Yule-tide

Just a quick post to say Happy Solstice! We had a lovely party in the woods yesterday, complete with huge fire, african drumming, lots of amazing food cooked in an earth oven/ on an open fire, paper lanterns and fireworks. The fireworks made the trees all pretty colours; the shadows moved and jumped.
Today we went up to Win Green for a dusk-time walk in honour of the shortest day. It was windy and beautiful.

I forgot my camera for both these occasions; no photos then. Use your visual imaginations to dream up a lovely picture of solistice fun times.

Honeybrook

Some photos I took a few weeks ago when at Honeybrook farm near Wimborne, Dorset. It was a very cold day to be at a wood fair.

Stove

My Stove was made by Ed of Parp Industrie, Devon. Ed made it from reclaimed materials. It's the best stove ever! It burns through the night, makes charcoal that starts the next fire off easily, and I can boil my red kettle on the top for delicious tea drinking. Best of all; it makes Mr Kite's little house warm and cosy! We still have to get our hat from Gabriel; it's still on Gabriel's own flue. Until we get the hat, we're using a plank of wood that's going to char through any day now.











Mr Kite's little house, where my new stove is currently living.

Peter Takes His Medicine

Peter takes his medicine. Everyday he takes five pills, all different colours and shapes. They keep the illnesses at bay, keep him passive and unthinking. After taking the pills his mind calms and is silenced, like a lake on a still day. Underneath the water is blackness. It pulsates and swirls, but the pills keep them from breaking the surface; keep him from acknowledging it. Passivity and apathy are the products of a healthy and controlled society. The pills are good. Take your pills, Peter, and close your eyes. Good boy.

Elder

Elder, a short story of mine has been featured by the Pygmy Giant. Check it out: http://thepygmygiant.wordpress.com/page/8/

And here is a drawing I made of a character in a novel I am writing.
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I want to tell you all about my new stove. But first I will take some photographs of it. I'm so excited about my new stove. It's the best thing I've ever paid money for. But shhhh. I'll wait for a photo opportunity before I say another word.

Mr Kite

I've been pretty bad with writing short stories recently. I wrote one a small while ago that is very different from my usual short stories. Nothing weird happens in it at all.
Simon Kite is a boy who reads my stories. He's read all of them, or at least most of them. He's my number one fan. And I am his number one fan. But Mr Kite does not really like my latest short story. Nothing weird happens. And there is reference to music bands he has not ever heard of. (Mr Kite doesn't like my taste in music. Like Carol, a character in the story he doesn't really like, he thinks my taste in music is primitive)
I wonder what to do with this story, I am in need of money because the sweet shop closed down and left me with an income of less than the JSA. So maybe it would be an idea to at least try and enter a writing competition. Knowing Mr Kite's eccentric taste in things, if he's not too keen on this latest story, then it might be suited to a contest? I wonder...

Aside from this I have been very unproductive on the short story front. I have however been writing my novel, so I guess that is ok. The Klandestines graphic novel issue 1 is getting closer to being finished as well. I've suddenly been swamped by stuff to do for the Klandestines after 2 or so years of leaving it all to Dong, illustrator extraordinaire.
The above image is by my good friend Gin Jones. It is a banner for the Klandestines marking Chapter 1 of the story. Opinions would be welcomed. I love it. Am I biased by my love for Gin?

More news! I will write it in another post or two. yes.

Patriot

I am a citizen of Dorset,
I am a sister of the shire.
I look upon our golden flag and understand a little of what patriotism is.
This land is ours.

Illustrated Ape

Stourhead gardens a week or so ago.

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I have subscribed to the Illustrated Ape magazine because I love it. It is my ultimate (short-term) ambition to have one of my stories published in this magazine. It is everything a magazine should be. The stories and images are awesome. This for me is the Holy Grail of the published world. It rips writing out of the past and brings it bang into the present.
The latest copy arrived at my doorstep today, fresh and crisp. Tomorrow, when I'm at work in the sweet shop, I will read it all twice over.

Jesus was the first zombie

Something draws me to this artist. I can't let go. Am I just like all those other fakers? Probably. If I could be bothered with fashion and style, I would let this artist influence me. But the truth is, I can't be bothered. I am too practical by nature. Living a fairly rural lifestyle makes fashion a hard thing to get into. My usual day-to-day activities usually involve getting at least 9% of myself covered with mud.

But I have become aware of some amazing music via occasionally following her blog (http://bellz-v.livejournal.com/). Peace Burial at Sea being one such band.
There are lyrics and titles to some of their songs that resonate with me.
Jesus was the first zombie
This is such a quiet town
Stay cool forever
Take my things and burn them.
Within chaos there is logic
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I did go to Manchester in the end, and I'm really glad I did. I met with a couple of lovely people, I got inspired by these people. I hope you do too. http://makingeggs.blogspot.com/

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I did a new website! It's not totally finished yet, but I'm bored of doing it already, so it might not get finished for a while longer. Visit it anyway, because it's looking sparkly and nice anyway.

