CCC277: Footless

It was their meeting place. Or was until the day they found the body. Female. Blonde. Bleached, with dark roots at least two inches long. A nurse. Or maybe a care assistant, or a cleaner.

They were too busy discussing the uniform, they didn’t notice the missing feet… at first. Then Janie fainted, Sandy turned decidedly white, and Maurice vomited his recently pigged-down burger.

They never met by that bridge again.

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Crimson’s Creative Challenge #277

Every Wednesday I post a photo (this week it’s that one above.)
You respond with something CREATIVE

Here are some suggestions:

  • An answering photo
  • A cartoon
  • A joke
  • A caption
  • An anecdote
  • A short story (flash fiction)
  • A poem
  • A newly minted proverb, adage or saying
  • An essay
  • A song—the lyrics or the performance

You have plenty of scope and only two criteria:

  • Your creative offering is indeed yours
  • Your writing is kept to 150 words or less

If you post a link in the comments section of this post I’ll be able to find it.

Here’s wishing you inspirational explosions. And FUN

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Tuesday Treats: Some Unexpected…

Interesting features from out walk on 17th February 2024. Enjoy…

17th February 2024

Found growing on a churchyard wall, it looks to me like Yellow Corydalis, but it’s flowering far too early!

17th February 2024

Just had to take this shot. The sun was out, the sky was blue, and the river flowing full and fast…

17th February 2024

A little out of focus, but the contrast here with the railings and the wild clematis is irresistible…

17th February 2024

And while we’re looking at the wild clematis, aka Old Man’s Beard…

17th February 2024 

17th February 2024 

Scarlet Elf Cup. No, I’m not wading in to get a close-up. I’ll zoom it…

17th February 2024 

17th February 2024 

Turns out, with all the rain we’ve had, the fungi are putting on a show…

17th February 2024 

And lichen and moss, of course…

17th February 2024 

And finally (for this week)…

17th February 2024 

Hope you enjoyed. More next week!

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Meanwhile…

credit: Phong Nguyen Dinh on pixabay

Meanwhile, Gemini with Aries Rising. That suggests someone who likes to talk about themselves. If you ask my daughters, you’ll find that’s me to a T.

Apart from that, it also suggests someone who might have trouble with hands, arms, and maybe her head. Yep, that’s me too. And that’s what this post is about.

Twenty-plus years ago I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the neck vertebrae. I’ve kept that under control all these years. But this past year, possibly because of problems with my eyes (now resolved) I’ve been rather clumsy on my feet. I’ve taken some tumbles. The worst was in September when, in my eagerness to get a photo (see below) I tripped up a step and my head collided with a concrete wall. Result, mild concussion. And a massive jolt to the neck-vertebrae.

24th September 2023

Coming on six months later I have lots of pain in my arm caused by compression of the nerves leaving the spinal cord in the neck. Writing has become difficult, especially writing lots.

And so, I have shelved the intended next novel. For now.

But I can’t not write. Pull out my hair in frustration. Jump up and down in frustration.

Solution?

Editing requires less hand-work than full-on writing, and there’s a story I wrote back in 2016 and subsequently posted in serialised form on this blog. Might I be able to revive it?

I looked. I read. I decided to go for it.

But I can only work in short bursts, same as I’m having to restrict my time in writing comments. My enormous apologies if it looks like I’m ignoring you. I am not. I’m reading, but maybe I’m not always commenting.

And that’s my update cos I really can’t type anymore. The arm will improve, just needs some physio. Please bear with me.

 

Posted in On Writing | 24 Comments

Sunday Picture Post: Marriott’s Way

17th February 2024. Was it to rain? Or not? Forecasts were undecided. Regardless, we hopped on the bus to Norwich. We’re walking the first part of Marriott’s Way. Please join us…

17th February 2024 

Marriott’s Way begins in Norwich, at St Crispin’s Bridge. And here we’re greeted with catkins and blossoms. The day looks promising.

