Tomorrow’s the first day of Autumn 2025. It’s hard to believe, given the daytime temperatures between 85-89, except for one day, when it dropped to 72. Nighttime temperatures have ranged between 55-60, which has been a welcome relief to the heat.
Multiple does and fawns continue to visit throughout the day and into the early evening. Of course, once darkness falls we can’t see them, but the corn we put out is almost always gone by the next day.
The Detroit Tigers are struggling to hold onto first place in the American League Central Division. Over the past week, they’ve lost five consecutive games, while second-place Cleveland has won ten. Detroit’s lead has dropped to one game, with seven games remaining in the regular season. Hang on, Tigers!
The Detroit Lions roared back last Sunday, beating the Chicago Bears 52-21. Let’s hope they continue their winning ways today when they play the Baltimore Ravens.
The Michigan Wolverines moved up to 21st in the NCAA rankings last week. On Saturday, they hung on to beat Nebraska Cornhuskers 30-27. Meanwhile, the Michigan State Spartans suffered their first loss of the season, falling to USC 45-31.
“Each writer is born with a repertory company in his head. Shakespeare has perhaps 20 players. … I have 10 or so, and that’s a lot. As you get older, you become more skillful at casting them.” — Gore Vidal. Compliments of https://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/72-of-the-best-quotes-about-writing.
So who was born on this date in history? Let’s find out who in the writing world was born on September 21st, the thirty-eigth Sunday of 2025 and the third one in September. (Compliments of https://www.onthisday.com/birthdays/).
Francis Hopkinson, American judge, signer of the Declaration of Independence, author, flag designer (first American flag), and composer (The Battle of the Kegs); Ivan Dmitriev, Russian statesman (Minister of Justice, 1810-14), and poet (“Liberation of Moscow”); Sophia Hawthorne, American writer, painter and illustrator; Edmund Gosse, English poet, author (Father & Son) and critic; Cyriel Buysse, Flemish baron and writer (Sursum Corda, Ace Knave); H. G. Wells, English sci-fi author (War of the Worlds, Kipps); Sergei Yesenin, Russian poet; ushar Kanti Ghosh, Indian journalist, world’s oldest and longest serving newspaper editor (Amrita Bazar Patrika); Helen Foster Snow, American journalist (reported from China in the 1930s); Leonard Cohen, Canadian writer and singer-songwriter (“Hallelujah”; “Death of Ladies Man”; “Suzanne”); Trevor James Hold, British composer, writer, and musicologist (John Clare Songbook); Stephen King, American sci-fi and horror author (Carrie; The Shining; Kujo; Misery); Jim Keith, American conspiracy theorist and author (Black Helicopters Over America, Mass Control); Suman Pokhrel, Nepali poet, playwright, and translator; Samantha Power, Irish American author and diplomat (US Ambassador to the UN); Vanessa Grigoriadis, American journalist and author, known for “Blurred Lines”; and Nicole Richie, American socialite, author and TV personality (The Simple Life).
Any names familiar to you? There were two for me this week: H.G. Wells and Stephen King. 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
Work slowly continued my first edit pass of the manuscript for Harding’s Challenge: The Great Rebellion based on reader feedback and make adjustments based on what I think works best, but plan to be back at it this week. Since my last post, there were another six new chapter reviews this week, bringing the total to 303. As always, plenty of feedback to improve the story.
Here’s another snippet:
Finn walked the streets before finally deciding it was time to head to the club. He wasn’t a fan of crowded places—particularly in Canebreak, New Mercia Territory—but there wasn’t much he could do if he needed to discover what Hawthorn wanted.
He gave the card one last scan to make sure it didn’t mention something about a password. Most of these types of places required one to enter. Finn didn’t think he’d be getting in on his looks alone. There was nothing on the card besides the address and a few other words, so he hoped he was wrong.
When he neared the location, he rounded the building to find a set of steps leading toward the basement as instructed on the card. The only other thing on it was the physical address. Apart from that, Finn was on his own.
He glanced around to see if perhaps Mars was waiting outside, but he didn’t see him. It was getting dark, which wasn’t good in this part of town. Finn studied the area before giving the door a once over to see what he could learn before entering.
Someone had scratched odd markings over the doorframe, ones that the average man wouldn’t know. They were more or less a secret code for black folks and the like–words Finn happened to know. He made sure to learn them at the start of the war. Finn fought for the North and held a deep regard for the freedom of all people, regardless of color.
Finn rapped on the door a few times before a man with a bushy beard slid open a panel.
“Who goes there?” the man bellowed from the other side.
“Fi-,” he began but thought better than to give his full or real name. “Finn Gideon.”
“What are the words to enter?”
Finn closed his eyes. Surely, he was in trouble. He paused and thought, once again smelling that odd odor in the air. He looked around the corridor that he was moving down for any clue. His eyes landed on the markings again.
“Any time.” The man scowled.
“Don’t let the sun set on Barnabas Latimer’s life.” Finn’s smile broadened when he heard the mechanical locks clicking open one at a time.
“Either you’re very smart, know someone who knows something, or you’re the luckiest man alive.” The doorman stepped aside, allowing Finn to enter.
“Maybe all three.” Finn nodded as he spotted Hawthorn at a table across the room.
“Sir.” Mars raised to shake Finn’s hand. “The name’s Marcus May.” He covered his lie with a slight wink, obviously looking for Finn to tell him his alias as well.
“You can call me Gideon, Finn Gideon.” He took a seat.
Finn scanned the room full of men and stopped when one caught his eye who stood out from the others.
On top of the man’s table was a small automaton creature that looked like a spider.
Finn cocked his head. Once his meeting with Mars concluded, maybe he could make his way over there to pick his brain about small mechanics.
“I almost didn’t make it this evening, what with specific words and all,” Finn added.
“You mean the password?” Mars laughed. “You see, I knew you would figure it out. I hoped, at least. I knew if you didn’t, then you weren’t the right man for the job.”
“How’s that?”
“You have to be wondering why I called you here,” Marston said. “This is perhaps the safest place for us to talk freely on one particular topic.”
“Let me guess.” Finn smiled. “Barnabas Latimer?”
“How did you ever guess?” Hawthorn smirked. “You see, this here is the I hate Barnabas Club, and you just joined it.”
“Now, Mar..cus.” Finn paused. “You and I have been acquaintances for a while now, but I wouldn’t say we have ever been close enough for you to know my distaste for Latimer or the reasons behind it.”
“I’m a tad poked up.” Mars folded his hands on the table. “You may only remember us being acquaintances, but I recollect more. Remember that night about six months back? At the end of the war? Lincoln lost, and the South won. You know, the night the mobs were gathering in the streets? And you were down in the mouth?”
“I wasn’t down due to the war being over, you know. I mean, I was, but I didn’t have any hope after that,” Finn admitted. “It was just the injustice and those mobs were getting rowdy, and burning any symbol of the Union in the street. They all felt the opposite of the way I did and look where they are today.”
“This is the reason you’re here. You told me that night that if you could get your hands on Latimer, or anyone like him, you’d put a stop to his beating of those black folks and find a way to get them into Old Canada or Mexico. Right?”
“Agreed.” Finn scratched the back of his head.
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 2025 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved