry.
It was not far from shore when the propeller caught an old floating tree trunk. The forward motion stopped and the ferry lurched up and down. Waves were crashing over the prow, and the rain seemed to intensify.
When the squall passed the boat was gone. Only floating life rafts could be seen from shore. Of the twenty people on the boat 18 survived. The only two that were missing were an older man and woman. They were still holding hands when their bodies were found on the shingle beach in the morning.
This is what greeted us when we arrived at the Thai restaurant tonight. I’d decided to have a meal out after getting wet and chilly this afternoon.
The cats were a friendly gesture because we visit frequently and the owner knows I have cats.
Now I’m home and I’m going to put my feet up. There is nothing wrong with having a rest occasionaly.
Time for coffee I think.
X
I just chose a random photo from last year and I’m going to use it to base a very short story on.
Sandra was looking for a gift for her friend. Something simple to add to a birthday card and a bottle of wine.
Ornate wooden corkscrews, crocheted scarves, silver jewellery, pots of chutney. There was lots on offer. Then she saw a sign which simply said sweets. The woman standing behind the stall had clearly decided to dress in harmony with her confections. A multi coloured tee shirt with a rainbow silk scarf round her neck. The woman’s hair was striped green and red. On her head was a straw hat painted with stencils of flowers.
She looked at the stand of sweets.. Blue hornet gobstoppers, orange nectar jems, cherry and liquorice twists. Burnt toffee with walnuts, pear and apple drops. Marshmallow wrapped in rice paper. They looked delicious.
Try one? Asked the stall holder.. She chose a caramel fizz bomb. Just hold onto the handle, said the woman and Sandra saw one attached to the top of the stall. She grasped the metal handle.
Suddenly a tingle went from her mouth to her brain, her arm went rigid and a heavy weight seemed to descend on her shoulders. Then her head cleared, she could smell lilac scent. Her ears started to foam! After that the fizz bomb gradually eased to a sweet caramel gently tickling her tongue.
I’ll have some of that she said, thinking of how her friend would react!
We are just back from delivering leaflets house to house in the rain. Storm Freya is due to arrive in the next couple of hours. I was going to deliver them earlier in the week but I’m still not well.
What could be more comforting than fish finger sandwiches with a steaming cup of (decaff) coffee.
We didn’t quite finish the route and came home soaking wet. There is nothing much worse than rain getting through the seams of your coat, cold water trickling down your neck and the rain running off a waterproof coat and down onto your trouser legs. Add wet socks from crossing big puddles, wet hair and raindrops on your glasses and you get a picture of how I felt half an hour ago.
The fish finger sandwiches, with brown bread and butter and mayonnaise were very tasty. If I had taken more time I would have added sliced lemon and a few salad leaves but I just wanted something warm and tasty and quick.
Meanwhile the wind is gusting, the rain is hitting the windows. I can hear the wind blowing through a gap round the window and moaning slightly. It’s two hours before sunset but the world very dark and overcast. I might just have a nap.
Can I sharpen my claws?
Is it OK to scratch?
You don’t mind my paws
Do you?
Can I sit on the fridge
Watch you take the milk out
Is that cheese you are eating
Can I have just a bit?
Can I lick your face clean?
Are you loving my nose?
I am ready to preen
My whiskers and toes.
Do you think I am fat?
Do you love my long tail?
Can I sit on your hat?
After all I’m all cat. ..
Sunny day, top of the steps, Rhyl.
Over beyond this wall is my sea, the one I remember as a child, the one we visited on steam trains when I was very young.
Out beyond this wall the beach is flat and spreads far out. The sand is yellow and ochre. There are ridged ripples in the sand caused by the waves. Lines of groynes (posts with flat planks in between) hold back the waves and stop the long shore drift washing the sand away. New sea defences have been built to try and prevent flooding during storms. In summer planes fly over for Rhyl air show. Thousands of people arrive in mid summer like a migrating flock of starlings to see the show. Then disappear as quickly. Sometimes the days are wet and windy, other times the sun beats down and uv rays and ozone help burn your skin.
This old lamp post was once lit with gas. Now it’s rusting in the salt air. It looks like it was highly decorated in years gone by. Rhyl itself sometimes feels like time is leaving it behind. There are attempts to restore its faded glory though. If you want to see the sea its worth a visit. Just follow the A55 road North West of Chester and on into Wales.
X
I don’t remember anything after Saturday afternoon?
Who are you?
Where am I?
So many questions, I remember going to the park for a walk, I can see in my minds eye the youth on a motorbike, then I forget…. Its gone.
Who are you? A nurse? Who are they? My parents…..?
What did I do to get here?
Hello, yes I feel OK, just taking my pulse? My blood pressure….
Yes so you are my doctor?
There was a boy on a motorbike, I can see him in my minds eye. Where was that?
I need to sleep. Dreaming, remembering, she sees the park, the ducks running for the bread she was feeding them. The motorbike comes through the park gate, along the path, speeding, roaring. Breaks and skids to avoid the ducks and hits her hard….
Waking, the memory fades, she sees time reverse, only now she’s further down the path. The ducks are still on the lake. The sun is shining on her face. Heat. Her face is hot…..
Who am I?
Why am I here? I remembered, but then I forgot.
I started blogging in January 2018. I’d never really written before. I’d done things in a little newsletter years ago and I’d tried to write a children’s book which I called the swimming dragon about a dragon wanting to get back to its family in South America. But I’ve never had that published and I spent hours over it. I even painted illustrations But it never went anywhere because I was too nervous. It’s stuck on a floppy disc and on my old computer somewhere .
So I wasn’t expecting to get into this. It’s been a revelation to me. I know I’m only skimming the surface of blogging but I find myself more and more involved, to the detriment sometimes of painting which is what I intended this blog to be about.
I find myself enjoying writing short stories, sometimes with a little twist in the tale. Other times trying to write poems. I think about science and other subjects. I have stopped watching as much TV. I go out more so I can post photos of places. Most disturbing is that I no longer look at Facebook and Instagram as much.
Life is interesting, whether or not I shall continue at this pace I don’t know. But I’m enjoying things at the moment.
I’m very pleased to have had this little story about my cat Seamus published on Katzenworld today. I didn’t realise I should share it here because not everyone will be following that site. Also it’s a very good page to follow for cat information and advice. Here’s the link :
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