Cold November Days

 This is a story of a November day, when the air is cold, and the wind blew so hard that the leaves danced mad dervishes in the street. Beware that cold wind. It might carry you away in a bewitching dance to far off places that are less forgiving, but no less beautiful.

Places where the cold is so awe-inspiring, and so breath-taking, you do not realize that it is stealing your warmth little by little. And replacing it with that cold. Be wary, warm blooded child. Be wary, and watchful, for your warmth is precious.

Painting Clouds

I’ve taken up a new hobby. I’m painting some clouds. It’s relaxing to watch the brush create swirls, and strange shimmers as the colors become absorbed into the mist. The clouds are so delicate that too much paint can cause it to collapse. But the end results can be quite astounding. I’ve taken my favorites and hung them on a mobile. The rest are released back to the sky.

Currency: A Small Tale

 Come to the market
come see the wares
bring what coins you have found
in pockets and cushion tears

It doesn't matter what the coins are. Real or fake, new and old, the booth at the entracce will happily exchange the lot so you have the right currency to spend inside. Just remember to exchange them back before you leave. Dreams, hopes, desires, fears, nightmares - are a little harder to use as payment for groceries. 

Dragonfly: A Small Tale

I haven't seen a dragonfly in quite some time. There’s isn’t much open water nearby for the aquatic stage of their life. And who could blame them? This is a desert after all. What water there is is often man-made. Pools and fish ponds safely curated in the backyards of homes. There is a marsh, albeit a small way, some miles away. Possibly it was born there, and somehow managed to fly all the way to this part of the valley. My surprise and delight at finding an iridescent orange one living in my parents yard is a quiet joy.

 

The Dinosaur Tree: A Small Tale

 There are many things to discover on a walking adventure. Sounds that are different or new from the everyday humdrum. Strange shapes that with a little imagination turn into fantastical monsters and animals. Have a small child accompany you on a walk and suddenly everything takes on new meaning. During one such adventure a strange noise was heard.

"Oh no!" she said, "there's a dinosaur!"

"Where?" I asked.

"There," and she pointed towards a spot off to the side. 

As I turn my head, I think I see movement out of the corner of my eye. But all I see is a tall tree, shaped impossibly strange. It's just a tree. Yet how remarkable that it looks like a dinosaur, I think to myself. I say nothing about the slight chuff I hear as we walk past it. 

The Crow Tree: A Small Tale

In every neighborhood, there is a crow tree.

There is nothing different about it from the other trees. But somehow all the crows choose it as their roosting spot. I can see it from my house, and on warm days when I'm outside I can hear their 'caws' echoing in the air. Yet when I drive the streets in search of it, it always seems to be one block over from my spot. Which house is it behind, I ask myself? The crows do not give me any answers.

 At least, not yet. 

The Unkindest Tide (#13) by Seanan McGuire

Synopsis:
Hundreds of years ago, the Selkies made a deal with the sea witch: they would have the sea for as long as she allowed it, and when the time came, she would call in all their debts at once. Many people assumed that day would never come. Those people were wrong.

When the Luidaeg--October "Toby" Daye's oldest and most dangerous ally--tells her the time has come for the Selkies to fulfill their side of the bargain, and that Toby must be a part of the process, Toby can't refuse. Literally. The Selkies aren't the only ones in debt to the Luidaeg, and Toby has to pay what she owes like anyone else. They will travel to the fabled Duchy of Ships and call a convocation of the Selkies, telling them to come and meet the Luidaeg's price...or face the consequences.

Published September 2019

Of course, nothing is that simple. When Dianda Lorden's brother appears to arrest Dianda for treason against the Undersea, when a Selkie woman is stripped of her skin and then murdered, when everything is falling apart, that's when Toby will have to answer the real question of the hour.

Is she going to sink? Or is she going to swim? 

Warning: This review may contain some spoilers from the previous novels. 

Are you ready?