Write Chapter 11 Contest!

It has come to my attention that I am not very good at numbering my chapters. In fact, I suck at it.

So much so that I am sure most of you know by now that there is no Chapter 11.

A friend suggested I write the scene where Luis booby traps the crapper over at the Yarl's place, but I think we've come up with something a little less predictable: have one of you talented and creative readers write it. And it does not have to be the story of Luis and the outhouse.

I am currently in the process of putting together a Cafe Press storefront. As of now, the prize will be a choice of items from the merchandise collection. I am at the moment limited in what I can put up there for sale, but I am NOT so limited in what I can create on the fly and just order myself. (they only let you make one of each item, otherwise there would be a mug with each character on it, for instance.) So if you would like an item with a picture you don't see available, contact me and I can probably make you up a custom piece.

Guidlines

1. It does not have to be the scene with the outhouse unless you want it to be. It can be anything taking place before or during chapter twelve.

2. It does not have to be any of the established characters here, but it can be.

3. It must take place at any location between Salt Lake House and Three Crossings (Green River Station being between those).

4. It can be Alternate Universe, if you like, or not. Be as creative as you like.

5. Please keep it "PG 13" enough that I can post it on this site without an adult content warning. I have no problem with adult content stories, or even adult fanfic about my characters, but I do not wish to have to go to a mature content label for this site. So keep that in mind if you want to see it posted here.

6. It should only be one chapter long (it is, after all, the lost Chapter 11.). However, there is no rule on how long or short that chapter has to be.

The winner will be reader's choice. I will put up a poll, post the stories here, and we can all vote.

I have decided to let it run until September 14. I may be talked into extending it, but no promises. This is to accomodate the various vacations we all seem to take over the late summer season.

Have fun and good luck!

Send submissions to paintedwheel(at)hotmail.com

Coffee Grinder

 This old coffee grinder has been sitting around my mom's house for literally my entire life. I ain't gonna say how long that is, but suffice it to say, long enough. I have no idea how old it is, but after a small amount of research, I think it is safe to say it was probably made sometime during the 1800's, and may even predate that.

It worked pretty much like the ones nowdays do, only instead of pushing a button and activating a motor driven steel blade, you just turned a crank. Ironically, I do not remember ever actually seeing this one in action. Probably should have demonstrated it, but the top is coming loose and I don't want to damage it further.

You just put the beans into the that little bowl on top, turn the crank, and the ground coffee sifts down into the drawer below. The drawer comes completely out, allowing Wash to dump the grounds directly into the coffee pot instead of into the percolator basket, where they belong.

I actually did clean it up a bit, that white haze is not dust. I think the wax finish is so old it now looks white and chalky. Probably need to hit it with a little lemon oil.