tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61393528055617113442024-03-15T09:38:04.067-07:00Five Dollar Mail'ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01696955787843448807noreply@blogger.comBlogger199125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139352805561711344.post-90136308728700563232018-08-21T05:21:00.002-07:002018-08-21T05:21:36.608-07:00And The Number of the Counting Shall Be Three<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QiGaR2ZQcuo/T8basGZE4SI/AAAAAAAAAvA/9_nCtTEYjws/s1600/poison+ivy+RGB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QiGaR2ZQcuo/T8basGZE4SI/AAAAAAAAAvA/9_nCtTEYjws/s320/poison+ivy+RGB.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><i>I wrote this article for the monthly newsletter of my local Society for Creative Anachronism.</i></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><i>The article of general interest to anyone who camps, and I frequently get requests for it, so I thought I'd host it here where it might be a little more accessible and easy to find. </i></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><i>'gina</i></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">It’s the time of year when we’re spending a lot of time outdoors in this gorgeous weather, at events, during mundane activities, and even in our own backyards. There’s a lot of things out there in the bushes we need to watch out for, and I hear a lot of misinformation circulating around. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Even about the bushes themselves. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">I’m talking about the bane of my existence, the one thing I fear more than ticks, mosquitoes, fire ants, bears, or storms. Yes, folks, I’m talking about Poison Oak, Poison Ivy, and Poison Sumac. </span><span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"> It’s a cliché, but it’s true: “Leaflets three, let it be.”</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">We’ll start out by talking about a few common common lines of thought about the subject, some true and some not. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o4pnYo3ewMs/T8ba8LZMMWI/AAAAAAAAAvY/dT4D_hzOQS0/s1600/poison+oak+with+berries+RBG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o4pnYo3ewMs/T8ba8LZMMWI/AAAAAAAAAvY/dT4D_hzOQS0/s320/poison+oak+with+berries+RBG.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">False...provided you’ve showered since exposure: </span><span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Don’t scratch the rash, you’ll spread it. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">Truth: </span><span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Usually, the rash comes up on your skin a few days to a week after you’ve been exposed. If you’ve showered since then, the urushiol (the oil that causes the rash) will have washed away. The “spreading” effect that has spawned this idea is due to the fact that the rash comes up on skin at different rates. The liquid inside the blisters does not cause a reaction. However, don’t scratch hard or break the blisters, as doing so leaves you open to infection. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">False...provided you’ve showered since exposure:</span><span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"> Don’t touch the rash, you'll catch it. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9WVk1hZrsB4/T8bbHGEPBlI/AAAAAAAAAvo/4R2WJpeY6DI/s1600/Virginia+Creeper+vines+RGB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9WVk1hZrsB4/T8bbHGEPBlI/AAAAAAAAAvo/4R2WJpeY6DI/s320/Virginia+Creeper+vines+RGB.jpg" width="178" /></a><span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">Truth: </span><span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Again, the rashes are not contagious. They don’t spread the rash on you, and they won’t spread it onto other people. Now, what you </span><span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">can</span><span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">do is get exposed to the plant, get the urushiol on you, and then go up and shake hands with someone or hug them. If the urushiol gets on them, they can get a rash, even if they were indoors all day. At that point, it’s like the flu in that you can get it from a doorknob. I’m talking directly to </span><span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">you</span><span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">, people who love to say “Oh, it’s cool, I’m immune to the stuff.” Please be aware that many people are not so lucky and wash up if you’ve been exposed, unless you like the idea of being a misery vector.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">False: </span><span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Sometimes Poison Ivy has five leaves instead of three. Sometimes it has thorns.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">Truth:</span><span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"> Sometimes Poison Ivy grows mixed in with Virginia Creeper, which looks very, very similar to it except for the five leaves instead of three. It is possible to get a rash from Virginia Creeper, but for a different reason entirely. Virginia Creeper contains oxalate crystals, which can irritate some people’s skin. The plants are not the same species, and for most folks, Creeper is harmless.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Blackberry is another look alike, only it has thorns. Poison ivy never has thorns. But often it does grow where wild blackberry grows. It’s sneaky like that. Still, it’s like identifying snakes....if you aren’t sure what you’re dealing with, assume it could potentially hurt you and avoid it. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">As for Box Elder...to my eye, it just looks so much like Poison Ivy I can't tell where the tree stops and the Poison Ivy vine that's frequently growing on it starts. It happens, and it's a cruel prank as far as I'm concerned. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">Usually False: </span><span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">I got exposed once, and I didn’t get a rash, so I must be immune.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">Truth: </span><span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">You probably won’t the first time get exposed. It’s that next time that you have to worry about. The rash is an immune response. And it’s an unusual one in that it tends to be delayed in most people (hence the long lag in time between exposure and the manifestation of the rash). You might think you’re immune, but every time you get exposed, you risk that being the time you end up finding out how much fun steroid shots aren’t.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">False. And possibly criminally negligent: </span><span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">I’ll just burn it out.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">Truth: </span><span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Smoke from this sort of plant could literally kill you or someone else. It can go straight into the lungs, cause a respiratory reaction, and cause you or someone else to asphyxiate. Best way I’ve found to get rid of it is to spray it with Roundup Heavy Brush Killer and wait a week or two. Chopping it out just encourages it and fills it with spite. So poison it, wait till it dies, then very carefully remove the dead plant and bury it. Be aware it can still get revenge even when dead. Which brings us to....</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">False:</span><span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"> It’s winter. I don’t have to worry about it now.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">Truth: </span><span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Oh, yes, my friends. Yes, you do. And it’s even worse in the winter because it’s harder to identify it. Look for vines with reddish, hairy looking bark and little woody shoots that stick straight up and have a little bends near the top. Maybe there will be the remnants of tiny white berries on the stems. Sometimes you can find the dead leaves in the surrounding leaf litter. It can still get you even dead. It’s like the mummy or Nosferatu. Only nastier.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Poison Ivy and Oak prefer disturbed areas, but they can and do grow just about anywhere. I’ve seen them in all sorts of environments, particularly the types of places we like to have events. I’ve seen them in parks and even at Riverbanks Zoo hiding in a planted bed. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YEhlHN87iUQ/T8ba_ShNhbI/AAAAAAAAAvg/MHpQSGvv9m0/s1600/poison+ivy+hairy+vine+RGB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YEhlHN87iUQ/T8ba_ShNhbI/AAAAAAAAAvg/MHpQSGvv9m0/s320/poison+ivy+hairy+vine+RGB.jpg" width="178" /></a><span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">Poison Ivy:</span><span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"> This plant matures into a vine and covers trees, fences, anything it can get around. The sets of three leaves are pointed, satiny to shiny, with a jagged margin. The stem on the middle leaf of the trio is often a little longer than the other two. It grows into a vine that when mature, is covered with reddish, hairy fibers that look like they might be fun to touch. They aren’t.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">Poison Oak:</span><span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"> Same three leaf rule, but the leaves are rounder and the lobes irregular and random. Again, satiny leaves. This plant matures into a gawky-looking shrub that can reach about ten feet, but usually it stays in the two to four foot tall stage in my experience. It gets small green berries that turn white.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Both plants are beautiful in the fall, turning bright shades of yellow and red.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">Poison Sumac: </span><span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Thankfully, fairly rare. It grows in wetlands and is far less common. Which is good, because it’s brutal. The one time I got tangled up with sumac, it sent me to the ER. It can grow into a good sized tree, and has long, compound leaves of seven to thirteen leaves. It looks nothing like Oak or Ivy. I haven’t seen one since (I was at an SCA event in Georgia, actually.), so I haven’t taken any pics of sumac. It would probably behoove you to at least have a passing familiarity with it. You aren’t likely to encounter </span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">one, but if you do, you could really get messed up.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZdD6jywvNlw/T8batAUneuI/AAAAAAAAAvI/MW-LaOH2W_Y/s1600/poison+ivy+on+box+elderRGB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZdD6jywvNlw/T8batAUneuI/AAAAAAAAAvI/MW-LaOH2W_Y/s320/poison+ivy+on+box+elderRGB.jpg" width="178" /></a><span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Learn to identify these. I would almost say avoid Google Images, because I have seen all kinds of crazy things identified as Poison Ivy that isn’t. However, if you do use Google Images, just make sure your sources are reputable. Cross reference heavily. In any case, I’d rather you be wrongly afraid of Virginia Creeper or Sassafras or Box Elder and be safe than not be aware of anything and end up in misery. So if you err, err on the side of caution.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">If you are exposed to it, or think you may have been, simply rinse your skin off in cold water (this is important. Use cold water first to avoid opening up your pores.). A splash in a creek or stream will do fine, even a careful rinse-off out of a canteen will help. I carry bottled water in my van at all times for this very reason. You have a very short grace period once you’ve been exposed (I'd call an hour seriously pushing it. Anything less, your mileage may vary.), but it’s not that hard to get it off your skin. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">If you know you’re going to be exposed beforehand, applying Ivy Block to your skin creates a barrier to keep the urushiol off, buying you a little time to clean up before your immune system kicks in and goes crazy. There is also a product called Technu which can be used to help get the urushiol off after exposure. I’ve used both, and I recommend both, but in all honesty, plain cold water will work if that’s all you have. Be aware of urushiol contaminating your clothing, too, and act accordingly. I recommend undressing right there in front of your washing machine and not contaminating your living areas. Rinse off with cold water, and then...and ONLY then, take a hot shower. Under no circumstances should you take a bath. A bath will redistribute any urushiol left on your skin and coat you in something you really don’t want to be coated in.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">These things might sound extreme. However, I’m the most allergic person I know to this stuff, I spend a lot of time in the woods, and I rarely get into this kind of trouble. That’s because I am paranoid and I treat urushiol as if it were radioactive kryptonite. Because for me, it is. It </span><span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">is </span><span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">possible to have an anaphylactic response to this stuff. Not only that, but wallowing obliviously in the stuff during your first week of Pennsic can really ruin your will to live the second week. You don’t want ivy rash at War. You don’t want it ever. Pay attention, learn a little woodlore, play safe!</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
'ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01696955787843448807noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139352805561711344.post-2576023956865823312016-11-14T07:54:00.005-08:002017-01-04T17:42:34.348-08:00The Road Home Is Now Available!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rDaZa-ec1xw/WG2kdRKp4KI/AAAAAAAACEQ/ozaUGYSvRfEoMETs6BIQ6irt9hpxjYquQCLcB/s1600/The%2BRoad%2BHome%2BKindle%2BCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rDaZa-ec1xw/WG2kdRKp4KI/AAAAAAAACEQ/ozaUGYSvRfEoMETs6BIQ6irt9hpxjYquQCLcB/s320/The%2BRoad%2BHome%2BKindle%2BCover.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
Howdy, friends, just a quick update to let you know that <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Road-Home-Five-Dollar-Mail-ebook/dp/B01MTJGDM0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479138240&sr=8-1&keywords=regina+shelley" target="_blank">The Five Dollar Mail Book 3: The Road Home </a>is now released.<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Again, thanks for all your support. Watch this space for info on the next projects!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
If you're just joining us, I invite you to poke around a bit, and if you like the content here, please come visit us over at Wattpad for more content.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Books are all available both as <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Road-Home-Five-Dollar-Mail-ebook/dp/B01MTJGDM0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479138240&sr=8-1&keywords=regina+shelley" target="_blank">eBooks</a> or as <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Five-Dollar-Mail-Road-Home/dp/1535246901/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1479138240&sr=8-1" target="_blank">gorgeous trade paperbacks.</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
<b> Other Titles</b></h2>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Five-Dollar-Regina-Ferrara-Shelley/dp/1482039621/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1468709859&sr=8-2&keywords=regina+shelley" target="_blank">Book 1: The Green</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Five-Dollar-Mail-Lynchs-Boys/dp/1494276011/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1479140130&sr=8-2&keywords=regina+shelley" target="_blank">Book 2: Lynch's Boys </a></div>
<br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-psfQQBsquus/WCnirM4IesI/AAAAAAAACDg/GLHDjfZS3WYcZVgQyw1gff7A7k-rKwwWACLcB/s1600/Thee%2BBooks%2Bsmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-psfQQBsquus/WCnirM4IesI/AAAAAAAACDg/GLHDjfZS3WYcZVgQyw1gff7A7k-rKwwWACLcB/s400/Thee%2BBooks%2Bsmall.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Five-Dollar-Mail-Kickers-Express/dp/1515148513/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468709859&sr=8-1&keywords=regina+shelley" target="_blank">Riders & Kickers: The Five Dollar Mail Anthology </a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Talk to you soon! Happy trails!<br />
<br />
Love<br />
