July 2014

Hello! Here I am again, writing to you on a hot and humid day while sitting in front of a fan. Feeling...well, other than overheated, fine. Except...

What am I doing?

I have once again neglected to do anything I promised to do back on May 16th, a date which now seems like an extremely long time ago. What have I done since then?

I have been at my job, I've made some new friends, and I've been spending time with family and friends, as well as wasting some time watching TV shows, and then more work, etc. What I have not been doing is trying to get "The Travelers" to come back from the dead. It's as if I think it will write itself, which might be more likely at this point than my actually getting to writing some. I fully expect most if not all of you to wonder why on earth I don't just go and work on it rather than sit here and write apologetic blog posts.

The truth is, I'm not sure why I don't.

I did have some ideas for it; I think I am in a rut. I always want to work on stories, but half the time I have writer's block.

At this time, I feel that I may need to step back and consider who I am as a writer, who I have been, and where I should and want to go. Obviously, during the semester, I spend most if not all of my time writing papers, a decidedly different type of writing. Consequently, my academic and critical writing has improved drastically. My fictional writing? Hasn't improved as much. I feel a need to keep searching for my identity as a writer and be open to changes and inspiration. This is not the death knell for "The Travelers." Rather, I am finally starting to come to terms with the fact that I am in a writer's rut at the moment and I need to experiment and try to get myself out of it.

In an attempt to keep the blog alive, I would like to try to get some good conversation going in the comments: I'll introduce the first topic, but feel free to introduce your own/message me.

I'd like to hear about one of your favorite books. What is it, who wrote it, why do you like it. Is there anything you don't like about it? How's the writing? Are the pacing, characters, etc. well developed or not so much? You can address any of these questions or any others; I'm hoping for all of us to be introduced to some new reading ideas.

Spring/Summer 2014

Hello, everyone.
I know I haven't posted since this past winter, but it's because during the semester, I rarely have time for anything other than doing schoolwork and trying to live my life in general. I do still care about my blog (how many times have I said that?) and I try to come back to it whenever I am able to.

Currently, I am taking a three week long summer course which is my lab requirement for the geoscience class I took this past semester. I just finished my Sophomore year. After I am done with my summer class in a couple of weeks, I will be going back to work at the ice cream parlor where I worked last year.

A word on my writing: I know many of you have faithfully followed "The Travelers." I realize I have left all of you in the lurch, as well as my poor characters, unless my having been so sporadic about it has meant that everyone has lost interest. I am undecided whether I will continue the story, partially because I have been unsure of where to go with it. Please comment if you have any thoughts about this story and whether you would like to see it continued.

I also am interested in doing more song covers for my youtube channel, but I have to get going and figure out which songs I want to do and then actually get my act together and record them. Again, let me know any thoughts you might have or if there's any song requests (I will try to fulfill requests but again, I do not know when any of this will happen).

I realize all of this seems up in the air, but know that I will continue trying to keep up the blog over the summer.

For now, I'll leave you all with a fun question (I hope it is fun): comment and tell me one of your favorite things to do in the summer! (I love to have picnics with family and friends.)

Friends

In trying to decide what to write this post about, what came to mind was a subject very important to me: my friends.
I have a really diverse and large group of friends, when I come to think of it. I love making new friends and have made several new ones over the past few years. Some of them I've never met in person, but I still feel a connection with them.
Some of them I've now had for a long time and spend hours (when possible) hanging out and talking with them.
This post is just to say, I'm thinking about all of you, my wonderful friends, and you mean so much to me!

Funny videos

Most recent blimeycow video; I so relate to this!

Also, an older one that's one of my favorites!

One word: "Antibiotics!!"

Catching Fire

Last Friday, I went to see Catching Fire, the second movie of the Hunger Games trilogy, with a good friend of mine. We kind of ended up getting there under the wire, as I doubt that the movie will be in theaters for much longer as it has already been playing for a couple of months. When it originally came out, I was extremely busy with college, and I didn't know that I had anyone who would want to go with me. My brother and I went to the first one and neither of us were impressed by it, so I was a little hesitant about this one.

Much to my surprise (and delight) Catching Fire was not only much better than the first movie, but just good in general. The characters were exactly right (my friend and I especially loved the casting of Finnick Odair). Main characters from the first movie became deeper so that I could connect much more with them.The graphics and settings were impressive; this was one aspect with which I was disappointed with the first film. It seemed that with this time around, there may have been a bigger budget as the graphics looked much more real. Though not my favorite composer, James Newton Howard's main musical theme from the first film was re-used. The epic theme fits with the feel of the film. Also positive: the saying "May the odds be ever in your favor" was not overused.

I found that though two and a half hours long, this movie did not drag at all. The pacing, very similar to in the book, worked better than it had in the latter. My thought when it ended was not, "thank goodness!" but that I would like to watch it again.

Looking forward to Mockingjay.

2014 Movie Challenge

Recently I posted my 2013 year review. I did a short review of every movie I saw in theaters last year. That didn't include any other movies which I saw which was probably quite a few! Many of you probably know that I love to watch movies!

Thus, I'm going to put this out there:
Anyone who wants to can suggest a movie I haven't seen that they think I should watch and I will do everything in my power to watch it this year! This is solely for movies already out on DVD. That is, it's a movie you've watched and like, and can't imagine why I haven't watched it yet since it's so good.

After watching each, I will post what I thought of them here on my blog. I promise to be nice and I won't say anything bad about a movie you like!

"The Cowboy from the Past"

Today, we're going to go to 2010, when I wrote this three part story, "The Cowboy from the Past." You're the first to see all three parts at once without having to wait! Congratulations.

                                                           The Cowboy from the Past

Melanie's time machine looked finished.  Little lights of red, yellow, blue, green, and orange blinked here and there.  The metal walls gave out little hollow-sounding noises as Melanie did a final check on the inside.
"Melanie!  What are you doing in there?"
Melanie's older brother, Pete, was pounding at the locked bedroom door.
"Working on my time machine!" Melanie called back.
Pete snickered.
"Whatever you say, Melon," he said, using the nickname his younger sister hated.
Melanie took a deep breath.
"Fine, Squash!" she called back, using the nickname Pete hated.
Melanie took one more look at the time machine's circuit board, and then put the metal panel back on.
"All set," Melanie murmured, taking her tool box and getting out of the machine.
Melanie looked over her time machine with great satisfaction.  The metal door hung open invitingly.
"Well," she said, getting back into the machine, "what am I waiting for?  Time for the real test!"
Melanie pulled the door shut, and fastened it tightly.
Once inside, Melanie pressed the power button.  Instantly, a mechanical noise started up, and roared around her, and the bright green light on the ceiling began flashing with a slight throbbing noise.  The time machine was working.
"Let's see," Melanie said, thinking aloud, "if the time machine works correctly, I should be able to approximate a time in history, and when the sequence is over I'll have a visitor from the past."
Now that it came to this, Melanie hardly knew what time to choose.  She finally decided that it might be interesting to bring back a hippie from the 1960's, but she accidentally pushed the button a few too many times.  It was too late, however--Melanie didn't notice her miscalculation, and pulled the Initiation Lever.  The time machine roared even louder.  Louder, louder, louder--and then the green light, which had been flashing faster and faster, suddenly clicked off.  The smaller lights on the walls, buttons, and levers also went off, and Melanie found herself surrounded by complete darkness.
It didn't take Melanie long to remember, however, that she had programmed the lights to go off when the sequence was almost completed--that way, the visitor didn't have to go through the shock of waking up in a little metal box--at first, they would just see darkness.  Melanie figured that the whole process of bringing someone out of the past depended on how far out of the past the person was coming from.  She guessed that bringing someone out of the 1960's would take something around fifteen minutes, so she was surprised when it seemed as if the sequence was taking longer than this.  Melanie was beginning to be afraid that the time machine didn't work, when suddenly she heard a lot of grumbling on the other side of the machine.
"I reckon' I musta hit my head on somethin'," the voice said.
It sounded like a man.  Melanie kept completely still and quiet so she wouldn't frighten the visitor.  He sure didn't sound like a hippie.  He sounded more like a...a...
"Where has that gosh-darn pistol gotten to?" the voice said.
Cowboy?
Of course! Melanie realized.  She must have pressed the button a few too many times, and brought someone further out of the past than the 1960's--and it seemed as if she'd ended up bringing up a cowboy back with her.  Oh well, Melanie thought.  A cowboy should be interesting.
"Where in tarnation am I?" said the voice.  "And what's that gosh-darned noise?  Sounds like a mochine."
The voice kept making comments as the lights came back on, dim at first, but getting brighter and brighter until...
"Holy smokes!  Where am I?" said the cowboy, for a cowboy he was.
The cowboy looked around, and then spotted Melanie, sitting with her back against the wall of the time machine, her arms wrapped around her knees.  Melanie stared back at him.  An awkward silence followed.
Finally, the cowboy said, "Howdy."
"Um, howdy," Melanie said.
The cowboy pointed at the wall of the time machine.
"What in tarnation is this thing?" he asked.
Melanie found herself in a tight spot.  The cowboy would never believe her if she told him it was a time machine, but what else was there to say?
"It's a time machine." she said.
The cowboy stared at her.  The time machine suddenly made a huge BUMP!.  Then, the roar in the machine slowly became quieter until suddenly, the noise just shut off.  Melanie got up, and, unfastening the latches on the door, let it swing open into her bedroom.
"Welcome to the 21st Century," she said.


