Unhappy Campers: Friday Fictioneers

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photo prompt ©  Björn Rudberg

Caroline argued with the camp site proprietor. “You gave us a price last night. Why has it gone up this morning? We’re not paying more than we agreed.” She could see the manager’s anger building. She knew the signs from her father and she feared white anger. “Okay. I’ll get more money from the car.” Leaving the agreed amount on the counter, she walked to the car.

“Quickly go.” she urged her husband as she jumped in. John sped off, ignoring the manager yelling “Arrête”. She explained the situation.

“Don’t worry. We’ll soon be out of reach over the mountains.”

Thank you to Rochelle Wisoff-Fields for hosting Friday Fictioneers and to Björn Rudberg  who supplied the photo prompt this week.

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Favourite Place: Weekly Photo Challenge

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You may have guessed. My favourite place is the river.  Anywhere on the river. I love the peace and tranquility and a how it constantly changes.

 

In response to weekly photo challenge

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After the Rain comes the Rainbow: Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge

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There was certainly no getting the pot of gold with this rainbow – it moved from one side, into the volcano and off to the other side. This volcano in Rabaul New Guinea generates income for the locals as did our volcano on Tanna. It was fitting I thought to have the rainbow entering it for even a short time.

In response to Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge

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Early Morning on the River: Wordless Wednesday

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Personal Training: Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers

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He’d started early with a paddle then into the gym for weight training. The medicine ball at 4kgs was an effort. He raised it straight up from his chest then lowered it behind his head before raising and lowering it to his chest again. She’d asked for twenty repetitions before his begging brought it to ten. She was doing it effortlessly so he demanded her ball not knowing that hers was eight kilos. The big ball had been difficult. Even she had given up on him with that one.  Instead she sent him for a twenty kilometre run. The sign he had memorised from her wall said unless you pass out, puke or die keep going kept him going. Until the boardwalk. Feeling faint and queasy,  still he ran. He felt sorry for the girls having their picnic that it was right there, in front of them, he had to be sick. Probably turned them off their tucker. It certainly turned him off another session with the personal trainer.

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Thank you to our host Priceless Joy for hosting and to Yinglan for supplying the photo prompt.

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Life on the Web: Tuesday’s of Texture

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Fine gossamer strands

Curtain, billow in the breeze

Death trap: Sticky home 

There is a huge spider’s web in all the photos. Can you see it?

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Carrot Cake: 99 word Flash Fiction

“We have to have cake.  Bailey’s four today. We have to celebrate.”  Candy stared defiantly at her mother.

Marion sighed.  “Okay. You choose. Grain or carrot cake?”

“Grain. It’s got carrots in it anyway.”

Candy quickly gathered the ingredients. Grain, molasses, sugar cubes, crushed peppermint, cinnamon and sugar and two diced carrots which she combined in the huge mixing bowl. With difficulty she stirred the sticky mass until well mixed then she poured the  gloop onto a paper plate.

Taking a slice Candy ran to the stable. Bailey’s pricked ears heard,  Happy Birthday to you before receiving his treat.

In response to Charli’s prompt where she asks:

March 16, 2018, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story about carrot cake. It can be classic or unusual. Why is there cake? How does it feature in the story. Go where the prompt leads.

Respond by March 20, 2018, to be included in the compilation (published March 21). Rules are here. All writers are welcome!

Posted in Carrot Ranch, creative writing, flash fiction | Tagged , , , , | 12 Comments

The Good Pilot Peter Woodhouse: A Book Review

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photo courtesy of Amazon.com

Alexander McCall Smith is a popular highly prolific writer but I found The Good Pilot Peter Woodhouse, a romance set in World War II, to be what I would call a bit of fluff.

Val is a landgirl who works on a farm close to home. A nearby airport and an American desire for eggs in rationed England sees her meeting an American pilot, Mike. They of course fall in love. Her mentally challenged cousin frees an abused dog on the farm he is working and the dog eventually makes it to the airbase where he becomes a mascot for the forces stationed there. Mike and Peter Woodhouse fly off on a mission only to go missing in action, where in reality they are being sheltered in a Dutch village aided by a German soldier Ubi. Val by this stage is pregnant.

I won’t tell you the entire story in case you read this book but needless to say Mike and Ubi’s life criss cross after the war is over as do the lives of their wives Val and Ilse. It does give a good impression of what life was like for Germans at the end of the war – and that I found the most engaging feature of this book.

Would I recommend this book – it wasn’t for me but I read it to the end. My Mother enjoyed it. If you want some light reading that doesn’t require all your concentration and give you sleepless nights you may find this book fits the bill.

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Weekend coffee Share 17th March 2018

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Welcome. Come on in for a cup of tea or coffee. I hope you are feeling talkative as I really haven’t a lot to tell you this week. The blustery weather seems to have left us for moment and summer has returned. In fact the temperature is perfect with little humidity so I am happy.

If we were having coffee I’d tell you that I have been working on putting my New Guinea photos into a book and today finally finished and submitted it to the publisher. I like having a few photographs that visitors can just sit and thumb through. Not everyone wants to come and cram around my computer to look at my photos. I tried to put some on a memory stick to show Mum on the television but that was a dismal failure. They wouldn’t play in the correct order and half were missing. She’ll be much happier looking at them in a more traditional fashion when they arrive early April.

If we were having coffee I’d tell you that I have done little as Roger has been painting the stairwell ceiling and walls. It puts my heart in my mouth as I watch him climb ladders which hang over the huge drop of the stairs. There would be nothing I could do to save him should he fall but at least I would be there. I’ll be glad when it is over.

If we were having coffee I’d tell you that we had a picnic of fish and chips by the river with Mother on Friday. It made a nice change to eating in a restaurant and gave us a lovely view as we ate.

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So that is about it for my week. Have you read any good books or seen any films that should be seen? Has your winter turned to spring yet? Victoria, a state way to the south of where I live, is suffering dreadful fires at the moment and for them the wind is not helping. I hope everyone stays safe.

Thank you for dropping in for coffee, it is lovely to see you. Thanks to  eclecticali  who is our host of the weekend coffee share.

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Kiriwina Island: Silent Sunday

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© irene waters 2018

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