I finally got back to Dereth a day or so ago. People are still working on the better portal connection thing.. but at least I was able to make it back in one whole piece.
The first thing I noticed was all the scratched up walls and such in the villa. It rather looked like a clawed tornado had gone about attempting to scour the walls.
Then Indy walked in, followed by the sweetest little bear-cat I think I have ever seen. It rompt about the room while she caught me up on many of the happenings gone on since my leave-taking, including the very nasty presence of shadow forms near the town of Arwic. I am told that the portal to tou-tou is just about blocked off by something red and black with 4 arms... something that nearly killed her when she got near the portal. Nearly killed Indy? Just for getting close to a portal that for a long time now, has been an easy route to tou-tou? I think, at one point or another all of us have used that portal. including several loaded down members of the household! And hear I thought that many-armed flying ugly Grael had finally been taken down...and apart! If so, what are those critters still doing at the tou-tou portal in Arwic?
Making a mental note to avoid that whole area, I went off to figure out where Indy got the pet. After running about for about a half-hour on errands of message dilivery, I finally got my own little pet. a mushroom like critter who, if nothing else, is quite good at keeping up with me. (somehow I think Indy and I should have traded, since she is soooo much faster a runner then I am.)
I then ran into a sweet somewhat smaller version of a friend of mine thought to have left for parts unknown some time ago. Seeing my cute swiftly moving pet, it was decided lil H. might also like one sooo, Off we went on the errend once more. (I'm starting to think I need to open a delivery service.) and a new bear-kitty was soon to be had.
Just the same. It's good to be back in Dereth again.
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Friday, September 22, 2006
Sudden Memory Clips 2
I remember... my dad.
He had his 'very cool' moments, my dad did. I remember him tackling the waving grass in the field across from our home... a task that took him days to complete,... simply so that the neighborhood children had a place to play ball.
The 'family project' every year, where we would go across the way to an older lady's house to stomp out the high thick grass/weeds there with mighty golf swings of our hand threshers... and the bitter grumbling from my brother, who had things he would much rather be doing.
Camping out at the lake... ah the beauty and fresh smell of an evergreen canopy coupled with the timelessness of the lake.. wavelets gently lapping the muddy shoreline and me, watching from where I sat on the shore, near the warmest bit of shallow water I could find, my toes curling into the soft mud under it all.
Taking me with him to work for a drowsey yet exilerating evening of working the plow and sander on the icy roads. The snow falling from the night heavens always seemed to facinate me, so much so that I invaribly got a crick in my neck from trying to watch as it settled on my cheeks and eyelashes. Once, he stood and watched it fall with me.. for a time. The silence of the moment seemed.. comfortable, I think.
What a bear he would become if he was desturbed while at work and how, if truely angered, you -seriously- didn't wish to be the one for whom his wrath was dirrected... often in the form of Roaring! and a doubled belt or stinging willow switch from the tree around back.
The night, one of the brood of our evil nasty neighbors, the 'paw-can's', threw a mushy apple through his window screen, thinking it was one of us kids... and dad's quick march through the living room, trying his robe belt with a jerk and snatching up a switch before heading out the door into the dark... and hearing just when the kid was caught, about 2 blocks away, by his agonizing howl of dismay and sudden pain.
His 'spring-chicken' exuberance, the bounce in his step and laughter in his eyes, his 'fainting fists' as if he were going punch you in the side, which we always took for a 'tickle' gesture... since it was, coming from him. and we would flinch away and laugh... everytime.
The many times he recited the cow-jumping-over-the-moon poem, which, for some reason, always got me to laughing myself silly. Maybe it was more his delight in having gotten me to laugh then the poem itself, that had the tears of laughter spilling down my cheeks. Delight was most certainly his best look.
New Years evening, when we would all gather snowsuits, boots, hats and blankets, and bundle into the sleigh for a dash across the midnight landscape to awaken our neighbors with whoops and squeals of joy in which to bring in the new year. then a final gathering at my Uncle Phil's house to help anounce the arrival with clapping, yelling, and great snow-dancing blasts followed by a sombering starwatch before heading back home... which I never seemed to stay awake for... and my dad would carry me, blanket, hat, boots and all, to bed.