                                                                                 ***
Melanie stepped out into her bedroom, followed by the very confused cowboy. 
"What do yer mean, 21st Century?" he asked, looking around the bedroom.
"This is the year 2010," Melanie explained, pointing to her calendar.
The cowboy froze.  Melanie hoped she hadn't given him a heart attack.
"What do yer mean, 2010?" he asked.
"I mean 2010," Melanie said, "you know, in the 21st Century?"
The cowboy was looking more confused by the second.
"Do yer mean that we've gone forward in time?" the cowboy asked.
"Well, sort of," Melanie said.  "Actually, for me, this is present day.  But we have come to the future from your time."
The cowboy sank down onto Melanie's bed.
"That just plain dun't make any sense," he said.  "How could I have come into this here, what you call, 'future'?"
"Well," Melanie said, "I made a time machine."
The cowboy looked dejectedly up at her.  His big black moustache seemed to droop.
"Well, that dun't explain it," he said.
Melanie sighed, and picked up a binder from her desk.
"See, look, these are the plans for my time machine." she said, opening up the binder and showing him.
"Ya know," the cowboy said, "ya keep on sayin' time mochine, but it don't make sense to me.  What's a time mochine?"
Melanie smiled.
"It's a machine that allows you to travel to a different time," she explained.
The cowboy was completely lost.
"You mean like it's high noon when I ride into town, but by the time I get to the saloon it's after high noon?" the cowboy asked.
"No," Melanie said, "it's...well, I don't think I can explain it to you...I don't think you'd understand."
"Well then, lemme see if I can git you straight," he said.  "Yer sayin' that this here time mochine transported me from my own time."
"Yes," Melanie said, nodding.
The cowboy shook his head.
"That's real crazy," he said.
Conversation dwindled for a few minutes.  Melanie looked at her feet, trying to think of something to say, and the cowboy took his pistol out of its holster and inspected it.  Finally, he slipped the pistol back into its holster, and looked up at her.
"What's your name, Ma'am?" he asked her.
"My name's Melanie," Melanie said.
"Melanie," the cowboy said slowly and contemplatively.  "Real purtty."
"Thanks," Melanie said.  "What's your name?"
"Weeeell, lemme see now." the cowboy said.  "I reckon you can just call me Ted."
"Oh, OK," Melanie said.  "Are you hungry, Ted?"
"I reckon so," Ted replied.  "Haven't had nothin' to eat since...well, I dun't even remember."
"Then let's go get something to eat," Melanie said.  "I'm hungry, too."
Melanie led the way out of her bedroom and down the hall, towards the staircase.
"You got a real nice house, Melanie," Ted said.  "Rather peculiar though, if you don't mind my sayin' so."
Melanie laughed.
"I'm sure it does seem peculiar to  you," she said.
Melanie led the way into the kitchen.  She made a couple of sandwiches.
"I hope you like peanut butter and jelly," she said to Ted.
"I reckon it'll be fine," Ted replied.  "Never heard of puttin' peanuts and butter between bread, though."
"Oh," Melanie said, "no, it's peanut butter.  The peanuts are ground up."
"And I guess mixed into butter," Ted said, looking at his sandwich.
Melanie sighed and gave up trying to explain.
"This is a mighty good...what do ya call it?" Ted asked.
"A sandwich," Melanie said.
Ted laughed.
"You put sand in there, too, eh?"
"No..." Melanie said, "there's no--"
But Ted wasn't listening anymore.  He was staring out of the kitchen window.
"Who is that there young fella out there, on that nag?" he asked.
Melanie looked where Ted was pointing.
"That's my brother, Pete.  Looks like he's riding his horse."
"Ridin'?" Ted said disgustedly.  "More like sittin' and hangin' on!  I've gotta go and set him to rights."
Ted ran towards the back door.  Melanie leaped up after him.
"No, wait, Ted!" she cried.  "Wait!"
Pete was in the pasture, cantering his horse, a big bay gelding named Loophole.  Melanie didn't know for sure how much her parents had paid for Loophole, but she knew it had been a lot--Loophole was no nag, that was for sure. 
Ted ran up to the fence and leaped over it.  Pete saw the cowboy running towards him and his eyes widened.  Then he saw Melanie, running at top-speed, after the cowboy.
"Melanie, what the heck is going on?" Pete yelled.
He slowed Loophole to a trot, and Ted ran up and grabbed the horse's bridle.
"You git down, you young rascal," Ted commanded.
Pete frowned down at Ted.  "Who are you?" he asked.
"I'm Ted." the cowboy said.  "I've just come to the...what do you folks call it?  The 'future'."
Pete looked at Melanie, who had just run up.  Melanie gasped for breath.
"My time machine, Pete!" she said finally, grinning up at her brother.
"Yep, I came here in a time mochine.  Real crazy." Ted said.
The three of them looked at each other.  Ted was still gripping Loophole's bridle.
"So," Ted said finally, "ya gonna git down or am I gonna halfta pull ya off?"
"What do you mean?" Pete said.
"I'm gonna show ya a thing er two about ridin'." Ted said, glaring at Pete.  "You gotta get straightened out about a few things."
Pete looked to Melanie for support.  Melanie just shrugged.
"Git down," Ted said.
Pete sighed and dismounted Loophole.  Ted threw his cowboy boot into the stirrup, and swung himself onto Loophole's back with incredible ease.  However, as soon as he was seated, Ted looked confused.
"What are these strange things ya use on yer hoss?" he asked. 
Pete gave Melanie a sideways glance.
"Um...a saddle and bridle," he said.
Ted laughed.
"Ya gotta be kiddin' me," he said.  "These pitiful things here can't be no saddle and bridle."
Pete threw up his hands.
"Well, never mind," Ted said, "I reckon these'll do...for now."
Ted nudged his spurs into Loophole's sides and yelled, "Git goin' now, hoss!"
Loophole was frightened and confused.  He shot forward like a bullet.
"Would you mind telling me where in the world that crazy guy came from?" Pete asked Melanie.
"Out West." Melanie said.
                                                                        ***
"Ted," Melanie said, gently but firmly, "you really frightened Loophole.  What were you trying to do?"
It had taken a lot of convincing on Melanie's part to talk Ted into getting off of Pete's horse.  Now, as Ted stood in front of her, adjusting his cowboy hat and grinning broadly, Melanie realized with some sadness that she should probably get Ted back to his own time as soon as possible.
"I were jus' showing that young scoundrel how to ride his hoss," Ted explained.  "I hope ya don't mind my sayin' so, Miss Melanie, but yer brother is real bad at ridin'."
Melanie couldn't help smiling at this.  Pete liked to talk about how his riding was always improving, and it was a nice change to hear a different opinion for once, whether Ted was right or not.  Melanie really didn't know, as she had never paid much attention to her brother's hobby, and didn't know much about riding.  She was more interested in inventing.
"Ted, let's go inside," Melanie said.  "I think we'd better--"
"What's that there thang, there?" Ted ask, elbowing Melanie and pointing.
What now?, Melanie thought, but followed Ted's finger. 
"Oh," Melanie said, "that's my dad's truck."
"Truck?" Ted said, slowly, scratching his head.
"Yeah, it's a car...oh, wait a minute." Melanie thought for a moment.  "You know," she said finally, "how in your time, most people use horses to get around?"
"Some of them use them pufferbellies, too," Ted said, nodding.
"What?" Melanie asked.
"Don't ya have pufferbellies in yer time?" Ted asked.  "You know, them long metal thangs pulled by iron horses."
"Iron...oh, trains?" Melanie asked.
"I reckon'," Ted said.
"Well," Melanie said, "...wait, what were we talking about?...Oh yeah.  In our time, we use a lot of cars, like my dad's truck over there."
"Is it anythang like a train?" Ted asked.  "It sure looks kinda like one."
"I guess you could say it's kind of like a train," Melanie said.  "Come on, I'll show it to you."
Ted eyed the truck rather suspiciously as they neared it. 
"It's not goin' to move, is it?" he asked Melanie, walking very cautiously towards the truck.
"Don't worry, it's not on," Melanie said.
Melanie opened the driver's door and got into the truck.  She moved over to the passenger's seat. 
"Come on," she said, "get in."
Ted very carefully climbed into the truck.
"What are these thangs?" he asked, pointing to the keys dangling from the ignition.
"Those are my dad's keys," Melanie explained.  "The one in the slot, there, turns on the truck, if you turn it."
Ted shook his head.  "Real crazy."
They sat silent for a few moments.
"Well," Melanie said, "should we get out?  I think it's about time we--"
Ted turned the key.  The engine roared to life.
"Holy smokes!  Sounds a bit like your time mochine, eh?" Ted hollered.
He grinned at Melanie.
"Uh, yeah," Melanie said nervously, "but, Ted, speaking of my time machine--"
"How does this thang move?" Ted asked.
"Ted," Melanie yelled over the harsh grind of the engine, "turn off the truck!"
"How do I do that?" Ted yelled back.
"Turn the key back towards you!" Melanie screamed.
There was nothing more frightening than being in a running truck with a cowboy behind the wheel.
Ted obediently turned the key.
The engine went off.
Melanie sighed with relief.
"I think it's about time we get you back home, Ted," she said.
"Home?" Ted said.  "Ya mean, back to lil' Silver Corner?"
"Yes," Melanie said.
Ted thought for a moment.
"Well," he said, "it's been a real pleasure visitin' your time here in the 21st Century, but I reckon' you're right.  It's time to go home."
Melanie nodded.  She hesitated for a second, and then grabbed Ted's hand.  They made their way up to the house and back into Melanie's bedroom.
Melanie opened the time machine door, and Ted climbed in.  She climbed in after him, and fastened the door shut, as she had before.
"It's been a real pleasure gettin' to know ya, Melanie," Ted said, nodding politely at Melanie, and shaking her hand.
"You too, Ted," Melanie replied.
Melanie pressed the power button.  The time machine came to life in an instant.  Melanie pulled a lever.  Louder and louder the time machine roared, and faster and faster blinked the green light.  Then, suddenly, all went dark.