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another picture from Vladlena Shevelova to see us out.

Salvia

Yesterday was my brother's 18th Birthday. I made him a story and printed it out, illustrated it and turned it into a chapbook of sorts. I am very happy with it, even if my brother doesn't understand it. At least I do.

Here is the front cover:


The story is a strange magical realist look into the folly and egotism of mankind. The front cover depicts two of the characters: Badger (rep from the Animalia kingdom) and Agaric (rep from the Fungi kingdom.)

I'm not sure if I should go to the Noise festival thing in Manchester. It is far away, and when I asked them who would be there representing the written word category the answer was no one at the moment, keep checking for further guest confirmation. They might be able to pay my train fare up there, which is good. Hmm...If there's no industry professional, and I know no one in Manchester to go to if the event turns out to be pointless, then why go?

Porridge

This morning's porridge was all set to be delicious and warming. This time I decided to follow the instructions on the packet precisely. I even got a measuring jug out, and the old-fashioned weighing scales. I put it in the microwave (I know, I should have done it on the hob since I was going to all the effort of getting it just right, but I didn't.) The first round went well. 3 mins, stir, 2 mins. That was the way it said to do it. All was well at the 3 minute mark. I put it in again after stirring, then set it to 2 minutes. I came back when I heard the microwave ding. The steam cascaded out into the kitchen, I had to stand back so that it didn't get in my eyes. When the air had cleared I peeked inside and saw a gooey mess bubbling on the microwave glass plate, sticky streaks slopped down the side of the bowl. Over half of it had escaped, pushing up the lid and oozing out of the bowl. I keep finding more lumps, now dry, about my person from when I took the bowl out of the microwave to clear it all up.
This is a very disappointing way to start the day. I have done nothing useful since.

The colour is autumn.

I work in a traditional sweet shop for one day a week. I asked that we do a halloween display for the window, since we're a sweet shop and i found it weird there was no halloween decorations. My boss got some lame cheap-o shit and asked that I put them up. So I did, and then I drew my own decorations. This started off a new style of drawing for me. Now I can't stop drawing like this.

The sun is shining and the colour is autumn. So perhaps I will go outdoors, maybe cycle to the lakeshore and smell the fish? It might rain, like it did earlier: hard, wet, cold. Does this bother me? Not really.

Eight to a Mile.

I came across this band recently. I can't get over this music at the moment. Not just The Pirate Ship Quintet, but also Mono & World's End Girlfriend, Godspeed You Black Emperor!, Blueneck etc.

I have written a few new short stories. I'm not sure where to send them.

Here is the Tree of Heaven.

Burn my Shadow by UNKLE

Extract from 1st oct

Today I walked for three hours, identified the following (new to me) trees: Tillia heterophylla (White Basswood), Tillia Oliveri (Oliver’s Lime), Fagus Sylvatica ‘Purpurea Tricolour’ (Gay of the woods/ Common Beech with variegated foliage), Acer Pseudoplatanus ‘Purpureum’ (Purple leaved Sycamore), plus an Aspenfolia variant of Fagus Sylvatica.

Also I checked on my Noise profile and saw that I got a bunch of medal things (I have no idea what they mean) plus a Curators Choice award. I’m not really sure what that is; but it might be good.

Rosetta Stoned by Tool

Just so you know: Here I will post extracts from my real journal until I grow bored and/or forget I have a blog.

(Extract from Entry: 30 Sept)

Too tired. I love this song:

Rosetta Stoned - Tool [IEM Recordings]

Overwhelmed as one would be, placed in my position.
Such a heavy burden now to be the One
Born to bear and bring to all the details of our ending,
To write it down for all the world to see.

But I forgot my pen
Shit the bed again ...
Typical.

Strapped down [to] my bed
Feet cold and eyes red
I'm out of my head
Am I alive? Am I dead?
Sunkist * and Sudafed
Gyroscopes and infrared
Won't help, I'm brain dead
Can't remember what they said
God damn, shit the bed

I can't remember what they said to me
Can't remember what they said to make me out to be the hero
Can't remember what they said
Bob help me!
Can't remember what they said

[We] don't know, [and we] won't know (x12)

God damn, shit the bed!

Went to Win Green on Saturday:

And to Tim's woods on Sunday:

Dani and I felled a tree each, but alas, there is no photographic evidence. I was too busy chopping a tree down (or two) with an axe :D