Seeking icicles, I’ve returned to Zion Canyon. Red walls stained with black mineralization are capped with white and pink peaks as the sandstone fades. It doesn’t truly fade; it’s layers of sediment baked in earth’s oven and uplifted in turmoil, or perhaps triumph. Miles up the canyon, a river bubbles out of a cavern and repeats it’s process of carving. Upstream the rock layer is hard and cuts so steep that 16 miles of water touches each rock side. It’s called The Narrows and it’s hikeable, if you call wading and swimming a hike. Perhaps in summer when the desert turns on heat of its own.
For now I zip my fleece and scan the red rock walls for ice.
Each time I return to Zion, I learn something new. The black streaks, for example, are the tracks of rainwater. I can see icicles far up the canyon walls, but none along the trail. It was warmed up on Mars since last week. Closer scrutiny of the icicles reveal they are no longer ice, but white shadows. A new mineralization. Rain leaves traces of black, and ice leaves outlines of white. Ghost-cicles. A third color, that of algae-green pools, has gone missing. Evidently the famous Emerald Pools are not such in winter. I’ve climbed two miles and found nothing but fades.
My quickened breath reminds me I should hike more often. I say so to The Hub and he grunts that walking would be better. Some parts of the trail are so steep I can’t step my heel down, and I climb on tippy-toes. When the trail dips downward I breathe easier, but take tiny steps like a scrambling crab so I don’t slip on the sandy mud that sweeps across the paved trail of red cement. Somewhere along the trail my second wind kicks in and my leg muscles loosen up enough that my steps feel more confident. Never a sprinter; I’m built for endurance.
Disappointed to not find any icicles or gem-like pools, I see the sun lighting up a peak of white that towers like a glowing ember above the walls of red cast in perpetual shadow with the low winter sun. I take a few photos and notice a bird. That’s when the enormity of scale hits me. These sandstone cliffs are nearly a mile high. That I can even see a winged creature that isn’t some gigantic dragon is remarkable. Pines look like scrubs, caverns like pockmarks, and boulders bigger than buses like stepping stones. Until something appears against the cliffs, the mind is willing to believe they aren’t really the tallest sandstone features in the world.
Because I can see this bird and it’s flying near the rim, I realize it must be huge to be seen. A bald eagle? No white head or tail. A golden eagle? Maybe. I watch it glide against the red rock, approaching a fissure in the face. It disappears into a cave. Yet another thing to fade before my eyes on this hike. Ice, algae and now a bird. Eagles build impressive nests high up on ledges, but this bird went into the wall. One bird in all of Zion does that. And I’m once again breathless — this time because I realized I just saw a rare California Condor, the largest bird in North America.
Seeing this soaring giant of Zion brings up an issue of names. The Hub says we saw condors all the time in north Idaho. Another tourist, joins me in the watch and the bird emerges. He thinks it’s a buzzard. Vultures, buzzards and condors are all raptors and different as bald eagles from goldens. Science is specific about how it names species so we get it all sorted out and the three of us marvel at the rare sight.
If only human names were easy to apply and differentiate. Over time, history and historical writers can struggle with names. Take the names Sarah and James. These two names create challenges for me in my writing of Rock Creek. Sarah is the name of both Cobb’s former mistress and his brother’s wife. Cobb’s full name was David Colbert McCanles, and his nickname was Cobb. But no one recorded the nicknames of the two Sarahs. Since one is the protagonist, I kept her name Sarah, and gave Cobb’s sister-in-law the probable familiar name of Sally.
Ah, but the James names are more numerous. Wild Bill Hickok’s full name was James Butler Hickok. He wasn’t dubbed Wild Bill until after the Civil War. Historical accounts say that Cobb teased the young man for his protruding upper lip and called him Duck Bill. But why Bill? One biographer thinks James went by the name Bill, his father’s name. When Cobb’s brother gave his statement and accused three men of murdering his brother and two ranch hands, he was recorded as calling Hickok, Dutch Bill, probably because he didn’t know Hickok by any other name. The one writing out the statement must have heard “Dutch” rather than “Duck.” If you don’t know the joke, Duck Bill doesn’t make sense.