The Sort of Old Archives: "How and Where Did the Dragon Get Its Name?"

Since I'm on winter break right now, I've been trying to post more on my blog for all of you. I thought you might enjoy some old writing of mine. Here is another addition to The Sort of Old Archives (see labels at the bottom of the post for more writing under this heading).
Here is a story from 2009, "How and Where Did the Dragon Get its Name?"

ONCE UPON A TIME, there was a king.  A king with a very large castle.  A king with a beautiful crown.  A king who had power over all the lands his eyes could reach.  He wasn't a bad king, however.  This king was kind.  He was a king with great power, but a king with unlimited goodness.  His name was Good King Sebastion.  Good King Sebastion, or, King Sebastion, as I will be calling him, because it's much less awkward when one has to write it so many times, (although other people in the story will be calling him by his full title), was kind to people and animals alike.  He was kind to plants and trees.  All of his people loved him. 

Now, one day, King Sebastion recieved news that a man had just come into one of the villages near the castle, and was speaking badly of him. 
"Go get this man," King Sebastion ordered his messenger gently. 
"Yes, Sire," the messenger said, and went off to fetch the man who had been speaking so rudely of the kind king. 
A little while later the messenger came back; two guards followed the messenger, holding onto the man they had brought in. 
"Untie the man's hands," King Sebastion said to his guards.
"Yes, your Majesty, Good King Sebastion," one of them said, and the other nodded.
The guards quickly did as they were told, and left the throne room. 
"Now then," King Sebastion said, as the door closed behind the two guards, "what is your name, Good Sir?"
The messenger looked surprised.  King Sebastion didn't notice; he was watching the man closely.
The man spoke up bravely, for a brave man he was.
"Richard," he answered.
"Now then, Richard," King Sebastion said, "I have heard that you were speaking badly of me in one of my villages."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I was," Richard confessed, without any hesitation.
"I am wondering why."  King Sebastion said.  "I am kind to people, and animals, and plants, and trees, and I am wondering what it was that I did to you to deserve this.  Please tell me, so that I can set all to rights."
Richard was surprised.  He hadn't expected the king to be as good and kind as people had said he was.
"Well, Sire, may I have permission to speak freely?"  Richard asked.
King Sebastion nodded.
"Permission granted."  He agreed.
"Thank you, King Sebastion, Sire."  Richard said.  "Many years ago, I lived in that village where I was just now."
King Sebastion nodded again.
"Then one day, the other people of the village decided I was guilty of a crime I hadn't commited.  They wouldn't listen to an innocent man's pleas...they banished me from the village."
"How terrible."  King Sebastion said.
Richard nodded in agreement.
"I wandered around and lived in different places for a while, and then finally came back to my home village where I was greeted with scorn.  The people still remember me and they still think I commited the crime.  Well, I couldn't stand being accused any longer, and I began to speak rashly of you to get back at them."
"Aaaah, I see."  King Sebastion said.
"My greatest apologies to you, King Sebastion.  I can see that you are really as great and good and kind a king as your villagers said you are."
"My sincerest thanks.  I forgive you, Richard.  I do not believe in harsh punishment, but I would like you to solve a puzzle for me."
"Yes Sire, whatever it is, I will find the answer."  Richard promised.
"If you are able to solve it within a week's time, I will clear your name, and you may live once more in the village you love."
"Oh, my sincerest thanks to you, Good King Sebastion!"  Richard cried joyously, "but what is this puzzle?"
"Come back tomorrow at this time, and I will tell you."  King Sebastion promised.  "In the meantime, I will have one of my servants show you to a spare room.  I will make sure you get meals, and please feel free to wander around the public areas of the castle."
"Thank you, King Sebastion," Richard said, and he bowed, and then left with King Sebastion's servant. 

King Sebastion got out of his throne and stepped over to his favorite window of the throne room.  He sat in the wooden chair he had had put there long ago, at the start of his reign, and gazed out of the window, deep in thought.  He looked out over his lands.  Hours passed.  Soon it was time for supper, and King Sebastion still sat, thinking hard.  Finally, as the sun began to sink, he came up with the puzzle he would have Richard solve.  Out of the window, down below, he saw a strange creature.  It was sitting at the edge of the wood.  The creature was big.  It was bigger than three small village houses put together.  It was of a bright green hue: the color of healthy, lush grass.  As King Sebastion stared at it, he thought he saw that the creature had wings: great green wings of a strange shape.  The scaley creature's mean gaze, the spikes down its back and tail, and its non-retractable claws all looked terrifying.  King Sebastion, however, was not scared: he was completely captivated.  He had never seen the likes of this strange animal before. 
"Guards!"  He called.
The two guards who had been stationed just outside the throne room came hurrying in.
"Yes, Sire?"  One of them asked.
"Look at that strange creature out the window," King Sebastion commanded. 
The guards peered cautiously out.
"Sire, what a terrifying creature, Sire!"  One of them cried.
"Yes, Sire, yes!"  Agreed the other.
"Calm down, Good Sirs, calm down."  King Sebastion said gently.  "I want that creature to be caught right away."
"Then you want it to be killed?"  Asked one of the guards.
"Oh, goodness no, no, no," King Sebastion cried.  "I want it to be brought into the castle."
"That is pure madness!"  One of King Sebastion's guards burst out.
"Yes, Sire, pure madness!"  Agreed the other guard.  "Have you gone purely mad, Sire?"
King Sebastion laughed.
"No, no," he told them.  "I need that creature for something."
The guards looked at one another.
"Very well, Your Majesty."  One of the guards finally said.
"We will do as you wish, Good King Sebastion," agreed the other.
"Thank you.  Make sure that it is kept under control inside the castle, and that it has its own guard--and don't chain it up!  I believe in being kind to animals."
The guards promised to do all King Sebastion had commanded, and left, muttering softly to each other.
"Pure madness, pure madness..."  Said one.
"I agree, pure madness...pure madness...absolute pure madness."  Said the other.
King Sebastion didn't hear any of this.  He got up from his chair and went to have supper.

