Roasting "The Bird", CheersFest 2.0

Today's the day of the CheersFest 2.0, where we honor Arlee "Lee" Bird.

CheersFest 2.0 is being hosted by Mark Koopmans, Morgan Shamy, David Powers King, Stephen Tremp, and Alex J. Cavanaugh.

We've been asked to answer four questions:

Why did Lee come up with the A-to-Z Challenge?
There's an issue sweeping the globe wherein people are losing the ability to alphabetize. Lee realized the issue and stepped forward to do his civic duty to educate the masses.

If someone dreams about being a juggler, what does it mean?
Straight up, it means they've got too much going on in life, that they feel like they're juggling important things. On the other hand, it could mean your brain is doing gymnastics.

Is a post by Mr. Bird worth two in the bush?
No jesting here, of course it is!

Who could play Lee in a documentary?
Paul Newman. Come on, tell me you don't see it...

Write a flash fiction piece, 100 words, with the required words:

The challenge was on, the room full of jugglers sweating in their intricate outfits. (One wore a suit of feathers.) They eyeballed each other, sneering and snarling, and then they began tossing jibes at each other.

"You couldn't juggle two oranges if they had strings attached!"

"Oh yeah, well you couldn't catch a bowling pin if it had super glue painted all over it!"

Just as it looked about to come to blows, he walked in, the Man in the Brown Coat. He was a legend, a man they'd all heard of, one they all respected. The Bird. And he didn't need a feather suit to prove it.

"What's up fella's? Ready for the show?"

Feathers fainted, one tiny yellow bit of down floating gently to the ground.

And that's when everyone else in the room knew they'd already lost the challenge.

Now for my caption:

Carl looked at the pin with trepidation, knowing that it could only keep him upright for so long before it lost its balance.

All jests aside, I give my thanks to Lee for all he's done for the blogging community, for bringing so many of us together, and for creating something that a multitude have enjoyed these past few years. His support has meant a lot to me, and I hope for his success. Thank you for being you, Lee!

May you find your Muse.

A Little Shel Silverstein, Lunar Lovin' and Reintroducing Myself

Well, hi, it's Monday!  I know, you were trying to forget that, right?

I was reading "A Light in the Attic" to my son the other night, and found this gem:

This Bridge
Shel Silverstein
PP. 168-169

This bridge will only take you halfway there
To those mysterious lands you long to see:
Through gypsy camps and swirling Arab fairs
And moonlit woods where unicorns run free.
So come and walk awhile with me and share
The twisting trails and wondrous worlds I've known.
But this bridge will only take you halfway there--
The last few steps you'll have to take alone.

I've read the book many times over, but I'd forgotten this one, and it struck me in so many ways.  But today, it strikes me as being all about story.  When you read a book, you have the ability to imagine it in your head, to create the monsters from a description, to picture the characters, to see and feel the setting.  Words on the page can only do so much without your mind.  It's your mind that finishes those words, that twists them into the stories within you, and that makes you feel what you feel.  When you watch a movie, you're forced to see what they chose to have you see.  Everything is laid out, and you have no real choice in envisioning characters and settings.  If they've made a crappy monster, that's all you'll see.  Whereas, if a monster is written to be not so great, it can become so much more within you.

Remember the magic in your stories, and in the stories of others.  It's a beautiful thing, but no one can hold your hand.  You have to take those last few steps on your own.

Now, I'm participating in two blog hops today, but both are brief.

What can I say about myself?  I discovered the joy of writing in elementary school when a teacher gave us each a photo prompt and told us to write for 15 minutes.  Mine was a picture of the Earth.  From that day forward, I've always loved to write from a prompt (or any other ol' way).  I write mostly horror, urban fantasy and post-apocalyptic.  I have a fascination with history, especially all things Wild West.  I also enjoy photography, though I haven't had the opportunity to take any photography classes yet.  Sometimes I get lucky and get a really great photo, and often they're okay.  I'm blessed to live in a place where I'm exposed to gorgeous natural surroundings, which provides much of my photo fodder, along with my kiddos, who I love to photograph.  For random factoids on me, you can see an About Me post I wrote last year, HERE.

Thank to Stephen Tremp, Mark Koopmans, Elise Fallson, and C.M. Brown for this blog hop, intended to help all us bloggers get to know each other!

Now, thanks to Mina Lobo, we have the Lunar Lovin' Hop.

I was sad I couldn't get any good pictures, and not because the sky wasn't clear - it was.  I just didn't have the knack tonight.  Here's what I got, though.

 I could see it completely clearly through the telephoto lens, but I was too cold and shaky to get a good pic in the dark.  I tried the tripod, but the lens was too heavy, so it relied on me to balance it anyway.  Still, I loved sitting out in the dark, gazing up the moon.  Peaceful.  It was about 11:15 PM when I took the photos, here in Colorado Springs.  The constellations were so clear.  Utterly gorgeous.

Thank you for stopping by!

What I'm reading: Annwynn's Blood, by Michael Eging and Steve Arnold.

Have you taken the time to enjoy the moon lately?  What random fact do you like telling people about yourself?  Did you enjoy Shel Silverstein as a kid?  When was the last time you read his work?

May you find your Muse.