Microfiction Monday

Hosted by Susan at Stony River



The modern world! But our magic doesn't work there! The screenwriter should be fired.
Did someone mention fire? Let me scorch his behind!

60 years of organised basketball - some impressions

The Slovenian Basketball Association as well as basketball club Triglav (which is also the name of the highest mountain in Slovenia) was funded 60 years ago. The club organised a meeting to celebrate the anniversary and invited all the former (and active) members. Representatives of every generation were present at Saturday's reunion.

I played basketball in the club for about a decade and quit in 1988. After 22 years it took me a while to start recognising the once familiar faces; took me longer still to start putting names to them. it was a cold comfort that others failed to recognise me as well. After all, at the time we played together I had 20+ years and about as many kilos less.

The official programme consisted of retelling the club history, a lot of introducing of all the generations, coming on and off the stage, taking photos for the record both individually and in various groups. There was supposed to be live music afterwards but right after the conclusion of the official part the sky opened and the rain came pouring down never to stop again that afternoon. In the matter of hours I got both sunburned and freezing cold. We huddled in a tent lifted for the purpose and talked about the good old times while munching on the barbecued goods on offer.

I didn't take a single photo but we are supposed to receive the official ones in due time.

Some sky on Friday

Still busy so just this photo...

3WT in 55

Nathan was continuously bored with the jejune debates at the corporate meetings so he decided one day to roil the matters. Everybody gawped when he stood up on the table and performed the Full Monty. Nathan had lost his job with the firm but is now the star performer at the “Lingam Extraordinaire” gay club.

haiku my way

a rewrite from the archives...

warm afternoon
a dragonfly chases
its reflection

Face of a predator

***

In other news, today was the first day this year that felt a little bit like summer.

My French test went OK-ish, I think. There is no way I'll get 100% score as the previous year but should end well above 90%

I have been to a few bowling practices (my body is feeling it!) but still have to get in shape for the games (which take place the first weekend in June). And since I am the team captain - I wanted to resign but my team wouldn't let me - I have to be involved more than I would like.

I have also been invited to the celebration of the 60th anniversary of basketball in my home town this weekend. In my time I contributed a great deal to the relative success of the local team and I will just have to show up for the occasion.

Which all means I may be more sparse with the blogging during the next couple of weeks. Then again...

Microfiction Monday

Hosted by Susan at Stony River



When is Geppetto going to continue working on us?
Dunno. But i hear he's busy carving a boy out of a woodblock.
Has his nose grown yet?

Through a glass darkly

A busy week

It was an interesting week. Difficult, stressful, intriguing, busy. Cold and wet again most of the time but that is not the main point.

There were students' protests on Wednesday. No big deal if they hadn't turned nasty. An outburst of violence in front of the parliament; eggs and granite cubes and eventually any object that could be moved and even some Molotov cocktails were being thrown at the building and the police forces trying to protect it. After the riots subsided the streets were littered with all kinds of garbage, most of the parliament windows shattered, forensics gathering evidence. Nobody wants to take responsibility.

Just two days after the riots secondary school graduates occupied the city streets again, this time for the traditional quadrille, 10th in a row and reportedly record breaking in more than one way. On this occasion, though, the youth were disciplined, they did what was expected of them and left the scene without an incident to continue partying at the alloted place.

Working practically in the city centre I was witness to both events. The riots, causing much traffic delay, prevented me going home as usual so I walked all the 3.5 miles (approx, maybe some more) home. The quadrille I watched (in part) from the office and took some photos (including the one above).

Wordless Thursday (aka busy!)

haiku my way

dawn
losing myself
in birdsong

Volcano?

Microfiction Monday

Oh no, not again! Why does my mother-in-law think she must stock me with preserves for the next 5 years every time hubby visits her?

Doggie talk

Does your owner clean the poo after you?

No? Just look at this, then.

A sparrow and its reflection

Not much to add... the light was low as it hasn't stopped raining all day. And what we have here is completely bizarre and outrageous. There hasn't been a single day without rain since the end of April (when we had 3 - three - sunny days and that was pretty much it!) and after the totally atrocious winter spring is proving to be equally miserable. I'm desperate for some sunshine and there's no way I'm getting any. Actually, I'm desperate, period.

Sky horse

Wordless Thursday

haiku my way

this one did pretty well at the March Shiki Kukai...

winter romance --
crumbs at the bottom
of a cookie jar

No comment

Can't think in terms of writing right now (not in English at least)...

Microfiction Monday

Hey, wait, i've lost my contact lens! Yes, i know we're late but i can't go without it, and can't find it in this patch of 4 leaf clovers.

After the rain...

*

I understand today is celebrated as Mother's Day in some parts of the world. It means nothing to me so I am not going to wish anyone anything - and it has nothing to do with the fact that I myself am not a mother. After all, there's about 30 different dates (and many of them vary from year to year) worldwide dedicated to mothers and motherhood. And that makes me think. If people need a special day (several of them, in fact) to honour their mothers something must be seriously wrong with the world. To me that is an ongoing process which should be carried out on a daily basis, and not by spending excessively on the one day determined by profit-driven businesses.

Reflection on a rainy day

A full day of rain again and I'm bored witless! I realise it's boring reading about the same stuff all the time (I'm worse than the English; never stop complaining about the weather) but imagine how tedious it must be living it!

Anyway, there's water everywhere - again - so I grabbed the opportunity and took this shot. It was already evening when the clouds started to break but there was still enough light for capturing these reflecting branches.

55 on Friday

He enjoyed watching the clouds shifting shape, watching their shadows gliding across the slopes of the not-too-distant hills. He could always find some interesting figures: a pony, a kangaroo, a giraffe, a turtle, a bat, a dragon… and when the sun disappeared completely he felt an overwhelming sadness. He missed his late dog so much.

TWT - Goodbye

Previous installments here, here, here and here

~~~

When Pagan was comfortably seated beside him, Rainbow started to speak. He told her the following:

There is another world, just like this one, only it exists in an alternate reality. There dragons and miracles are just as real as airplanes and the internet are here. He belongs to a secret order of Guardians who are responsible for keeping the connections between the worlds shut. There are Guardians in this world as well but their identity must remain secret. Only in case of emergency are they allowed to connect to the other world. Emerald's appearance caused such an imbroglio and required a tantivy action. She belongs to a very rare sort of dragon which was deemed extinct. The egg she hatched from looked very ordinary. It was found in a cave and brought to a dragon nursery along with a few others. However, she needed special care until her wings grew and other baby dragons would surely have killed her had she stayed. Hence, Guardians were summoned and they decided she should be moved to a safe place. After much consideration they resolved to move her to the other world until she was grown enough to return. Pagan's farm was chosen because it had everything Emerald would need to survive, it was situated in a remote place, and Pagan, having a history of saving orphan animals, could be trusted to take good care of her. Besides, there was Nelson the three-legged dog who had the ability to mentally connect with the dragon.

Pagan also learned the connection between the worlds had been used and abused in the past but the Guardians had always restored the condition. That's how dragon legends entered this world. There were different kinds of dragons, most of them highly intelligent, ans the rarest and wisest of all were Emerald's kin. She was sought after because she could play a prominent role in the battle for power between different clans and they couldn't let her fall into the hands of the dark forces.

"Can I see her now?" asked Rainbow after he finished talking. Pagan nodded and they strode together toward the shed.

Emerald and Nelson stood by the gate, waiting. Emerald was visibly excited whereas Nelson looked somehow despondent. Rainbow hugged the dragon and that's when Pagan noticed bulges on Emerald's back.

The Guardian turned toward her and said, "Yes, she's beginning to grow her wings. She'll be safe now in her own world. We have secured a place where she can further develop. And it's time for us to leave while I can still cover her completely with my cloak."

Pagan felt a lump in her throat and she could hardly contain her tears.

"Don't be sad," Rainbow said, "Things will work out fine.
"There is one thing, though. You do realise nobody must ever know what happened here? I will have to erase your memories of Emerald and me and everything I told you. Nelson will still be able to connect to his friend, their bond has become too strong to erase. Now I had better get the delenda ready. There. You will simply fall asleep and when you wake up all you may remember is having a strange dream. Nelson will be there to keep you company and look after you. Goodbye now. It has been a pleasure meting you."

Having said which, he and the dragon disappeared in a maelstrom of light.

"What a curious dream," thought Pagan when she woke up. "Must have been the warm milk." Nelson looked at her with knowing eyes.

In the years to come Pagan would sometimes dream of an emerald dragon and her adventures.


***

delenda: n. things to be erased or blotted out
imbroglio: n. an intricate and perplexing state of affairs; a complicated or difficult situation.
tantivy: adj. swift, rapid

haiku my way

morning tea
steam rises toward
the birdsong

Today

No beaver (or Beaver for that matter) was willing to inspire me for a story so I'm skipping Tuesday Tales this time.

I'm in the middle of a busy period with some stressful times at work, French test fast approaching and trying to get in some sort of shape for the sporting games at the beginning of June so I may be less active blog-wise in the upcoming weeks.

Oh, the picture... this how it looked this afternoon on my way from work. Not a sign of the sun for three days again and rain aplenty. I don't even want to look at the forecast anymore because it's too depressing. What happened to the 'sunny side of the Alps'?

Microfiction Monday

Looking dandy. Getting ready for the parade? Just this small village tomorrow and it's off to Rome. That Gaul, Asterix, looks a joke anyway.

Carefree youth

We're back to grey and wet so a candid B&W photo will have to do for the day.

Feeding time

This male blackbird seems to be busy collecting grubs and worms for his nesting mate, or perhaps already the offspring. I have always loved to listen to their song, and at this time it is becoming increasingly intricate as they advertise their property.