http://sunnydreamer.net My thoughts, feelings and observations about life/my creative writings Copyright 2006 and beyond, Shiloh Blackburn celtic_me2000@yahoo.com http://sunnydreamer.net/2012shiloh/may-sasquatch.shtml [image of poetry] I've been really bad at blogging this month, I'm sorry. I just haven't felt inspired to write or create anything orginal, and I didn't want to fall back on memes, because while they can be fun, quick and easy I'm beginning to believe they'll stifle the writer in a blogger. So when I've had time to write and update this blog--which really hasn't been that often this month--I've just not blogged. But today I'm taking the time and updating, even though the post is not entirely an original. Sasquatch (A California Urban Legend) retold by S.E. Schlosser I got up at the crack of dawn and drove to Larry's place to pick him up. We were going hiking along our favorite trail in the back of beyond. It was a sunny day, but not too hot; a perfect day for hiking. Larry and I walked along the rugged path leading into the woods, chatting off and on as the mood struck us. The path narrowed a bit as we neared the creek. I surged out in front, listening with enjoyment to the sound of the water flowing in the creek and the chirping of the birds overhead. A strange, rotten smell drifted through the air. I wrinkled my nose as I rounded the bend and then stopped dead in my tracks. Standing beside the water of the creek was a huge, ape-like figure with a hairy body, long arms, and a flat brown face. Its eyes were round and dark, its ears were small and its nose was flat. I gasped aloud. Then Larry cannoned into me from behind, nearly knocking me over. The creature fled into the woods. "Hey, watch it!" Larry said. "Why'd you stop like that?" "A Sa..Sasquatch," I gasped. "What?" Larry asked. "I just saw a Sasquatch," I said as soon as I regained my breath. Larry was skeptical about my sighting--to say the least--so I walked over to the place where the Sasquatch had been standing and pointed at the ground. A set of sixteen-inch footprints led off towards the trees. The strides were a good four feet in length, and the footprints were deep enough to be those of a creature weighing several hundred pounds. Larry crouched beside the footprints, studying them intently. I kept my eye on the woods where the Sasquatch had disappeared. Sometimes they lingered in an area, watching humans with as much interest as we watched them. Then he jumped up and followed the footprints into the woods. I stared after him in amazement. Only an utter fool would follow such a large creature right into [its] home territory. I trailed after him slowly, ready to run if there was any sign of trouble. As I did, I caught another whiff of rotten garbage. "The ground is too hard here for any clear prints," Larry called back to me. "It looks like it went into these bushes." He parted the bushes and came face-to-face with the Sasquatch. Larry gave a strangled yell, which was echoed by an equally startled howl of surprise from the Sasquatch. Larry took off like a rocket, heading back towards the car. The Sasquatch ran away in the opposite direction. I stood stock still, staring bemusedly first at the fleeing Sasquatch, and then at my fleeing friend. At his present rate of speed, I estimated that Larry would make it back to the car in under an hour. I looked again at the Sasquatch. It leapt over the creek in a single bound and disappeared into the trees. The smell of rotten garbage faded away. I shrugged my shoulders philosophically and started back down the trail towards the car, pondering my very first Sasquatch sighting. As I neared the car, I saw Larry sitting in front, drinking his way steadily through a six-pack. I grinned to myself. The next time I told Larry that I had seen a Sasquatch, he wouldn't be so skeptical. Then again, knowing Larry, I was not so sure. I chuckled at the memory of Larry and the Sasquatch fleeing from one another and got into the car to drive my shaken friend home. Being from Idaho and having recently been in Seattle last week for the Allies in Advocacy Summit, I thought this tale would be a fun offering. Bigfoot Territory! Yeah, baby! [image] 18 May 2012 http://sunnydreamer.net/2012shiloh/march-no-time.shtml Gah! I can't believe this! I've been itching to update for the last two weeks, but because I finally got my laptop, a Toshiba Satellite--my first one ever!--I've been driven by the need to get it set up the way I need/want it, complete with my files from my old computer and my own wireless network: "sassysunshine," and a wireless mouse. 19 Mar 2012 http://sunnydreamer.net/2012shiloh/rainbow-crow.shtml I wish I had more ummph today, but after what this week has brought me, I'm lucky I'm posting today at all. I'm really tired, but I'm trying to stick to my goal of blogging everyday this week, from Sunday the 5th to Sunday the 12th. I'm afraid all I'm up for posting today is a Native American myth I found over at S.E. Schlosser's site. I found it in her "Winter Tales" section. Rainbow Crow (Lenni Lenape Tribe) retold by S. E. Schlosser It was so cold. Snow fell constantly, and ice formed over all the waters. The animals had never seen snow before. At first, it was a novelty, something to play in. But the cold increased tenfold, and they began to worry. The little animals were being buried in the snow drifts and the larger animals could hardly walk because the snow was so deep. Soon, all would perish if something were not done. 10 Feb 2012