-gina<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />'ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01696955787843448807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139352805561711344.post-41961471342364858442016-07-16T16:06:00.001-07:002016-07-16T16:06:24.609-07:00We're Still Here, We're Just Hanging Out On Wattpad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XkeGe5RKHzA/V4q94Xii2CI/AAAAAAAACA8/jWaie-x6x7kzwn-2YbQfVZRR-dISbp4ngCLcB/s1600/FDM-Book3-Promo-Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XkeGe5RKHzA/V4q94Xii2CI/AAAAAAAACA8/jWaie-x6x7kzwn-2YbQfVZRR-dISbp4ngCLcB/s320/FDM-Book3-Promo-Cover.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
Howdy, all,<br />
<br />
Hoping everyone who was reading here is finished up. For the time being, we are directing traffic over to <a href="https://www.wattpad.com/story/32345989-the-five-dollar-mail" target="_blank">Wattpad</a>, so the whole unedited story is still available for free, just not here right now. This is so I can better promote my book series. All the extra stuff is still right here at this site, as well as the first ten or so chapters and all the extra side stories.<br />
<br />
I can still be reached at this site. Drop a comment anywhere and it goes straight to my inbox. <br />
<br />
Book Three, The Road Home, is nearly ready to be released, so very soon, you'll be able to get the finished, edited book series, including the extra stories, in its entirety from Amazon (and the Barnes and Noble website, etc.).<br />
<br />
If you're just joining us, I invite you to poke around a bit, and if you like the content here, please come visit us over at Wattpad for more content.<br />
<br />
Books are all available both as eBooks or as gorgeous trade paperbacks. <br /><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Five-Dollar-Regina-Ferrara-Shelley/dp/1482039621/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1468709859&sr=8-2&keywords=regina+shelley" target="_blank">Book 1: The Green</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Five-Dollar-Mail-Lynchs-Boys/dp/1494276011/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1468709859&sr=8-3&keywords=regina+shelley" target="_blank">Book 2: Lynch's Boys</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Five-Dollar-Mail-Kickers-Express/dp/1515148513/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468709859&sr=8-1&keywords=regina+shelley" target="_blank">Riders & Kickers: The Five Dollar Mail Anthology </a><br />
<br />
Book 3: The Road Home (to be announced Summer 2016)<br />
<br />
Talk to you soon! Happy trails! -gina<br />
<br />'ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01696955787843448807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139352805561711344.post-45334602535152043362015-12-17T17:09:00.001-08:002015-12-17T17:09:16.530-08:00Holiday Schedule for the Home Stretch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zyfbuHx5Quo/VnNbZYPxL6I/AAAAAAAAB9Y/41oKmcr39xs/s1600/LaBefana1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zyfbuHx5Quo/VnNbZYPxL6I/AAAAAAAAB9Y/41oKmcr39xs/s320/LaBefana1.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
So, we're in the home stretch of this thing, both for the year and for the Five Dollar Mail series. Been a crazy busy holiday season so far for us (we're catching up on a lot of lost time!). I thought I'd be ready to post tonight, but the truth is I am just not. This is the last bit of our story, and I don't want to rush it, so I'm just going to allow myself to run on a holiday schedule for the next week or so. I may having something up this weekend, but I'm not sure how that's gonna go yet, but I fully intend to have something up for next week.<br />
<br />
I don't want to just bang something out at this point and post it hastily. This is the final bit, you know? While I am really ready to be done and move on to other projects, a large part of me isn't quite ready to let it go yet.<br />
<br />
I got called in last week to reprise my "La Befana" thing at the kid's school I can't tell you how much I love doing this. I read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Legend-Old-Befana-Tomie-dePaola/dp/0152438173/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1450400368&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Old Befana</a> to them (the linked version of this story is so beautiful). Handed out some candy, dispensed some hugs, and talked about Italian Christmas traditions. The main thing the children seem to love the most, though, is the hat. I don't know if you can tell, but it's covered with bird and animal puppets, including a cardinal that sings and a nest full of baby birds. I always have to stoop down so they can make the bird sing and the babies wiggle. <br />
<br />
And yes, before you ask, I dug Radagast the Brown. A lot. I actually considered adding some birdshit to my kit.<br />
<br />
That broom you see there was made by none other than Bill Frazer, who is married to my editor Marie and who took the pic of me on the back of the book covers. I just added the Christmas bling to it.<br />
<br />
Anyways, I'll see you before Christmas, so until then, enjoy this season of peace and be safe. 'ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01696955787843448807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139352805561711344.post-56837090389496291682015-11-12T18:26:00.001-08:002015-11-12T18:26:13.767-08:00Why Paddy's Not At Work TodaySo, I've had an...interesting...week.<br />
<br />
I don't know if you're aware, but we had a bad flood out here a couple weeks ago. It didn't really affect me where I live, thank goodness. I live on a high, sandy ridge, so I was safe. The only problem we really had was later, the water pressure in the pipes was so excessive that many people had their plumbing damaged. I have some old plumbing in the upstairs, and the valve on the shower cracked. I came home from music practice one night to find water dripping through the ceiling onto my kitchen floor.<br />
<br />
Travel in town was iffy because a lot of roads were out. So I tried to cobble together a fix using spare parts from another valve I had lying around. No good, valve too far gone. And while I'm up there tinkering around in the attic messing with the upstairs plumbing, I forgot to cement one of the pipe elbows I'd put in.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pSic0zYAQ3Q/VkVH4rYLtUI/AAAAAAAAB8E/5GVl7tpqp5U/s1600/capped%2Bpipes.jpe" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pSic0zYAQ3Q/VkVH4rYLtUI/AAAAAAAAB8E/5GVl7tpqp5U/s1600/capped%2Bpipes.jpe" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Pipes capped off</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Remember when I told you the pressure was excessive? I walked up to the street, turned on the water, and heard people screaming "turn it off! turn it off" from inside my house.<br />
<br />
So, swearing and cringing, I turn it off and go back inside. Niagara falls was happening in my kitchen. Now we're down one valve, one pipe, one drowned light fixture. I have no choice but to cap the pipes until I can get to the hardware store at this point.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SPtCOVLaGv8/VkVH7fJuNeI/AAAAAAAAB8U/fUv9Z2Key2c/s1600/kitchen%2Bhole.jpe" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SPtCOVLaGv8/VkVH7fJuNeI/AAAAAAAAB8U/fUv9Z2Key2c/s1600/kitchen%2Bhole.jpe" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Nice.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The next day, a big chunk of wet drywall collapsed all over my breakfast nook.<br />
<br />
Fast forward to this Sunday, when I went up there to try to fix all the damage I'd managed to do to my home. My attic is a cramped mess, so I decide that before I pull up the plywood up there (I don't have a proper floor up there, just plywood on the joists) so I can see what's going on, I need to clean up a bit and toss some old stuff.<br />
<br />
And that's when I fell through the freaking ceiling.<br />
<br />
The kid, sitting on the sofa, heard a noise and looked up just in time to see the ceiling in the living room burst open and what she thought was pink cotton candy come exploding out.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DLrHvvZIIus/VkVH59-rLRI/AAAAAAAAB8M/_pPSpp_UHK4/s1600/living%2Broom%2Bhole.jpe" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DLrHvvZIIus/VkVH59-rLRI/AAAAAAAAB8M/_pPSpp_UHK4/s1600/living%2Broom%2Bhole.jpe" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Cotton candy for everyone!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I didn't fall all the way through, because I fell onto the main joist on my way down and for a few minutes, thought I had broken my damn leg. The husband kind of crammed some of the drywall back in place, but before that, it was hanging down over his favorite chair like the Sword of Damocles. Thank God he had gotten up when he did, because five minutes later, his chair was covered in broken drywall and Pink Panther insulation. <br />
<br />
And to add insult to injury, the kid and husband had been folding clean laundry down below, and now much of it had to be re-laundered because it got covered with fiberglass particles. <br />
<br />
All this tribulation and horseshit because of a leaky shower valve.<br />
<br />
And now we got the holidays coming up and my kitchen and living room have destroyed ceilings and I have one single shower left in my house that works, and even that one leaks. <br />
<br />
I thought I'd maybe have some time to bang out a post last night and today, but then a friend was in desperate, serious need of long road trip out of town for a couple hours to clear her head. So we got in my van and drove. And I promised the husband I would work on getting the shower up and running tomorrow. So I am really sorry about all this, but I'm gonna have to take a breather this week and fix some stuff before we end up having to shower in the backyard with a garden hose. <br />
<br />
Sometimes your week doesn't pan out the way you think it will.<br />
<br />
On the upside, my leg ain't broke. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iA5RGI3zn20" target="_blank">Here's a funny little lego video of the Irish song, Why Paddy's Not At Work Today. </a><br />
<br />
Paddy, I feel ya. 'ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01696955787843448807noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139352805561711344.post-64653588888253546382015-10-11T11:07:00.000-07:002015-10-11T11:10:15.135-07:00Riders & Kickers Finally Released!<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DQV7sZVvngc/Vhqi1PfDFmI/AAAAAAAAB7M/FLkIofP-J3M/s1600/Riders-and-Kickers-Blog%2BCoverr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DQV7sZVvngc/Vhqi1PfDFmI/AAAAAAAAB7M/FLkIofP-J3M/s400/Riders-and-Kickers-Blog%2BCoverr.jpg" width="275" /></a>Finally, after much tribulations, floods, panic, gnashing of teeth, and tearing of hair, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Riders-Kickers-Five-Dollar-Anthology-ebook/dp/B016605OMQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1444585756&sr=8-3&keywords=regina+shelley" target="_blank"><i>Riders & Kickers, The Five Dollar Mail Anthology</i>,</a> is finally released!<br />
<br />
It contains the holiday tales and various other short stories found on the website, plus Ask Wash and some general info about the Pony Express. It also contains two new previously unpublished stories: one co-written with longtime reader Erin Sackett, which is illustrated with never-before-seen illustrations by Diego Candia, and the other, a substantial novella by my husband Jim Shelley, who has done quite a bit of collaboration with me about story arcs for FDM over the years. To be honest,<i> The Five Dollar Mail</i> really wouldn't exist without Jim's support and creative contributions, so I love that he wrote a story of his own for this.<br />
<br />
It also contains a sneak preview of the cover for what will be the third and final book in the trilogy,<i> The Road Home</i>, which I am finishing up writing now. <br />
<br />
Anways, <i>Riders & Kickers</i> is available both as an ebook, and also as a beautiful trade paperback (not linked on Amazon as of this writing, so if you want the trade, just do a search on Amazon for it. It's there.). I hope you enjoy it! <br />
<br />
As always, thanks for reading!<br />
<br />
-'gina<br />
<br />
<br />'ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01696955787843448807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139352805561711344.post-54199877475603158082015-10-04T10:53:00.001-07:002015-10-04T10:53:51.339-07:00Statewide Marco Polo Match!Head's up, y'all. My town is pretty much underwater right now. I have no doubt we're gonna be declared a federal disaster area before it's over, if it hasn't already. <br />
<br />
I lived through Hurricane Hugo, and I ain't never seen anything like this shit that's going on here right now. I currently live on a high ridge made of sharp sand, so my place is okay, but I can't really go anywhere and I don't know how long power and internet is going to hold. <br />
<br />
If it holds, I'm gonna keep to my normal posting schedule. If you don't hear from me, I'm sitting in the dark holding a flashlight and hoping I don't have to pull the kayaks out, and you'll hear from me when you hear from me. <br />
<br />
On the upside, if I don't lose internet and/or power, looks like Riders & Kickers will be released next week!<br />
<br />
Stay dry! <br />
<br />
-Gina'ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01696955787843448807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139352805561711344.post-69047592515114622072015-09-24T18:39:00.001-07:002015-09-24T18:39:27.601-07:00The Road Home: No regular chapter this week, Updates<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--oFwox8bYEA/Us9gJPTb84I/AAAAAAAABNI/T-SV1hXA53o/s1600/book-cover-3%2Bcolor%2Bedit1%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--oFwox8bYEA/Us9gJPTb84I/AAAAAAAABNI/T-SV1hXA53o/s320/book-cover-3%2Bcolor%2Bedit1%2529.jpg" width="221" /></a></div>
Howdy all, <br />
<br />
Gonna forgo my regular chapter this week for a couple reasons. First and foremost, I have been working on Riders & Kickers. Four proofs on this thing. I got The Green and Lynch's Boys in two goes. Riders & Kickers is half the size of those and for some reason, has taken more work to get done. <br />
<br />
I can't decide if I am more picky or if I am simply distracted. It's been a hell of a year, most of which has gone by in dreamlike and often painful blur. <br />
<br />
Anyways, I kicked the third proof copy back this week, so keep your fingers crossed. <br />
<br />
The other thing is that I am having to read over the chapters that will comprise the next, and final, book. Yes, we are coming up on the end of the trail. I've got to end this somewhere, and I want to make sure everything's tied up all nice and neat before I'm done. So like the other books before it, I have to re-read it to make sure it pans out right. We have a little ways to go...a couple more miles. The idea of finishing makes me as sad as it does happy. I've been doing this so long, I'm a little scared to stop. <br />
<br />
Between re-reading Riders & Kickers until I want to puke, and sitting down and reading chapters 200+ as if I were just a reader, I can't write. Too much going on in my head. Fortunately, I'm almost done reading. I think I'll be back on track next week. But I don't want to rush it. Gotta do it right. I really do feel like I am riding tired through the purple dusk with a warm, yellow light shining through the trees ahead of me. A few more fresh horses, and we'll be home. <br />
<br />
See you next week. 'ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01696955787843448807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139352805561711344.post-54335809054993501362015-08-27T19:37:00.000-07:002017-03-15T07:29:27.322-07:00Gonna Be Late This Week<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UT15XbawW6s/Vd_Dcmx6EqI/AAAAAAAAB5U/ibggGqriHNo/s1600/Murray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UT15XbawW6s/Vd_Dcmx6EqI/AAAAAAAAB5U/ibggGqriHNo/s320/Murray.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Murray</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Howdy, all. I'm sorry, but I am running late this week. Hoping to have a post up Friday or Saturday. I had intended to work all through today on stuff, but as it turned out, my day started at around 3:30 am. We have a house rabbit, and he was unhappily and repeatedly thumping on
the floor in an attempt to alert the household that we were all in
mortal peril. Strange sounds were coming out of one of my kitchen cabinets, and me and the husband ended up sitting in the dark with a flashlight, trying to figure out what was going on. <br />
<br />
Murray here was going on. He had evidently discovered the hole in the floor where a bathroom renovation has been on hold since before Jim started chemo. And he was sitting in my kitchen eating a waffle cone.<br />
<br />
