Update on name change

Well, the count right now is four votes for Off the Edge, three for I Call Shotgun, one for Fast Talker, Slow Walker, and three people liked Brain Droppings better than anything.

So...I'm still torn. I'm going to do some more thinking, maybe try to come up with a theme, consult with the guy mending his nets and see where it goes.

Thanks to all for your suggestions and opinions. You were a great help and really gave me a direction in which to wander - name wise. If you're ever in the neighbourhood stop on by. I've got the coffee pot on and I owe each of you a cup.

Bump in the Night

“Marcie, I don’t want to hear it again. Just close your eyes and go to sleep.”

Marcie blinked, large eyes brimming with tears. Rachel was getting impatient, soon she would be angry. Marcie wished mom and dad would come home. She liked it when Rachel came to babysit, but she had never stayed this late before. Mom and dad were always home before bedtime.

Rachel sighed. “I know you are worried about your mom and dad, but they’re fine. They’re just waiting until the weather lets up a little bit." She tugged the blanket up to Marcie’s chin and gently smoothed it. “I told them you’d be all tucked in and fast asleep before they arrived home. You’re going to make a liar out of me.” She crossed the room and turned off the light once more. “To sleep,” she ordered, “and no more talk of monsters.”

Marcie lay in the dark, eyes steady on the ceiling. She concentrated on keeping her breathing slow and even and quiet. She had to remain perfectly still. Light squeezed in from the crack under the door throwing shadows across the room. Once her eyes adjusted, and she was sure she was alone, she grabbed the blanket up over her head. Heart pounding, body trembling, she focused again, listening.

Rain drummed against the window. Seconds went by. Minutes. If mom and dad were here everything would be ok. They would tuck her in, read her a story, kiss her good night. They would check. Marcie’s thoughts began to wander. Carelessly, she shifted her leg under the covers.

A muffled scraping noise snapped her back to attention. She lay perfectly still, held her breath. There, she heard it. Underneath the heavy thump, thump of her heart in her ears was the raspy breath of…

“RACHEL!!”

The sound of hurried footsteps on the stairs drowned out all the other noises. Rachel threw open the door, but this time she didn’t turn on the light.

“Marcie, this had better not be about monsters.”

“I heard it, Rachel. Just like I told you. It’s there! I heard it!”

Marcie was panicked, but it was difficult for Rachel to hide her annoyance. She stepped into the darkened room and turned toward the closet. The closed door was illuminated by the light of the hallway, and despite what she had told the little one, her heart began to pound as she reached for the handle. This is ridiculous, she thought, and yanked the door open.

She let out a sigh. “There, you see. Nothing but Marcie’s clothes and toys. No monsters to be seen.” Rachel felt silly for getting wrapped up into this game, and frustrated at the little girl who refused to let it go. She marched over to the bed and stood with hands on hips. “Now enough of this talk and go to sleep.”

“But, Rachel, the monster isn’t in the closet,” Marcie cried. The look on her babysitter’s face went from annoyance, to surprise, to horror.

“It’s under the bed.”

Help Rename Brain Droppings

When I started this blog a few years ago I gave it the name 'Brain Droppings' as a temporary placeholder name until I could come up with something good. Two years have flown by, and I still have not chosen that permanent name that embodies everything that is Brain Droppings - or rather is not Brain Droppings. You know what I mean.

I started asking for suggestions. I sought assistance from friends, family, the local store keeper, the guy on the corner who sits outside mending nets all day. Some had great suggestions, some had ridiculous suggestions, and the guy who sits outside mending nets all day asked "what's a blog?"

At the and of the day I had a few ideas but I was still no closer to picking my new name. Then a friend said, "why not let the people who read your blog decide?" Brilliant idea, says I.

So this is what I'm going to do. I am going to put a poll on my blog that will run for one week. On it I will post all the names that have been suggested to me. At the end of the week, the name with the greatest number of votes will be it. I will post the poll on Wednesday, August 26. If anyone has any further suggestions before then, please feel free to post them in the comments section and I will add them to the list.

This is what I have so far:

Off the Edge of the Map - This is indicative of the style of my writing, and also my geographical location.

I Call Shotgun - Suggested by my daughter (who actually thought it would make a good band name). She said it kind of fit the going here and there theme of the blog.

The Long Mainsheet - Suggested by the guy who sits outside mending nets (once I explained "blog"). In local speak, to "give 'er the long mainsheet" means to go away for a long time, or with no intention to return. I think he may have been trying to tell me something.

Who's Going to Stop Me? - A suggestion from a friend. Taken from one of my favourite quotes.

Fast Talker, Slow Walker - Suggestion from a cousin because he feels it sums up the feel of my blog, and it also describes me pretty well.

That's it so far. Any and all help would be appreciated so that I can give "Brain Droppings" a proper burial.

