Carrot Ranch Literary Community

Home » Flash Fiction Challenge » April 19: Flash Fiction Challenge

April 19: Flash Fiction Challenge

I’m riding high in the dentist’s chair. This is not where I expected to be after fighting a cold-turned-sinus-infection since January. Two weeks ago, facial nerve pain drove me to find something stronger than my arsenal of herbs. That’s how I met Dr. Bob, local dentist.

Now, I’m sucking down nitrous oxide, preparing for the crack and pull of a tooth the dentist can’t save. If the sequence of age for a woman is maiden, mother, crone, I must be working on my crone’s smile now. Yet, I don’t want to be thinking about what Dr. Bob is setting up to do. As beautiful as the falling snow can be, neither do I want to be thinking about what’s falling outside the office window.

Instead, I turn my thoughts to the characters of Rock Creek. I wonder which one of them I’m going to torture with a toothache. Cobb came to mind first, maybe because I wanted to sit in this chair with my toughest character. I imagine that his wife, Mary, would try folk remedies first to ease the agony of tooth pain. But once such remedies fail, people seek the torture of extraction in desperation.

George Washington felt such desperation. History records that he had one tooth a year pulled from the time he was 22 until he had none left to pull. As children in the US, we learn early on in school that our first president wore wooden teeth. And yet this is false. Washington wore dentures of human teeth. I suppose those who extracted teeth had a side gig for creating dental wear.

Cobb would likely liquor up before letting someone yank his troublesome tooth. I’m lucky to be sitting in a near trance, daydreaming about my characters as my own procedure progresses. I wonder how much corn whiskey it would take to equal novocaine shots and laughing gas. I’m not going to test any theories. I also wonder who would pull the tooth? Likely a blacksmith who had pliers.

My thoughts drift to gentler musings, and I realize how ready I am to return to my forest trail at McLain State Park. I’m not even craving the rock-hunting, just the healing vibes of the forest. I can picture the trail as it winds through the pine trees on a ridge overlooking Lake Superior. Its scent hangs sharply in the air I imagine as warmed by afternoon sun.

Arms outstretched, feet rooted above roots, ground solid, air clean and the roar of waves crash in the distance. Now, stepping forward not in a sprint but a relaxed walk. This is Shinrin Yoku — forest bathing. First developed in Japan during the 1980s, JulesPaige introduced it to Carrot Ranch in a flash fiction. It’s healing, restorative and rejuvenating. No wonder I recline and bathe in my imagined forest.

An interesting purpose of Shinrin Yoku is

“To transform our cultural relationship to forests through fostering deeper relationships and positive experiences with forested areas.”

Two years ago, I wrote an article about the push to create a wilderness area out of a mountain range in North Idaho. The idea is that we need wild spaces, even those that might be difficult to access. The leader of the project told me that it’s enough to know wild spaces still exist.

This also makes me think of Aldo Leopold, and his essay from A Sand County Almanac called, “Land Ethic.” He argues for humans to see the land as something more than a commodity; to see it as a community to which we all belong.  He sees that we are not separate from the environment. Along with the idea of transforming our relationships to forests, or preserving wild spaces, so they exist, he acknowledges that we won’t succeed. But it remains important that we try. Leopold writes:

“We shall never achieve harmony with the land, anymore than we shall achieve absolute justice or liberty for people. In these higher aspirations the important thing is not to achieve but to strive.”

From this single dentist’s chair, I’m connected to the past and future, to the Lake Superior pines not yet free of snow, to the wilderness I’ve seen and not seen, to forests on distant shores. For a time of healing, I’m going to imagine forest bathing.

April 19, 2018, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story about forest bathing. You can use the Japanese term, Shinrin Yoku, or you can make up your own ideas about the phrase. Go where the prompt leads.

Respond by April 24, 2018. Use the comment section below to share, read and be social. You may leave a link, pingback or story in the comments.

If you want your story published in the weekly collection, please use this form. If you want to interact with other writers, do so in the comments (yes, that means sharing your story TWICE — once for interaction and once for publication). Rules are here.

***

Free Among the Trees by Charli Mills

Gabriella tapped the last spigot. She caught the trickle of clear sap in a wooden bucket. Daughter of a French trader and an Ottawan mother, she belonged to no one. She kept to the forests outside the ports and mining towns, trading maple syrup with the Black Robes at L’Anse. The forest kept her company, bathed her in its healing embrace. The Black Robes enticed she could become a neophyte, and claimed gospels in her native tongue. They didn’t know she could read her father’s books and already chose her classic path – she was happy as a forest nymph.

Tags: , , , , , ,

By in Flash Fiction Challenge on .

266 Comments

  1. Frank Hubeny says:
    April 20, 2018 at 12:34 am

    Shinrin Yoku by Frank Hubeny

    While forest bathing Michael saw her. He would say she wasn’t there except she was and then his breath grew deeper. He didn’t understand why he walked for almost a mile angry on this beautiful trail, in this mysterious quiet. The traffic had long ago turned to a hum and then it turned completely off. Why was he angry?

    She said her name was Diana. She knew he didn’t understand what she meant. He was one of the smart ones caught in his head where robots were more real than people. And so she spoke more slowly, “Goddess Diana.”