17th February 2024 

A detour off the Way takes us through a small wet woodland. Lovely and muddy!

17th February 2024 

But we have swans and geese for company…

17th February 2024 

Back onto the Way and the first of the bridges over the river Wensum. This is the newest…

17th February 2024 

17th February 2024 

Here there is a park where we encounter a ‘Park Run’ and daffodils…

17th February 2024 

The next bridge…

17th February 2024 

We’re passing through the outskirts of the city, witness the industrial background…

17th February 2024 

And the next bridge…

17th February 2024 

While to our right is an industrialised area, to our left are flood meadows, now become a nature reserve…

17th February 2024 

Bridge over the river Wensum allows a fair shot at the flooding. There should be a river bank here, deep in nettles and reeds!

17th February 2024 

17th February 2024 

More bridges…

17th February 2024 

This bridge marks the boundary between city and county and is a good place to stop. More photos next week from this walk. See you then…

 

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Gargling Goose

17th February 2024

I claim this for Heads Up, my second title of #2024picofthemonth, as set at Of Maria Antonia

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Quizzical Guillan

Guillan pulls in his fleshy lips and chews them, his leather-gloved hand up to cover it. Did he intend the impression of thinking? Aye, Arvina knows what he’s thinking. He’s wondering what to do with this parcel of worms. He’s more than a little afraid of her and her mother.

“The stolen nun’s daughter,” he says with exaggerated disgust.

Arvina says nothing, waiting for him to declare his intent. He’s not come this distance simply to pass the time of day. There’s been no introductions, no polite ‘you’re welcome to stay’.


91 words written for Sammi’s Weekend Writing Prompt: Intent

 

Posted in Fantasy Fiction | Tagged , | 9 Comments

CCC276: Larry the Master Tiler

Larry was a master tiler. Never a more talented man. But he never could play it straight. Always punching for the joke, that was Larry.

He left instructions for when he died, that he wanted to be buried behind this wall. Though his fellow tilers and his family didn’t understand why, yet they adhered to his wishes and buried him there, six foot under.

Understanding came on the year-anniversary of his death, when the first tile appeared. And year after year, another appeared. Such a cheery wall to commemorate Larry the Master Tiler.

Posted in Crimson's Creative Challenge, Mostly Micro, Photos | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

Crimson’s Creative Challenge #276

Every Wednesday I post a photo (this week it’s that one above.)
You respond with something CREATIVE

Here are some suggestions:

  • An answering photo
  • A cartoon
  • A joke
  • A caption
  • An anecdote
  • A short story (flash fiction)
  • A poem
  • A newly minted proverb, adage or saying
  • An essay
  • A song—the lyrics or the performance

You have plenty of scope and only two criteria:

  • Your creative offering is indeed yours
  • Your writing is kept to 150 words or less

If you post a link in the comments section of this post I’ll be able to find it.

Here’s wishing you inspirational explosions. And FUN

Posted in Crimson's Creative Challenge, Photos | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

Tuesday Treats: Flowers and Fungi

Details photos from our walk on 6th February 2024. Enjoy

Larch cones. Larch is a deciduous conifer…

6th February 2024

And here the lichen is really nuzzling…

6th February 2024

Another odd ‘conifer’, the yew has flowers and berries instead of cones (forgive the blurriness, it was very high winds!)

6th February 2024

And while thinking of seeds, heather seed pods…

6th February 2024

Ah, greenery! Honeysuckle, frequently the first leaves to appear…

6th February 2024

And this I think is possibly foxglove, though it could be comfrey

6th February 2024

6th February 2024

These need no naming…

6th February 2024

And catkins, of course…

6th February 2024

And did I say fungi? Oh yes…

6th February 2024

6th February 2024

Yes, it is a fungus, just a very very small one

6th February 2024

And lastly, Trametes versicolor, aka Turkeytails…

6th February 2024

Hope you enjoyed. It does seem that spring is on the way…

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