The desperate saddness/stillness/stiffness that would overcome him at odd times after mom died. Missing her and knowing he still had to carry on for us... because we needed him, even though there were times, one or the other of us would deny it. He would sometimes say, he hoped to 'go home' someday to be with her again.
....He finally did too. I think, perhaps, with some of that childlike exuberence that brought him and mom together in the first place. I believe in the end result, he was truely delighted to finally be on his way. I am happy he finally got to see mom again after all this time... but there are times.. I really do miss him... its a melencoly thing, really. I'm glad I had the chance to know the man a little. He had this way about him... and some 'very cool' moments, which always seemed to pale the bad times into practical non-existance for me. He was a gruff back-woods stubbren old man whose good times, I think, were well worth whatever bad times we had.
----
And as a footnote to the evening.. a personal note to the big bearded fellow who, one time in history, tossed me out through a door and locked it, growling that I had no idea... like something out of an old Nancy Drew novel.
I know this, mystery brute, the past as we know it, is still ours. My grandpapa knew it too, thats why I wanted to look. You.. what you did... more supported his words, in my mind, then not. What was it, I wonder that you sought so hard to cover up? Was it more then the words in a dusty old book? More then my family's tight-lipped silence, perhaps? Is the skeleton truely dead and buried yet? I think not. I think my Grandpapa knew the truth of it.. and my dad did too. Even you seemed to know more then you were willing to share. Mystery, I'm afraid, fuels curiousity in me. Are you still somehow watching, I wonder. lol! Well, I certainly hope you didn't think I just... forgot about the incident. That would have been very clueless of you.
Perhaps I will share more of this at a later time. Watch this space, friend. One never knows... does one. :) Besides, it might be nice to hear from you again, when next I manage to ping a nerve, eh? Otherwise I might truely have 'no idea....'
He had his 'very cool' moments, my dad did. I remember him tackling the waving grass in the field across from our home... a task that took him days to complete,... simply so that the neighborhood children had a place to play ball.
The 'family project' every year, where we would go across the way to an older lady's house to stomp out the high thick grass/weeds there with mighty golf swings of our hand threshers... and the bitter grumbling from my brother, who had things he would much rather be doing.
Camping out at the lake... ah the beauty and fresh smell of an evergreen canopy coupled with the timelessness of the lake.. wavelets gently lapping the muddy shoreline and me, watching from where I sat on the shore, near the warmest bit of shallow water I could find, my toes curling into the soft mud under it all.
Taking me with him to work for a drowsey yet exilerating evening of working the plow and sander on the icy roads. The snow falling from the night heavens always seemed to facinate me, so much so that I invaribly got a crick in my neck from trying to watch as it settled on my cheeks and eyelashes. Once, he stood and watched it fall with me.. for a time. The silence of the moment seemed.. comfortable, I think.
What a bear he would become if he was desturbed while at work and how, if truely angered, you -seriously- didn't wish to be the one for whom his wrath was dirrected... often in the form of Roaring! and a doubled belt or stinging willow switch from the tree around back.
The night, one of the brood of our evil nasty neighbors, the 'paw-can's', threw a mushy apple through his window screen, thinking it was one of us kids... and dad's quick march through the living room, trying his robe belt with a jerk and snatching up a switch before heading out the door into the dark... and hearing just when the kid was caught, about 2 blocks away, by his agonizing howl of dismay and sudden pain.
His 'spring-chicken' exuberance, the bounce in his step and laughter in his eyes, his 'fainting fists' as if he were going punch you in the side, which we always took for a 'tickle' gesture... since it was, coming from him. and we would flinch away and laugh... everytime.
The many times he recited the cow-jumping-over-the-moon poem, which, for some reason, always got me to laughing myself silly. Maybe it was more his delight in having gotten me to laugh then the poem itself, that had the tears of laughter spilling down my cheeks. Delight was most certainly his best look.