But that’s not all. In addition to James Hickok, the other Pony Express employee on duty at Rock Creek the day of the incident was James Brinks. Brinks also had the nickname Doc, not because he was a physician but most likely because he worked on the steamship docks along the Missouri. He, along with the station manager (Horace Wellman), and Hickock were accused of murdering Cobb and his two men — James Gordon and James Woods. Four of the six men involved in this hotly debated historical incident were named James.
Joseph Rosa, Hickok biographer, writes:
“No single gunfight, with the possible exception of the Earp-Clanton fight in October, 1881 in Tombstone, Arizona, has caused so much controversy as the Hickok-McCanles affair at Rock Creek on the afternoon of Friday, July 12, 1861.”
Families, historians, State Historical societies, books, movies, magazine editors and western writers have all squared off over the years into factions. I name these the White Hat/Black Hat factions because each side believes to understand what happened that day you have to place a good-guy white hat on one and a bad-guy black hat on the other. You can read the nasty digs historians have given one another in their books or articles. I’ve interviewed McCandless family historians who tell me Hickock was short, mean and the devil on earth. I’ve been interviewed by a writer of a modern documentary who only wanted facts that painted McCanles in the worst way possible. Joseph Rosa offers the most compelling account because of his research into Hickok, but he fails to give the same diligence for McCanles.
No one considered the women’s perspectives.
Several historians did take an interest in Sarah Shull (often miss-naming her Kate Shell), but only due to intrigue over a perceived lover’s triangle between her, McCanles and Hickok. And sadly, no one even tried to research Jane Holmes’ name, only known as the common-law wife of Horace Wellman. To understand the Rock Creek Affair, you need to understand the men through the women’s lens. You need to understand the women. This may shock the history of the West, but women had motives, too.
After my own shock of seeing a California Condor in flight (you, too can see the spec in my photo for this prompt), I remembered that what appears and fades before us can have a sort of non-verbal language that is life. We might set out to see one thing and see another. The best we can do is try to name our experience. Names are such a human attribute. What is in a name?
December 15, 2016 prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) explore the importance of a name within a story. It can be naming an experience, introducing an extraordinary name, or clarifying a name (who can forget Who’s on First). Go where the prompt leads.
Respond by December 20, 2016 to be included in the compilation (published December 21). Rules are here. All writers are welcome!
***
His Name Remembered (from Rock Creek) by Charli Mills
Nancy Jane shoveled dirt over her baby’s nameless grave. Her Pa retreated to the barn and more liquor. Hang up that suit first, she reminded him.
That man, that awful man who played his fiddle over the open grave, as if she wanted to share her sorrow uninvited. That man who hauled her father to the gravesite behind his horse all because Pa stole a suit in his drunken sorrow. Who did he think he was to name Pa a thief? He demanded Pa return the suit cleaned and mended. That man. Cobb McCanles.
She’d not forget his name.
###
Puppy Names (from Miracle of Ducks) by Charli Mills
Selling puppies became a town spectacle. Ike’s coffee buddies showed up to chaperone, making certain Ike’s pups went to good hunting homes. Danni didn’t care if they hunted. Everyone wanted the male, including this couple.
“He bites,” said Danni. On cue, Bubbie chomped the tender spot behind Greg’s knee, pinching the skin. Danni diverted Bubbie, smiling.
They bought one of the roan sisters. Trina suggested the name Maria, and Greg countered with Cooper or North. Len from the coffee klatch suggested Buckshot.
As the couple drove off, Danni turned to Len. “Seriously? You’d name one of these girls Buckshot?”
###
You saw a condor! That’s awesome. <3 Love the descriptions of the black, white (ghost-sicles), the red and pink rock, and green pools. So gorgeous. I envy the sights but not those steep walks. Yikes.
I'm not surprised about the names all being the same/similar but it does make for a tough WIP. And I have thought from the very beginning that your interest in the women's perspectives is fascinating and crucial. It's sad that a love triangle is the only reason historians looked into the women involved but, again, I'm not surprised. You show them! Great flash again this week but I particularly liked Rock Creek. Nicely done!
I know! And I was trying to find you an icicle, so it’s kind of your condor. 🙂 I’m not good at the inclines, and these are considered the moderate trails. Some insane, I mean adventurous, people rock-climb and bivouac overnight on the cliff faces.
Many historians get me fired up, but one in particular wrote near erotic accounts of his imagined romance between Hickok and Sarah and it influenced writers thereafter. Poor Sarah! He actually wrote this before she died. That’s another aspect of the story which fascinates me — her longevity while the men were among the “quick and the dead.” Thanks, Sarah!
Yay! A condor sighting I can sort of claim! 🙂 That’s spectacular. You’ll find icicles. Just don’t break your arse trying to find them. That really sounds dangerous.
I can’t believe (though…I can, really) that someone wrote that while she was alive. That’s terrible. I’ve always loved that she lived long after all the men were dead. She was made of hearty stuff that woman.
Okay, so I couldn’t help using my pirate flash because it fit so well with this challenge. Her power, her many names, the importance of names yet the fact that, in Anne’s case, it didn’t matter one bit. But I will try to whip up a new flash before the deadline.
https://sarahbrentynflash.wordpress.com/2016/12/17/that-female-pirate-with-the-axe/
No kidding about the arse-breaking! I finally found what I sought and I stepped ever so carefully. My upcoming Christmas present to you all is a rare glimpse at something icy (next prompt post).
Sarah Shull was a smart woman. Middle child of a large family, intelligent, quiet and wanting someone brilliant. If you think of the ignorance we see today in the US, it’s not new, that pride in being hard-working, ignorant and self-righteous. The overt clash pre-Civil War was industrialism versus agricultural slavery, yet smaller economic clashes existed in the rural areas between smalltown business men and generational families that felt entitled because they lived there and worked the land and made their own shoes. It’s eerie how thoughts I developed about the 1850s during my research are actually recycling today, including the struggle we see in North Carolina! Of all states, that’s where Cobb and his family left because of the intolerant and dangerous political climate.
Fantastic recycling on your part! 🙂 It does fit so well and I absolutely love this pirate project of yours. It’s kind of how Rock Creek started for me — once you get captivated, you find the story not only goes deep into history, but has much to reflect about today.
[…] want to learn more about the Flash Fiction Challenge, hosted by Carrot Ranch Communications, click this link […]
https://rantingalong.wordpress.com/2016/12/15/99-word-writing-prompt-whats-in-a-name/
That’s an unforgettable name if only one were around to remember. Good to see you at the ranch, again!
[…] Written for: https://carrotranch.com/2016/12/16/december-15-flash-fiction-challenge/ […]
Hi Charli, I went where the prompt took me:
https://summerstommy.com/2016/12/16/december-15-flash-fiction-challenge-proving-he-was-right/
Hi Michael! I’m glad you followed the prompt where it lead! Otherworldly!
[…] For: December 15: Flash Fiction Challenge […]
a tribute to my Mom 🙂
https://ladyleemanilablog.wordpress.com/2016/12/16/aurora-is-my-mothers-name/
Aw, that’s a sweet tribute, Lady Lee! She must be a special woman with her aura of hope.
Thanks for sharing that speck of a condor with us – must have been wonderful to see it when it wasn’t expected.
I particularly like your Rock Creek flash this week – it’s interesting to introduce a famous character without their name initially from a less famous perspective, I think it’s done quite often but I haven’t really thought of it before, your flash brings out very clearly.
I do struggle as a reader with repeated names, which are often passed from parent to child, but it seems you are finding ways round it for Rock Creek.
For my flash I’ve drawn on my current WIP which I’ve just picked up again after eighteen months of it not seeming to work – but before you get to it there are a couple of novels starting with slavery, not an easy read but I can’t recommend The Underground Railroad enough!
Beyond the slave plantations #amreading http://annegoodwin.weebly.com/1/post/2016/12/-beyond-the-slave-plantations-in-novels-by-colson-whitehead-vamba-sherif.html
I’m pleased to share such specs. I often wonder if that’s not what drives us — the chance to see something unexpected. But then again, many seem to spend lives in hopes of nothing unexpected occurring.
Thank you for reminding me about The Underground Railroad. Where I am at right now in the bigger writing is weaving in those slavery elements. Last year I combed through newspapers and read ad after ad that normalized slavery. To me, I think we are still slaves in the US to what drove that institution ans we continue our media campaigns to normalize things like, trump. Ugh.
I’m glad you could dip into your current WIP. Do you mean a part that was not seeming to work or you seemed to not be working on the WIP? 🙂
There is great character. . . .
In a name; in naming. Identity, and description… Sometimes it can be a nickname; because of things one commonly does. Sometimes it is a nickname; that that person hates, or does not even know they have been given. It invents. Personifies the inanimate. Groups together, bands a commonality; or, in capturing like street-names of my youths –gives image to what we already know. Provides ownership; titles; in composite (of people I knew or ones I intended to. . . .) or in specifying, transforms ‘things’ into quite a triumph of that pursuit for . . . -connection.
Thanks Charli!!
The Throw Pillow by Elliott Lyngreen
A cigarette soft-pack between bandana and head, Thief solitarily footloose across rooftops; cut-off jeans, teeth in front –missing; consistently tapped the back-knot, then a smoke half-out –, an iron-worker laid-off from the bridge; never had covers to run to –and oh what incubus midnight reaches clutched this pillow, he claimed –for a softer gunshot; but he just squat with in corners –would rocket snorts tight-roping ridges, leaning over edges; while I crawled with all fours…. “Chances are…” always, he went, into tapping smokes; usually mentioning a tool he could turn over ‘real cheap’. . . .
-it connects =]
Deep thoughts on names, and one connection I hadn’t made until you wrote it — ownership. Also the nicknames we don’t want, the ones that carry our shame. Your naming of the Thief is a glimpse into the world he slips in and out of, but that detail of the throw pillow defines him more than his accurate moniker. Great flash!
Deep thoughts for a vast prompt. There is great philosophy in Name. An enormous presence like that which you etched. And i have always been one to remember someone’s; but struggle with what things are called at times. So, i have to invent descriptions; which is a marvel in the possibilities. All the while, clarity, in the unnamed; tree falling in the woods. I could really go on and on…. Thanks Charli! Yes i was trying that concept of who we truly are can be identified, but what we are is quite different..
[…] Over to Charli for this week’s flash fiction challenge. https://carrotranch.com/2016/12/16/december-15-flash-fiction-challenge/ […]
Hi Charli. Hope this is OK
https://pensitivity101.wordpress.com/2016/12/16/december-15-flash-fiction-challenge/
Hi Di! It’s more than okay! The first line gets attention, and the last leaves the reader wondering which book your Mom read. We have many writers here who employ BOTS (based on a true story) in their fiction. I enjoyed yours!
Thanks Charli. It’s funny, but I don’t know the book she was reading and as I mentioned to Norah, I never knew the name of the horse either!
[…] I used to while working on my memoir, since returning in October, I have continued to write 99 word flash fiction over at dear friend Charli Mills’ Carrot Ranch. I post them in her comments in response to […]
[…] Flash Fiction Challenge over at Carrot Ranch […]
What a fabulous post, Charli. The landscape sounds amazing; and you have a great way of describing it. I feel I’m standing there alongside you, looking at the expanse with you. How awesome to see a condor! No matter how small the speck, you can still claim to have seen a condor in flight. What beautiful birds.
The dilemma over naming the characters in your story to avoid confusion is interesting. I guess parents often have similar dilemmas when considering what to name their children. Hub wanted Son named after him so one is Bob and the other Rob. It still confuses some.
I can see how Duck Bill would be confusing if one wasn’t in on the joke. It’s a pity we humans have a need to make jokes about people’s names.
I like how you are telling the story of the west from the female perspective.
Both flash stories are interesting. Some names are memorable for good reasons, others for reasons we’d rather forget. It is interesting, though, how names can often elude us no matter how hard we try to remember. The appropriateness of names is important too. It reminds me of Johnny Cash and A Boy Called Sue. I often wonder what effect our name can have upon the way we play our lives.
Thank you, Norah! Oh, yes, who could forget the Cash classic, A Boy Named Sue! Out west, it’s common for women to have names like Charli, Danni, Sam, but not likely to find men named Sue. Where I once worked, our GM was named Susan. To eliminate any confusion, all other employees named Susan were asked to go by a derivative, like Sue, Susie or Suzanne. Then came along a new manager named Susan but all the common derivatives were in use so she asked to be called Oona. We got to be friends and later she told me that was the weirdest thing to be offered the position but asked to change her name. I can understand getting two close names like Bob and Rob confused. My nephew has his father’s first name but a different middle name so he goes by that. My husband wanted to give our son his name, too but we did so as the middle name. But it was my eldest who got the airplane engine names, thanks to the Hub. Allison Engines and Pratt & Whitney Engines were both used in WWII fighter planes. He combined the two and I thought, how sweet, but it was years later before he told me of his inspiration! At least her name isn’t Pratt!
It is a bit weird to be given a job, and then asked to change your name! The interviewers should have thought of that first! You’d think the manager would have some say. 🙂
I have always liked the name John, and Hub wanted son named after him. Father and brother and 2 uncles were all Johns, so he couldn’t be called John. The only way we both could choose a name was to call him Robert. He was Robert until adulthood, when he became Rob. Most do okay with it.
Lucky Allison and Whitney are both lovely names! It could have been worse – as you say – Pratt! or Boeing! 🙂
Just reading about names here, and as Norah says Charli, that is really strange taking on a new job only to have to go by a different name! I never had that problem, at least in the UK, where I didn’t know anyone by my name, and still don’t! And Norah, I just wanted to say that my dad’s name was Robert, all the men on his side of the family have it as a middle name. Dad went by Bob for many years, but latterly he used Robert 🙂 And of course, A Boy Named Sue is one of my favourites…love that song!
Sherri is a lovely name. I have known only one other, and I’m not even sure how she spelled it. So Robert was your family name. John was in mine. Both are in my new family. Grandson has Robert as his second name, and the name of the other grandfather comes third!
Thank you Norah, you are so lovely! And how lovely to share the names Robert and John in our mutual families! 🙂
It is. Just another thing we share. 🙂
🙂
[…] prompt this week is about the importance of […]
Here is my contribution, another tale from the history of science.
The Reward is in the Name – a True Story.
“Don’t you feel unappreciated?”
“No, why?”
“Everyone else has been rewarded, the fisherman has a new boat. The scientist has received plaudits from around the world. But you, who first realised it was strange, struggled to preserve it and get it to the one man who would recognise its importance, you have no reward.”
The middle aged woman shook her head and pointed at the name below the strange, four-legged fish – Latimeria. The journalist looked puzzled.
“Miss Latimer’s fish.” She translated, “For all time when the Coelacanth is mentioned I will be remembered, that is my reward.”
Good to see you at the ranch, Gordon! This is a fine reward, the permanency of a Latin name affixed to the discovery. We have a naturalist ancestor in the Mills family and a few bats and mice of the west carry the names of his sister and nieces. I always enjoy your stories! You bring science and history to life through characterization.
[…] December 15, 2016 prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) explore the importance of a name within a story. It can be naming an experience, introducing an extraordinary name, or clarifying a name (who can forget Who’s on First). Go where the prompt leads. […]
Hello, Charli. My contribution to a great and thought provoking prompt:
https://felicityjohns.com/2016/12/19/flash-fiction-my-michaela/
Hi Felicity! Thank you for adding the dimension you did and contributing!
My pleasure, Charli! 🙂
[…] for The Carrot Ranch Flash Fiction Challenge. Requirements: December 15, 2016 prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) explore the importance of […]
LUCKY
The bedraggled, tri-legged mewed at my feet. I hoisted him onto the sofa pillow.
“Oh,” gasped Emily. “What happened?”
“Lucky?” I took my thumb and gently dug into the fur under his malformed neck.
“Lucky?”
“When I was six, he tackled a small bobcat on our family’s campout while I was playing by the campfire.”
As I stroked his back his three-quarter-tail flopped. “Lost his tail jumping the back of a brown bear when Sis and I were out fishing.”
Lucky rolled to have his belly attended.
“We’re lucky to have him.”
“Purrrrrrrrr” was all Lucky had to say.
https://rogershipp.wordpress.com/2016/12/19/lucky/
Lucky and plucky! What a cat, Roger! He has the best last word, though, and must be a beloved cat to the character in the story.
Thanks for the comments and the read.
Sooner
By Ann Edall-Robson
The little pup squirmed in his arms. The runt of the litter was his best friend. They did everything together. The Librarian would even let the dog come inside. Following him between the rows, looking for a book to take to their favourite spot where he would read out loud to his four footed partner.
Now, it was all a memory, except for the pictures on the mantel.
“What’s his name?”
“Sooner.”
“That’s an odd name.”
“Naw, he came by it honest. When he was a pup, he’d sooner pee on the floor than go outside. The name stuck.”
http://www.annedallrobson.com/99-words/sooner
A befitting name for the pup, but Sooner seemed to have grown up well. Or else I doubt the Librarian would let him in to walk the rows. Such are the memories we have of our beloved four-pawed friends.
A Rose By Any Other Name
As she lie among the strange flora of this unexplored world, shards of literature came to mind. “As I Lay Dying”, she whispered, “a fitting epitaph”. Moments earlier, she was strolling through the foliage taking samples. She knew the dangers and handled the samples carefully. However, she felt a sharp sting and found herself on the ground. Her fading eyesight glimpsed the spore that punctured her leg through her suit. A tentacle led back to the offending flower. Wryly, she thought: “A rose by any other name”. Her final gasping words: “I shall call you … The Rose of Death.”
***
Charli, thank you for running the flash fiction challenges. I especially appreciate it after all the difficult times you’ve been through lately. Many times these challenges have helped me get back-in-the-saddle after a gap in writing.
Hi Chris! Welcome to Carrot Ranch. Ah, and you came bearing the literary rose with an unexpected twist per tentacle. Great take on the flash!
Thank you for the comment.It seems to me that the unexpected twist is rather common at the Ranch. 🙂
(This is a re-submission — too many words in first one!)
A Rose By Any Other Name
As she lie among the strange flora of this unexplored world, shards of literature came to mind. “As I Lay Dying”, she whispered, “a fitting epitaph”. Moments earlier, she was strolling through the foliage taking samples. She knew the dangers and handled the samples carefully. However, she felt a sharp sting and found herself on the ground. Her fading eyesight glimpsed the spore that punctured her leg through her suit. A tentacle led to the offending flower. Wryly, she thought: “A rose by any other name”. Her final gasping words: “I shall call you … The Rose of Death.”
Writing an exact word-count constraint is like whittling. This is the one I’ve included in our compilation. Thanks!