    Liked by 15 people

  2. Miriam Hurdle says:
    April 20, 2018 at 1:47 am

    Hi Charli, I admire you to be “relaxed” in the dentist chair enough to allow the wide and free association. I was in the dentist chair too often, but I was too nervous even though I couldn’t feel any pain in my nerves. Still, I could only focus on wondering what the dentist was doing to me…

    Liked by 2 people

    • Charli Mills says:
      April 20, 2018 at 10:45 pm

      I’ve trained my body to be still, but I don’t think it’s as good as relaxed! I did chuckle to myself as my way to deal with the panic was to find my characters and think about their stories. Dentists after probably great people but experiences with them are not so fun.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Miriam Hurdle says:
        April 20, 2018 at 10:51 pm

        love your way to deal with panic by staying still. It’s better than putting additional stress in the less desirable situations. I think it’s good! ❤

        Liked by 1 person

      • Charli Mills says:
        April 21, 2018 at 10:39 am

        Miriam, I’ve become more interested over the years in “mindfulness.” Last year my eldest introduced me to an app I know subscribe to on my phone called Calm. I think it’s about $30 for a year. It has daily meditations that are based on following the breath (in, and out). There are deeper meditations, too, including sleep and stress. What I really like is the focused music! I often use that for when I have to work on a project and not get distracted. Because of your comment, I thought it might be of interest to you! ❤

        Liked by 1 person

  3. jenanita01 says:
    April 20, 2018 at 4:01 am

    Reblogged this on anita dawes and jaye marie.

    Liked by 2 people

  4. Reena Saxena says:
    April 20, 2018 at 4:44 am

    OMG! I am going through this cold and dental treatent thing, and it is not a pretty combo. Nor is the dentist’s chair a beauty parlor, where you can relax while getting a facial done. Forest bathing, yeah …. let me give it a shot.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Charli Mills says:
      April 20, 2018 at 10:47 pm

      Reena, I have heard from so many other people about this cold leading to sinus and dental issues. Crazy! Ha, ha! Nope, those two chairs are different! Not relaxing at all. But forest bathing offers greater promise.

      Liked by 1 person

  5. pensitivity101 says:
    April 20, 2018 at 4:47 am

    A bit of poetry, sort of, from me this week.
    https://pensitivity101.wordpress.com/2018/04/20/flash-fiction-challenge-19-april/

    Liked by 10 people

  6. papershots says:
    April 20, 2018 at 5:29 am

    beautiful prompt and beautiful post. so true. see the land as a community to which we all belong. thanks for sharing 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

  7. Norah says:
    April 20, 2018 at 5:39 am

    Oh, the dreaded dentist’s chair and cruel extractions. I too think of myself in a forest while in the dentist’s chair – picture myself lying back listening to the babbling of a little brook, the breeze whispering in the trees and the flutter of a butterfly’s wings. It definitely helps to calm, imagining being anywhere else. I hope the extraction went well and you heal quickly.
    No toothache in the flash, just a happy forest nymph. And who wouldn’t want to be one? I think Gabriella has made the right choice.
    I hope you get to forest bathe for real, not just in your imagination, soon.

    Liked by 4 people

  8. UNSPECIFIED, UNSEEN, UNDOCUMENTED – PaperShots says:
    April 20, 2018 at 6:43 am

    […] In response to: https://carrotranch.com/2018/04/19/april-19-flash-fiction-challenge/ […]

    Liked by 2 people

  9. Jennie says:
    April 20, 2018 at 6:44 am

    I love how you can turn on your imagination and tune out the dentist chair.

    Liked by 1 person

  10. papershots says:
    April 20, 2018 at 6:48 am

    Unspecified, Unseen, Undocumented.

    A wrinkle on the surface of the water, while the breeze also stirs the top of what looks like wheat but it’s not – there was a book in a village shop, Companion to the Flora of the Lakes: one would know now, had the book been bought. Photos; Underexposed, overexposed. There’s a majestic tree, its trunk half in water, its branches shading a corner of this little bay, green berries, red berries, white tiny flowers, and two wild ducks (approximation necessary) swimming by, their little heads back and forth, the water parted in triangles whose sides will always vary.

    https://papershots.org/2018/04/20/unspecified-unseen-undocumented/

    Liked by 12 people

    • Charli Mills says:
      April 21, 2018 at 11:34 am

      Your title leads me to ponder the adage, “If a tree falls in the forest, does it make a sound?” Every moment has a snapshot and creates a disturbance in time and space even if we are not there to capture it. Ultimately, I think this is why wild spaces matter, whether we go or not. Beautiful flash!

      Liked by 1 person

  11. Teresa Grabs says:
    April 20, 2018 at 7:19 am

    Forest Bathing

    Jason awoke still smiling. The trees, the fresh air, the cool breeze faded. Contentment and peace lingered until defeated by reality. His morning routine is nothing more than a routine. His day is state planned for maximum efficiency. Nothing more, nothing less. Slipping into his black pants and gray shirt issued by the state, he longed to see the trees. Leaving his state provided compartment, putting on his face mask and stepping into the never-ending heat, he longed for fresh air and the cool breeze. Looking around at the bleak city, he longed to bathe in the forest again.

    https://tvgwriting.wordpress.com/2018/04/20/forest-bathing/

    Liked by 14 people

  12. Visitors #flashfiction – Hugh's Views & News says:
    April 20, 2018 at 7:51 am

    […] in response to Charli Mill’s 99-word flash fiction challenge, with the theme of ‘Forest Bathing‘, over at the Carrot […]

    Liked by 4 people

  13. Teresa Grabs says:
    April 20, 2018 at 7:55 am

    I don’t know if I broke any rules, because I am sure I responded here an hour ago, but I don’t know. Please let me know if I did. My response to this week’s post is here: https://tvgwriting.wordpress.com/2018/04/20/forest-bathing/

    Liked by 7 people

  14. PTSD Gal says:
    April 20, 2018 at 8:51 am

    I loved this prompt. Here’s my memory. https://wp.me/p8FypN-uG

    Liked by 8 people

  15. (nf) MLMM Hh/ CR/ Landis Woods (4/20) | Jules in Flashy Fiction says:
    April 20, 2018 at 10:01 am

    […] Carrot Ranch Prompt April 19, 2018, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story about forest bathing. You can use the Japanese term, Shinrin Yoku, or you can make up your own ideas about the phrase. Go where the prompt leads. Respond by April 24, 2018. […]

    Liked by 1 person

  16. Jules says:
    April 20, 2018 at 10:17 am

    Charli,

    Even in the cold I explored the trail around William’s Lake in Massachusetts.
    While I like my home, the hotel room could only provide so much and I just had to get out (sometimes) even in the cold! But I did bundle up. And If all the trees had been in bloom I may not have gotten some of the photos I did take.

    I like your flash. I think I could be happy being a wood nymph, but by a water source… Oh, wait… I’ve got the creek and a back yard full of trees… maybe I am? … just two prompts in this 99 word haibun:

    Landis Woods

    If the earth were to have a birthday party, what season
    Would it be held in? Without question, my belief would
    be spring. Every day a new gift is unwrapped. A new
    birdsong composed. Just bathe in the forest, perhaps
    healing through Shinrin Yoku.

    This season, this spring so late in arriving in the north,
    this year – I plan on walking through a preserved wood.
    One that leads from one highway to another – preserving
    a unique hidden space for local wildlife.

    Just to pass through observing. And to count blessings.

    celebrating life
    seemingly ageless, Mother
    blessed by Father Time

    ©JP/dh

    Landis Woods Manheim Township, Lancaster, PA
    Acquired originally in 1989, and the second parcel in 1993, Landis Woods at 69.9 acres, is one of the Township’s largest tracts of natural undeveloped land. The park has its own unique management plan which calls for the natural preservation of this land and heritage. Within Landis Woods is the Boettcher House Museum, which houses a small museum and nature center, as well the Landis Woods Performing Arts Center. The Boettcher House also offers a place to have meetings, banquets and small parties. The park offers passive recreation with hiking paths and a native planting area that is now a model for native restoration projects.

    Liked by 10 people

    • Charli Mills says:
      April 21, 2018 at 2:48 pm

      Birthdays are arriving later this year, but I love your idea of how spring is like a birthday party with many gifts. Ha! Jules, I think you are a wood nymph and I understand they like water, too (just like trees). Thanks for sharing the history of Landis Woods, too. I find such untouched space to be sacred places. Minnesota does an excellent job of creating parks and natural spaces within their urban and suburban areas. There is a similar state park south of the Twin Cities where a particular wildflower blooms in spring. It’s the only place. Our environment is fragile and yet resilient. Like people! Thanks for the wooded celebration!

      Liked by 1 person

    • D. Avery @shiftnshake says:
      April 22, 2018 at 1:08 pm

      How about if every season, everyday is Earth Birth day, always renewed?
      “Celebrating life”? Here is a birthday present for you, Earth Mother, a word, because I know you like them: fluvioterrestrial.

      Liked by 3 people

  17. Liz H says:
    April 20, 2018 at 10:17 am

    Okay. Let it be said: I love nitrous…cuz it’s too difficult to fit a forest in the dentist’s office!

    Liked by 2 people

  18. denmaniacs4 says:
    April 20, 2018 at 11:27 am

    The Wet Woods

    “Yes!” I announce. “This will do the trick.”

    “Be careful, sweetie. You’re parking too close. I won’t be able to open the door.”

    “They make these stupid Park parking stalls way too small,” I mutter.

    My stress is ratcheting up a notch.

    “Think twigs,” she suggests. “Little bits of scattered stems. Resting on the forest floor. The quiet forest floor.”

    “You’ll have to get out my side. Sorry.”

    “No problem. Oh, look. Is that our group?”

    “Two bus loads. Nope. Three! They look…quite international.”

    “It’s the peak season, I guess. Well, lets get this over with. Visualize, sweetie. Visualize.”

    Liked by 12 people

  19. rugby843 says:
    April 20, 2018 at 11:52 am

    I miss the forest very much as I listen to city noise outside my window

    Liked by 5 people

  20. The Secret Keeper #137 and Carrot Ranch FF 4-19-18 – The Bag Lady says:
    April 20, 2018 at 1:02 pm

    […] April 19: Flash Fiction Challenge […]

    Liked by 4 people

  21. April 19 – Flash Fiction  – Forest Bathing | But I Smile Anyway... says:
    April 20, 2018 at 3:51 pm

    […] prompt this […]

    Liked by 1 person

  22. Ritu says:
    April 20, 2018 at 3:52 pm

    Oh Charli! Hope you’re feeling better!
    Here’s my rather feeble attempt this week!
    http://butismileanyway.com/2018/04/20/april-19-flash-fiction-forest-bathing/

    Liked by 8 people

  23. 99 word prompt : Finding Shinrin Yoko | Two on a Rant says:
    April 20, 2018 at 3:57 pm