So I set some humane traps and went back to bed. It was, after all, 3:30am, and I had gone to bed rather late.<br />
<br />
Long story short, Murray ended up in my bedroom. It's a little hard to relax when you know a wild animal is sitting in your closet, watching you try to sleep. Instead of finishing up my work, I spent most of the day trying to capture an opossum, calling wildlife rehab to make sure I didn't need to bring him in for dehydration, and relocating him safely to a nice place in my backyard, close to where he was probably living before invading my home.<br />
<br />
So I honestly spent the day so horribly exhausted I actually feel drunk. I can't work like this.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qC9ebwZE2zU/Vd_HhVelrcI/AAAAAAAAB5g/G72nEj1PpLs/s1600/possum%2Bin%2Bcloset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qC9ebwZE2zU/Vd_HhVelrcI/AAAAAAAAB5g/G72nEj1PpLs/s320/possum%2Bin%2Bcloset.jpg" width="176" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Artist's Interpretation by Robin White</i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Anyways, my friends thought the entire opossum story sounded like a children's book. Rabbit discovers opossum in house, opossum sneaks into closet and hides befriends a hat. <a href="http://www.claybabypottery.com/" target="_blank">Robin </a>even illustrated it after it was determined by Pam that the story was better if the opossum was actually wearing the hat instead of just sitting on it.<br />
<br />
Anyways, Murray is back in his own environment outside and I promise I won't clean up my closet, which is now in shambles, until I have posted this week's update.<br />
<br />
See you soon!<br />
<br />
-gina <br />
<br />'ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01696955787843448807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139352805561711344.post-49771219934337154662015-07-02T18:10:00.001-07:002015-07-02T18:10:05.946-07:00Working Hard on Riders and Kickers This Week<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dsS3BgO8RvM/VZXgMGmopqI/AAAAAAAAB3U/m_UnMupj2x8/s1600/BenderAmbro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dsS3BgO8RvM/VZXgMGmopqI/AAAAAAAAB3U/m_UnMupj2x8/s1600/BenderAmbro.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Bender</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Hi, all. I threw all my energy into typesetting the late but upcoming Riders & Kickers this week, and didn't want to stop. I had quite a bit to do on it, including a panicked call to my editor yesterday, but I'm back on track now and finally have the main manuscript ready to go and the pictures lined up and prepped.<br />
<br />
I'm so bleary-eyed I can hardly see.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wHqDSDUk_Zw/VZXgQIFoXRI/AAAAAAAAB3c/10Xun0bkgqo/s1600/LilyAmbro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wHqDSDUk_Zw/VZXgQIFoXRI/AAAAAAAAB3c/10Xun0bkgqo/s320/LilyAmbro.jpg" width="263" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Lily</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Now, I just have to tweak the typesetting and finish up the cover, and hopefully I'll have a proof in my hands by late next week. Keep your fingers crossed and think good thoughts.<br />
<br />
I hate missing a chapter at this point, but honestly, I can't write right now. I get too wound up and hyper-focused with this stuff. <br />
<br />
I did make some of my faux ambrotypes some time back for Wattpad, and realized that I don't think I have shown them to you. So here they are if you have not seen them. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j7UudoKrcpc/VZXgWxIDO2I/AAAAAAAAB3k/cdAvC74JQ_U/s1600/StormAmbro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j7UudoKrcpc/VZXgWxIDO2I/AAAAAAAAB3k/cdAvC74JQ_U/s320/StormAmbro.jpg" width="258" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Storm</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Anyways, I am planning on posting a chapter next week, so here's hoping to get this over with quickly so I can get back on schedule.<br />
<br />
Have a great holiday weekend and stay safe!<br />
<br />
-gina'ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01696955787843448807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139352805561711344.post-9964140831233570972015-06-04T20:25:00.003-07:002015-07-15T18:49:44.072-07:00Hellbender by Laura Hollingsworth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bj018s6d1zU/VXEWaU7WiXI/AAAAAAAAB2U/ruGndZF621c/s1600/BenderLHWEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bj018s6d1zU/VXEWaU7WiXI/AAAAAAAAB2U/ruGndZF621c/s640/BenderLHWEB.jpg" width="363" /></a></div>
Howdy, all! <br />
<br />
I'm busy working on the layout for <i>Riders and Kickers</i> this week, so I'm taking the week off so I can concentrate on that. I'm hoping to get that out next month sometime, so keep your fingers crossed. But never fear, the amazing Laura Hollingsworth, the creator of <a href="http://www.thesilvereye.com/" target="_blank">The Silver Eye webcomic</a>, has done a picture of Bender for us. <br />
<br />
She gave me two preliminary sketches, one of him shrugging into his coat, and one of him standing still. It was a tough choice because they were both awesome, but we ended up going with the more animated "coat" pictures. I really love the movement in Laura's artwork. She really brings the characters to life. <br />
<br />'ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01696955787843448807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139352805561711344.post-23735940676819500552015-05-21T10:39:00.005-07:002015-05-21T10:39:55.644-07:00Bet You Didn't Know That Today Is Thanksgiving, Did You?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dZJvj2yCESc/VV4Xr-HCsOI/AAAAAAAAB0g/eN38qjNFWSE/s1600/bell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dZJvj2yCESc/VV4Xr-HCsOI/AAAAAAAAB0g/eN38qjNFWSE/s320/bell.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jim ringing the bell</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Hi, all. I will have your regular chapter up by Friday at the latest. I'm just not really ready to post it. It's been a very busy week. <br />
<br />
We're having a Thanksgiving supper at my place tonight and I've been trying to get things in order for that. I am having a hard time concentrating on writing this week. <br />
<br />
I didn't talk about this on here because it was hard to talk about, and because I didn't want it to be that kind of blog. And because I was afraid and depressed and didn't want to bring it here. But what we are celebrating is my husband Jim's last PET scan. He is cancer-free. So we are celebrating, and I just want to focus on that today. <br />
<br />
He wasn't cancer free for the last six months or so. He was diagnosed with advanced colon cancer, which had metastasized to his liver. .I've seen too many blogs that followed someone's fight that didn't have happy endings. Maybe it was superstition, I dunno. I don't like people to see me bleed, I guess. <br />
<br />
He responded great to the chemo, thank God. He is cancer-free right now. The chemo kicked his ass...but while it was kicking his ass, he was kicking cancer's ass. That picture there is him ringing the bell in the chemo lab. When cancer patients finish their chemo, it's traditional to ring the bell. It's a great tradition. It gives a lot of hope to all the other patients, and gives everyone a goal to look forward to. We were so happy that it was finally Jim's turn. <br />
<br />
So, if you're wondering what happened to the anthology, you'll be happy to know Marie has it in her hot little hands right now. The holdup was that Jim wanted to write a novella to include in the book. So while he was on chemo, he wrote a novella. It was slow going, because he had some pretty bad mind-fog, but he did it like a boss. In fact, quite a bit of the chapters you've been reading since November were written while I sat in an infusion center with him. I actually met McKenna, the author of Gunslinger's Grave, online while sitting in the chemo center with a laptop on my lap. <br />
<br />
Anyways, that's what's been going on in our lives over here. If all goes well, the anthology should be out in a couple months at the most. And your regular chapter will be here Friday night at the very latest. <br />
<br />
We have decided that today is Thanksgiving...so Happy Thanksgiving!'ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01696955787843448807noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139352805561711344.post-34751334447682808802015-04-23T19:06:00.002-07:002015-04-23T19:06:23.439-07:00Still Water Woman and Jesse Hanson, Riders and Kickers<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y-rC-GoQydc/VTmDUfg9ghI/AAAAAAAAByY/sYKqs28cQyU/s1600/Still%2BWater%2BWoman%2BAmbrotype%2Bcopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y-rC-GoQydc/VTmDUfg9ghI/AAAAAAAAByY/sYKqs28cQyU/s1600/Still%2BWater%2BWoman%2BAmbrotype%2Bcopy.jpg" height="320" width="248" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still Water Woman</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I am taking a week off from writing, because I am working on editing a never-published novella that is going into Riders and Kickers. My husband Jim has written an entire novella that centers around Tommy, and I'm going doing the re-write on it before we send it to Marie, my editor. When I get into heavy edit mode, it's hard to write, so I just decided to focus solely on editing this week. The novella a fun adventure tale, and I know you will all like it as much as I do. Finally, Tommy will get some airtime. <br />
<br />
So, instead I made a couple "tintypes" of Still Water Woman and Jesse. Love making these. I am very happy with how Still Water Woman came out. I used a picture of the Yankton Lakota musician and activist, <span class="fn">Zitkala-Ša. I chose her as a model because she's got such beautiful strength in her face. So I gave her a haircut and the hint of a traditional plains dress, and then sandwiched it with a picture of an old tintype, and then added some texture taken from an daguerreotype. </span><br />
<span class="fn"></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qMDFtAlJNP4/VTmDYbIt2_I/AAAAAAAAByg/OQ8Eh3s_9J8/s1600/Jesse%2BH%2BAmbrotype%2Bcopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qMDFtAlJNP4/VTmDYbIt2_I/AAAAAAAAByg/OQ8Eh3s_9J8/s1600/Jesse%2BH%2BAmbrotype%2Bcopy.jpg" height="320" width="273" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jess Hanson</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="fn">Jesse I did the same way, although unfortunately, I don't know the model's name. Not sure I like it as well, so I might do another one at some point. I do, however, love the tarnished and discolored tin in this one. The more tore up these things are, the better I like them. </span><br />
<span class="fn"></span><br />
<span class="fn">Which is ironic when you consider that back in the Bad Old Days, when I worked in a darkroom, one of the things I did was take old photos that actually did look like this and restore them. Which was a bit of a trick, because back then, nobody had Photoshop or even digital images. Had to use what I called Stupid Darkroom Tricks, photo bleach, and a thin, black or brown ink called SpotTone. I was very, very good at it. So I kind of enjoy the irony that I am now deliberately destroying perfectly good photos by Photoshopping damage onto them. </span><br />
<span class="fn"></span><br />
<span class="fn">Anyways, hope you are enjoying these as much as I am enjoying making them. The regular posting will be back on next Thursday. See you then!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
'ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01696955787843448807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139352805561711344.post-29362890199244858942015-04-14T10:56:00.000-07:002015-04-14T10:56:40.172-07:00Happy Birthday, Pony Express!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pFlX2vkB_Vc/VS1SeVvIOkI/AAAAAAAABwg/7LmLveYYJ6g/s1600/Google%2BDoodle%2BPony%2BExpress%2BGame.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pFlX2vkB_Vc/VS1SeVvIOkI/AAAAAAAABwg/7LmLveYYJ6g/s1600/Google%2BDoodle%2BPony%2BExpress%2BGame.jpg" height="226" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Today is the 155th birthday of the Pony Express, and as I'm sure most of you have seen, Google has made a Google Doodle to commemorate this day in history!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I guess it goes without saying that I am a huge fan of the Pony Express, so you know how excited I am to see this as a Doodle. They even made it into an cool little game where you guide the little Pony Express guy through an obstacle course to pick up letters and keep moving east, presumably to eventually make it to the last stop on the route, Saint Joseph, Missouri. </span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lv1GOtrEf0U/VS1Spsuzo-I/AAAAAAAABwo/Z_BrConDLKc/s1600/Google%2BDoodle%2BMap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lv1GOtrEf0U/VS1Spsuzo-I/AAAAAAAABwo/Z_BrConDLKc/s1600/Google%2BDoodle%2BMap.jpg" height="116" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Google's Map of the trail from Sacramento to Saint Joseph</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I named my rider Luis. Luis didn't appreciate being pitched face first into cactus. I kind of suck at playing the game. So I never really made it to Saint Jo. <br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eroekFF6lGU/VS1TEEjEK3I/AAAAAAAABww/2vOsi_DKlAQ/s1600/Google%2BDoodle%2BFamr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eroekFF6lGU/VS1TEEjEK3I/AAAAAAAABww/2vOsi_DKlAQ/s1600/Google%2BDoodle%2BFamr.jpg" height="113" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
Anyways, this is a really awesome video about both the history of the Pony Express and the making of the Doodle. If you haven't seen it, you can view it here: <a href="https://www.google.com/doodles/155th-anniversary-of-the-pony-express"><span style="font-family: inherit;">https://www.google.com/doodles/155th-anniversary-of-the-pony-express</span></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xHUlJSQk3dg/VS1TTW_Uy3I/AAAAAAAABw4/4VHwLOSnHa0/s1600/Google%2BDoodle%2Bswapping%2Bhorses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xHUlJSQk3dg/VS1TTW_Uy3I/AAAAAAAABw4/4VHwLOSnHa0/s1600/Google%2BDoodle%2Bswapping%2Bhorses.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>I at least managed to get as far as swapping horses.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
'ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01696955787843448807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139352805561711344.post-74745739136274792462015-03-06T08:39:00.001-08:002015-03-06T08:39:25.718-08:00Sneak Peek: A Christmas Odyssey <h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><em>Howdy, all. Jim, being a wonderful husband, talked me out of working all day on writing. He say's I'm too tired and worn out from the week. And I let him talk me out it because he's hot and I adore him. Instead, he talked me into taking a nap after posting the first chapter from a novella that we co-wrote (well, we discussed it and then he wrote it and I edited it). This novella will be a never-before seen, brand new </em>Five Dollar Mail<em> story about none other than Tommy Page, and will appear in its entirety in the upcoming </em>The Five Dollar Mail: Riders and Kickers</span></span><em><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> anthology. <br /><br />Jim's work has been published in various horror magazines, and he is now a force in the digital comic scene with his own project, </span></em><a href="http://flashbackuniverse.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Flashback Universe<em>.</em></span></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><em> He will be working with me on the next project after </em>Five Dollar Mail<em>, so I thought it would be a fun introduction to have him write a piece for the anthology. </em></span></span></span></span></h2>
<h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><em>-'gina</em></span></span></h2>
<h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"></span></span> </h2>