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Six on 6S
I've got a six up at Six Sentences today. Drop by and say hello.

Things I like this week

It's been a while since I liked anything, so I thought I throw a few things in here to break up the week.

Nautica Blueberry Shiraz

I first tried this at the wine show in the capital city last fall and thought it was worth purchasing a bottle or two. I have since enjoyed it on several occasions and it is quickly becoming my favourite "relaxing" wine. Made by Auk Island Winery in Twillingate, this medium bodied red has a nice mellow flavour with a very nice finish - it reminds me of damson plums, which I adore. Speaking of which - I recently discovered that Auk Island also has a Damson Wine that is next on my list to try.


POE

A collection of short stories based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, and edited by Ellen Datlow. As a dedicated Poe follower, this was a must have for my bookshelf. This collection of short stories, while a little short on the elements that would be considered uniquely Poe, contains some very haunting reads. One of my favourites was The Red Piano by Delia Sherman - a nod to the long suffering females of Poe's works which also suggests qualities of Roderick Usher in its own Roderick Hawthorne. The beauty of this anthology is in the range of the authors and their creations, and also in the fun you'll have guessing the source of inspiration. You will certainly be left listening for the heartbeat under your floorboards.


Bakeapple Tea

Bakeapples, or cloudberries as they are sometimes called, are a popular berry found in marshy areas around the province. This tea has a nice, delicate bakeapple flavour and tastes great with just a little sugar (which is my favourite way to drink anything). I like this tea cold on hot days, but it is especially good brewed hot on a cool evening. With fall weather moving in I am planning to stock up soon.

Interesting fact: The word bakeapple comes from the French 'baie qu'appelle?' which means, 'what is this berry called?'

Picture Perfect

Jonathan finished the slipway for our kayak late yesterday, and we decided, on a whim, to try it out and maybe go for a quick paddle around the harbour. The slipway worked like a charm. I didn't take my camera, but it would only be a short trip.

It was a beautiful evening; not a breath of wind, and the sky was washed with pink and lavender. We paddled effortlessly, cutting a swath through calm water. It was so pleasant we were reluctant to go in and so paddled out toward the head, hoping to get a better look at the sunset. I felt a small pang of regret that I had left my camera behind.

The water was a little choppier once we got outside the harbour, but the paddling was still good. The breeze from the land was warm and scented of crowberry bushes. There were several boats out on the water, taking part in the recreational fishery. A motor boat cut its engine as it approached, a courtesy we very much appreciated. We exchanged greetings, marvelling at the beauty of the evening and the sunset. The sun was low in the sky now, brilliant orange, partially hidden by the clouds. I was very disappointed that I hadn't taken the time to return to the house for my camera.



That disappointment grew exponentially. We heard a sound close by, like a blast of air let out of a tire. Seconds later a humpback whale breached not sixty feet from where we sat. All around us more and more whales came to the surface, all within a hundred feet of our kayak. It was difficult to keep track, but we figure there were eight or nine whales in all. They would go down, circle, and breach again. One of them crossed under our boat and surfaced about thirty feet away. It was scary but exhilarating, knowing that there were so many of them, and that we were there among them.

As the sun set slowly in the west, we paddled east, back toward the harbour. I closed my eyes and just enjoyed the sensation of the boat rising and falling on the waves, the sound of the ocean. We passed Fogo head, and called out to the people watching from the observation point (our kids were among them). They didn't see the whales, but they were enjoying the view. My Father-in-law managed to snap a few pictures of the sunset and the kayak.



Darkness was closing in as we crossed the harbour toward the shore. The full moon was rising above the hills, another breathtaking sight to end the evening. The harbour was perfectly calm and silent but for the gently lapping of the water against the kayak. We didn't speak, just enjoyed quiet of the evening.

These are the moments that make your life, moments that even a camera cannot capture.

Friday Fiction

My short piece, Possession, is up at Flashes in the Dark today. Stop by and say hello, and while you're at it, read some other great, creepy fiction. You should also check out the submission guidelines, you know, just in case.

Hump Day Message

Today is Regatta Day here in the capital city. The Royal St. John's Regatta is the oldest continuous sporting event in North America. Summer in St. John's centers around this day as families head to Quidi Vidi to spend a day at the races, cheering for their favourites, eating tons of cotton candy, and spending money hand over fist at games of chance. I have no horse, or boat rather, in the race this year but it is a beautiful day for anyone on the lake, or on shore taking in the festivities. May the best teams emerge victorious.

In other news, I'm filling in today on the blog of the gardening great, Michael Solender, while he enjoys a little rest and relaxation. You can read my fiction piece, Unraveled, at Not From Here, Are You?, and while you're there you should check out the other proxy writers, as well as some of Michael's very entertaining stories, poems and musings.

Happy Hump Day!