Blue Moon Friday . . .

The moon this morning was full and clean-looking.  It hung high in the sky, happy to be sharing space with all the big, bright stars that still sparkled even though night would soon fade into oblivion.  The sky itself was that amazing blue colour that defies description and has no name; it isn’t cobalt nor is it sky blue but rather some perfect point in between.

The sun was still hiding below the horizon, but giving warning that day was about to consume the mystery of the dark with its powerful rays.  The trees in the field were black stick silhouettes that always remind me of cartoon trees of our childhood and my imagination makes them twist and turn and put their branches on their trunks as they talk to each other.  Every once in awhile a bird bomb goes off as I pass one of the trees, telling me that their yearly southern migration has begun. (writer’s note — a bird bomb is the term I’ve coined to describe hundreds of birds flying all at once out of a tree because they’ve been startled by a noise such as me walking the dog).

I am told that the moon is a blue one on this last Friday of August and we will not see another for almost eighteen months.  I would truly love to see a blue moon, one the same colour as tempera paint, perhaps, just because God wanted to give us a rare treat.  He does that sometimes with rings around the sun but that is usually interpreted as some wicked sign of bad things to come, not taken to be amusing like the thought of a real blue moon would be.

I love the night sky.  I love being alone in the darkness of the early morning just before it dissolves into day and I cannot wait until it returns again to delight me with its promise of quiet peace.

~”Use legem pone to pay at thy day, But use not oremus for often delay.” ~~ Tusser, Good Husbandry.

Introducing characters from QuillenLand

Meet the new cast of characters from Book II, QuillenLand, as the story of the boy wizard Griffon continues.  The story opens in the accidently discoved QuillenLand which has been nearly destroyed by a natural disaster.  Next the story continues to Crone’s Corners where the boys learn of the other catastrophies involving their world and no one understands why these wicked events are all happening.

My young wizards are now twelve years old and learning advanced magic skills such as casting wynd and weaving complex spells. Nuri has found her talent lies in healing and herbal remedies like her mother.  Meanwhile Griffon and his new friend try to find a solution to all the ills in their lands with the help of Zolonev and Griffon’s father.

Our new cast of characters:

Serro Zolonev — Wizard who owns Zolonev’s Antiquities, a magical place full of ancient treasures.  Serro assumes the leadership of the OmniCircle in a very non-traditional manner during a series of disasters in the magic communities.  Although he cares very much for the wizard community, he cares more for power and wealth and will do almost anything to obtain both.

Boneblade — Owns the broom shoppe in Crone’s Corners.  Rudely given the nickname Chaff by Zolonev who thinks the tradesman too old and not very bright.  Suffers from a lung disease caused by breathing the straw while plying his craft.

Spellbinder — The wand maker of Crone’s Corners.  Has the sight like Griffon and does not like what he sees in the future.

Wynter Wyckwood — The much loved witch-owner of the Herb Shoppe on the High Street.  She is beautiful and helpful and Griffon has a crush on her.

Piet Muldoor — Artist of the Zoroastran Community who visits Mage’s Tavern.  Harbinger of bad news.

Aidan — aka Little fiery one — Orphaned boy of QuillenLand who becomes Griffon’s first true friend besides his cousin Nuri.  He is a falconer and quite the outdoorsman.  Introduced in Book I, he is Nuri’s first love.

The Norse  folk — Residents of Tyraani that include Norse folk, nymphs, merpeople, and the Deviant ones.

Forests of Firentzia — Land of the ogres, giants, dragons, tree spirits, revenants, and dark trolls.

Grimling — the students’ new tutor who replaced the beloved Morpheo (died in Book I).

Iron Feather — Aidan’s token, a horgrine, created from a black stallion and a falcon.  For more on tokens see Creating Tokens under stories.

scrations — huge, ugly rat-scorpions.  An army of them could devour a giant in seconds.

the Cruwels — cave dwellers in Blencken.  They eat spiders and bats and are not very friendly to intruders.

The Noddies — Adorable little people from Blencken who were named for their funny little head nods as they speak.  For more on the Noddies see under stories.

Pagonites and Outlanders — Residents of regions excluded from the OmniCircle because no one wants anything to do with them.  Pagonites are the personification of evil and the Outlanders are diseased.

Bailey Baggyknickers — leprechaun who is the king’s son.  The king sent Bailey to find his son’s fiance’s voice (the only thing that keeps the kingdom bright and happy) and the wee man finds that Asmodeus has her.

Doginese — the wizard who owns the Pet Emporium in Crone’s Corners.

Witch Hazel — Seamstress who creates all of the wizards’ costumes and robes.  She is dark-haired, a seer, and highly creative.

Asmodeus — The wizard of unequalled evil of the magic world.  He controls the wicked region of Pagon and his robe is the entrance to hell.  It is he who is causing all the problems in the world of magic while torturing those he has sent below.  Griffon knows he must overcome this powerful being to obtain the shields necessary to right all the adversity or die trying.

Nuri’s true love — (name withheld until publication).  A wizard with most unusual powers who is commanding and as different as  Nuri herself.  At first the pair suffers from attraction coupled with reasons they are not interested.   However, these two are fated to be together and nothing will keep them apart.

~”If I reprehend anything in this world, it is the use of my oracular tongue, and a nice derangement of epitaphs!” Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The Rivals.

~”Do you not catch the tiny clamour, Busy click of an elfin hammer, Voice of the leprechaun singing shrill,  As he merrily plies his trade.” ~~ William Allingham, The Fairy Shoemaker.

~”We will have Jedwood justice, — hang in haste, and try at leisure.” ~~ Sir Walter Scott, The Fair Maid of Perth.

~”To stand and be still to the Birken’ead drill is a damn tough bullet to chew, An’ they done it, the Jollies, — “Er Majesty’s Jollies — soldier and sailor too!” ~~  Rudyard Kipling

~”[Fear] sometimes representeth strange apparitions, as their fathers and grandfathers ghosts risen out of their graves, and in their winding sheets: and to others it sometimes sheweth Larves, Hobgoblins, Robbin-good-fellows, and such other Bug-bears and Chimeraes.” ~~ Michel Eyquem de Montaigne, translated by John Florio

~”The aura given out by a person or object is as much a part of them as their flesh.” ~~Lucian Freud

Fog Blog

Okay, so July was one of the worst months of my long life and while August started out better, the powers that be are determined to make their lives better and mine worse so not much has really changed.  Therefore, in self-defense, I must turn to magic and fantasy, wishing all the while that I could be a real witch and make banks and government regulators all disappear into Hell itself where they so rightly belong.  Or, failing that, I might find some philanthropist who wants to throw some money my way (all without the government finding out, of course, because if they knew, they would simply take that too).  But you don’t care about that, so let’s go somewhere else instead . . .

There are exactly forty-two sunrises before the autumnal equinox in this year of our Lord 2012.  Each day that ensues will be incrementally shorter and the temperatures cooler and the air itself will take on a slightly different scent than the one we know of summer.  The bugs and flowers will change as well.  Fewer crickets and mosquitos and more locusts (gross) and the possibility of rain increases as we enter what is commonly referred to as hurricane season.  Fortunately, I love fall rain.  It is cooler and usually not as violent as spring or summer rains and it lasts longer.  In the fall, there are days of rain where the sky is grey and the drops are soothing and steady, like a balm for the soul.

Soon, the leaves on some of  the trees will change from bright green to oranges and reds and yellows as nature dons her most flamboyant coat of the year.  I like to think of autumn as the season of the woman for in the fall she can be outrageous with colour or mysterious with fog or dark and brooding in the cold, crisp night.

There remain only three full moons before Halloween so we will watch what is now a tiny little white sliver in the sky wax and wane until our Harvest Moon is full upon us.  Our mood will change and we will want to become more active, going to football games or going shopping or simply raking leaves.  Being outside is no longer a chore, but something to be savoured, along with the soul food we begin to prepare.

Our thoughts will turn from planting plumbagos and moss roses to gathering pussy willows and pumpkins, great crysanthamums, and bales of hay.  Scarecrows and goblins and all things ghoulie and ghosty will begin to appear in stores in anticipation of the second largest season of the year, only surpassed by Christmas.

And I?  I will go in search of a big black cat, a cauldron, and a spell book then see if I can’t find a few curses to send government and banks into the Black Void.  Ah, life then will be good.  I smile just thinking about it.

The End