The next afternoon, Richard came into the throne room to meet with the King.
"Oh good, you've come, Richard."  King Sebastion said, smiling at him.
"Yes, King Sebastion, I have."  Richard said.  "I would like to know the puzzle I am to solve.  By the way, Sire, I noticed you have a dragon out there in the courtyard."
"A what?"  King Sebastion asked.
"Why, a dragon," Richard said. 
"Did you come up with that?"  King Sebastion asked.  "For I have never seen anything like that creature out there."
"Neither have I," Richard said.
"Then how--?"  King Sebastion said, greatly confused.
"Well, as I was coming over to the throne room, I see the creature wandering around in the circle of armed guards, and I say to myself, 'well,' I said, 'look at that; I've never seen the likes of it, but look how it drags its tail on,' and I thought, 'ah hah!  That's what I shall think of this creature as: a drag-on."
"You have solved the puzzle," King Sebastion said in amazement.
"I have?"  Richard said, "but, your Majesty, I don't even know what it is yet, and it hasn't been a week."
"Neither of those matter anymore, Richard," King Sebastion said hurriedly, "because the puzzle was to think up a name for that creature out there."
Richard stood there, dumb-struck, for a few seconds.
"You mean...I've solved the puzzle?"  He asked.
"Yes, indeed, Richard, my friend!"  King Sebastion cried happily.
I'm sure this was only the beginning of King Sebastion's adventures with a new creature known as a 'dragon'.
THE END




Tomorrow, look for a three part story, "The Cowboy from the Past."

2013: Looking Back

I'll bet you're all shocked that I'm posting. Preciosa and I decided to both write year review posts for our blogs (her blog is Really Kool Posts), figuring that the most shocking thing that could happen would be for us to post on both blogs!

Whether you are interested or not, here are my highlights of 2013.

January: Lots of fun times with family because I was on winter break from school. Starting late in the month, I began my second semester as a freshman. I took four classes, and Women's Choir (Creative Writing, Short Story, Introductory Sociology, Everyday Gender and Sexuality, my first Women's Studies class). This remains my favorite semester thus far in my college career, though as with all semesters, it had its frustrations.

February/March: I really don't think anything of note happened to me other than going to school.

April: interviewed for a job at my school (at an ice cream parlor) and got the job! This was during Spring break, and I was overjoyed to have gotten a job for the upcoming summer. The end of April to the beginning of May was spent finishing the semester and training for my new job.

May: Successfully finished my freshman year of college but didn't get any less busy because this is when my summer job really kicked up. Starting in May, everybody who's anybody wants ice cream, and they want it now. I quickly discovered in working with the public that this can be a tall order. I began to learn to scoop more quickly and efficiently; yes, there is an art to scooping ice cream.

June: Kept working, but what was fun about this month was that my best friend Preciosa came to visit! She was even here for my 19th birthday. We had so much fun together, going places, watching movies, and just plain hanging out! I was so sad when the visit was over and hope to see her again before too long! As far as turning 19 goes, it's a kind of crazy feeling! The party my family and friends threw me was awesome, though.

July: Hardly had time for anything but working throughout the rest of June and July, and work just got busier and busier as it got hotter. At work, we changed the system from ordering ice cream and then paying, to ordering and paying at the same time. It was a way better system for everybody in the long run, but a lot of people got really ticked off. Some would ask us if the new system really was better, and when we answered in the affirmative, they would still be very unconvinced. That's just the way it goes!

In the second half of July, my mom and I took our second trip to Peru, though, if I really want to go into detail on this, I should probably write this trip its own posts. In short, it was a good trip and great to see all our friends again and make new ones, too.

August: More ice cream. Work got busier. And busier. And, oh, busier. My last day of my summer job was the day before I started back at class as a sophomore. I am unsure whether I will go back to this job or if I will do something different; I kind of want to work at the Women's Center at my school.

The Fall 2013 semester started at the end of August, with a full roster of classes, and Women's Chorus: American Literature, Poetry, Problem Solving, Feminisms and the Arts, and Literary Studies.

September/October: School. School. School.

November: School, and an amazing Thanksgiving break spent with family and friends.

December: Finals! That was a crazy time! I did my very best and then happily began my Christmas break, full of preparations and fun with family and friends. I went to two movies in December, both of which were good and fun!

This brings me to the movies of 2013. I went to a total of five; here they are in order of not so great to really good, according to me:

5. Star Trek: Into Darkness (May 2013): Mostly just explosions and people getting into various kinds of grotesquely violent altercations. Not Star Trek.

4. Les Miserables (January 2013): I hate to put it so far down the list, so close to the Star Trek movie. In actuality, this movie was pretty good and this musical has some great music (though not all of it was given its due justice by some of the singers). This movie did have some amazing aspects to it; visually, it was an extremely beautiful, particularly on the big screen. Though, I liked it much better the second time around.

3. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (December 2013): I liked this movie, though I thought the first Hobbit was better. I was disappointed by the lack of musical themes which Howard Shore had composed for the first movie; the main heroic theme in Unexpected Journey was gone from this Hobbit movie. However, the characters were right on again and I liked the addition of the elf Tauriel, who in terms of female characters in the LOTR and Hobbit movies combined, is almost as cool as Eowyn and definitely better than Arwen. The barrel scene was great and Martin Freeman's Bilbo Baggins carries on the tradition of thoroughly lovable hobbits.

2. Gravity (October 2013): I had difficulty deciding whether this one should be #1 or not. This movie captivated me. It is well-made and has an intense story. I saw it in 3D and it is the best 3D movie I've ever seen. In this case, the technology definitely did work to create a fuller experience. My main problem with this movie is that I don't think it will be enjoyable to watch without a big screen and 3D technology. However, with these two aspects, to experience this movie is an amazing thing and I think even without them, the story is exciting and captivating, and powerful.

1. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (December 2013): this movie earned top space because it is the first entirely enjoyable movie I've gone to in a long time. It's been quite a while since I just sat down and watched a film like this, just an enjoyable story with no grotesque violence or incessant swearing and excessively steamy romances. This was just a great story and very well-made to grab your attention and keep it.

Though I have numbered these movies in terms of how much I liked them, I would recommend all of them except for Star Trek, particularly if, like me, you are a fan of the real Star Trek. The other four movies are definitely worth a watch, depending on your own personal movie preferences.

Happy 2014, everyone. I hope the new year is full of great things (and great movies) for you.