<h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><span style="color: black;">Ch</span><span style="color: black;">apter One: The Girl That Liked Dime Novels</span></strong></span></span></h2>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c6VLgm9wwec/VIEOdAxrmEI/AAAAAAAABhk/PTosfmq8fSI/s1600/ATTommyWEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c6VLgm9wwec/VIEOdAxrmEI/AAAAAAAABhk/PTosfmq8fSI/s1600/ATTommyWEB.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tommy by Angela Taratuta</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Standing out on the Green River town stagecoach depot in the early morning chill of a December morning, Tommy Page found himself nervously waiting for three things. The icy winter air had, once again, formed a sparkling fog on the lenses of his spectacles, and as he wiped them clear, he mentally tallied his expectations as if ticking chores off a list. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">First, there was Christmas. While he no longer looked forward to it with the excitement he had when he was a child, the idea of enjoying the holiday with his friends at the station had renewed his interest in the season. He was especially looking forward to some of the delicious dinner treats Fiona and Lily had hinted at.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Second, there was the latest installment of </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Malaeska, the Indian Wife of the White Hunter</span>, </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">in the Beadle’s dime novel series. While the stories could tend to get a little outlandish at times, Tommy found himself addicted to the series. That the newest edition was supposed to arrive today on the stage coach is how Tommy happened to find himself out on the stoop in the brisk weather. He wanted to meet the driver and be sure to get a copy before they went into town. He’d been on a run to Three Crossings when the previous edition had</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">arrived on the stage, and he’d ended up missing out. He ended up having to pay double the price to Jed Ward, a boy in town, who charged him an outlandish 20 cents just to read his copy after he was done with it. What he’d gotten was a dog eared, torn version with water stains and one of the illustrations missing. In hopes of preventing that from happening again, he had traded his regularly scheduled run today with Jessie...or maybe it was Luis. Jessie and Luis had a habit of trading their runs between themselves so often that it caused confusion in the station. Lynch had asked them politely to refrain from such shenanigans by grunting “I reckon you boys need to stop this horseshit!” the last time they’d done it. Unfortunately, they still were apt to trade on the sly from time to time, seeing how the exact meaning of “this horseshit” was open to interpretation.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And while he was eager for Christmas and anxious to read the new dime novel, neither of these two impending events were the source of his nervousness. No, what had his palms sweating and his heart beating fast was the third thing he was waiting for: a chance to speak to the young girl who was walking his way at this very moment.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He had been watching this girl ever since she appeared down at the end of the wooden sidewalk that ran along the main street through town. At first she was just a blurry image on the horizon through</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> his dust-smudged spectacles, but has she was drawing nearer, Tommy was able to ascertain that she was indeed a person...a </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">girl</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">...a</span> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">pretty</span> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">girl...headed his way. He found himself going from curious interest to genuine excitement at the idea that she might be coming over to speak to him.</span> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now, normally, Tommy would have assumed any visiting girl at the mail depot was some wayward admirer of Luis or, more likely, Jesse. But what gave Tommy hope this morning was the exact nature of her arrival.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tommy had heard from Mr. Thomason, the owner of the mercantile, that there was a girl his age who also bought the dime novels. This idea fascinated Tommy in a way he couldn’t quite explain or escape. Could there actually be a girl in town who shared his love of stirring adventure and heart-stopping action?</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">He </span></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">had</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> to meet her. Imagine the rousing conversation they could have as they recounted their favorite stories and characters! And the fact that Mr. Thomason had mentioned that she was cute had only fanned the flames of his fascination.</span> </span></span></div>
<br /><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And as Tommy watched this young girl walk up, he had to concede that her appearance did</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">indeed fit the </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">definition of “cute”. Actually, as Tommy stole furtive looks in her direction (all while attempting to </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">coolly ignore her, as Saint once instructed him), Tommy realized that </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">cute </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">was a weak <span style="font-family: inherit;">description for such a girl. With her long brown hair, piercing dark eyes, regal cheekbones, and aquiline nose, she possessed a bewitching presence that defied the cramped confines of a word like “cute.”</span></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> What would the correct word be?</span> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">he thought, his heart racing.</span> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Coltish,</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Tommy thought, but then</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">nixed it as sounding too young.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Go</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">rgeous</span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Hm...better</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">...</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">He shook his head. Somehow, that suggested an older woman.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Winsome?</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">He had seen that word applied to cute girls in his dime novels, but he thought it had something to do with smiling.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Fetching</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> was a bit better,</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">but it remind him more of dogs than anything else.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As she approached, his mind swirled in a morass of synonyms and sounds as it searched for the appropriate adjective, the perfect word, that bit of lyrical truth that would correctly define her forever...</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Hello. Nice morning isn’t it?” she said, her face lighting up with a welcoming smile as she stepped onto the stoop.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">With a start, Tommy turned towards her and was suddenly overcome by the answer to his unspoken question. “Stunning!” he blurted out in awkward exclamation.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The young girl cocked a dark eyebrow and tilted her head, the polite smile on her face disappearing. In Tommy’s mind, he could imagine Saint going on and on about first impressions and having a good opening line. He could tell he hadn’t said the right thing, but he couldn’t think now what the right thing actually was. Watching her standing there wasn’t helping. She seemed to be re-tabulating some mental calculation and Tommy was afraid he wouldn’t like the answer. At long last, a smile broke across her face, and she said, “While that seems like a rather bold word to describe this cold morning, I applaud your passionate appreciation.”</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tommy wasn’t entirely sure he followed all that, but it sounded like a positive response, so he followed up with the most evocative rejoinder he could muster. “Hello! I’m ...my name is Tommy Page.”</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The girl tipped her head a bit as if making a small bow and said, “Pleased to meet you Tommy Page. I’m Theresa Perrin, but everyone calls me Terry.”</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">His name sounded amazing rolling off her tongue. It took him a few seconds before he replied. At least, he hoped it was just seconds, as time seemed to be dissolving all around him. “Are you...what are you doing here?” he asked, instantly regretting the accusatory phrasing of the question. Yes, he did want to know why she was here, but he didn’t mean to sound so blunt.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Arching her brow in confusion, she looked at the post office beside them.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Is this where the stagecoach unloads?” </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Yes, it is.”</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Ah. That’s what I was hoping. Mr. Thomason at the mercantile told me that if I wanted to get my hands on the new Beadle’s book, I would be best to try and pick it up here.”</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“<span style="font-family: inherit;">You...you’re the</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> girl who...It’s you that buys the dime novels!” Tommy exploded. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> “I </span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">thought </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">it</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">might be you!”</span></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span> </div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">With a wild gush, Tommy started</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> to recount his favorite moments from the ongoing</span> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">M<span style="font-family: inherit;">alaeska </span></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">serial novel.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> While he wasn’t sure what to say to </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">girls, he definitely knew his dime novels. He could tell her every detail about every dime novel he had ever read.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And to any onlooker, it would have looked as if he was doing just that very thing.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Indeed, he was so overcome by this chance to share his love for the genre, he failed to notice that his audience seemed to be getting bored.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Terry took a deep breath, as if to bolster herself from the battering waves of his enthusiasm, raising her hands before her as if to press back the tide. “Hold on,” she said, chuckling nervously. “I don’t read them. I get them for my brother,” </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He words were an icy bucket of water dousing him. If he had been a waterfall of words before, he was now a dry well. For a few uneasy seconds he didn’t know what to say. Time stretched like winter molasses, hanging between them in awkward, excruciating silence.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">He opened his mouth, and closed it, pulling his glasses behind his ears. “Oh.” Flailing in an ocean of random advice he had picked up from the older riders, he found a lifesaver from Wash: ‘</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It’s easy to talk if you know what you’re talking about, so it is. And the only way to know is to ask.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">’</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tommy retrieved his courage, dusted it off, and tried again. “How is it that you happen to be picking up the dime novel for your brother?”</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Terry leaned her back against the depot’s shingled front wall and relaxed a bit. “Oh, it’s a long story, Mr. Page, I shouldn’t bore you with all that.” </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">His awkward tension relented a bit. “You</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">could...I mean, I’d love it if you bored me.” He cringed, wincing.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">What is wrong with you, you blathering idiot?</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">She laughed,and gave him a forgiving smile. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Her brother was named Charlie, and he was eight years old. However, despite his young age, he was quite a good reader, as Terry had been teaching him to read him since he was five years old. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The reason Tommy had never seen Terry in Mrs. Plunkett’s classroom is because she had completed school back East prior to her family's arrival in Sweetwater.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Her family lived on the opposite side of the Green River, where her parents had a small farm. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Their father was away back East tending to their recently deceased grandfather’s estate. Mr. Perrin had hoped to be back by Christmas, but business complications had made his return impossible.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">During the conversation, Tommy told Terry a bit about himself, focusing on his job as a Pony Express rider, the places he had gone, and the people he worked with. Occasionally, he would mimic some of the other riders, which helped illustrate their personality. Even though Terry didn’t know any of them, she found the impersonations entertaining. As the morning passed, they were so caught up in their exchange that neither of them realized that the stage coach was running late. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“So, Miss McMillian,” Tommy continued with the story of how Lily came to work at the station, his face twisted in his best Erastus Lynch impersonation. "Does a lot of cussin’ bother you?” </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Terry laughed out loud at the punch line, and Tommy felt quite pleased with himself...until Lynch stepped out</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> onto the stoop with a dour look on his face. Albeit, this was sort of his natural expression,</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">but this morning there was an intensity on his furrowed brow that told Tommy something</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">was wrong. </span></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Did Lynch hear that?</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lynch looked at Tommy, wearing a far scarier version of the pinched scowl Tommy had been wearing moments before. His pale, intense gaze traveled from Tommy’s face to Terry, and he nodded knowingly to himself. He raised an eyebrow and settled his eyes back on Tommy. “You been here all morning?” </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Yes, sir. I...uh...since b...breakfast.”</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“No sign of the coach?” </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“No, sir.”</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lynch turned his attention towards the horizon. “Hmph.” </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He gave the skyline a frustrated glare as if to provoke it into revealing the overdue stage coach. Then he turned towards the station. “Let me know as soon as you see it,” he muttered over his shoulder as he went back inside. “I reckon you’ll still be standing here.”</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Yes, sir.”</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Tommy said, deflating. He was relieved that Lynch wasn’t upset at him, but a new concern was growing now. </span></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Where’s the stage coach?</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
