Announcement Concerning 'Sailor and the Ruined Castle'

Lately I have been more and more concerned about posting my story about Sailor on my blog.

Once the story has completed itself, I had originally planned to make it into an e-book to sell but if I'm blogging it twice a week, there's not much point. I also have a publisher who has shown interest in my work.

Further to this, I know that a handful of visitors are viewing it, maybe following it. All I see is a number beside the pageviews of each blog; I don't know that anyone is reading it or if they just stopped by.

To date, of the story that has been blogged, I have never received any feedback or comments on it so I have to assume that its not very popular or of any real interest to my readers. With this in mind I have decided to no longer blog Sailor's story. I apologize to anyone who may have been reading or following it.

I will have plenty of other things to tell you about though so I hope I haven't lost any of my readers or visitors. I value all of you. 

Catspaw

Sailor and the Ruined Castle, Con't Chapter Two

Just at dawn...

The scene grew swiftly dim and faded quickly before Sailor's startled eyes as the blue haze of the forest with the sunlit field just beyond came into sharp focus. Was he still trapped in the strange woods? He knew the town had been real, just as he now understood that the fishing village just down the hill from the ruined castle was, in fact at one time, the medieval village he was just in. As he blinked, the sunlight seemed to move towards him as it overtook the woods. The night and the blue haze vanished amongst the chatter of leaves in the cool wind coming off the ocean below. Sailor looked to the sky and beheld trees that were once again resplendent with autumn foliage. Realization was now breaking and trying to make its way into his balking mind but would he accept it? Was he starting to perceive the truth and the reality of his existence? Sailor wasn't sure of anything he had just experienced. He was content to let it go for now and explore it no further. Right at the moment all he wanted was to go back to the fishing village, back to what was familiar to him. The fish mongers and the wharf, to spend his days watching the fishing boats go out and come back in with their catches. Sailor suddenly longed to sit in his favorite places and to sleep in his chosen niches and eat out of the fish bucket again. This was the comfort he sought now.

Now, at dusk.

Catspaw

Sailor and the Ruined Castle, Con't Chapter Two

The Town

With his eyes still closed he could smell smoke. Then the noise broke in on him but Sailor didn't move, nor did he open his eyes. His breath came fast and his heart pounded in his chest. Horses whinnied and shined in this place, he heard the baying of sheep somewhere and loud bells were tolling. Sailor cocked his head as he listened; he could make out the peculiar sound of wagon wheels slipping on cobblestones as the wagons were being drawn by horses and the ring of hammers against wood. Everywhere was the busy sound of people; people shouting, people calling out, people talking and was that a pig's squeal?! 

It had rained here too. Not only could Sailor hear people and animals slosh through puddles but he could smell the rain above the tainted smells coming off the river. He sensed he was somewhere up high above the stink of the town because a breeze brushed his whiskers; he unclosed his eyes and what he beheld was a bustling and industrious medieval town; one that he Recognized! 

Eyes wild with astonishment, Sailor sat up and gazed round him. He was sitting on castle walls! A huge rampart that seemed to encircle the entire town! There were gaters or watchmen walking along the narrow palisades carrying spears and peering over the walls to the dirt road below where a huge iron gate was swung wide. A gatekeeper was checking wagons and talking to people desiring entrance into the town. The gators acknowledged his presence but took no further interest in Sailor as he walked the bulwark, gazing at the activity in the town below as he went.

Catspaw

I ~~ ' ~~ M BAAA - CK !!!!

YESSSSSS!  The computer works great; all the files and data was saved off the old drive and installed on the new hard drive and Hubby found it for me...  My Sailor story is SAVED and can resume tomorrow on schedule after a week of delay.

I have not been totally idle, I have some interesting pics for you today...

Newly Hatched Spiderlings! 

These tiny guys (and girls) graced the side paneling of my door not a few days ago. I'm sure the proud 'mom' was not far off. One or two did venture into the house but I think the majority are staying in the wall and door frame.

Baby Spiders residing in the door frame. Looks roomy in there!

 

 

 

 

Just the tale end of May, on the first decently nice summery day we've had on the island, my cats were enjoying the warm sunshine as much as I was. 

Here is Winston watching Sassy roll on the warm, cracked paving. 

And here is Sassy, still rolling on the paving with Winston walking past, Emerald is in front of the van doing the same as Sassy with a black barn cat looking on...

Here's a sequence of my cats and a black barn cat playing around the tree...

 Winston sneaks through one side, while...

the barn cat peers around the bush!

Winston and the black cat playing hide and seek!

Sassy can't resist finding out what's going on

Hope you enjoyed these. Things will not get back to normal with the computer back on its desktop.

Catspaw

Sailor and the Ruined Castle, Con't

In mere seconds Sailor's paws would reach the sunlight at the edge of the blue woods and he would feel again the warmth of an autumn day caress his body. He knew the woods ended, he could see the end but he could not reach the end. The more he gained the edge, the more the strange woods seem to extend outwards preventing his taking leave of them. Sailor stopped running and crouched on his hunches as his lungs drew in ragged breaths. What he could see he could no longer attain for himself. Instead he lay in the cool, dry earth with night resounding in his ears, gazing at the warm sunny day just beyond his reach. Confused and exhausted sleep descended on Sailor in among the leaves of the forest he was now trapped in. This time he opened his eyes to an altogether different village. 

Catspaw

Sailor and the Ruined Castle, Con't

 

In the distance lay the town he had tried to integrate into and make his home. But it was daytime! Blue sky held a radiant sun; the day was aglow with warmth and light. Not unlike the environment of his dreams. Sounds of people shouting and the noise of a busy village reached his ears; if he listened closely enough he could hear the sound of the ocean waves. He pictured the harbour and the bustle of activity that was now occurring on the wharf and it was with a fervent longing to be there, among the fishing boats and the tide he so loved... Sailor leapt down from the tree branch and tore through the woods that enclosed him. He knew where he wanted to be and it was no longer in this blue, night-shrouded forest. 

Catspaw

Sailor and the Ruined Castle, Con't Chapter 2

Peculiar sensations sweep over him as he infiltrated the wood. There was an instantaneous sense that he was somehow removed from where he had been; that he was somewhere in-between. The woods were enveloped by a blue haze not unlike the fog that overtook the town. It seemed to be nighttime in the woods; there was a full, glowing moon riding high in the sky above him. Sailor crouched low to the dry ground and listened to the sounds of evening approaching him. A chill breeze was the first thing he felt, then an owl hooted overhead and he could follow the soft sound of wings on the air, a bird reaching its nest perhaps. In the rustling sounds of leaves scraping dry earth he spotted a mouse coming out of hiding to forage. All around him Sailor could hear the familiar sounds of night creatures emerging at their usual and correct time at dusk. Yet the town he'd just left was in daylight; the beginning of the day not the end of one. Up on his paws he gained a high tree branch and gazed out past the tree line. What he beheld next both shocked and terrified him!

Catspaw

Reminder About My ``Sailor`` Story

Just a quick note to let you know that if you are following Sailor`s story or if you want to follow it, I began the story on February 26th and you can go back to that blog and read his story from that date, forward. 


As of this Thursday, Chapter Two will begin.


Catspaw

Sailor and the Ruined Castle, Con't

How Extraordinary! Once Sailor made his decision to return to the castle his mind suddenly perceived a clarity which had, before now, eluded him and the peculiar dank vapor over the town seemed to unexpectedly lift, while the rain began receding back into the dark clouds above. The day cleared as they broke and scudded across the sky; driven by the wind. It was so sudden, as if on cue and was it triggered by Sailor's decision? Sailor thought to himself 'So. It was true.' The apprehension he'd been experiencing for a week now, the vague feelings of unwanted and unlooked for change... all leading to this decisive moment in his life. The fog indeed, had come for him. It had found him and it was driving him, inexorably, towards the ruined castle on the hill above the village. Now, to find out why!