    […] If you want to participate, here’s the link:  https://carrotranch.com/2018/04/19/april-19-flash-fiction-challenge/ […]

    Liked by 1 person

  24. floridaborne says:
    April 20, 2018 at 3:57 pm

    https://rantingalong.wordpress.com/2018/04/20/99-word-prompt-finding-shinrin-yoko/

    Liked by 9 people

  25. floridaborne says:
    April 20, 2018 at 4:00 pm

    I’ve had so much dental work, I sit in the chair, have the shots, and wait for it to be over. Laughing gas actually make me just the opposite. 🙂

    Don’t drink through a straw for several days. Eat soft foods for about a week, and take care of yourself. It takes a few weeks for the hole to fill in.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Charli Mills says:
      April 21, 2018 at 3:00 pm

      I’m so happy the nitrous worked! Not sure I could have wandered through my imagination without it. Thanks for the advice (you explained more than my dentist, though curiously, his note said not to smoke or drink pop, which I don’t do at all). I’m enjoying all the soft foods — lots of soup and mashed potatoes. Lots of Talenti Raspberry sorbet, too!

      Like

  26. tearsofbloodinmyheart says:
    April 20, 2018 at 5:17 pm

    Nathan checks his ruck sack. Snacks? tick. Pen? tick. Notebook? tick. His hand rummages deeper and finds a dried apple core, a paper clip some crushed tissues, a dog biscuit and a tiny teddy bear key ring with the padlock for his bike attached to it. He shoves his hand into the front flap and digs around until he finds what he’s looking for tucked into a gritty corner.
    He lies down, the grass warm under his hands. Its then that his world comes alive.
    A mossy forest bathed in sunlight visible only through his Magic Toys magnifying glass.

    Liked by 12 people

  27. jackschuyler says:
    April 20, 2018 at 5:26 pm

    https://therainyreader.wordpress.com/2018/04/20/car-camping/

    Liked by 6 people

  28. April 19: Flash Fiction Challenge – Forest Bathing | Morpethroad says:
    April 20, 2018 at 9:43 pm

    […] Written for: https://carrotranch.com/2018/04/19/april-19-flash-fiction-challenge/ […]

    Liked by 1 person

  29. Michael says:
    April 20, 2018 at 9:44 pm

    Hi Charli, hope you are doing well, enjoy your weekend.
    https://summerstommy.com/2018/04/21/april-19-flash-fiction-challenge-forest-bathing/

    Liked by 7 people

  30. April 19: Flash Fiction Challenge – The Final Forest Bathing | The Shower of Blessings says:
    April 21, 2018 at 2:42 am

    […] Charli Mills Carrot Ranch – April 19: Flash Fiction Challenge […]

    Liked by 1 person

  31. Miriam Hurdle says:
    April 21, 2018 at 3:10 am

    Hi Charli, when I saw the description of forest bathing as a Japanese term, I couldn’t help but think about this particular Forest in Japan.

    Hope you’re recovering from your dentist visit and have a relaxing weekend.

    https://theshowerofblessings.wordpress.com/2018/04/20/april-19-flash-fiction-challenge-the-final-forest-bathing/

    Liked by 9 people

  32. D. Avery @shiftnshake says:
    April 21, 2018 at 9:02 am

    Turned Around

    “Ever go off inta the woods, Pal?”
    “Course.”
    “Ever git lost?”
    “Jist turned around.”
    “Were ya scared?”
    “Naw. It don’t matter not knowin’ ‘zactly where ya are, long as ya know where ya ain’t. Ain’t no place I’d ruther be ‘an in the woods.”
    “‘Parently the Japanese developed goin’ inta the woods in the eighties.”
    “De-veloped woods walkin’?”
    “It’s called forest bathing. We oughta lead a group inta the woods, Pal.”
    “I bathe alone.”
    “S’posed ta make ya happier.”
    “Hmmph.”
    “More connected. Hey, where ya goin’?”
    “Cain’t hear ya Kid, bad connection.”
    “Where ya headed?!”
    “Inta the woods. Alone.”

    https://shiftnshake.wordpress.com/ranch-yarns/

    Liked by 9 people

  33. Juliet says:
    April 21, 2018 at 10:53 am

    Hi Charli and her Angels,
    Another lovely post. I knew nothing about forest bathing whatsoever so I went and asked my friend Google for some information and then came up with this little story……

    Oh, My Love, My Darling

    He stood behind her and wrapped his weightless arms around her shoulders.

    She didn’t react so he placed his cheek against hers and felt the dampness of her tears on his greying stubble.

    When would she ever stop crying?

    She was reading an article about forest bathing, something she had often advised him to do with her. She said it could help his coronary problems but stupidly he had never wanted to go.

    He would stay entwined with her all night for he feared it would be impossible come tomorrow, the day they put his body in the coffin.

    *

    PS Singing the title may make everything clear…

    Liked by 10 people

  34. Charli Mills says:
    April 21, 2018 at 3:21 pm

    April 22 is Earth Day, and I wish you all a peaceful and contemplative one! I’m off to Avatar Vs. Hero-Self Retreat on Sunday.

    “We will gather at 10AM and have a whole day to spend with discovering the many aspects of self as well as taking time for ourselves to replenish our stores from such a rough winter/spring with spa time, time to gaze and hike (potentially) around the lakeshore, a healthy lunch and good company.”