“Was that?...” Terry started to ask. </div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Yeah.” Tommy interrupted her question with a hushed, faraway reply. “Old Man Lynch.” </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Like Lynch, Tommy scanned the horizon. His mind was busy conjuring up grim reasons the stage might be late. He didn’t</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">want to think something could have happened to Saint and Wash. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Normally</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">,</span> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I wouldn’t</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">worry too much...but bad weather can blow in without warning this time of year.</span></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Nor did he want</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">to explain the morbid possibilities. In an attempt to prevent his concern from spreading to Terry, he made a game attempt to restart their previous conversation.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“So, I guess...I mean...is it hard raising chickens?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /> </div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">She played along, answering the question and asking him more about the station. To anyone listening, there would have been little difference in the tone and tenor of their dialogue. However, to Tommy, it seemed their words were colder than before and sentences hung in the air longer than they should.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What’s delaying the coach?</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
</div>
<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-2146f49b-efce-f1ca-941c-f60146279d61" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 24px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /> </div>
</b><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
</div>
</span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
</div>
</span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
</div>
</b><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />'ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01696955787843448807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139352805561711344.post-78180231749526842102015-03-05T14:05:00.001-08:002015-03-05T14:07:53.189-08:00Tommy Would Dig It<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Hfsqy37RgKY/VNE7hGavTgI/AAAAAAAABnI/k8xPf_-h6uc/s1600/TommyMZBOOK1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Hfsqy37RgKY/VNE7hGavTgI/AAAAAAAABnI/k8xPf_-h6uc/s1600/TommyMZBOOK1.jpg" height="303" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Because Tommy likes bugs. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I'm running behind this week. I'm going to try very hard to have this week's post up tomorrow. That's my goal. It may be Saturday, but I'm going to the best I can to get it done by Friday night. I've pretty much had my week hit by a huge, flaming meteor in the form of...drumroll...</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Lice. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Yeah. Because nothing quite says "you're a primate" like spending an entire day picking freaking insects out your hair and your kid's hair. I guess if you have a kid in school, it's bound to happen eventually. I have never had lice in my entire life, and considering where I grew up, that's kind of saying something. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I guess I should have figured something was up in the schools when the local drug store here has an ominous sign out front advertising a sale on lice treatments. As a writer, I have to really appreciate the cosmic foreshadowing of that. Very nice. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">So, anyways, as awful as all this is, it's actually not as awful as I had always thought it was. It's not like they pervade every aspect of your life. They aren't that hard to get rid of. Still, you have a crapload of laundry you have to do. So between what's probably close to five feet of hair between us to delouse, and a pile of laundry the size of the Matterhorn, I've been so busy and mentally overloaded, I can't finish the chapter. My brain's seized up. However, I find that an excellent cure for writer's block is to post something saying something along the lines of "I'm sorry, I just haven't been able to get it together this week." </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">So, I'm sorry. I just haven't been able to get it together this week. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Ah. That feels better. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">See you this weekend. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />'ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01696955787843448807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139352805561711344.post-72490044417882330812015-03-03T18:38:00.003-08:002015-03-03T18:40:35.497-08:00The Young Riders: The True Fictional Account Chapter 2<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FOH779cTRNM/VPZvX1opsuI/AAAAAAAABqo/TYXocT4L57E/s1600/2ef231e302031ef946f8be1ca2c2e62f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FOH779cTRNM/VPZvX1opsuI/AAAAAAAABqo/TYXocT4L57E/s1600/2ef231e302031ef946f8be1ca2c2e62f.jpg" height="320" width="248" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Josh Brolin as Jimmy Hickok</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Hi, all! Here is a link to <a href="http://www.wattpad.com/node_read/71965901-the-young-riders-the-true-fictional-account/page/3" target="_blank">Chapter 2 of The True Fictional Account,</a> a Young Riders fanfic by Crisandra and Kristan Billups. <br />
<br />
I'm going to be featuring other writers early in the week, so guest posts are going to become a semi-regular thing. I'm finding other writers writing some fun stuff out there, and when I see something I think you all might enjoy, I'm going to share it here. <br />
<br />
The regular Five Dollar Mail post will continue on Thursdays, as usual .<br />
<br />
So watch this space, and have a great week!<br />
<br />
-'gina<br />
<br />'ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01696955787843448807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139352805561711344.post-69102154787094397882015-02-24T19:28:00.000-08:002015-02-26T16:36:26.214-08:00The Young Riders: The True Fictional Account, Chapter 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2jxR-w_jP6A/VO0_KGGHMfI/AAAAAAAABow/_7dh-RSlxsA/s1600/untitled%2B(3).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2jxR-w_jP6A/VO0_KGGHMfI/AAAAAAAABow/_7dh-RSlxsA/s1600/untitled%2B(3).png" height="147" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><em></em></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><em></em></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><em>I have a little early-in-the-week treat for you this week. This is a fanfic of the TV show, The Young Riders, that aired from 1989-1992, by Kristan and Crisandra Billups. It was written some years ago, when they were in their early teens. </em></span></span><br />
<em></em><br />
<em>I (predictably) loved this show, and clearly, it had some influence over my own work. When I discovered these authors on Wattpad, I had to ask if I might feature their story here, as I thought you all might enjoy it, too. So with permission, here is the first chapter of their story, The Young Riders: The True Fictional Account. You can read the <a href="http://www.wattpad.com/story/23630335-the-young-riders-the-true-fictional-account" target="_blank">rest of the story here, on Wattpad.</a> I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em>-gina</em><br />
<br />
<em><strong>Disclaimer thingy: Based on a show owned by MGM. No copyright infringement intended, no money is involved, just some fans having a little fun. No need to get all excited and send lawyers after us.</strong></em> <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VN_Ean-a4J4/VO0_aYh1b2I/AAAAAAAABo4/h5su3fbf5oE/s1600/JimmyKid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VN_Ean-a4J4/VO0_aYh1b2I/AAAAAAAABo4/h5su3fbf5oE/s1600/JimmyKid.jpg" height="400" width="325" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kid and Jimmy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The hot sun beamed down on the Arizona desert. At noon, the sun was at its hottest, and not a cloud in the sky to offer shade. Two Pony Express Riders, Kid and Jimmy, loped along slowly on their way back from town. Kid looked up and nudged Jimmy who was nodding off, who woke with a snort and had his gun pointed at Kid's face in an instant. Once he saw he was in no immediate danger he put his gun away. ''What?'' </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Kid pointed to a scrap of trees along the hillside where a small cloud of smoke had gathered. ''Campfire? Out here?'' </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Jimmy nodded to Kid and they reined their horses to the left, at a faster pace. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">''Might be a traveler just camping for the evening.'' Kid said. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">''Might be an outlaw lookin to blow off your head too.'' Jimmy said. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Kid shrugged and they checked their guns to make sure they were loaded and ready. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Jimmy slowed his horse to a stop and Kid did likewise. They dismounted and tied their horses to trees. Quietly they crept forward into a small forest, leaves cracked underfoot, branches slapped their faces. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Finally close enough they knelt behind a boulder and peered over. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">''Camp's empty.'' Kid whispered. ''But it hasn't been for long.'' </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">An unsaddled horse was tied to a long rope, grazing on grass and brush. It was a powerfully built mustang, blue roan with a black mane and tail. Strong hindquarters and nimble legs, it looked like it could run for miles. Rippling muscles beneath a dusty hide, it was a majestic animal. There was a fire built not far from a bedroll. A cup on the ground. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Suddenly a low growl behind them made them spin around, but before Jimmy could pull his gun, there was already one trained on them both. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Kid felt uncomfortable having the cold metal of a 30-30 staring him in the face, but the eyes of the owner was more unsettling. Cold and hard, they were an incredible shade of green. Black hat low on the head, bandana over his face, it was hard to tell anything about this person. Except that he rode a lot. Black riding boots with dulled silver spurs, blue jeans and a shirt, he looked like anyone you’d see on the street.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">''Don't move!'' The person commanded, ''You forgot to watch your back.'' He added. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The dog was a wolf. His blue eyes, his blue eyes?, flashed as he stood his ground beside his master. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">''Watch em.'' He commanded the wolf, as he moved forward and slid their guns out of their holsters. Moving them towards camp, he questioned them. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">''What are you doin' here?'' he asked. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Kid stumbled. ''We was riding home, thought we'd see who was camping here.’’ </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The man laughed. ''You expect me to believe that? Yeah right.'' He tied them up, sitting down, opposite of each other. Slinging the rifle over his shoulder, he slid off their boots. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">''Hey!'' Jimmy protested. ''You can't take our boots!'' </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The man stopped. ''Your right.'' Spinning around he threw them into the stream, they landed with a slight splash. Dowsing the fire, he gathered up his things and swung up on the mustang. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">''You're just gonna leave us like this?'' Jimmy griped. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The man called the wolf to him. ''Better than being dead.'' The man tipped his hat, then was gone. Minutes later Jimmy's horse and Katie thundered by, scattered by the rider. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Jimmy wriggled, but the ropes were tight. ''You just had to be the detective, didn't ya Kid?'' </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">''Shut up and help with the ropes!'' Kid snapped. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">~ ~ ~</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Morgan rode away from them on Blue. The mustang was glad to be on the move again and Lewis totted beside them, stopping every now and then to smell the wind. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">''That was close.'' She told the mustang, who snorted and shook his thick mane. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">''Oh I know they were telling the truth! But you can't trust people.'' </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Lewis barked. They trotted on.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Half an hour later, maybe 45 minutes, she caught sight of the pony express station, it would be her new job, at least until they had to go on the run again. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As Morgan rode in, three people gathered in front of the house. She halted her horse and slid down, removing her gloves, she asked, ''Which one of ya is the station manager?'' </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">An older man stepped up. ''That‘d be me.'' Shaking hands, he said. ''Teaspoon Hunter. And you are?'' </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Morgan glanced sideways and hesitated. ''Morgan.'' she finally said. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A young man shook her hand, blonde straw colored hair stuck out from beneath his hat and he wore dusty buckskins, his smile splashed across his face from one ear to the next. ''Cody.'' He stated. ''What brings you here?'' </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Morgan’s horse neighed and the others in the paddock answered. ''I'm the new pony express rider you sent for.''</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Teaspoon scratched his head. ''Ah, don't mean to be rude, but didn't the letter say there'd be, ah, two riders?''</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> ''Oh yeah, the other's a day behind me, something held her up.''</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> ''Well you put up your horse and come on in for supper.'' Emma, the cook, invited and motioned with her hands. Leading her horse to the barn, Morgan tied him up and drew him a bucket of water. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">While Blue drank, she brushed his coat. With each stroke came a cloud of dust, but soon his coat shown like a silver dollar. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Morgan put him up in the stall, and was closing the door when a stranger walked in. They caught sight of each other at the same time. Quickly she slid a knife out of her boot and hid it in her hand. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">''Who are you?'' Buck inquired, a knife hidden in his hand. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">''Names Morgan. New rider.'' Buck nodded. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">''Name's Buck. You are Indian.'' </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Morgan nodded. ''So are you.'' </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After a minute, Buck said ''Kiowa.'' </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">''Cherokee.'' She answered. ''Our tribes are enemies.'' </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Buck shifted closer to the wall. ''Is that going to be a problem?'' Buck tensed. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Her piercing eyes seemed to look right through him. ''No.'' </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Quickly, they both sheathed their knives, unknown to the other that they had even been out. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">They walked together to the house, Lewis, who had found a comfortable spot in the shade, raised his head and growled. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Buck stepped back. ''Your wolf?'' he asked. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Morgan snapped her fingers and Lewis turned from growling menacing dog with flashing teeth to friendly cow dog. Wagging his tail, he greeted Buck as an old friend. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">They went in to see everyone else was already seated at the table with bread, meat, and potatoes on plates in front of them. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">''Please remove your hat and weapons.'' Teaspoon said. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Morgan questioned him with her gaze. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">''It's so's you don't shoot one another over Emma's good food.'' Teaspoon added.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Morgan stepped over to the hat rack and hung her 30-30 on one of the hooks. Everyone staring, she pulled off her hat. Dark blond hair tumbled down to just acouple inches below her neck. Morgan heard Cody choke and cough. ''You’re a girl!'' He said, spraying mashed potatoes all over the table and the people sitting at it. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Buck, who was wiping Cody's spit off his face, lightened the tension a bit by saying ''Say it, don't spray it Cody.'' </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">''But he's a girl!'' Cody argued. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">''We can all see that now Cody, so why don't ya eat?'' Teaspoon said, nodding towards an empty seat for Morgan to sit in.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Several seconds passed with no one moving before Emma commanded everyone to eat, and everyone slowly started eating. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So Morgan sat down to the table. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">''There's an empty bed in the bunkhouse for ya to use.'' Teaspoon said.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">''Thanks, but I'll sleep in the barn.'' Morgan said, scooping up a bite of potatoes.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Teaspoon set his cup down. ''Now that you’re a rider for the pony express, you'll sleep like a rider for the pony express.'' </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Morgan nodded her head, but everyone could see she wasn't willing to obey by that.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> ''Wonder when Kid and Jimmy's comin' back?'' Cody wondered out loud, mouth full of pie. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">At that moment, several things happened. The door flew open, revealing two very tired, very annoyed guys. Morgan spun around, at the same time spotting them, she jumped up, chair falling to the ground. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">''You!'' Morgan, Jimmy, and Kid yelled at the same time. Jimmy went for his gun, but realized his holsters were empty. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Morgan jumped up on the table and sprang at them both, knocking them on the ground. On her feet in a flash she flew to the hat rack, grabbing her gun and hat, she ran out the door. Morgan ran to the barn while chucking a shell up into the chamber. She did not know how they'd found her, she had certainly left a confusing trail. Lewis was beside her now, she had Blue out of the stall. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Grabbing her bedroll, she swung up on Blue the same instance he burst into a gallop. They swept past the bunkhouse and the main house, were everyone stood. No one had a gun on her, that was good. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She cursed herself for not dealing with those two before. Blue's long strides made the ground between the house and them grow fast. They headed to the river were she knew they could leave without making a trail.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">They traveled fast for hours. A normal horse would not have been able to to keep up, but Blue was hardened to running hard and fast. When she was pretty sure no one was following, Lewis had not growled, then she decided to find somewhere to sleep for the night. Morgan found a clearing, and made a quick camp. No fire, no cooked food. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Morgan and Lewis ate dried beef, while Blue ate some grass and grain. She leaned up against the tree so no knife or bullet could kill her from behind. She slept.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Lewis woofed, softly and Morgan awoke. Looking at him, she knew he had caught the scent of someone that was close by, maybe a mile or two. They were on her trail. But why wasn't Lewis growing instead of wagging his tail? Whistling softly, Blue came right awake. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Swinging aboard, she turned him back towards the way they'd come. Gun in hand, they walked softly. She would deal with this once and for all.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">~ ~ ~</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Buck sat on the ground. He was cold. His horse was tired. He had forgotten that trailing someone who did not want to be caught was hard work. After Kid and Jimmy had told them what happened, it had all been clear why Morgan had high tailed out of there. Maybe she was wanted? Or being hunted? Or just careful? </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Kid seemed to be all right that she was a new rider. Jimmy on the other hand, was not, and was mad that someone had got the drop on him. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Buck didn't really believe it himself, but Jimmy's missing guns where proof enough. Buck laughed aloud, he could still hear Kid's and Jimmy's boots squishing with water as they walked. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Buck heard a crack behind him, he listened… nothing. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Just to be sure, he unsheathed his knife and stood up.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">From out of nowhere, Morgan came at him and had him pinned to the ground in seconds. His knife now in her hand, was pressing firmly against his throat, her eyes were cold and hard, light from the fire made them dance. "Why are you following me?" Morgan barked. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Trying to save you from losing your job!" Buck growled back.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">That unsettled her for a moment, long enough for Buck to throw her off. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Morgan rolled and landed upright in the ready stance, ready to fight him. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Who were those two?" She asked. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Buck rubbed his neck "Your co-workers." </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Morgan’s eyes widened a bit. "Pony express riders?" </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Buck nodded. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"How do I know your not lying?" Morgan asked him. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"You don't." </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">They stared at each other this way for quite some time, finally as if she had decided something, she stood. Handing him back his knife, which he sheathed, she called her dog. Lewis went over to her, then to Buck. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"He doesn't take to most people.” Morgan said. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Buck ran his hand over Lewis's back. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Neither do you.” That brought a smile to their faces. "Can we get some sleep now?” Buck asked. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Morgan nodded. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Buck wondered what had happened to her to make her so distrustful of people. He slept on one side of the fire, her on the other. Buck was about to doze off when he saw a flash of metal, looking up he saw, stuck in the dirt beside Morgan was a snake, now with a knife in its brain. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Night." Morgan said. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And they slept.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">~ ~ ~</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Buck woke just as the sun come over the horizon, and rolled over and watched her sleep, noticing the snake from last night was gone. Probably a possum or something had gotten it. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Buck stared at Morgan sleeping, until with a jolt he realized she was awake. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"How long you been staring at me?” Morgan asked, pulling on her boots. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">All Buck could muster, was a couple "Uh's.” </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Swinging up on Blue, she nudged him to a trot, Buck soon followed.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> "Where did ya get such a horse?" Buck finally asked, breaking the silence. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Morgan told him the story of a wee little colt at an auction she had bought, and raised to a horse. This was of course, was not true. The story was true enough, but that was her last horse, Dusty. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">That story seemed a little more believable than how she had really got Blue. No one would believe he was a wild stallion. No one would believe she was a horse tamer. For now, she rode for the pony express.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">~ ~ ~</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Two days later Morgan settled into a schedule, she rode for the Pony Express Monday evenings, Wednesday mornings and Sunday mid-day. Everyday they all did chores of mucking out stalls, and doing odd chores. Today was a Tuesday so she had no ride. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Jimmy wasn't so mad at Morgan since she had given him back his revolvers, and Kid was just relieved that she had found their horses. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Everything seemed to be going well, though Morgan knew, with her luck, that good things never last long.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Morgan walked out towards the barn and saw Kid and Jimmy saddling their horses. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Kid, upon seeing her said, “Hey Morgan, do you want to go to town with us?”</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Morgan thought for a moment before nodding.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Awhile later, Cody, Jimmy and Morgan rode into town, excitement buzzed in the air, everyone was talking. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">They all weaved their horses through the crowd of people to were talking in the middle of the street. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Looks like somethin' happened." Cody said. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Yeah, It sure looks that way." Jimmy asked a man who was standing somewhere near Jimmy‘s horse. "What happened?"</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"You don't know?” The man slapped his knee. "Some kid just about got ran over by a stagecoach! And a GIRL." This word he fairly screamed, "She just rode up there and saved him.” The man nodded. ''Fine piece of ridin' she did to, never saw nothin' like it.'' </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Morgan was grinning. ''Where is she?'' </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The man pointed towards the saloon. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Morgan nodded her thanks and rode towards the saloon, Kid and Jimmy riding along with her.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">''You know her?'' Jimmy asked as he dismounted. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">''Yep.'' She ground tied Blue. ''And your gonna get to know her real well.'' At the unspoken questions in their eyes, she walked up the stairs. ''Boyz, let's go meet the newest pony express rider, who just happens to be a trick roper and rider, Kris.''</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">They went in.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>'ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01696955787843448807noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139352805561711344.post-8534433116032202392015-02-04T06:51:00.001-08:002015-02-12T19:20:01.132-08:00Like A Girl<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><em>Howdy, folks, </em></span></b><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></b><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><em></em></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></b></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></b><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">While drinking the obligatory cuppa this morning, I came across </span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/03/why-like-a-girl-is-so-important_n_6598970.html?ir=Impact&ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000054" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">this article</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> and was moved to drag this essay I wrote out of mothballs and share it with you</span>.</em></span> </span></span></b></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;">
</b><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span> </b></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"></b></span></span></b><br />
<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-e9f31faa-54f8-af25-2c55-d14e007ea928" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><em><span style="font-family: inherit;">I wrote this post some years ago, but this is subject matter that, unfortunately, does not become irrelevant. Whether you watch the Superbowl or not, it’s impossible to not know what ads get run</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">on that Sunday, as they shape the course of conversation for weeks to come. I thought it was beyond great that </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJQBjWYDTs" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">this particular ad</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> was run, and that so many people saw it. It was also crushingly disappointing (but not at all surprising) that it was considered “controversial”, and that it caused so much ugly backlash.</span> </em></span></b></span></span></b></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: normal;">
</b></span></span></b><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><em><span style="font-family: inherit;">Anyways, you all know posting commentary on news is not something I do here. But this is a</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">subject...maybe <strong>the</strong> subject...that I am the most passionate about of all. So I thought that seeing how the water cooler talk this week seems to include this subject, I might share my thoughts and observations. So please indulge me this, and I will see you all again on Thursday. Have a good week!</span></em></span></b></span></span></b></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><em></em></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><em>-gina</em></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
</b><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
</div>
</span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
</div>