Catspaw

Sailor and the Ruined Castle, Con't

The day was awash with sunlight resting on the trees and grass that grew bountifully around thick castle turrets and walls. The path leading to the main drawbridge was surrounded with green of every kind and warmth. Lazy bugs flew as if drunk on sunshine! The strong scent of the nearby woods was on the wind as Sailor paused to sniffed the air. The extreme coldness had finally left his body and with it the stiffness was also gone; he felt warm again. He also felt a strange sense of 'right', like he belonged here. But... where was here? Every time he concentrated and thought he recognized something in this place, he had a kind of 'falling' sensation. As though everything he was looking at was moving backwards, away from him and receding. Sailor decided against trying to remember, he was tired and need rest; he would simply explore this place and see what came of it.

It seemed like he'd had been walking for hours... He watched birds flying and listened to the chatter of insects and there were fish in the moat that encompassed the castle, so this had to be a real place and it was alive. Sailor was weary and wanting to rest on his paws when he rounded a corner and found a small side entrance into the castle that was accessed by walking over a small bridge. There was an inviting patch of warm sunshine just beside the fence of the walkway above ; Sailor was drawn to the place and laid down comfortably in the taller grass, relaxing his fatigued body. As he lay prostrate Sailor gazed up at the castle walls, to his left the walls were covered in ivy that had climbed straight up the wall and was spreading to the one beside it. The palisade facing him was relatively narrow and had several stone windows carved into it, four up high and four below with several niches in between. There was a turret to the far right of Sailor's position. Eventually the sound of the water streaming in the moat, the enticing warmth of the day and the crickets all conspired together to lull Sailor into a deep, contented sleep. He was finally home.

Catspaw 

Sailor and the Ruined Castle, Con't

Sailor could not remember being a 'bad' cat. That's what the human population of this village called cats when they were misbehaving by human standards. This was the second day of a torrential rainstorm sucked in from the ocean; the fog had not receded but had instead, grown denser and colder as it sank to the cobblestones. Sailor lay unconscious in the splintering doorway of a house, dreaming once again of another village. This one always felt more familiar to him. The last time he had found himself here, Sailor had followed his feelings towards a castle high atop the hill. He had turned in the direction of one of the castle gateways and... if he remembered correctly, had heard something; the sound of trumpets and cheering people and now, the sense that he would truly be welcomed here; petted, played with and fed as a 'good' cat. Was this feeling to be trusted?

Catspaw

Sailor and the Ruined Castle, Con't

The day became indistinct and bleak as the fog sank over the village. Everywhere a single activity was being practiced by the residents who hastened to street shops that were being secured. Doors to houses were closing and windows banged shut. In the space of an hour the beautiful little fishing village became unrecognizable as a ghost town. The fog was accompanied with the dampness of the ocean and not long after its descent, everything was wet and cold. Sailor crouched as far inside the alcove of a doorway as he could manage, his fur was damp and he was chilled to the bone. He squatted there in misery. A sudden, loud crack of thunder burst above the town, so close that it made the quaint little buildings shake. Sailor instinctively jumped at the piercing noise and pressed himself further into the unyielding wooden door-frame for what little shelter it offered him. Excited voices could be heard from within as children were admonished to be silent and go to their school studies while the evening meal was prepared. Since he had come to this village, looking for belonging, Sailor had known little kindness from its occupants. Other cats were noticed, even fed sometimes or taken in on nights like this, but Sailor never was. He had come to expect harsh treatment from humans and he usually received it. In fact, now that he thought on it, had the skipper of the fishing boat really welcomed him on board or had he nodded to his deckhand? The fish monger had never really noticed him either, he just finished gutting the fish and put the slop bucket down. Strange that he should consider this at such a time.

Abandoned Cat existing in the streets of people-filled cities around the globe. No one to care. No one to help.

 Catspaw

Hello and Welcome To My 100th Blog!

Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening...

...to all my readers and visitors. This is a very special blog because its my One Hundredth. Since the beginning, when I first started on January 22nd of 2012, I have been mixing things up with a variety of offerings. Most of them are about cats, with a few that are off-topic. So I thought I'd share a little more about who I am and why I'm doing this everyday. I know from cruising the net that not all bloggers post a daily entry; I do because some of my readers have told me they like coming to my blog for that very reason. This blog has also become an important creative venue for me over the past, almost three months, and I enjoy it very much. 

Who I am! I'm a writer and not just any writer. One of my strengths seems to be writing descriptive stories. I say 'seems to be' because I am still exploring my writing style. If you've been following my blogs, I began a story the week before introducing it on February 24th, 2012; Sailor and the Ruined Castle. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, I can tell you its worth more than that! The most interesting aspect of this story is its inception, I am writing it based completely on pictures I find on the net. The story writes itself from there. I'm not one of those sit-in-front-of-a-blank-paper writers; I let the picture inspire the story and follow it from there and each picture inspires the direction the story takes. I also have journals that date back to the 1980's, full of stories and poetry that I go back to every now and again. 

Why do I blog everyday? Its my favorite creative outlet for my story and for everything else I like to share with you, my readers. One reader told me she likes the fact that I post every single day; another said she comes back because there is always new and different content. I like variety myself and loads of pictures so that is what I use for the base of all my blogs. Since I will only settle for original, written~personally~by~me content; while I will take an idea from a different web page I will also rewrite it my own words, keeping the original content and context, intact. I don't mislead my readers and visitors. I also love to hear comments about what I am offering to as to gauge the relevance of my content. 

So, H~A~P~P~Y 100th Blog Anniversary to ME!!

I hope you have enjoyed my blogs thus far and will keep returning, especially to follow Sailor in his adventures; which incidentally, is now in the Chapter 2 phase. 

I would like to extend a 'Thank You' to all my faithful readers and new visitors to my blog, I wouldn't continue if I did not have both your interest and your support. I thank you and Sailor thanks you. And Thank you for your comments. 

Catspaw

Sailor Story In Chapter Two Phase

This is to let my readers and guests who have been faithfully following Sailor through his adventures know, that the story I began on February 24th, 2012 is now in the Chapter Two phase and events in the story are speeding toward some very interesting turns which will begin leading to a bizarre twist.

I had begun this story as a short term project but now the story is developing in a different direction then anticipated and taking on a life of its own. I am just following it but to what conclusion, I don't know. Nor do I know whether the story will end with the second chapter. There are still a few paragraphs in Chapter One that I will publish in the coming days while I begin developing Chapter Two.

I hope you will become a fan of Sailor and read all of his adventures. Turns out, he's not the cat you, or I, thought he was!!

In the meantime...  I will work on continuing his story and he will let me know what will come next. For those interested in reading his story from the beginning, it starts in my February 26th post. 

Catspaw

Sailor and the Ruined Castle, Con't

Sailor started violently awake, frightening several seagulls into sudden flight who were fighting over the contents of the gutting bucket. Half sitting he stared about him wondering where he was. The heat of the day had past into a cooler early evening sunshine; the slop bucket was half full again, thanks in part to the sea birds. He had missed the day on the fishing boat! Still somewhat disoriented from his strange dream he climbed out of his nook and wandered the streets of the village. After a time he turned down a whitewashed byway and past a fisherman mending his lines. His mind was still preoccupied by the dream to really notice what the man was doing. His dream town and castle were so different from this place, how could that be and why was he dreaming about them more often? Questions, always questions.

What's coming in the next few parts of this story is really unbelievable. Stay tuned. 