    The retreat is held at the LaRose Wellness Retreat (http://larosewellnessretreat.com/) along the shores of Lake Superior which are yet iced over. I may get to witness spring break up! I will be doing a bit of Shirin Yoku, as well.

    Happy Earth Day!

    Liked by 9 people

  35. April 19: Flash Fiction Challenge: 99 Word Prompt – Recharge – Carrot Ranch Literary Community « culturevultureexpress says:
    April 21, 2018 at 6:12 pm

    […] https://carrotranch.com/2018/04/19/april-19-flash-fiction-challenge/ […]

    Liked by 3 people

  36. lisarey1990 says:
    April 21, 2018 at 6:35 pm

    A really beautiful post.

    Liked by 1 person

  37. Shinrin Yoku – Richmond Road says:
    April 21, 2018 at 7:26 pm

    […] Shinrin Yoku […]

    Liked by 4 people

  38. “Vision-quest” By Raymond Roy. #poetry #flashfiction – goroyboy's Blog says:
    April 21, 2018 at 8:51 pm

    […] for 99-Word Flash Fiction hosted by Charli at the Carrot Ranch Thanks […]

    Liked by 1 person

  39. goroyboy says:
    April 21, 2018 at 9:26 pm

    Hope you are feeling better Charli https://goroyboy.wordpress.com/2018/04/21/vision-quest-by-raymond-roy-poetry-flashfiction/

    Liked by 6 people

  40. Flash Fiction: April 19th – Peregrine Arc says:
    April 21, 2018 at 10:45 pm

    […] second Flash Fiction contest entry. Check it out from Charli at the Carrot Ranch for details of this week’s 99 word challenge and join in! My entry follows […]

    Liked by 1 person

  41. Peregrine Arc says:
    April 21, 2018 at 10:52 pm

    Turn Back

    I bathe in the forest, hidden under a canopy. Jaguars, grizzlies and reindeer approach, bringing the jungle, the forest and the tundra with each step. I eat a banana for breakfast; some nuts and berries for lunch. For dinner, a polar bear offers me fish.

    A crane approaches and pecks the air above my head deliberately.

    “This is not yours, human. You have not taken care of any of it. Take your punishment and go.”

    I stir and exit the forest, my clothes pinching tightly around me. It appears we’re still banned and setting fires.

    https://peregrinearc.com/2018/04/22/flash-fiction-april-19th/#more-338

    Thanks for reading and thank you for the wonderful writing prompt.

    Liked by 9 people

  42. Annecdotist says:
    April 22, 2018 at 2:36 am

    Sorry about your tooth, Charli, but, as you say at least you are able to access better dental care than your characters. Much as I appreciate a mindful woodland walk – especially in this mini heatwave in the UK with Sherwood Forest on the doorstep – I’m sceptical about calling it bathing.
    So I’ve submitted to flash fiction pieces:
    Maid Marian’s #metoo moment takes the idea literally Is the forest enchanted, or the company? is about a rare moment of closeness to a parent in childhood.
    Plus I’ve posted a review of a novel entitled Tale of a Tooth
    http://annegoodwin.weebly.com/1/post/2018/04/tale-of-a-tooth-by-allie-rogers-plus-a-forest-flash-or-two.html

    Liked by 7 people

    • D. Avery @shiftnshake says:
      April 22, 2018 at 12:34 pm

      Double like. Two great flashes! And a book review. Triple like.

      Liked by 2 people

    • Charli Mills says:
      April 25, 2018 at 11:20 pm

      I was thinking about your moors, Anne. There are no forests there, correct? Treeless? Perhaps that is why you are skeptical of bathing! Ah, Maid Marian lives a tale as old as voyeurs. Great title! And how appropriate — Tale of a Tooth!

      Liked by 1 person

      • Annecdotist says:
        April 26, 2018 at 3:38 am

        The moors are to the west of where I live, Sherwood Forest to the east, although both a drive away. Our moors aren’t very high, so they can harbour a few lone trees, but generally I can walk through forest on the way up to them. Everything is on a much smaller scale here than in the US, so a day walk can take me through a range of habitats.

        Like

  43. Missing the point #flash fiction - Shallow Reflections says:
    April 22, 2018 at 6:07 am

    […] via April 19: Flash Fiction Challenge « Carrot Ranch Literary Community […]

    Liked by 1 person

  44. Shallow Reflections says:
    April 22, 2018 at 6:53 am

    Only you could turn a trip to the dentist into such a deep and entertaining story, Charli. I love your writing. Here’s this week’s story.

    Missing the point

    “What’s sitting under that tree?” Chester said, peering through the front window at his neighbor’s yard. “Is it one of them weird ceramic gnomes? What’s that dad-blamed woman up to now?”

    His wife, Ruth, said, “Myra is practicing a new kind of meditation called, ‘forest bathing.’ She says it relieves stress.”

    “That sounds like one of them cockamamie things a tree hugger like her would do.”

    “She said taking in the forest atmosphere is preventive medicine in Japan.”