</span>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span> </div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here’s an observation from the Field Day I volunteered to help out at my kid's school. I was in charge of organizing and supervising the kids on the giant bouncy slide. The protocol was “one kid up the ladder while one is coming down”. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Well, the ladder leading up to the top was a steep, slippery incline with barely-there toeholds and ropes on each side to use to haul yourself up. It was not an easy climb, and we spent a lot of time yelling encouragement and cheering when a kid made it to the top. It was fun but challenging. Each class would cycle through the slide as many times as they could before the timer went off and they moved on to the next game. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">While I was there sending class after class after class of first graders through this thing, I noticed a few things. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The first thing I noticed was that the girls consistently out-performed the boys. Now, at this age, nobody’s really got a ton of upper body strength, and everyone’s roughly the same size, more or less. But the girls, in most cases, managed to make it to the top in a fraction of the time it took for the boys to do it. I even had one girl with her arm in a sling, who went up the thing like a squirrel going up a tree. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After a while, I realized it had nothing to with athletic aptitude and everything to do with mindset. The girls were simply trying to quickly and efficiently get to the top. An overwhelming number of the boys were more interested in showing off. In their defense, it looked easier than it actually was. And when they failed to show the world that they were, in fact, Spiderman, they became flustered so that they then were focused more on saving face than they were on solving the problem. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As a dweeb with two left feet and no athletic ability whatsoever, I’m not gloating or laughing at this ineptitude. Nor am I sitting here making any sort of commentary about what gender is more athletic. “Girls rule” is not the punchline to this. I’m simply giving you a little backstory as to what came next. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cue the moms coming along with each class shouting encouragement to their flailing, floundering sons. Do I have to tell you what a large number of moms were saying? I bet I don’t. I bet you know. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Oh, come on. Even the girls can do it.” </span></span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now, let’s pick that apart apart a bit. This wasn’t dads saying it. It was consistently the moms. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I may have made a few snarky comments along the way, such as “Oh, don’t feel bad, he’s no worse than any of the rest of the boys.” or “He’s </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">not </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">climbing like a girl. If he was, he’d be up there already.” I</span> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">might</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> have said those things, because I am an insufferable smartass...but my memory’s not the best. I digress. First of all, really, Moms? You’re a woman, and you were, presumably, a girl...and now you’re teaching your little boy that girls are inferior and that he ought to be able to beat their time simply by merit of the fact that he’s got a penis (which, interestingly enough, nobody thought to use as a climbing appendage that day, anyways)?</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Really?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Furthermore, nearly the entire female half of the class was consistently outperforming the boys, and we’re all witnessing this all morning; and you’re </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">still</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> going to relegate the performance of girls to the absolute bottom rung of what is considered competent? Because they’re, you know, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">girls</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">? And</span> <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">regardless of what we’re all seeing, regardless of what’s happening around us under a bright and illuminating sun on a clear day, regardless of cold, hard </span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">evidence</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">, your boy </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">still </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">ought to be able to do better than a </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">girl </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">because hey, he’s got a dick (which I can’t stress enough is not an appendage one uses for climbing)?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Even </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">the girls can do it”? I think that’s what</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> offends me the most, you know? The inclusion of the word “even.” Because I know what you mean when you say it, moms</span>.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Do </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">you</span> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">know what you’re saying? If you</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">don’t, I’ll translate it for you: “Hey, girls, nobody cares htat you’re better at this. You’re still the worst of the worst, because you’re a<em> girl</em>.” and “Hey, boys, girls are inferior, and any skill level they show is a baseline you ought to be able to easily beat. And if you can’t, there’s something wrong with you.”</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ladies. You’re trying to shame your sons by saying they’re less athletic than a girl. First off, it shouldn’t be an insult to be called less than an athletic girl. any more than it should be an insult to be called less than an athletic boy. We are what we are. Are you telling me you were okay with idiots saying things like “stop acting like a girl” or “you throw like a girl” or “even girls can do it” when you were a kid? How did that not make you incandescent with rage as a child? How can it be coming out of your own mouths now? </span></span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Secondly, lay off. Some people are more athletic than others. Little boys trying to have fun don’t need to have their manhood called into question in front of their peers, least of all by their mothers. The last thing we need is more misogynists with mommy issues out there, so stop trying to turn your kid into one. Maybe if he wasn’t being pressured by this sort of horseshit, he’d be spending more time tackling his challenges and learning how to excel than he does trying to show off and prove his superiority and what an Olympian he is. Maybe if he was allowed to simply fall down a slippery incline, bouncing and laughing, for as many times as it took for him to figure out his own way, he wouldn’t have to save face with his ears burning with embarrassment that his own mother just emasculated him in front of his entire class. Maybe he’d be more inclined to think out problems if he wasn’t terrified of failing. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So I guess what I’m saying is for heaven’s sake think about what you’re teaching boys...and girls. Do not think they don’t hear it and internalize it. Yes, it was offhanded comments, from people meaning no harm. But you know what? It’s the little things. The little tiny chips and dents. It ain’t the big things. It’s the things that nobody notices, that “don’t mean anything.” </span></span></div>
<br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Language means something. Especially when it’s coming out of the mouth of the most important person in the world.</span> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em>#LikeAGirl</em></span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<br />'ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01696955787843448807noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139352805561711344.post-638120671576294332014-11-27T20:02:00.000-08:002014-11-27T20:02:03.508-08:00Happy Thanksgiving!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ysGhmW9JBcY/VHfxLP8LcRI/AAAAAAAABhE/VLTuEICjrFw/s1600/LHFionaWEBjpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ysGhmW9JBcY/VHfxLP8LcRI/AAAAAAAABhE/VLTuEICjrFw/s1600/LHFionaWEBjpg.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
Howdy, all. I really kind of thought I'd have a post for you this week. I wrote one, but last night, looking it over, it's not something I can post. It's flat and awful, and I guess it's simply a product of having a hard time focusing these past two weeks, and the added pressure of the holiday wasn't much help.<br />
<br />
So instead of giving you something I apparently just half-assed phoned in, I'd really rather fix it.<br />
<br />
However, all is not lost, as I have this lovely picture of Fiona in her awesomely poofy green dress by the talented Laura Hollingsworth of <i><a href="http://www.thesilvereye.com/" target="_blank">The Silver Eye.</a></i> I just can't get enough of Laura's work. She really does a great job of capturing the Green River gang, doesn't she? <br />
<br />
Anyways, for the record, I read <i>The Silver Eye </i>up to its current point and I really dug it. My daughter's reading it right now. If you haven't had a look, you should definitely give it a go. Fun characters, engaging ensemble cast, and, of course, great artwork!<br />
<br />
Hope you all had a nice holiday. Hopefully we'll be back on schedule next week. Take care!<br />
<br />
-gina'ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01696955787843448807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139352805561711344.post-1406485162878489752014-11-17T08:54:00.002-08:002014-11-17T08:54:53.818-08:00Question for YouHowdy, all,<br />
<br />
Got a question for you. I want to put Ask Wash in the back of the Anthology. I am wondering if those of you who contributed questions have a problem with me using your letters as-is. In all but one or two cases, I don't know who submitted what, and I wasn't going to use the one or two real names I have (unless you want me to, and if you do, now's your time to speak up.)<br />
<br />
Let me know what you think,<br />
-gina'ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01696955787843448807noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139352805561711344.post-51206462085962408272014-10-30T19:58:00.000-07:002014-11-04T12:43:14.940-08:00Halloween Special: Red<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W59_h3RNRVE/VFJdxHdytcI/AAAAAAAABes/jZCuCWOVYZw/s1600/Cabin%2Bblow%2Bout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W59_h3RNRVE/VFJdxHdytcI/AAAAAAAABes/jZCuCWOVYZw/s1600/Cabin%2Bblow%2Bout.jpg" height="175" width="320" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-c8fea7ef-619b-e2eb-2e7d-1ae404d07792" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The blast of stinging, wind-driven sleet nearly shoved Storm from Blackbird’s frosty back. He hunched over against the onslaught, holding his hood on with one numbing, mittened hand<span style="font-family: inherit;">, and</span> drove the horse forward towards the tiny shanty and the attached barn that comprised Pacific Springs relay station. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Not going on tonight while this is happening, that’s for sure, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">he thought, sputtering as a blast of driving ice crystals scoured his face and eyes.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> We’re both half buried and mostly frozen. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It had been snowy for most of the day, but once the sun had started to sink, and the sky turned the color of slate, the cold had become an irresistible, deadly force. Frozen rain and sleet blew across the flat plains, howling down from the distant mountains and across the empty prairie. Storm knew he and Blackbird could find themselves buried in a ten foot, hard-frozen drift in this part of the trail. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I’m glad we made good time till now, because we’re really going to be scrambling to make up what we lose tonight. Damn it! I do not want to have to wait out the entire night here!</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Blackbird hauled himself and Storm into the yard of the tiny relay station, and Storm jumped down to wrestle open the barn door. His boots sank into the soaking, crunchy slurry of snow and frozen rain as he pulled the exhausted horse inside. He hastily dusted the ice from animal’s coat, sighing with relief at being out of the stinging wind. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It was dim, the dismal gray light fading into shadow inside the barn. Storm fumbled around in the half-light, toweling the dampness from the horse’s coat and snugging the blanket over his back. He dried the saddle and mochila and hung them over the rail. A sudden realization hit him and he stopped, looking around and frowning. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Why are there no other horses in here?</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> He peered <span style="font-family: inherit;">into</span> the twilight shadows, his ears pricking with the soft hiss of sleet on drifted ice crystals. Not only was there no fresh horse waiting for him, saddled and ready to go, but aside from Blackberry, there wasn’t any horse of any sort in the stable at all. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This could be a problem... </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">He settled back against the wall, pulling his hood down and flexing his saddle-stiff legs, thinking. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Did this station get robbed? Merde. This could be a </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">big</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> problem. Especially if they’re still here.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">He hastily pulled off his mittens<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>and unholstered his pistol, feeling his quickening pulse in his ears. Taking a deep breath, he placed his ear against the door separating the stable from the main cabin. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Nothing. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">He realized he was breathing heavily, his heart pounding. The Voice of Fear was whispering to him, telling him to be careful, that something wasn’t right, that there wouldn’t be any casual reason why there would be no horses in the stable, or why there was no warm light showing under the door to the cabin. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Where the hell are Hoyt and Pulaski?</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">There was unsettling silence on the other side of the door. Storm stared at the darkening planks in the fading light.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> I can’t take Blackbird and go back out right now. Not in this. He’s exhausted, and the crew here might need help. In any case,I need a fresh horse. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">He took in a few slow, calming breaths, placing his hand on the door and tightening his grip on his pistol. Standing to the side of the doorframe so that anyone waiting for him wouldn’t have an easy shot, he cringed inwardly and pushed the door open. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The last of the light pooled in gray shrouds over the tiny room, and Storm could make out a lone figure sitting in a chair before the cold fireplace in the near-dark. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What the</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">...</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">is that...is that... </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hoyt?”</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The man seemed to startle, and he stood up, ruffling a hand through his dark, thinning hair. “I’m sorry,” he said. “Fell asleep in the chair, I reckon. You alright?”</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Storm deflated, leaning hard against the door frame and uncocking his pistol. He suddenly felt every single mile he’d ridden, and the giddy mix of fear and readiness inside him rattled around with nowhere to go. “I just...” he sighed heavily. “What the hell’s going on? Where’s the horses and...and where’s Pulaski?”</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Hoyt pulled his suspenders back up over his worn union suit and his thin shoulders, and rubbed his face. “One of ‘em jumped the fence and took off. Pulaski took the other out looking for her. Ain't neither of ‘em come back.”</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Is he joking? He left the station with no horses?</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> He huffed incredulously. “Hoyt, how am I suppose to make my run without a fresh horse? That’s not good.”</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“No, it ain’t.” Hoyt sniffed, shuffling over to the stove. “Sorry. Reckon we shoulda thought of that.You want coffee? I can heat up the kettle.” </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Unbelievable. What the hell does he think this is? Pony rides for children?</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> “Something hot would help, thanks.” He was far too tired and far to cold to have the stomach for an argument. The cabin was freezing, and evidently, Hoyt had dozed so long that the fire had gone out. Storm dusted the ice out of his coat and reholstered his pistol. He was angry and uneasy, residual nervousness still making him jumpy. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Tabarnak. Let me at least light a lamp.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">He heard the scraping of flint against steel as Hoyt fumbled around inside the dark stove, and wondered how long the man had been asleep that he needed to entirely re-light the stove. It was painfully cold inside the cabin, and Storm felt his irritation flaring. With icy fingers, he quickly lit the lamp, and then moved to re-light the fireplace.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> I don’t expect to have to get a damned relay station up and functioning when I stop. I have enough to worry about.