New Years evening, when we would all gather snowsuits, boots, hats and blankets, and bundle into the sleigh for a dash across the midnight landscape to awaken our neighbors with whoops and squeals of joy in which to bring in the new year. then a final gathering at my Uncle Phil's house to help anounce the arrival with clapping, yelling, and great snow-dancing blasts followed by a sombering starwatch before heading back home... which I never seemed to stay awake for... and my dad would carry me, blanket, hat, boots and all, to bed.
The desperate saddness/stillness/stiffness that would overcome him at odd times after mom died. Missing her and knowing he still had to carry on for us... because we needed him, even though there were times, one or the other of us would deny it. He would sometimes say, he hoped to 'go home' someday to be with her again.
....He finally did too. I think, perhaps, with some of that childlike exuberence that brought him and mom together in the first place. I believe in the end result, he was truely delighted to finally be on his way. I am happy he finally got to see mom again after all this time... but there are times.. I really do miss him... its a melencoly thing, really. I'm glad I had the chance to know the man a little. He had this way about him... and some 'very cool' moments, which always seemed to pale the bad times into practical non-existance for me. He was a gruff back-woods stubbren old man whose good times, I think, were well worth whatever bad times we had.
----
And as a footnote to the evening.. a personal note to the big bearded fellow who, one time in history, tossed me out through a door and locked it, growling that I had no idea... like something out of an old Nancy Drew novel.
I know this, mystery brute, the past as we know it, is still ours. My grandpapa knew it too, thats why I wanted to look. You.. what you did... more supported his words, in my mind, then not. What was it, I wonder that you sought so hard to cover up? Was it more then the words in a dusty old book? More then my family's tight-lipped silence, perhaps? Is the skeleton truely dead and buried yet? I think not. I think my Grandpapa knew the truth of it.. and my dad did too. Even you seemed to know more then you were willing to share. Mystery, I'm afraid, fuels curiousity in me. Are you still somehow watching, I wonder. lol! Well, I certainly hope you didn't think I just... forgot about the incident. That would have been very clueless of you.
Perhaps I will share more of this at a later time. Watch this space, friend. One never knows... does one. :) Besides, it might be nice to hear from you again, when next I manage to ping a nerve, eh? Otherwise I might truely have 'no idea....'
Thursday, September 21, 2006
God Bless America... America Bless God
The big event in Icewind Dale was something of a bust as we couldn't seem to get past the magical ice door no matter our eforts of killing nearly everything that moved within the temple, (and even a few things that didn't) and searching every nook and cranny over the length of several floors. So I was allowed to return to town and see if my transport back to Dereth had shown. It had not. It seems somewhere.. somehow, someone forgot to import the code needed to cause the needed pole to go active, so now there's another wait for someone to finally take the initive to activate the pole so I can return back to Dereth's shores.
On the other hand, I did manage to get a short message from Kita. she said something about a 'pet kitty' ravaging her room while she was away to town. Sounds like I'm going to need to purchase a sturdy lock for my own door! Maybe a few thick pieces of wood for a brace as well, if it's the 'kitty' type I'm thinking of... They grow rather large in Dereth.
In other news, I hear a fellow, rather famous for tangling with toothy crocs, had died of recient. Truely I am sorry to hear this. He was something of a marvel with how he delt with some of the more ferocious critters out there.. not with power-over-another attitude many seem to have in great abundance, but rather, with great respect for not only what the critters could do, but seemlingly, for what and who they were. Although, certainly, he didn't leave this realm within the jaws of the repiles he was famous for, at least he died doing what he loved and lived for.
And since I'm on the subject... This is also the aniversery of a horrible event I would hope would not be forgot anytime soon as it might serve as a reminder that our lives within the realm of the real world and especially here in America, is precious indeed. This country was brought together by admirable men and women with a solid belief in a Godly nation with freedom for its people. We can vote for changes, We have the rights and freedom to speak, publish, and assemble. ++
We, as well, have a basic right to exist.. Thousands of lives were lost in the span of a single crushing day, not in an accident or in a known 'war' where we knew the risks, but by the vile and low tactics of a hidden terrorist group across the sea. After the dust settled, and the silence rang on for a time, stun turned to outrage.. and outrage turned to reaction. No longer could we stand by and watch as our own people, our very lives, as well as everything we, as a country, stand for, be rolled over and crushed like that. Several song quotes says it well for me....
"From the sound up in Long Island out to San Francisco Bay And ev'ry thing that's in between them is our home. And we may have done a little bit of fighting amongst ourselves, But you outside people best leave us alone, Cause we'll all stick together and you can take that to the bank That's the cowboys and the hippies and the rebels and the yanks. You just go and lay your hand on a Pittsburgh Steeler fan, And I think you're gonna finally understand" -Charlie Daniels
"I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free, And I won't forget the men who died who gave that right to me, And I gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today,'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land, God Bless the U.S.A." -Lee Greenwood
"My country, 'tis of Thee, Sweet Land of Liberty Of thee I sing;
Land where my fathers died, Land of the pilgrims' pride, From every mountain side Let Freedom ring." -Traditional
"O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain. America! America! God shed His grace on thee, And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea." -Traditional
"God Bless America. Land that I love Stand beside her, and guide her Thru the night with a light from above. From the mountains, to the prairies , To the oceans, white with foam. God bless America My home sweet home." -Irving Berlin
++ quick reference: 1st amendment
www.usconstitution.net/constquick.html
On the other hand, I did manage to get a short message from Kita. she said something about a 'pet kitty' ravaging her room while she was away to town. Sounds like I'm going to need to purchase a sturdy lock for my own door! Maybe a few thick pieces of wood for a brace as well, if it's the 'kitty' type I'm thinking of... They grow rather large in Dereth.
In other news, I hear a fellow, rather famous for tangling with toothy crocs, had died of recient. Truely I am sorry to hear this. He was something of a marvel with how he delt with some of the more ferocious critters out there.. not with power-over-another attitude many seem to have in great abundance, but rather, with great respect for not only what the critters could do, but seemlingly, for what and who they were. Although, certainly, he didn't leave this realm within the jaws of the repiles he was famous for, at least he died doing what he loved and lived for.
And since I'm on the subject... This is also the aniversery of a horrible event I would hope would not be forgot anytime soon as it might serve as a reminder that our lives within the realm of the real world and especially here in America, is precious indeed. This country was brought together by admirable men and women with a solid belief in a Godly nation with freedom for its people. We can vote for changes, We have the rights and freedom to speak, publish, and assemble. ++
We, as well, have a basic right to exist.. Thousands of lives were lost in the span of a single crushing day, not in an accident or in a known 'war' where we knew the risks, but by the vile and low tactics of a hidden terrorist group across the sea. After the dust settled, and the silence rang on for a time, stun turned to outrage.. and outrage turned to reaction. No longer could we stand by and watch as our own people, our very lives, as well as everything we, as a country, stand for, be rolled over and crushed like that. Several song quotes says it well for me....
"From the sound up in Long Island out to San Francisco Bay And ev'ry thing that's in between them is our home. And we may have done a little bit of fighting amongst ourselves, But you outside people best leave us alone, Cause we'll all stick together and you can take that to the bank That's the cowboys and the hippies and the rebels and the yanks. You just go and lay your hand on a Pittsburgh Steeler fan, And I think you're gonna finally understand" -Charlie Daniels
"I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free, And I won't forget the men who died who gave that right to me, And I gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today,'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land, God Bless the U.S.A." -Lee Greenwood
"My country, 'tis of Thee, Sweet Land of Liberty Of thee I sing;
Land where my fathers died, Land of the pilgrims' pride, From every mountain side Let Freedom ring." -Traditional
"O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain. America! America! God shed His grace on thee, And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea." -Traditional
"God Bless America. Land that I love Stand beside her, and guide her Thru the night with a light from above. From the mountains, to the prairies , To the oceans, white with foam. God bless America My home sweet home." -Irving Berlin
++ quick reference: 1st amendment
www.usconstitution.net/constquick.html
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