Friday, November 9, 2007

Saturday in the Woods With Andif


This beautiful photo deserves its own story. Would it be fantasy? Science fiction? Mystery? Romance? Supernatural?

27 comments:

Nancy P said...

I'm posting early for tomorrow, because I am sooo pooped. Going to bed with a book. Ah, the exciting life of an author.

Sweet dreams.

Conda Douglas said...

Ohh, gorgeous. Makes me want to take a long walk. Instead I'm stuck doing day jobs...sigh. And going to bed with a book? Mmmm, sounds good too.

Larry Kollar said...

Urf. I gotta get up early tomorrow, or I'd take a stab at a vignette (probably fantasy). I've got plenty of reading material, now I just need some reading time!

Anonymous said...

I can almost hear the elves whispering to each other...

I get to see andi's gorgeous picture twice! (happy dance)

Bed for me, too...

Family Man said...

Good morning Nancy and everyone.

Hectic day here today. Relatives are showing up this morning. I wish I could convince them that holidays are made to be spent somewhere other than here.

Today - cleaning house, grocery shopping and dreaming of taking a nap.

GhostFolk.com said...

Just another Wow on yesterday's posts and the fall fall-down woods photo from Andif!

Actually, quite clever, Rick. Dextrous, cagey, brilliant and charming! Did I mention fun?

Do a couple dozen of these, Rick, and you have a unique and desirable book of 3-minute mysteries. Could you stick to science stuff and get a bunch of these together?

That would be a dandy little bestseller. If you could manage to stick to "Green" topics, Rick, it would be a dandy little MEGA bestseller.

A hundred time easier to get published than a novel, btw. I promise you.

If you were to pursue this little toss-off as a project, Rick, I wouldn't post any more of them on the web.

P.S. You don't need no stinkin agent. An agent needs you.

AndiF said...

I gave the nature story of that picture in the last post but if I were going to make a fiction out of that picture, it would probably have Monet in it.

Happy Saturday everyone.

And now I think I'll follow Conda's suggestion and go for a long walk. See ya. :)

Nancy P said...

The pink really makes that photo for me, Andi. Gives it an otherwordly glow. Watch out you don't just evaporate into a pink and golden ball of light on your walk.

I'm off to speak to the Kansas Writer's Club this morning, in Lawrence, wich is 30 miles away. I'm looking forward to meeting them, but the truth is I don't feel well today and I just want to crawl back into bed. I hope the Kansas Authors have healing powers.

Morning, Conda, farfetched, beth, family man, and ghostfolk! And all who drop by while I'm away.

boran2 said...

Whatever kind of tale it ends up being, it will have finely interwoven story threads judging by the photo.

Rick Bylina said...

"Andif stood here," the sheriff said. He cuffed his hands and blew on them to warm them.

Detective Stark stared at the picture, brillant fall colors rising, trees resting on their sides, resting before the oncoming winter's chill. When he looked up, the scene had transformed into another beauty of stark black and white of the winter's first snow, a flurry really, but just enough to create an artist's contrast.

The sheriff said: "The color, especially the red, is nature's way of creating sugars. Not enough sunlight for photosynthesis so it stops and reveals what remains."

"That's why the deer eat my azalea's in early winter?" Stark asked.

"Yep. It was the same thing that got Andif killed."

"You mean...."

"Yep. He stood right in from of the tracks where you're standing. He was probably so entranced by the view, he never heard the munching on the leaves behind him."

"At least it was quick."

"Yep. Dropped his camera right there. Andif was just one more tasty morsel for that damn TRex."

"TRex ought to be in Kansas by now.

"Yep. Bang-a-gong, and he's gone."

-rick

Family Man said...

I never thought Andi would have gone that way. However, it better than being assaulted by a band of bonobos.

Conda Douglas said...

Another great short, Rick! How do you do that? And I agree with ghostfolk, consider a collection!

Now, if I could only be on that walk with Andif, instead of cleaning the house like family man--at least the guests are only for dinner!

Nancy P said...

Lol!! I love it, Rick.

Richard Goutal said...

The photo made me think of a book I Just finished reading by Nevada Barr: Hard Truth. There are many hiking scenes and several scrambles through the woods away from villains. (OK I know the picture is not exactly like Rocky Mountain National Park,... it's the dense trees and the question -- what kind of story?)

Stumbled here today from your website. Our library book club (along with my virtual club) is reading The Virgin of Small Plains this month.

Have a great weekend!

AndiF said...

Hey Rick, around here your story would work much better if the culprit was one of our hyper-aggressive chimpmunks. (psst, I'm a grrl). :)

Nancy, those colors are brought to you by the drought which muted the fall right into a miami vice pastel wonderland (well except for no turquoise).

Anonymous said...

Welcome, Frank! Hope you drop by again! Good taste, your book clubs... :-)

Nancy P said...

Hey, boran2, I don't think I said howdy to you today. I'm not used to you beind around in the daytime. But we like it!

Hi, Frank! Please give my best regards to your book clubs. Is there anything you'd like to ask me before they meet? I could e you an answer, or answers, for you to give them.

Nancy P said...

Hi, Conda. We'll all be dropping by to join your dinner guests.


Beth. :)

Anonymous said...

I know it's been said before, but it is SO cool that you are willing to do that, Nancy. That people can ask you questions about your book as they read and discuss it. People like you and Kelly and Randy and Conda, and and and...you are so generous with your support and advice - you use the internet in a way that is so rewarding for your readers. Big hugs for your generous spirits, from a reader and fan. :-)

Nancy P said...

Andi, I *thought* I saw Don Johnson behind one of those trees.

Nancy P said...

Well, shucks! It's a pleasure, and it means I get to meet talented, nice people like, oh, mmm, BETH.

Did I mention that I felt better after finising my speaking gig in Lawrence today? Hanging around with writers and readers has a healing effect. :)

I'm off to my writing pal Sally's house soon to probably not get any work done this late in the day. We're going to a free symphony this evening. Her husband's playing violin in it.

Family Man said...

Nancy glad to hear you're feeling better. When I saw your comment earlier, of course you know what I was pulling for - go back to sleep. :)

Hey conda - I'll trade you two rels for a week for a one evening dinner guest.

Beth did you ever find your gloves?

Frank welcome. Not all of us are writers (me), but we're a pretty friendly group. Good to see you.

Nancy P said...

Pay no attention to Family Man's modesty, Frank. Okay, so he's not a book writer, but he does this thing called writing almost every day on his popular blog.

But it's true that this isn't a blog just for writers, by any means, even though there are a passel of us here. "Is" a passel? "Are" a passel?

"A large quanity, or group."

Anonymous said...

How about a gaggle? A horde? A murder (of crows, according to my sister)? :-)

I did find my gloves, fam - they're downstairs in my room. I should be using them - my fingers are numb!! But I think they'd make it hard to type...

I am SUCH a weenie!

Conda Douglas said...

Oh, Beth, you made me blush! It's a lot of fun doing what I love. And us writers gotta hang together...

And, Nancy, we're having shrimp curry with oatmeal no-bake cookies for dessert, hope to see you ALL tonight!

Conda Douglas said...

And family man, no trade! People coming tonight are great friends and great company and they LEAVE after 2-3 hours!

I'm off to wash the kitchen floor.

Family Man said...

OK conda it was worth a try. I got everything cleaned up, and now I just wait for them to mess it up. It's a never ending cycle.

Yep, guest and fish. :)