The autumn temperatures continue to hit us. Most morning temperatures (at 8 a.m.) struggled to reach 46F (8C) with daily highs rarely making it beyond 60F (15C). At least we’ve had plenty of sunshine again this past week, making it feel warmer than the actual temperature. With the dry weather, I was able to do a bit of pruning around the property, in particular removing a large patch of bamboo as high as twelve feet. Since the garden refuse bin is only picked up once a month, I made six trips to the local recycling center to get rid of the evidence.
Good news at the petrol (gasoline) pumps again this week as the price of a liter dropped a further penny to £1.64. This way above the £1.45 we saw in January, but at least it’s heading in the right direction. With the exchange rate plummeting to 1.0845 on Friday (currently 1.0847), this made the equivalent cost of a U.S. gallon $6.69, a drop of thirty-eight cents.
In Big Ten college football, Michigan held off Maryland 34-27 to increase their record to 4-0. While this game wasn’t televised here in Scotland, they did show the Wisconsin-Ohio State game, which I recorded to watch this evening.
Here’s this week’s quote (Compliments of http://www.wisdomquotesandstories.com/):
“Everything is Beautiful, But Beautiful isn’t everything.”
So who was born on this date in history? Let’s find out who in the writing world was born on September 25th, the fourth and final Sunday of the month:
Matthew Merian the Elder, Swiss engraver and bookseller; Mark Zuesius Boxhorn, Dutch historian; Charles Robert Maturin, Irish playwright and novelist; Felicia Dorothea Hemans, English-Welsh poet (“The boy stood on the burning deck”, “The stately homes of England”); William Michael Rossetti, English writer and civil servant; Mina Kruseman, Dutch writer and feminist; Hans Vaihinger, German philosopher (Nietzsche Philosophy); Lope K. Santos, Filipino writer and Father of the Philippine National Language and Grammar; Lu Xun, Chinese writer of modern Chinese literature; Kees Boeke, Dutch reformist educator (Cosmic View); John Howard Lawson, American scriptwriter and playwright (Blockade, Algiers, Sahara); C. K. Scott-Moncrieff, Scottish writer and translator; Elsa Triolet [Ella Kagan], Russian-French writer and Resistance fighter; William Faulkner, American author (Sound & Fury-Nobel 1949); Ernst von Salomon, German writer (Kette Der Tausend Kraniche); Nahman Avigad, Israeli archaeologist (Discovering Jerusalem); Red Smith, American sportscaster and columnist (Pulitzer 1976, Fight Talk); Madeleine Bourdouxhe, Belgian writer; Phyllis Pearsall, British painter and writer (A to Z Map Company); Jessica Anderson, Australian novelist (Tirra Lirra By The River; The Impersonators); Remy C. van de Kerckhove, Flemish poet; Herbert Heckmann, German writer; Shel Silverstein, American writer and cartoonist (Now Here’s My Plan: A Book of Futilities; The Giving Tree) and songwriter (“A Boy Named Sue”; “The Cover Of The Rolling Stone”); Manouchehr Atashi, Persian poet; Maj Sjowall, Swedish writer (Martin Beck crime novels); Tim Severin, British author and explorer who replicated historic voyages; Eugenia Zukerman, American flutist and novelist (Deceptive Cadence); Bell Hooks [Gloria Jean Watkins], American author, feminist, scholar and social activist; and Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Spanish writer (Shadow of the Wind).
Any names familiar to you? There was one for me: William Faulkner. Whether you recognize anyone on the list or not, if today’s your special day I hope you have a great one!
My Work in Progress
Things continue nicely with my next WIP, Frozen Conquest. Chapter Fifteen was posted this week to the two online subscription writing sites I use. I’ve also made a dent in chapter sixteen.
This week, there were another twenty-two chapter reviews, bringing the total to 243, some from long-standing reviewers while others came from new people. As always, plenty of good suggestions to improve my story and I’m greatly appreciative of the support.
Here’s the next snippet:
The Scandinavian Protection Agency had chartered the RV Aquavit as a floating platform for their venture to Antarctica, complete with an experienced crew and a scientific staff.
Carina and Gunner joined the rest of the six-person SPA team, which would conduct their experiments on the mainland. They entered the mess and found their teammates: Ailsa Dahl, a petite blonde who was game for anything; Bertelot Gulbrandsson, the team leader and an engineer by training; Eggert Falkenberg, a blond giant of a man with a quiet nature; and Rona Lundgren, a statuesque blonde well over six feet.
“Where did you two go? Checking out the sights—or each other?” Bertelot chuckled.
Carina’s face reddened. “If you must know, I was studying the landscape above the city. It’s the last time we’ll see anything like this until we return.”
“Should have taken some photos to remind you.” Bertelot maintained a straight face.
Everyone laughed.
Rona stood. “Anyone for coffee? I’ll put on a fresh pot.”
After a round of “yes” from the rest of the team, she headed into the galley.
Another whistle blew.
A vibration ran through the deck as the engine engaged. The ship swung away from the pier, heading in a southerly direction.
Rona returned a few minutes later with a fresh pot of coffee and cups. After everyone had a refill, she raised her cup in the air. “Here’s to our next adventure—Antarctica, here we come!”
Eggert spoke in his normal deep bass voice. “I am looking forward to my first time on the ice. I have dreamed of this since I was a child.”
“Too bad you missed our Arctic excursion.” Carina smiled. “What a time to come down with chickenpox.”
“Yes. They were a present from my niece.” He thumped his chest and coughed. “But I am in perfect shape now.” He coughed again.
“Take it easy, Eggert.” Bertelot grinned. “We don’t have a doctor aboard—just a nurse.”
“Is she pretty?”
Bertelot chuckled. “I guess you could say so. The nurse’s name is Tim.”
“Oh.”
Everyone laughed as they stood.
“See everyone here in about three hours.” Bertelot pointed at Rona. “We have a guest chef tonight.”
Rona touched a finger to her cheek. “Oh. Not sure about being a chef, but I make fantastic spaghetti and meatballs.”
“I’m heading out on deck. Anyone care to join me in bidding Ushuaia farewell?”
Ailsa nodded. “I’ll join you, Carina.”
More next time.
This brings us to an end for another week. I hope you found something of interest. If you have any suggestions for a topic you’d like to read about, please let me know. Until the next time, thank you for reading and hope you drop in again.
© Copyright 2022 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved