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">He took a scrap of fatwood out of the wood bin and used it to flip over the gray ashes in the bottom of the fireplace as he looked for embers. There weren’t any. He leaned back on his haunches, downright angry. “Hoyt, why did you let the..” </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The stove hasn’t been lit, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">he realized</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. The fireplace hasn’t been lit. And there’s a blizzard going on outside.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> He turned to look at Hoyt, feeding kindling into the stove, and narrowed his eyes. “Hoyt... where have you been?”</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Been out looking for the horse.” Hoyt turned and smiled apologetically, shrugging his shoulders. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Is that so?</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> The Voice of Logic was now whispering in his ear, urgent and suspicious. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Both of them were out of the station so long all the embers have gone cold?</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Embers in a pile of ash in a fireplace will stay hot for an entire night. This is horseshit. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">They both left their post.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Hoyt straightened up. “There you go, it’ll be good and hot directly,” he said, adjusting the burner under the kettle. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“How were you asleep in the chair with it so damned cold in here, Hoyt?” </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Aw, it wasn’t that bad earlier.”</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">He’s lying. What’s he hiding? </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Storm cleared some of the ash from the middle of the fireplace, making a place to stack some kindling. It was oppressively tense in the cabin, as if there were an arrow aimed between his shoulder blades. He couldn’t shake the feeling, and gooseflesh rose inexplicably on his arms. His heart had started to throb in his ears again. He reached for a charred piece of old wood and added it to his kindling pile and suddenly, he felt his spine become ice. His eyes fixed on the curved, blackened thing in the fireplace and he resisted the urge to react. It was the remains of a horse’s hoof. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What..?</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“How about some biscuits?” Hoyt went on from behind him. “They’re cold, but we can heat them up.You sure can’t go nowhere with this weather like this right now.”</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Sure.” Storm wasn’t certain if his voice was steady or not. It didn’t feel steady. “Biscuits sound great.” He didn’t know what was going on. But he knew one thing; he had a far bigger problem than he had initially thought. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">He could hear Hoyt rattling a pan on the stove, and the sound was like talons scraping along the inside of his skull. A growing horror had sparked inside him, flickering to life, gaining strength. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> At least while he’s fooling around over there, I know where he is...but...ah, tabarnak...I still don’t know where Pulaski is.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> He fought to keep his hands steady as he scraped the flint across the striking steel, accidentally skipping it across his knuckles. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Behind him, Hoyt drew in a sudden deep inhalation through his nose, seeming to sniff the air. Storm watched the thin, red abrasion across his cut fingers well and bead with blood<span style="font-family: inherit;">. He concentrated</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">on</span> keep his breathing steady, <span style="font-family: inherit;">on fighting</span> the sudden urge to bolt. The Voice of Fear was reciting every single terrifying monster story Storm had ever heard, stories of madness and skinwalkers and creatures that devoured men. Of beasts who came in the long, dark days of winter and settled their hideous spirits inside people and drove them to an insatiable craving for human flesh.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">He was sweating. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This is crazy,</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> he told himself. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Did they eat the horse? That’s...well, it’s certainly not grounds for panic. People eat horses. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">His mind reeled for some other explanation. He was coming up short.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> I can’t seriously be entertaining the thought that stories told to frighten small children...</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Behind him, he heard the sound of a knife against a strop and he froze. Hoyt went on amiably.“I’ll cut you some bacon. I ain’t et tonight, neither, so might as well.”</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The station keeper was still over by the stove.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Where the hell is Pulaski? </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The thought deeply unsettled him. The flint sparked onto the charcloth, and Storm pushed it into the kindling, blowing it to life. It flared and danced and grew, and in the flickering orange glow, he saw gleaming white glints among the ashes and he gasped, his heart squeezing hard inside him, bile rising in his throat. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Teeth. Human teeth. And that’s a partially melted glass eye.Oh, merde</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. His mind had a hard time processing this discovery as acid roiled up the back of his throat</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. I think I just found Pulaski.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The pricking feeling of imminent doom was overwhelming, and he flinched, turning his head ever so slightly to steal a terrified glance behind him.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The open door of the stove was throwing eerie red light around the cabin. Hoyt was standing over the stove, his face mostly turned away. Storm could see only a sliver of his profile. It was enough.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Hoyt was grinning, his lips pulled back in an inhuman snarl of madness over long, animal teeth. The dancing light sparkled on the ro<span style="font-family: inherit;">pes of </span>drool glistening on his chin, and he held the knife down at his side. His body heaved with deep, steady breathing, and the front of his bloodstained union suit had the look of something that had been worn to butcher a dee<span style="font-family: inherit;">r.</span> </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Wendigo.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Voice of Fear had given up on him. It had gone away and gotten <span style="font-family: inherit;">its</span> elder brother, The Voice of Primal Terror, to help. Now Primal Terror, who he really hadn’t talked to very much in his life, had him by the throat and was screaming the word ‘wendigo’ into his face. In fact, Primal Terror was the only voice that would actually use this word and mean it. Storm’s hand slipped to his knife. He was lightheaded, his breath rattling in his throat.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Pistol won’t work. Not for this. One bullet won’t do it...and that’s all I’ll get, if that. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">He braced himself, listening to the sound of Hoyt’s breathing, his hand around the knife’s grip so tightly that his palm was slick with sweat. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If he knows...if he realizes that I know...</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And then suddenly it was on him, a clawed hand clamping onto Storm’s jaw, jerking his head back to expose his throat, and though he was ready for it, he screamed, twisting, blocking the would-be killing blow with his arm. He jammed his knife under Hoyt’s jaw as Hoyt’s deflected knife blow sliced through his coat sleeve. An inhuman screeching filled Storm’s ears and he screamed again, pulling forward with all his might, barely feeling Hoyt’s knife as it pierced the thick wool of his coat and scraped across his collarbone. He jerked Hoyt across his shoulder, shoving him face-first into the fireplace. He could hear impossibly long claws skittering around in the flames as the thing that was Hoyt thrashed snarled, his skin igniting like waxed paper and fluttering upwards like the ashes of burning leaves. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Storm rolled away, giving what was left of the creature a hard shove with his foot. The noxious stench of burning fur and festering death filled the room, making him cough and gag. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ah, merde. Ah...<span style="font-family: inherit;">tabarnak..</span>.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> He sat down hard on the floor, trying to slow down his pulse before his heart exploded. He could feel blood running down the inside of his coat. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“We gotta go...” he whispered, staggering to his feet and fighting to shake off his panic, <span style="font-family: inherit;">to</span> force his brain to start working again. He realized that the storm outside had abated. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Of course. Of course it’s stopped. It wasn’t a natural storm. And now this...this...</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> he leaned against the wall, rubbing his temples with the heels of his hands, reluctant to name the thought.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Evil spirit...this Wendigo...is gone. So of course the blizzard’s lifted. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">He...it...was waiting for me.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">He felt a cold that had nothing to do with the snow and ice. Shivering, he pulled his hood back over his head and headed for the door that opened into the barn. “It’s two miles to South Pass,” he muttered to Blackbird as he put the saddle back on the horse. “We can make it if we go slow. But we sure as hell aren’t staying here.”</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span>'ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01696955787843448807noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139352805561711344.post-39654056361317907102014-10-28T08:15:00.002-07:002014-10-28T08:16:03.416-07:00It's Halloween Week! <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-abda426d-5714-593e-9ffa-d1e8a0cfb5ec" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OqKPHRWy6l8/VE-yt7ZVG5I/AAAAAAAABeU/X2WLjxvFvDw/s1600/wartypumpkin%2Bcopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OqKPHRWy6l8/VE-yt7ZVG5I/AAAAAAAABeU/X2WLjxvFvDw/s1600/wartypumpkin%2Bcopy.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It’s Halloween Week, and yes, in keeping with what has become a Five Dollar Mail tradition, there will be a Halloween Special this week, posted on Thursday night, as usual.<b> </b></span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So come back, because this is not this week's post.</span></span><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: normal;">
<br />
</b></span></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In the meantime, here is a recap of past Halloween Specials to tide you over: Have fun! Please don’t toilet paper my house!</span></b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-weight: normal;">
<br />
</b></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">-gina</span></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-weight: normal;">
<br /><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Tall</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Luis gives Jesse a little something to think about on his next run.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="http://fivedollarmail.blogspot.com/2010/10/prequeltall.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">http://fivedollarmail.blogspot.com/2010/10/prequeltall.html</span></a></div>
<br /><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Land Shadowing With Wings</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Saint doesn’t like things that flutter.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="http://fivedollarmail.blogspot.com/2011/10/chapter-129-land-shadowing-with-wings.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">http://fivedollarmail.blogspot.com/2011/10/chapter-129-land-shadowing-with-wings.html</span></a></div>
<br /><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Caoinedh</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">There are places in the Five Points even the Roach Guard should fear to tread. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="http://fivedollarmail.blogspot.com/2012/10/halloween-special-caoineadh.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">http://fivedollarmail.blogspot.com/2012/10/halloween-special-caoineadh.html</span></a></div>
<br /><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Where Are You?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sometimes when you open a door, you open more than just a door. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="http://fivedollarmail.blogspot.com/2013/10/halloween-special-where-are-you-part-one.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">http://fivedollarmail.blogspot.com/2013/10/halloween-special-where-are-you-part-one.html</span></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="http://fivedollarmail.blogspot.com/2013/10/halloween-special-where-are-you-part-2.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">http://fivedollarmail.blogspot.com/2013/10/halloween-special-where-are-you-part-2.html</span></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="http://fivedollarmail.blogspot.com/2013/10/halloween-special-where-are-you-part.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">http://fivedollarmail.blogspot.com/2013/10/halloween-special-where-are-you-part.html</span></a></div>
</b></span>'ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01696955787843448807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139352805561711344.post-60558440739054325432014-10-15T20:08:00.002-07:002014-10-15T20:13:15.459-07:00Here's A Little Eye Candy To Tide You Over<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ikk9Z76v16g/VD80GHDi30I/AAAAAAAABbQ/yREk414rkvM/s1600/Saint%2BCommission2WEB%2Bcopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ikk9Z76v16g/VD80GHDi30I/AAAAAAAABbQ/yREk414rkvM/s1600/Saint%2BCommission2WEB%2Bcopy.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
Howdy, folks,<br />
<br />
Heading up to <a href="http://www.warofthewings.com/" target="_blank">War of the Wings </a>tomorrow afternoon and won't be back till Sunday.We host a big music pub scene up there, and in addition to all the packing and planning this week, I had a sick child to take care of. She's doing much better, and we're off for an extended weekend of friends and music.<br />
<br />
What writing I actually did do this week, I concentrated on editing Riders and Kickers. My deadline is approaching.<br />
<br />
But fear not, I have some new artwork to tide you over. Here's Saint, by the talented Laura Hollingsworth. She captures exactly why Hester calls him "Gorgeous." Can't hardly blame the lady for having unseemly thoughts<a href="http://fivedollarmail.blogspot.com/2008/06/laura-hollingsworth-gallery.html" target="_blank">.Click here</a> to view it in Laura's gallery.<br />
<br />
Anyways, hopefully we'll be back on track next week. Have a great weekend!'ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01696955787843448807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139352805561711344.post-23663389519573676452014-08-07T10:12:00.003-07:002014-08-07T10:12:54.775-07:00Late this Week, Working on AnthologyHowdy, all, <br />
<br />
Probably going to do a chapter this week and have it up by this weekend. Spent the week working on the anthology, which is scheduled for the release the end of this year. Don't want to straight up take the week off, because I can't afford that either (go to finish up book 3, so I have to try and stay on schedule for that. <br />
<br />
Kind of in a "fish or cut bait" kind of situation over here. ;-)<br />
<br />
Just wanted to let you know what was up! Hope you all are doing well! See you in a day or two!<br />
<br />
-gina<br />
<br />
'ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01696955787843448807noreply@blogger.com0