    “Don’t she know she lives in Maine? And I can’t see no forest. All I see is a bunch of trees.”

    https://www.shallowreflections.com/missing-the-point/

    Liked by 9 people

  45. Stark | ShiftnShake says:
    April 22, 2018 at 12:21 pm

    […]                                                               The April 19, 2018, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story about forest bathing. You can use the Japanese […]

    Liked by 1 person

  46. D. Avery @shiftnshake says:
    April 22, 2018 at 12:24 pm

    https://shiftnshake.wordpress.com/2018/04/22/stark/

    Stark

    Serena stopped often to breathe deeply, filling her lungs, her heart, her soul with the spruce incensed air. She loved walking this familiar path among the trees, but quickened her pace as she approached the high mountain meadow, delighting as always in the waving grass, the colorful wildflowers nodding the way to the small glacial lake cupped by the snowcapped mountain peaks. Serena drank it in. The guide suggested other experiences, but Serena always chose to return here.
    “Serena, time’s up. Remove the apparatus and step out of the capsule.”
    Sighing, Serena left the virtual wilderness, returned to reality.

    Liked by 8 people

  47. Pete says:
    April 22, 2018 at 4:48 pm

    A book in the dirt. The words in the Earth. Composting cultures. Love and life. Sentiments and sentences. Fragments and fiction. Maps. Guides. Directions. Been there, done that. Tales of wars waged. Quill-stained pages written feverishly under a dancing flicker. A self-portrait. An autobiography. Selfie in longhand.

    A book in the dirt. The wounds of battle spilling back into the soil. A broken heart crying out from a broken bind. A random thought: How her eyes were the green of a forest after a good rain.

    Digital media. Littered literature. The many careless sins of man. Well-written. Rarely heeded.

    Liked by 10 people

  48. D. Avery @shiftnshake says:
    April 22, 2018 at 5:44 pm

    Hero’s Journey on Earth Day

    “Pal, yer back.”
    “Yep. Why’s it so quiet roun’ here?”
    “Guess ever one’s still off huggin’ trees.”
    “Even Shorty?”
    “Heard like, if she kin git her forest shoveled out.”
    “Jeez. If any one kin shovel out a forest it’s Shorty. She’s a Titan.”
    “I’ll say. Did ya happen ta catch her interview at Literary Titan? She done the Ranch real proud.”
    “Yep, sure did.”
    “Whatdya think Shorty’s inner hero is?”
    “I reckon Shorty’s a buckaroo through and through. True ta herself and ta the Carrot Ranch Community. Boldly going where her inner prompts lead.”
    “Heroic leader of Buckaroo Nation!”

    https://literarytitan.com/2018/04/21/congress-of-the-rough-writers-flash-fiction-anthology/

    P.S. Titans were born of Heaven and Earth, Uranus and Gaia

    Liked by 10 people

  49. Nicole says:
    April 22, 2018 at 10:18 pm

    Cleansing Chaos

    Life is placid outside Joy’s woodland cabin as she takes her morning walk. Nuthatches seem unthreatened by nuclear missiles. Chickadees show no interest in crime or collusion. Blue jays apparently don’t know the job market is shrinking. Woodpeckers aren’t worried that stocks plummet and robins aren’t fretting about local or national scandals.  This verdant world teems with new life. Leaf buds swell on the tips of tree branches. A spotted fawn appears in a bed of wildflowers. Joy bathes in the misty forest, cleansing her heart of clutter, strengthening herself to resist for one more day humanly created chaos.

    Liked by 10 people

  50. Be Aware – Patrick M. O'Connor says:
    April 22, 2018 at 10:19 pm

    […] Carrot Ranch 99 Word Challenge […]

    Liked by 3 people

  51. Forest Bathing: 99 Word Flash Fiction | Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist) says:
    April 22, 2018 at 11:31 pm

    […] response to Charli’s prompt where she […]

    Liked by 1 person

  52. Irene Waters 19 Writer Memoirist says:
    April 22, 2018 at 11:39 pm

    Hope your tooth (or spot where it was) is feeling better. It was the done thing in Australia in the 20s to 40’s to have all your teeth out whether you needed to or not. The aim was to have a wonderful set of pearly white choppers created. No-one realised the headache that would create later down the track as one got older. Now we are encouraged to keep as many teeth as we can. It is the elderly that keep our dentists in business as youngsters don’t have fillings anymore (or not many of them do).
    Your flash had me dreaming of maple syrup and nymphs. Lovely.
    Mine this week https://irenewaters19.com/2018/04/23/forest-bathing-99-word-flash-fiction/
    Hope you get this and my form – it was a little bit different to the other times.

    Liked by 9 people

    • Charli Mills says:
      April 26, 2018 at 12:19 am

      Irene, I can’t fathom pulling all the teeth. I understand it breaks down the jaw bone. Not a pleasant thought. Dentistry is not pleasant at all, but I can say this is the first dentist I’ve ever felt comfortable with, so maybe I’ll actually go back. Maple syrup must have its own nymphs! Is that product available in Australia? I love my maple syrup every morning in coffee. I got your form. In what wy was it different? I hope I didn’t miss a step! But I did get it!

      Liked by 1 person

      • Irene Waters 19 Writer Memoirist says:
        April 26, 2018 at 7:03 pm

        Dentists have changed since I was a kid. Then they were chambers of torture, to be dreaded and avoided. Now it is like a stroll in the woods – depending on the picture they have above you on the ceiling. I know someone who had all their top teeth removed and had planned on doing the bottom as well but the pain from the top was so bad they never went back for the bottom and today feel a great relief that they didn’t as no end of problems with the gums shrinking. Yes we get maple syrup here – the best is Canadian maple syrup. I don’t think we produce any in this country of our own but we certainly consume it – particularly now healthy diets suggest it rather than sugar for cooking. I worked out what the problem was – I think I had been sent to reader and you can’t do it from there. Just me having a seniors moment.