Hello all,
Boy I feel so strange writing on here. It's been forever. Well, not really forever, but a long time ago. It was on March 20th, and happened to be a post about popcorn that Preciosa and I wrote together.
I haven't been posting because my life is very insane. In the spring, I was finishing up my second semester at college and deciding on a major.
I am now a sophomore and am double-majoring in English and Women's Studies, both of which are a lot of reading and writing but I am very much enjoying it (all in all).
This semester I am getting to do some math, which I haven't done since my last year of homeschooling (geometry). I am doing problem solving, which is a type of math I hadn't really done yet. I need three Q (quantitative courses) to graduate and this will fulfill one of those.
However, this is not as interesting as how I spent my summer!
First, I got a job. I am not working at the moment because of school but over the summer I worked at an ice cream place at my school, which was a good experience and I mostly enjoyed working with the public. Sometimes they could be very frustrating or strange, however, and then I would come home and have all sorts of customer stories.
Secondly, Preciosa came to visit me!! I haven't been good about posting about that (but it was so much fun!!) but she has been, so head on over to Really Kool Posts. We went to a lot of places around the area in which I live, and hung out, and had such a great time!!!
Third, I went to Peru again with my mom. Again, I haven't been great about posting about that, but that was because when I wasn't doing any fun summery things I was working a lot. Anyway, Peru was a good experience again.
Now I had better go study. Studying never ends!!
Talk to you guys later!

popcorn

That's right people! It's time to get down to busyness! We are talking about POPCORN today! ;) Why? because it's a very...important and...tasty food! Without popcorn movies would be less popcorny! and then what would the people who work at theaters have to clean up after all of us sloby movie goers? GASP! not peanuts! And then what would all those poor people that are allergic to peanuts eat? Surly we can not deprive them of that buttery goodness now!!
Okay but no really, popcorn is really just an amazing food! It starts out these hard kernel things and then you heat it up and this fluffy white yumminess come BURSTING out and it's like a butterfly coming out of it's...shel! And then you can put butter and salt and other seasoning on it and make it even yummier! And it's soo crunchy and salty and yummy and you can put cheese powder on it and then it's REALLY YUMMY!!! And even that popcorn with carmel or w/e it is all over it is good! And to think that orthodontists don't let all those poor kids with braces eat any popcorn for TWO HOLE YEARS just breaks my little hart! Okay not really but if there are any orthodontists reading this, take it from someone that had braces it's just mean not let us eat popcorn for that long!
Anyway if you really think about it we can learn from popcorn! Just cause someone is hard and hurts like when you try eating a kernel doesn't mean they can't change, just show them a little warmth and heat them up (in a good way) and POP they can be fluffy and soft! Like kittens. But remember, just like kernels not everyone will change because there are always those kernels at the bottom of the pot that won't pop.
p.s. this is Katy and I totally agree, popcorn is awesome!!! :) try some! eat some! have some more!!

The Travelers, part 15

Everyone else seemed to be tongue-tied; Taylor looked at everyone in frustration and said, "So what are we supposed to do? Sit in here and die? Wouldn't it make more sense to just use the krecken and take our chances? At least we'll know we tried. I feel like a loser sitting here when we could be trying to do something."
Rita, Falcon, and Frank continued looking glum. Thoren turned and looked at her, a sudden glimmer in his bright green eyes.
"She's right," He said. "I'd rather risk getting caught or injured trying to break out of here, then sit in here and rot. Anyway, there's no one in the other room right now. Maybe no one will hear the explosion..." He looked around at his companions' doubtful faces. "Okay, that's a long shot. They might here it...but they might just think it's the miners collecting krecken. I just remembered. If my memory serves me correctly, there should be a mining operation going on roughly three hundred meters that way." He turned and pointed into the darkness, towards the far wall. "They sometimes use other types of explosives to remove the krecken from the cave wall."
As if in answer, a muffled boom sounded from the direction in which Thoren had pointed. He grinned at them. "See?"
Rita smiled back. "Well, shall we?"
Falcon suddenly looked hopeful, even relieved. "I suppose. What do you humans say?"
Frank and Taylor looked at each other, and then at their companions. "Let's try it." Taylor said.
Frank shrugged. "I think it's certainly worth a try."
"Okay," Thoren agreed. "Falcon, Rita, do either of you have some flint and steel?  I had some before, but it seems to have gotten lost. I must have dropped it."
Rita pulled some out of her pocket and handed it to Thoren.
Taylor and Frank sat and watched helplessly as Thoren, Rita, and Falcon worked together silently and seemingly effortlessly. It struck Taylor how smoothly they moved, almost as if they were walking on air and not on uneven ground from which numerous boulders protruded.
After a few minutes, Thoren straightened up. "If we rub this flint and steel against the grain of the krecken, it will heat up. As the heat expands throughout the rock and becomes more intense, a crack will hopefully form across the rock and, in a matter of moments, explode."
"A matter of moments?" Frank said. "How long will that be?"
Falcon shrugged. "Usually about three and a half minutes."
Rita chuckled. "You and your math."
Thoren picked up the knife, flint, and the large piece of krecken they had managed to remove from the rock wall; the krecken was surprisingly soft. The bottom of it, where it had been attached to a larger piece of krecken, glittered with flecks of garnets. Thoren set the krecken down, and the garnets disappeared, and Taylor could just make out Thoren and the piece of rock, resting on a natural shelf towards the back of the cave.
"How'd you decide where to put the explosive?" Taylor asked.
"There's a little known access tunnel behind the rock back there. We're just guessing where exactly the tunnel is, but hopefully we're right."
She walked briskly over to the back wall and leaned down by it, knocking her knuckles against the rock about a half foot off the ground. As she knocked, she listened closely. "Should be right...I can hear the echoes beyond."
"Everyone, stay behind that big boulder." Thoren said.
"I think I'd better do this part," Rita said, "I have more experience with krecken than you do."
Thoren looked doubtful. "I know...but..."
"No arguing," Rita said, "get behind that boulder. I'll be fine."
Thoren nodded, and handed the flint and steel to her. "Stay safe."
"I will." Rita said.
From behind the large boulder, Taylor saw Rita begin to rub the flint and steel together and against the broken side of rock. She saw a spark and smelled an earthy, metallic, and vaguely sulfurous smell.
Thoren squeezed her hand. "Here it comes."
Frank leaned closer to Taylor and Falcon watched calmly. Rita's movements became faster. Then, suddenly, all sounds of the rubbing ceased, and Taylor saw a small curl of smoke. Rita bounded across the mostly dark cave and squatted next to Falcon. First, there was nothing but the smoke and the ever intensifying smell of the krecken and the smoke. They waited, breathlessly. Taylor found Frank's hand and squeezed it tightly. The minutes ticked by and Taylor's shoulders had relaxed when there was a sudden flash of brightness and then, a second later, a huge THUM! as the krecken exploded into a million tiny, sharp fragments. For a moment, all Taylor could see was the bright orange flames and all she could hear was her own coughing from all the smoke and debris in the air. Then, as the smoke cleared, she saw Rita had crept up to the back of the cave and was inspecting the hole that had appeared. Her torch revealed a long, straight tunnel on the other side.
The Travelers, Copyright 2012-2013, by Katy Allie. All rights reserved.

Improvements

I have made some improvements on here; now you may easily share posts on the most commonly used forms of social media.
Additionally, I urge you to take a look at the new page on my blog, The Travelers gallery.
Also, since I have not done this yet (although Preciosa has!), Happy New Year, everyone. I hope 2013 has so far been good to you, and if not, I hope the year gets better for you.

The Travelers, part 14

Hello, everyone! As you can see, The Travelers have returned, and their journey continues. I'm sorry I left you hanging for so long. Thank you to my friend Preciosa for her continuing support with this story; her unfailing fondness for this story and her suggestions have been instrumental.
By the time Taylor and Falcon arrived by Rita's side, Thoren and Frank were already there, looking confusedly at what Rita was holding.
"It looks like crumbled rock." Frank said, raising his eyebrow at Rita's hand.
Thoren looked closer. "Is that..." Recognition suddenly flickered on his face. "Is that krecken?"
Rita nodded, and one corner of her mouth went up in a smirk. Falcon began to laugh in relief.
Taylor looked at Frank, who shrugged at her as if to say, you'd know better than me. Taylor shook her head.
"What do you mean?" She asked them.
Thoren looked over at her. "It's a type of rock, found only in the deepest parts of the ground," he explained. When combined with charcoal, flint and steel, it creates an explosion."
Frank still looked confused. "But, if it's explosive, why haven't we heard of it before? We've had so many wars in the history of our country, but I've never heard of krecken."
Thoren smiled. "It's what you might call a best-kept secret," he explained. "Sort of like--what do you call it? Area 51 in your state of Nevada. In other words, your government knows exactly what krecken is and what it can do, but considers it too important and too dangerous for everyone to know about." Thoren turned grim now. "That's one of the things the Emperor, Headmaster and the other traitors are trying to take advantage of. They know your government has not told your kind about krecken. It is only found in your country; no other country knows about it. Once it comes out that what might be thought of a common rock can be used as an explosive, your people, and the people of other countries, will rebel against their governments, and descend upon this country, and begin mining. It's the ideal situation for the Emperor to take over your world. Turning this world's people against each other will weaken the strength of all governments. Also, Faeldor exhausted its supply of explosive material, one that is similar to krecken. The Emperor is ready to fight against your people for control over not only the world but of your supply of krecken."
"But," Rita said, smiling wryly at Thoren, "the short version is that we can also use the krecken to get ourselves out of here, and hopefully, stop the rebels from gaining control of your world."
"The sooner, the better," Falcon said, "I want to go back to Faeldor and my shoe shop."
Taylor closed her mouth tightly to keep from gaping at Falcon. He was a shoemaker? It was hard to believe, looking at this grimy, stooped over, wishy-washy soldier, that Falcon had ever had such a humble job. But neither she nor Frank said anything about it, glad that finally, they all seemed to be on the same side.

Rita told the others to sit and be quiet while she gathered up the materials she needed and reminded herself of the correct combination needed to create an explosion. Then Thoren went to help her, and the two muttered to each other about what size explosion they would need. Taylor sat down next to Frank and leaned her head on his shoulder, suddenly feeling very tired. Falcon paced until Rita told him sharply to sit down; he did so, but sat looking, unblinking and distrusting, at Taylor and Frank. Taylor wanted to try to talk to Frank about what had happened after the crash, but before she could come up with what to say, she drifted of into an uneasy sleep. She dreamed, but she still heard the noises of Rita and Thoren muttering, Falcon's uneasy foot tapping, tapping on the floor of the cave, and Frank's steady breathing beside her. She felt his hair against the side of her head as he leaned his head onto hers, and her dreams became a little more pleasant, and she began to feel as if her dream was reality and she was actually dreaming of the situation she was in, but then, she was troubled by urgent muttering in the cave, now not just that of Thoren and Rita, but of Frank and Falcon as well. Then she realized she no longer felt Frank's head next to hers, and his breathing was sped up. She forced her eyes to open and blinked in the light of a match which Rita had lit. Her four companions were obviously not angry at one another; they were staring at each other in a similar, nervous manner. Taylor touched Frank's arm.
"What's the matter?" she asked rather groggily.
"The explosive is ready," Rita said grimly.
"Then what's the problem?" Taylor said, looking from one face to another.
"Your friend pointed out something important," Falcon said, "we can use this explosive to get out of this room, but we risk being found out."
Taylor groaned. Of course! Why hadn't they thought of that sooner?
"But do we have any other choice?" Taylor asked.
Rita shook her head. "We either take our chances with the explosive, chip away at the rock door, or stay in here until your world has fallen."
The Travelers, Copyright 2012-2013, by Katy Allie. All rights reserved.

Wahaha!

Sooooooooo I get to make the FIRST POST OF 2013 ON HERE!!! :D I actually got on here to do something else but no one has posted on here in so long that I thought, "Why not?"
Not really sure what to talking about but, first off HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope you all had an amazing 2012! Mine was great! With probably the BIGGEST high light being when Katy and her mom came out for a visit!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

 It was an AWESOME TIME TOGETHER!!!!!!!!! :) And Rejelle got to hang out with us which made the time THAT much better!!!! :)

 Yeah we had a LOT of fun!!! :)

A lot of other stuff happened this year, like my cute little niece Amy Colleen was born! :)

And hey the world did not end like some people said it would so that was nice! :)