Catspaw

Sailor and the Ruined Castle, Con't

 

It was hot and Sailor napped in his shaded recess. As he slipped into dream a different village came into view, one that seemed somehow older than the one he presently called home. This town had a castle on a hill above it and the houses were mostly tan and brown with occasional whitewashed buildings and a wider breakaway rampart that ended at the sea. There was more beach area too. What was most odd about this environment was the fact that there was something oddly familiar about the castle in particular; Sailor's mind wandered up the hill towards it in his dream. As he neared the structure he turned in a direction that felt almost native to him, it brought him through thick trees and grasses to a side gate. As Sailor approached, with extreme caution and his heart thumping against his chest... Was that the sound of trumpets and cheering people coming from within?

Continue to follow Sailor and his story to its shocking conclusion.

Catspaw

Sailor and the Ruined Castle, Con't

This store could be anywhere on the street. Join the story and choose where for yourself.

Before the dawn could light the harbour, Sailor was still curled into a ball in the rigging sound asleep. Hunting seagulls circling and crying out woke him from his long slumber and he stretched before cleaning his coat. The day was calm and soon the sky lightened into a deep shade of blue while the sun sent her warmth towards the awakening town. A rat caught Sailor's attention and held it for several seconds but the cat had other plans for his morning meal. He wanted fish and he knew just where to get it so he set off for the fish monger's shop again. As Sailor dropped to the deck the rat made a mad scramble to secure the dock and safety, but the feline past him by. Climbing the step and gaining the breakaway, Sailor meandered past the houses where people were rising to greet the day and shops were being opened for business. He stopped before the door of the fish monger shop, sat and waited patiently to be noticed. Midday found Sailor resting in a shaded corner across from the shop. 

Catspaw 

Photo from:  Fishmonger Stock Photo Images. 619 fishmonger royalty free ...   www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/fishmonger.html

We feature 11100000 royalty free photos, 95000 stock footage clips, digital videos, vector clip art images, clipart pictures, ... The World's Stock Photography - One Website ™ ... Fishmonger behind counter in shop, holding out fish, portrait ..

Sailor and the Ruined Castle, Con't

The harbour neighbored the hamlet closely enough to catch the swish and slap of the waves as they struck against the sides of fishing boats and small skiffs that bobbed on the tide. Sailor took to his paws and bolted along the cobblestones until he reached the edge of town, then out towards the harbour along the stone breakaway that separated the village proper from the rest of the sea. Silently he crept down the stone steps and carefully walked the dock below until he reached the first moored fishing boat; here he was welcomed aboard by the skipper and deckhands as a member of their crew. As he gained the vessel and dropped over the side the coiled rigging that was his special place loomed into view. He took his place and stared out over the glowing water as the vessel gently undulated on the undercurrent. All that could be seen was the outline of a cat on the deck of the fishing boat. 

Revisit Sailor's story from February 21st

Catspaw 

Sailor and the Ruined Castle, Con't ~~~

The town sloped down the hillside and sat in a lurid mixture of moonlight and town lamps. Many of the windows were lit from within and cast yellow pools just outside on the cobblestones. A small wharf opened itself to the sea in the middle of town.

On the darkest of nights the patchwork buildings became indistinct shadows so it was only by day could you appreciate the pretty village with its different colored and shaped buildings, some of which operated as both residence and shop for many of the denizens. 

 

As he neared an unlit house Sailor could hear other night wandering felines making their own rounds of the village. He waited till they past his hiding place before quickly moving down the wet road to the local fish monger shop. If you arrived in time, there was always something to be had that would quiet the noises in your belly. After a quick meal gained from a recent gutting bucket that had been left out for the night, Sailor continued his way through town till he reached the harbor.

Sailor

Catspaw

Sailor and the Ruined Castle, Con't

Sailor snapped fully awake and reared in a defensive posture, growling. The summery daylight had vanished and he was alone in the night. It had been a dream. Guardedly he edged forward and glanced about, he seemed to be quite alone. There was a full moon riding high above the ruins illuminating the castle and a light gust now sent a chill through the darkness that surrounded him. Sailor crouched just behind the entrance and peered out over the the enclosure. Something moved! 

Catspaw