        Like

  53. Trekking Travails – #AtoZChallenge #BlogchatterA2Z | jagahdilmein says:
    April 22, 2018 at 11:51 pm

    […] Charli’s prompt this week, in her own words, was: […]

    Liked by 1 person

  54. anuragbakhshi says:
    April 22, 2018 at 11:54 pm

    Hola Charli, Here’s my entry for the week, inspired by the calm and peaceful imagery of taking a bath in a forest. https://jagahdilmein.wordpress.com/2018/04/23/trekking-travails-atozchallenge-blogchattera2z/

    Liked by 8 people

  55. Into the Woods | Chelsea Ann Owens says:
    April 23, 2018 at 2:00 am

    […] Carrot Ranch Flash Fiction unsplash-logoGeran de Klerk […]

    Liked by 4 people

  56. Carrot Ranch #FlashFiction ‘Forest Bathing’ #99Words #MondayBlogs | Rereading Jane Eyre says:
    April 23, 2018 at 4:59 am

    […] in response to Charli Mills at Carrot Ranch’s weekly #99 word Flash Fiction Challenge. This week’s prompt is to write a story about forest bathing. You can use the Japanese term, Shinrin Yoku. Check out other entries or take part […]

    Liked by 2 people

  57. LucciaGray says:
    April 23, 2018 at 7:04 am

    Hi Charli!
    My dentist is a really lovely man, but I hate him. I can’t help cringing every time I see him and I feel so bad about it, because he’s so pleasant and patient.
    I use your technique a lot, when I’m in, or witness, a tough situation, I try to imagine what my characters would do, or how it might become a flash or even a poem! It does help to take my mind off the distress and make it all seem useful!
    I loved your flash about Gabriela the forest nymph. I actually published a poem yesterday on my blog about a nymph, for my daughter, after taking a walk along a path by the river with her.
    It’s a lovely topic. I love walking in woodlands or in the countryside in general. It’s definitely energising. Thanks for intoroducing me to the topic of Forest Bathing. I’d never heard of it, although I had practiced it unknowingly!
    This time, I’ve gone back to Victorian England and imagined one of Charles Dickens’ last twelve mile walks in Rochester, while he was writing The Mystery of Edwin Drood, his last unfinished novel.
    https://lucciagray.com/2018/04/23/carrot-ranch-flashfiction-forest-bathing-99words-mondayblogs/

    Liked by 8 people

    • Shallow Reflections says:
      April 23, 2018 at 7:45 pm

      Wonderful flash fiction and enjoyed the bit about Dickens and the photos of your walks. Left a comment on your blog. -Molly

      Liked by 1 person

    • Charli Mills says:
      April 26, 2018 at 12:49 am

      Ah, Lucy, now you have a name for all the lovely walks you take! I find the outdoors so alluring for walks and your countryside is beautiful. It must be hard to be a dentist! Good to know you also use the “what would my characters do” technique. It certainly offers distance and perhaps a distraction. But I enjoy where you go when you walk in your historical characters’ shoes.

      Like

  58. Shinrin-Yoku – By Sarah says:
    April 23, 2018 at 7:11 am

    […] Carrot Ranch, Flash Fiction – April 19,2018, Task – In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story about forest bathing. You can use the […]

    Liked by 4 people

  59. Is It Art? #carrotranch #flashfiction | TanGental says:
    April 23, 2018 at 8:00 am

    […] week’s prompt from Charli Mills is […]

    Liked by 4 people

  60. susansleggs says:
    April 23, 2018 at 11:24 am

    Oh the dentist. I’m there too much. I don’t think I daydream, I’m too busy telling myself the drill is just noise. Glad you are healing well.
    I have always found peace in the woods, just never knew why or that it had a real name.

    Forest Bathing

    Where do you go to find peace
    I go to the woods
    The city sounds are far away
    There are no other voices
    The rays of sun filter through the branches
    Birds flit from tree to tree
    Squirrels chase each other
    And pussy willows are soft grey
    The stream babbles slowly by
    And if I sit still long enough
    A deer stops by to drink
    The rabbit outruns the fox
    And the trillium bloom pure white
    Leeks and fiddleheads can be had for lunch
    If you know where to look
    Spring in the forest
    My favorite time of year

    Liked by 9 people

  61. Forest Bathing – Susan Sleggs says:
    April 23, 2018 at 11:25 am

    […] April 19: Flash Fiction Challenge […]

    Liked by 1 person

  62. Lisa A. Listwa says:
    April 23, 2018 at 12:01 pm

    I don’t mind dentist visits (well, except for that one root canal disaster), but somehow having a tooth pulled feels so…violating. Hope your pain has been alleviated.
    Love the prompt – a lovely idea that has had me considering various options for the flash. Hard to think of forest bathing when we had snow and sleet again just last week. Today, though, it finally feels like spring and I can see tiny green buds on the tree just outside my window. So…forest bathing…perhaps!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Charli Mills says:
      April 26, 2018 at 1:25 am

      Yes! It does feel that way. You made me think beyond dentistry, and how violated those in the Civil War must have felt getting limbs removed. I’m so glad we have “modern” medicine! And it has me bouncing back. Ha! Yes, the weather has made it challenging.