The Adventures of a First Semester College Student

Most of my time lately has been taken up with college. So, why not write about it? Not like much else notable has taken place in my life lately. OK, so I'll start with 10 things you should know about college:
1) Apparently, a phone is a college student's best friend. You'll have trouble making friends because of this. When all else fails...
2) Talk to the guys! The guys are usually friendlier than girls who still tend to (yes, even in college) form snobby little cliques.However, try to scope out the guys who seem nice!!! haha.
3) Be aware that as hard as you study, there will always be those people who come in on the day of the midterm, and, pulling out their notes, groan, "Oh, darn, I gotta study all this now..." This is when you pat yourself on the back for a weekend well-spent.
4) Always have snacks in your backpack!! You don't want to be snackless during a long day (or a long couple of hours over/near a dinner hour. Remember that when you're hungry, your brain is sending messages to you that it needs something to keep on working the best it can. You always want to have a fully-functioning brain for class if possible!
5) If you want to be friendly to someone even if they are saying something like, "Awww man I did NOT read that whole thing, it was just too long!", laugh and say "Yeah it was long..." or something like that. I wouldn't really recommend turning to them and saying, "Oh really? I thought it was absolutely wonderful and intriguing and I even read it a second time like the professor suggested." Even if all this is true, all this will do is make people think you're being uppity.  :P I wanted to tell this one girl once that I had read the whole article when she was saying how long it was, but I didn't...instead I just laughed and said, "Yeah it was long, hahaha." I didn't want to sound like I was being holier than thou. Know when to speak and what to say!
6) When you're riding a bike on campus, just always keep in mind that you have to be extra careful in the age of Looking down at your cell phone while walking around a busy public area.
7) Watch out for trucks and mopeds in pedestrian/bike areas. (Yes, I know this sounds crazy.)
8) Figure out when are the best times of day for each type of studying you need to do. Figure out when you want to read texts for the following week. For instance, I use the weekend (in part) for getting all/most of my readings read for my two classes with a lot of reading. Then I'm all set!
9) Make time to stop and get ice cream or something else yummy sometimes when you're on campus. This generally makes you feel better about anything: "It's okay I have to read several chapters, rewrite a paper, and study for two midterms! This ice cream is delicious!" Yeah, it's weird, but it works.
10) When you're studying and you get super-stressed, realize that you may have to step back for a few minutes and let yourself think through it quietly...get some tea, have a snack, watch some youtube videos. This always helps me.
Speaking of which...I have studying to do! Ciao! Adios! Bye!

The Return of the Travelers?

Hello all, this is to let you know that The Travelers WILL be returning, hopefully during my month-long Christmas break. I have left Taylor and her friends (and enemies) hanging in the balance for too long--and, more than that, I've left The Travelers' loyal readers hanging!

On another note...pop music...because of riding on a bus several times a week I have been forced to listen to pop music a lot; there are many songs I like...but I have been forced to listen to the terrible ones as well!! (Like Everybody Talks by Neon Trees...yuck...) Also popular at the moment are Wide Awake by that robber of name-spellings, Katy Perry, and Whistle, by I don't know who but I don't like it; I see it as one of the worst pop songs ever. I heard Somebody That I Used to Know by Gotye the other day; this was a happy surprise as I thought this song was not on the radio much anymore; I thought it had gone with Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen into the world where extremely popular songs go after a few months. Where is Adele in all this? I have not heard her songs very often lately. Also, I am happy there are new Taylor Swift songs, but I was disappointed by We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together. This is frankly just not up to Taylor Swift's standard. So, what do YOU think...? Any songs you have been loving/hating?

On ANOTHER note...Pretty Little Liars is officially going into a fourth season! The Avengers came out on DVD! and it's so cool! Also...The Dark Knight Rises is coming out on DVD in early December!

I know it's not usual for me to take practically a whole blog post to talk about popular culture, but the fact is, I like to talk about it, so I think this is a good thing to use my blog for...:) so, you'll probably be seeing more posts about songs, movies, tv shows, etc....and don't feel bad if I'm ever criticizing something you like...it's nothing against you, I just sometimes like to look at things critically! :)

Hope you enjoy this post....:D

what's been going on and other random things...

I am sorry I hardly ever write on here anymore. On the other hand, blogs don't appear to be very popular at the moment...at least, mine doesn't! I can chalk that up to being my fault, probably. Oh well...
I am not trying to give excuses or anything but I have been very busy ever since August 27th. That was the day my world got turned upside-down and rotated and all other kinds of things. That's right: I was taken to a planet with zero gravity and purple aliens. Nope! I started college! (and...if you think my joke there was lame...well...that's your right). At ANY rate...
College has been a whirlwind of many positive and negative events...and...for now I don't really feel like saying anymore!
This year has been a year of change for me. I...

• got into college
• graduated homeschool/high school
• got to meet some of my best friends in person finally
• made friends with Twilight. (ME??? yep.)
• Seen some pretty awesome movies (that's not really a change...but w/e...)
• maybe, just maybe am on my way to making some new friends on campus.
• Got my hair cut! (with one of my best friends!!) and donated it to Locks of Love which I've wanted to do for a long time.

Finally, I apologize to those of you whose blogs I follow. I have not been good about visiting regularly, making comments, etc. I really have no good excuse and should consider being a better friend and...idk...COMMUNICATING?? :)
bye for now, guys. :)

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to my awesome BCFF Preciosa!! WHO IS TURNING 18 TODAY!!!! :)

photo: Katy Allie 2012

Peru journal--Day 7

Day 7: Friday, July 22nd, 2011
More Cabana Adventures
So far, I think my favorite food  here is the bread. Kinda silly, you might say, since I can have bread anytime at home, and here I am in a place where I can try all kinds of new things...and I have...but the bread's just really good. For one thing, I'm mostly vegetarian, and Peru has a fairly meat-centered society. Ever meal (even breakfast sometimes) includes some kind of meat (pollo--chicken, or cuy--guinea pig, fish, or beef--not as often) The bread, although a bit dryer than that at home, is so good. It has this lovely taste, and when it's fresh, there's practically nothing better.


Today, some of us rode horses through a small section of the country near Cabana, including visiting the ruins of Pashas that date back to the Incans--they found mummies there. The riding was fun again. The horse I was riding was apparently still looking after her "teenage" foal of hers, who followed along after my horse and I (or sometimes went ahead--but then always eventually went back to following behind!)


We have two more full days in Cabana, before heading back down the Andes to Chimbote, a fishing village. From there, it's a six hour bus ride (during the DAY this time--ugh!) back to Lima, where we'll stay 'til Thursday. Sometime on Thursday, we'll be packing up to star the long journey home.


Although it's a bit nicer here than Lima, since Lima is a noisy city, it's been very loud around here, what with the St. James Festival, music being played over a boombox's speakers in the house, and the kids playing, so I'll be kind of glad to get away from all the noise. It's almost never quiet. The most quiet time is right now--siesta--which goes from around 1 or 2 P.M. to maybe 4:30. More tomorrow! :)