[…] Charli challenged writers to In 99 words (no more, no less) explore the importance of a name within a story, and reminded us of the classic Abbott and Costello Who’s on First, I decided I’d try a bit of […]
Hi Charli, Here’s my response: Doctor Morana http://wp.me/p3O5Jj-Q9
Thanks for another interesting prompt. Have a wonderful Christmas.
Hi Norah! Thank you for joining in. And Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Thanks Charli. Best wishes to you and yours also.
[…] Flash Fiction Challenge: December 15 […]
[…] Response to Carrot Ranch’s December 15 Flash Fiction Challenge: Importance of a Name […]
Went where the prompt took me…
Other Name
https://fledglingfictionblog.wordpress.com/2016/12/20/other-name/
Thanks!
Thanks for following the lead, Diana! I think the responses are so interesting in how they are different or similar, revealing something of our thought processes.
I like other. There are many Americans who could/should put other. I wonder what we’re going to do when we have to classify extraterrestrials?
https://kerrylizblack.wordpress.com/2016/12/21/riders-shadow/
Thank you, Kerry!
[…] December 15: Flash Fiction Challenge December 15, 2016 prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) explore the importance of a name within a story. It can be naming an experience, introducing an extraordinary name, or clarifying a name […]
Spending some time with hubby…Hope to be back to read more.
Best to all during this busy time –
Wordweaver
Names are full of meaning. Most often mispronounced if they
are not common. Like Wainwright being a wagon wheel fixer.
There was a time when surnames didn’t exist. One was the
son or daughter of someone.
When surnames started out they were based on professions,
or sometimes the characteristics of an animal that the giver
hoped the receiver would accept or live up too.
There is a Native Peoples custom that a person’s name
changes a few times during their lifetime.
I believe I have always lived up to one I have given myself
since I started writing, Wordweaver.
©JP/dh
Wain·wright: ˈwānrīt/ noun historical 1.a wagon-builder.
Each word full of meaning, each name full of stories. I believe we do evolve and our name can do so, too. You live up to yours! Enjoy time with your hubby!
Some professions or locations we are not inclined to recognize as they were the profession or location of origin of the parent in another language; Greco is ‘Greek’ in Italian or avvocato (also from Italian) not the veggie avocado, which means Lawyer. 🙂
Hi Charli! So glad to make it over here at last! I still can’t get over you saw a Condor! And the height of those red Zion canyons, truly awe-inspiring. It is hard to imagine the vastness of it all, except for the fact that I remember going to Yosemite as you know, different state and colour, but still, the monumental and wild beauty of the skyline and landscape, just breathtaking, like your Mars! I did smile at your discussion of names with Hubbs when you got talking about names. When the kids were little, we used to have ‘arguments’ about the difference between Crows and Rooks, Rooks being slghtly larger. One of us would see on say by the side of the road or in a field, and say ‘Look, a crow’ and then the other would say, ‘No, it’s a rook’ and so it would go on. Sounds silly, but it always had us laughing. Your Rock Creek story and flash has me gripped. I love the way you are telling the story from the women’s perspectives. And the quote about Tombstone and Rock Creek, of course, just love all that, and I think of the film and how the women were portrayed as they would have been back then, meak and submissive, doing women’s work back home while the men worked or gambled or shot up the place, ha! But they did so much more than that. Not forgetting a name for one thing! And love the ongoing MOD story of those darling puppies…I do hope that cutie didn’t get called Buckshot! Looking forward to your icicle pics Charli…and sorry I couldn’t get a flash out, I really love this prompt, but I just couldn’t swing it. Back in the saddle after the New Year though 🙂 <3
Sherri, thank you for the like on my flash; appreciate it.
You’re very welcome Chris!
Charli, after reviewing these posts on FB and WordPress, I have to say I much prefer WP. The layout is much cleaner, the flow is much smoother, and the design is so much less cluttered. I’m going to read/post on WP from now on.
[…] want to learn more about the Flash Fiction Challenge, hosted by Carrot Ranch Communications, click this link […]