      Like

  63. Spring’s Assurance – From the Valley of the Trolls says:
    April 23, 2018 at 1:57 pm

    […] Carrot Ranch Prompt (04/19/2018): In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story about forest bathing. You can use the Japanese term, Shinrin Yoku, or you can make up your own ideas about the phrase. Go where the prompt leads. […]

    Liked by 2 people

  64. Liz H says:
    April 23, 2018 at 2:03 pm

    A little BOTS, because Sun-Silly is also part of Forest Bathing for us Northlanders. Cheers!

    Spring’s Assurance

    Spring is late, delayed by a blizzard that left two feet of soggy snow, making my front stair’s existence a Schrödinger’s cat. When late April sun emerged, so did we.
    [Continue ]

    Liked by 5 people

  65. Into the forest | Norah Colvin says:
    April 23, 2018 at 8:37 pm

    […] At the Carrot Ranch, Charli Mills celebrated Earth Day this year with a little forest bathing or Shinrin Yoku. Developed in Japan in the 1980s, Shinrin Yoku is about “fostering deeper relationships and positive experiences with forested areas”. Charli challenged writers to In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story about forest bathing. You can use the Japanese term, S… […]

    Liked by 2 people

  66. First Answer – Storie Cantabile says:
    April 23, 2018 at 9:28 pm

    […] Carrot Ranch’s April 19: Flash Fiction Challenge […]

    Liked by 2 people

  67. Wood Watchers | Wallie's Wentletrap says:
    April 24, 2018 at 9:59 am

    […] in response to Carrot Ranch’s Flash Fiction Challenge. Check it […]

    Liked by 1 person

  68. wallietheimp says:
    April 24, 2018 at 10:00 am

    Wallie and my response: “Wood Watchers” — https://wallieswentletrap.com/2018/04/24/wood-watchers/

    Liked by 5 people

  69. notyouraveragemomblogweb says:
    April 24, 2018 at 10:34 am

    I missed out on last week’s prompt because of being sick, but I wanted to make sure I submitted this week. I wanted to have someone bathed by water and the real forest bathing.

    https://notyouraveragemomblogweb.wordpress.com/2018/04/24/flash-fiction-chasing-fads/

    Liked by 4 people

  70. paulamoyer says:
    April 24, 2018 at 1:31 pm

    Girl Scout Shower

    By Paula Moyer

    At Girl Scout camp, Jean’s Girl Scout leader showed the girls how to shower in the woods. It looked – well, unreliable.

    “This tin can has nail holes,” she explained and pointed. It hung by a string on a tree branch. “When you take your shower, fill this pitcher with water at the pump, and pour it in.”

    The girls watched the demonstration, how water spit out in arcs from the can. “Stand under the can. Use the soap.” Beside the can, also on a string. “The trees are your shower curtain.”

    Jean shivered under the can. Cold. Naked. Glorious.

    Liked by 6 people

  71. Picnic in the Forest – aroused says:
    April 24, 2018 at 2:31 pm

    […] Carrot Ranch Challenge […]

    Liked by 2 people

  72. A Sunday Bath – Real Momma Ramblings says:
    April 24, 2018 at 8:30 pm

    […] Story is in response to April 19th: Flash Fiction Challenge or at Carrot Ranch Literary […]

    Liked by 2 people

  73. Caitlin Gramley says:
    April 24, 2018 at 8:39 pm

    A great prompt!

    https://realmommaramblings.wordpress.com/2018/04/24/a-sunday-bath/

    Liked by 4 people

  74. Finally Convinced – Reena Saxena says:
    April 25, 2018 at 2:27 pm

    […] Flash Fiction Challenge at Carrot Ranch […]

    Liked by 1 person

  75. Reena Saxena says:
    April 25, 2018 at 2:29 pm

    FINALLY CONVINCED

    “Why forest-bathing?” My botanist beau loved the idea of this impromptu trip, but was not convinced of the nomenclature- Shinrin Yoku

    “Because we do not have clean air to breathe in, in our citadels of development….”

    “The trees have purified the world for years, wherever they were allowed to take roots. We left them to grow in isolated patches called forests, and are now forced to take refuge there.”

    “Every tree has its day.”

    “And so do we. I’ll show you the cottage I plan to set up our home in, after we are married.”

    Life was sheer bliss.

    Liked by 3 people

  76. April 26 – Flash Fiction  – A Fish Tale | But I Smile Anyway... says:
    April 27, 2018 at 5:25 pm

    […] April 19: Flash Fiction Challenge […]

    Liked by 1 person

  77. May 3 – Flash Fiction  – Lines | But I Smile Anyway... says:
    May 4, 2018 at 2:31 pm

    […] April 19: Flash Fiction Challenge […]

    Like

  78. May 10n– Flash Fiction  – Cranes | But I Smile Anyway... says:
    May 11, 2018 at 2:31 pm

    […] April 19: Flash Fiction Challenge […]

    Like

  79. May 17– Flash Fiction  – Property | But I Smile Anyway... says:
    May 18, 2018 at 12:01 am

    […] April 19: Flash Fiction Challenge […]

    Like

Comments are closed.

A 5-Star Readers’ Favorite!

Be a Patron of Literary Art

Donate Button with Credit Cards

S.M.A.G. Kindness Among Bloggers

S.M.A.G., Norah Colvin, @NorahClovin

Proud Member

Stories Published Weekly

Congress of the Rough Writers, Carrot Ranch, @Charli_Mills

Archives

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 9,571 other subscribers
%d bloggers like this: