The sun slants differently in April, carrying warmth, bird melodies, and dust motes on rays of midday starlight. I’m lulled to go outside and feel the brisk air softening. Bulbs send shoots to greet the one who will melt the snow. If only Lady Lake Superior would stop playing with cold fronts, dumping more of her white rain. Crocus continue to bloom, tulips unfurl, and glories of the snow live up to their name.
Despite a determined sun, the weather remains fickle. On a sunny Sunday, Mause and I made our way to see my favorite beach at McLean State Park. The campground remains closed, but the shoreline was accessible. We hiked through the forest alongside the lake. I could hear the rush of small waves and turned the pup toward a tall hill. As she crested the outlook, Mause got her first look at the Lady.
And in true German Short-haired Pointer fashion, she pointed.
That night, the snow churned and icicles long as Jack Frost’s fingernails glazed the trees along the shore. In town, on Roberts Street, the robins, squirrels hunkered down and rode out the storm. By Earth Day, all was once again merry and bright. Snow remains in the shadows, but as a good friend who experienced a recent snow storm said, “It’s white mulch.”
Earth Day is a good time to talk about earthing. Also known as grounding, earthing describes interacting with the earth barefoot and bare handed. Like Mause did on the beach.
When the summer sun warms the sand, I love to dig my feet into its grainy depths. Not only does it feel good to my feet and soul, the contact improves my immune system. According to a fully researched article at the US National Library of Medicine, earthing has real health benefits:
“Multi-disciplinary research has revealed that electrically conductive contact of the human body with the surface of the Earth (grounding or earthing) produces intriguing effects on physiology and health. Such effects relate to inflammation, immune responses, wound healing, and prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.”
The effects of grounding (earthing) on inflammation, the immune response, wound healing, and prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases by James L Oschman, Gaétan Chevalier, and Richard Brown, 2015
Going barefoot and digging in the garden without gloves is good for you. Earthing is akin to forest bathing. It gets me excited for camping because I also love the energy of sleeping on a pad on the ground. I can’t tolerate the cowboy method of sleeping on the ground, but I realize that as cowboys slept on the trail, they were recharging their batteries every night.
As I come to my final finals week for my MFA, I have one more week after to wrap up and submit my portfolio. Much is uncertain as conditions progress and I shift gears. A part of me wants to collapse, but I will do that on a sun-warmed Keweenaw beach. Like the tulip that breaks ground, we never really know what will greet us — sun, rain, snow, freeze, drought, or the nibbles of a winter-hungry deer. Still, we rise and grow to reveal our true colors. Until then, one day at a time.
Happy Earth Day, one and all.
Do not try to save the world or do anything grandiose.Instead, create a clearing in the dense forest of your life and wait there patiently,until the song that is your life falls into your own cupped hands and you recognize and greet it. Only then, will you know how to give yourself to this world so worthy of rescue.
~Martha Postlewaite
Walking. I am listening to a deeper way. Suddenly all my ancestors are behind me. Be still, they say. Watch and listen. You are the result of the love of thousands.
~ Linda Hogan
Your sadness doesn’t make you less of a human being. In fact, it makes you more. More expansive. More connected. Painfully beautiful. Raw. Open. Completely alive.
~ Panache Desai
April 22, 2021, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about earthing. Put a character’s hands, feet or body and soul into the earth. Who needs recharging? What happens between the interaction? Go where the prompt leads!
Respond by April 27, 2021. 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 to be published in the weekly collection, please use the form. Rules & Guidelines.
Submissions now closed. Find our latest challenge to enter.
Earthing on a Working Ranch by Charli Mills
Jerilyn’s house smelled like a barn. The danger of spring calving is weather that plummets into freezing blizzards after the bulbs rise. The night seven cows dropped calves she provided shelter in her newly remodeled kitchen. So much for pristine linoleum. Today, calves and mamas would reunite. Sam saddled their horses while Jeri mopped and dried breakfast dishes. Glancing at her Zen calendar, she realized it was Earth Day. A quote encouraged her to seek earthing, connect with the ground. She wondered if a mouthful of fresh clods counted? She didn’t relish getting thrown from that flighty mare again.
🥕🥕🥕
Carrot Ranch Literary Community 
Love it. Earthing. We can all learn a lot from Mause already, I’m thinking. And those are spot on quotes.
Jeri has her priorities in order, why wouldn’t she have the calves into the kitchen. I do hope she doesn’t connect with the ground on the ride though.
Wow. Thursday again. Homestretch, Boss, and yes, one day at a time.
LikeLiked by 5 people
Earthing tomorrow. Running my fingers through the chives to remove last year’s dead stalks. I waited to give the wildlife in the garden time to wake up. Heard my toads before the snow. Peepers out in full force. Yeah, that Mause has lessons packed into her little paws.
Homestretch…!
LikeLiked by 3 people
Gittin’ Down Ta Earth
“Kid, whut’re ya doin’?!”
“Boss’ orders, Pal. Anyways, last week you was all about me takin’ a bath.”
“Thet ain’t a bath! Yer wallowin’ in the mud! With yer puglet!”
“A mud bath. I learn from the best. Curly’s a natural at it. Earthin’. Try it, Pal, it’s good fer ya. Might even make ya less ornery.”
“I’ll show ya ornery ya grimy greenhorn! Oh! No! Whoaaaa!”
“An’ here ya are, Pal. Don’t that mud feel good?”
“No! I cain’t stand it. Cain’t stand up neither.”
“Grab holda Curly’s tail. She’ll pull ya through.”
“Shorty’ll pull through too.”
“Yep.”
LikeLiked by 11 people
We’ll all pull through the mud with soft skin once the water rinse is complete! Curly’s a wise puglet, too.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yep. But jist now thet wise puglet an’ the Kid are trackin’ mud ta the bunkhouse. G’night Shorty.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Or mebbe they should sleep out on the ground.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Earthing in the house!
LikeLiked by 2 people
“Pal! Did ya see that? Whut’s Shorty up to?”
“What’sa matter, Kid? Ya know Shorty likes ta git out in the garden, play in the dirt.”
“Play in the dirt, sure. But look’t ‘er! She’s layin’ it! Mebbe we best go check on ‘er, make sure she’s all right.”
“Oh, Shorty’s all right, all right. She’s earthin’, Kid. Reckon thet’s how she stays grounded.”
“Pal, how come yer okay with Shorty’s earthin’ but ya got all mad at me an’ Curly when we was earthin’.
“What you was doin’ was wallowin’, Kid. An’ asides, thet weren’t mud.
“Aw, shift!”
LikeLiked by 5 people
Ha, ha! There’s a fine line between wallowing and earthing. 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
I read it on a T-shirt – so it must be true:
“Compost Happens!”
LikeLiked by 3 people
😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
“She pointed.” Nothing more to be said. What an awe-inspiring image you craft, Charli.
Earthing is powerful, if one just believes the contact with bacteria and viruses of the soil will strengthen our immune systems, and the stress relief of being out and away from the fast paced world reduces inflammation, so be it.
Mother Earth is our home, she needs our love regardless. She’s always ready to offer her own no matter who we have been.
LikeLiked by 5 people
This prompt reignited a deep love. I enjoyed writing this one.
Here it is:
https://rebeccaglaessner.com/2021/04/24/earthling/
LikeLiked by 7 people
Practicing 99-words helps us find ways to express the images in our brains to others concisely. I love it when it works, Rebecca!
That’s right — I omitted the microbes and their link to building up immunities and also relieving depression. That’s one reason we started a gardening group at the Vet Center. It feels good to be outside. And in the water! I like that element, as well. And sitting around a campfire, and breathing in fresh air.
She is our home and we need the mutual love. I’m so pleased this one sparked something deep.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I got a little lost looking up how to camp at McLain State Park near you. It’s only 25 hours away… 🙂
LikeLiked by 4 people
Oh, yes, and lots of wonderful campgrounds in between, I’m sure! 25 hours is not far away at all, Chel! The waves, agates, and headquarters are calling…
LikeLiked by 2 people
Believe me, I’d come in a heartbeat if it were just me!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Kids need road trips, too!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mother nature delivered the view and the universe positioned you in the place you needed to be. The two conspired with your Muse … or is it Mause. The rest comes with earthly grounding, awareness, commitment, grattitude and patience. Happy earth day Charli.
LikeLiked by 4 people
In other words, I got dialed in and get to do the things! Yes, I have a Mause for a Muse. Thanks, Ellen.
LikeLiked by 2 people
😍😘
LikeLiked by 2 people
[…] slight change on a very old tale for Carrot Ranch‘s prompt this […]
LikeLiked by 5 people
Look forward to reading the entire, Charli. I’m on a bit of a hiatus, right now 💜
LikeLiked by 2 people
A hiatus is good self-care Ritu! ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Charli. Much needed, right now!
LikeLiked by 2 people
https://reinventionsreena.wordpress.com/2021/04/23/paranoia/
LikeLiked by 6 people
One of your very best, Reena. Thank you.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thank you so much, Doug!
LikeLiked by 2 people
The irony of a mind at odds with itself. Mindfulness doesn’t help. A sad story that sounds familiar, Reena. Well done.
LikeLiked by 2 people
The story succeeds, if some one can relate to it.
LikeLiked by 2 people
In that soil that should soothe, a rock and a hard place!
LikeLiked by 3 people
Contrasting images 🙂 Thanks!
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thank you for sharing the video of Mause’s first look at Lady Lake Superior, Charli. It reminded me of how many of us humans also act when we see such a beautiful sight for the first time, especially if it was not something we were expecting to see. And I’m glad to see that Mause is also a fan of the tennis ball – something we have a lot of in our house. Showing my two dogs a tennis ball being placed in my coat pocket is a sure way of them behaving themselves while out walking.
I hope the battle between winter and spring soon comes to an end in your part of the world. It’s about time, isn’t it?
LikeLiked by 4 people
I’m so happy you caught her delight, Hugh! I love catching the wonder of experiencing nature’s beauty. Ha! oh, yes, tennis balls, baseballs, soccer balls, and big rocks are popular with this one.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Earth Flight
“He’s gone again.”
Sam’s an observant orderly. Nothing much gets past him.
“What is it, third time?”
“Fourth, I think.”
“Well, if he sticks true to form, he’ll wander over to…”
“The Community Garden. I’ll go get him,” Sam offers.
“My turn, Sam.”
Sweet Harmony Villa is my baby. Our residents have memory challenges. Some, like the errant Howard Waters, spent their lives ensconced in Corporate seclusion, their senses stifled by concrete and steel.
Occasionally, brief fluttering’s of childhood joy flash back.
The pleasure of digging toes in sand and soil.
Barefoot and delirious, they still seek that out.
http://www.engleson.ca
LikeLiked by 9 people
Wise and heart-warming, Bill.
LikeLiked by 3 people
This is beautiful. I especially love the last line.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Bill, I enjoyed this tender look at the loss of memory as a process of gaining back true moments of joy. This facility needs a safe garden space!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Barefoot and deliious… (I’m gone again; thank you for the transport)
LikeLiked by 2 people
Sowing
The raised beds were filled with rich well-drained loam that she tilled and prepared for planting. Carefully she marked rows and sowed seeds. She nurtured the seedlings, diligently thinned, weeded, mulched and watered her growing greens and vegetable plants. All the raised beds were lush and verdant, except one.
One bed remained unplanted, though it was also carefully cultivated, its dark friable soil sun warmed.
“Welcoming,” she felt.
Only she knew that she planted that bed every day; planted herself then rose up, brushed herself off, raked the bed smooth, always leaving the garden feeling refreshed, smelling of earth.
LikeLiked by 8 people
We all need such a bed, D.
LikeLiked by 1 person
[…] If you want to participate, here’s the link: CARROT RANCH […]
LikeLiked by 4 people
Thanks, Joelle!
LikeLiked by 1 person
“Then she took twenty mattresses and laid them on the pea, and then twenty featherbeds of eiderdown on top of the mattresses. That was where the princess was to sleep for the night.”
Sometimes it takes a bit of work to enjoy nature! Fun flash!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Gathering
“You wanna get up and run some more?”
He struck her again. She fell to the ground.
He stood over her. “Did you really think you could get away from me?”
Leaf mold pillowed her broken jaw. She couldn’t answer if she’d wanted to.
“You.” He kicked her.
“Will not.” Kicked her again.
“Get.” Kick.
“Away.” Kick.
“From me.”
Then he staggered back to the house, left her where she lay.
Stretched flat against the cool earth, she reached her fingers and toes deep into the soil. She breathed in the sweet musty air. She gathered strength, gathered courage.
LikeLiked by 7 people
In awe of these companion pieces, D. “Planted herself; then rose up, brushed herself off, raked the bed smooth, always leaving the garden feeling refreshed, smelling of earth.’ An image that will stay with me for a very long time. Thank you.
LikeLiked by 4 people
Light and dark coexist, but Mother nature always heals…
LikeLiked by 3 people
He needs to be deep in the earth. Powerfully written, D.
LikeLiked by 1 person
There’s good dirt and bad dirt…. may all who need draw needed strength to get up, get away and heal.
LikeLiked by 3 people
[…] Carrot Ranch Literary Community April 22, 2021, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about earthing. Put a character’s hands, feet or […]
LikeLiked by 2 people
My contribution for this week.
A conversation between Mervyn Martian and Edgar Earthling
Mervyn: Edgar, what are you doing?
Edgar: I’m writing a novel.
M: What is a novel?
E: It’s a long story that contains characters the writer has invented.
M: So these ‘characters’ are not real?
E: Correct.
M: What will this ‘long story’ be about?
E: About a man who loves digging the earth in his garden and planting vegetables and flowers to feed and please his friends and family.
M: Just like you.
E: And he also has conversations with a Martian.
M: But these are not lies, they are facts.
E: Only if I say so, Mervyn.
LikeLiked by 10 people
We create our own reality, our own story. I love it.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thanks, Rebecca.
LikeLiked by 3 people
When your characters confirm the fiction, the truth is revealed. Clever dialog, Doug.
LikeLiked by 2 people
All of it’s true, none of it’s true. That’s not the point, anyway!
LikeLiked by 3 people
I worry this earthing has set you on a slippery slope.Do be careful around fictional characters who openly discuss and negotiate their reality.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Talk about the pot calling the kettle black! 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Earthing Can only go one way for me/;;
Ah Spring and for the first I can remove these heavy shoes and woolen socks.
As I walk through the grass I come across a small patch of mud. Oh, how good it feels between my toes. It is as if a sacred bond is forming between the Erath and my soul. I must have more. I roll up my pants and kneel in the muck thrusting my hands and fingers into the wet slimy earth. The joys of childhood com bounding back. I am young again.
Later police remove my filthy, naked body. I went too far again.
;;;;
;;
;;
Lose Weight Laugh for twenty minutes a day
LikeLiked by 8 people
Ha, ha! I was just saying to Kid that there’s a fine line between wallowing and earthing! This character crossed it, but even funnier is that it’s not the first time. Fun story!
LikeLiked by 2 people
It can go both ways
LikeLiked by 2 people
It never stops at the toes.
Fun story!
LikeLiked by 3 people
You are right there
LikeLiked by 2 people
[…] by this prompt from the Carrot Ranch Literary Community: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about […]
LikeLiked by 2 people
I combined this week’s prompt on earthing with the prompt from GirlieOnTheEdge’s Six Sentence Story challenge “effervescence”.
https://elderberrytea.wordpress.com/2021/04/23/reconnected-to-serenity/
LikeLiked by 8 people
A powerful duo of “e” words to prompt creativity, Nicole!
LikeLiked by 2 people
[…] April 22: Flash Fiction Challenge […]
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thanks, Anita!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I didn’t know that contact with the earth helps the immunize system. Best to you as you wrap up your MBA- hooray!
LikeLiked by 3 people
Interesting, isn’t it? Thanks, Jennie!
LikeLiked by 2 people
It really is! Best to you, Charli.
LikeLiked by 2 people
There is an old adage that children should eat a pound of dirt a year… helps to build natural immunity. Being too clean can cause issues for health too.
LikeLiked by 3 people
I remember hearing that when I was a child. You’re right that natural immunities need to be developed, and too much clean doesn’t do that.
LikeLiked by 3 people
[…] earthy story based on Carrot Ranch’s April 22 Flash Fiction Challenge, which […]
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thanks, Dave!
LikeLiked by 1 person
[…] April 22, 2021, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about earthing. Put a character’s hands, feet or body and soul into the earth. Who needs recharging? What happens between the interaction? Go where the prompt leads! […]
LikeLiked by 2 people
Loved your take Charli. Mother Earth can be so soothing. Only if we can make take some time off to appreciate it.
My take: https://abracabadra.blogspot.com/2021/04/the-young-gardener.html
LikeLiked by 3 people
Your 99-word story shows how parents can give their children the experience to discover the joy of Mother Earth. Yes, we need that time to appreciate it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a great post for Earth Day, Charli. I loved Mause’s response to the lake – priceless. I was also interested to read the medical recommendations about earthing. I grew up barefooted, first on a farm and then at the beach. I spend most of my adult life in shoes. Hopefully, I’m reaping the rewards of earlier days. However, I wonder about the children who never get to go barefoot – indoors or out, and especially those who are brought up in cooler climes where going barefoot outdoors is not only impractical but unhealthy.
One more week of your MFA. How quickly (to me) it has come around. I’m sure what you are thinking and feeling is vastly different. What a wonderful effort, Charli. You have much of which to be pround.
I enjoyed the quotes, especially these words by Linda Hogan: ‘You are the result of the love of thousands’. That is so profound. I think it is a good match with what Jackie French says when she reminds us that we are ‘descendants of survivors’. Sometimes a phrase strikes with such a degree of precision and clarity is is beautiful, in and of itself.
Seven calves in one night, in a kitchen. That’s quite a feat too and I think probably qualifies as sufficienct earthing for one night. At least! She doesn’t need any clods to qualify.
Another rich and enjoyable post. Thank you.
LikeLiked by 3 people
And here’s my response: https://norahcolvin.com/2021/04/28/for-earth-day-flashfiction/
For Earth Day
“They’re very quiet,” said Dad.
“For a change,” said Mum.
“Suspiciously quiet,” said Dad. Mum didn’t stir — no way she’d abandon her match-3 game mid-level to investigate.
“Hmpf,” said Dad, marking his page. He slid into his slippers and shuffled to the door.
“What’re you doin’?” he yelled.
Two small mud-spattered bodies frolicking under the sprinkler in his freshly-prepared garden bed froze.
“Nuthin’,” said one.
The other gaped.
“Sure don’t look like nuthin’,” said Dad. “Git yerselfs outta there.”
He killed the sprinkler and fun in one.
“We thought you made it for us—”
“—for Earth Day.”
LikeLiked by 2 people
What an interesting idea to ponder, Norah — places where we don’t take off our shoes. I wonder if studies have cross-pollinated between earthing and forest bathing. I’ve certainly felt the uplifting impact of hiking over boulders or through forests. When the heavy lake effect snows drop, the energy of it is so intense. I feel “oxygenated” and drawn to go out into the snow, or other times satisfied to sit at a window and watch. I think there is more to our interaction with natural elements beyond the benefits of dirt.
I love a profound thought, too! Thanks for witnessing my MFA journey. Last week! Wow. It has whizzed past.
Your 99-word story carries a bit of a pang. The children so innocently having an earthing moment thought their parent made the fun for them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
[…] Carrot Ranch April 22 FF April 22, 2021, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about earthing. Put a character’s hands, feet or body and soul into the earth. Who needs recharging? What happens between the interaction? Go where the prompt leads! Respond by April 27, 2021. […]
LikeLiked by 1 person
Charli,
I can imagine getting thrown by a flighty mare. I did learn to ride a long time ago. I even watched a cow drop a calf… But that was when I was much younger. So I went with fiction here with this haibun hybird mix:
Earthing Earthling
In the dawn she spotted the mourning doves ‘coo pon’ capons?
T’was a white gown (a nightie really) but down to her bare toes
She danced, running to scare then no straight seams planned; go, shoo
These fine avians were her friends she’d fed them stale bread crumbs
If Grampa caught them there would be squab for lunch, that could not happen
A zig, a zag there until she fell and rolled in morn’ dew
off they few across
the creek, fields and into the
various spring trees
safe for perhaps one more day
dinner would be nut-spread and jam!
©JP/dh
Note: Do you pronounce it “coo-pon” or “cue-pon” and what region are you from? … Coo-pon, New Jersey. … In the US a voucher typically entitles you to a free item – OK slight technical issue. I had to take out the hyphen for the 99 word count to be correct. It didn’t matter either way in the syllable counter.
(I hope my entry worked… the first time I hid submit – and I wasn’t in for long at all the link expired so I did it a second time…)
LikeLiked by 4 people
My buckaroo days were much younger times, too, Jules. I don’t think I’d get up off the ground if I were thrown today. 😉 I say cue-pon! Clever story and I’m glad no squab were eaten for lunch.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes! I got your story.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I must really like the theme of earthing, because it showed up in my latest poem too!
https://elderberrytea.wordpress.com/2021/04/25/seeds-of-love/
LikeLiked by 4 people
It’s a good time of year for earthing, Nicole.
LikeLiked by 2 people
The boys are getting back to domesticity
Earth to Great-Uncle Parfitt
‘You look chipper, Morgan.’
‘I’ve got my allotment at last.’
‘I thought you’d been banned.’
‘That was a misunderstanding. His cardigan was a known fire risk.’
‘I’ve never understood the attraction.’
‘Oh it’ll be grand. Hands in the soil, reconnecting with nature…’
‘That’s exactly it. The soil. Goodness knows where it’s been.’
‘It’s great for mental and physical well-being. It’s called Earthing.’
‘We can agree that earthing is essential.’
‘We can?’
‘Anyone who witnessed Great-Uncle Parfitt flying across the kitchen when he tried to fix his electric egg cosy would attest to the benefits of sound earthing.’
LikeLiked by 5 people
Hilarious. Love it.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you Doug
LikeLiked by 2 people
Geoff, this cracked me up most: “The soil. Goodness knows where it’s been.” Glad allotment bans aren’t forever.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Just for Christmas!
LikeLiked by 2 people
[…] Carrot Ranch April 22, 2021, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about earthing. Put a […]
LikeLiked by 2 people
https://colleenchesebro.com/2021/04/25/the-green-feet-club-flashfiction/
Elsa reached the end of a miserable day. There had been so much death lately. She didn’t know how she would go on.
She stepped down the path toward the park, a new addition at the hospital. Verdant grass beckoned; she could smell it. At the first bench, she removed her shoes and socks. With her feet planted in the grass, she felt the Earth’s energy soothe her jangled nerves.
“I see you like earthing,” said Jake from the E.R.
“I do. It’s the only way I can recover.”
Jake smiled. “Me, too. Welcome to the green feet club.”
LikeLiked by 5 people
I do enjoy a good sandy beach walk in bare footies.
Sometimes we’ve gotta look at what’s in the grass.
I’ve got all sorts of bugs and plants that don’t like me…
LikeLiked by 3 people
Me too, Jules. I’ve never been one to do much with bare feet. I do love the feel of wet grass or wet sand on my feet… but not for long, and then, I’m done. LOL! ❤
LikeLiked by 3 people
Loving the picture that goes with this (as well)!
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thanks, Liz… I could see the bottoms of their feet turning green from (freshly mowed) grass. 😀 ❤
LikeLiked by 3 people
So much misery and death washed away with the greening of feet. I love this story, Colleen.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, Charli. C.S. Boyack said it would make a great book title. 👣😍
LikeLiked by 2 people
It would!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Charli, I loved Mause’s first big lake visit! WordPress must have done more tweaking. I couldn’t get my ping-back to work. Interesting. When you copy and paste your URL into the comments, you get that great link that shows up. Interesting. You’re in the home stretch! YAY! ❤
LikeLiked by 3 people
Mause will make a great earthing and hiking companion. Interesting, these new WP changes. I think the pingback is on me, though. I have it set to manual. I’m so close!
LikeLiked by 2 people
LOL! Some of these settings are new. What blocks you can use on pages has changed too. It’s hard to keep up! 😳🤦🏼♀️😂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes, I noticed that and thought I was losing my mind. Just lost a few block options, lol.
LikeLiked by 1 person
[…] week’s #carrotranch prompt […]
LikeLiked by 2 people
[…] For this prompt I have imagined a letter from Mother Nature/ Earth/ Gaia to us all. This is part of the Carrot Ranch Challenge. […]
LikeLiked by 3 people
Message received, Gaia!
LikeLiked by 2 people
[…] for the 99-word flash fiction challenge hosted by Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch. Click here to join […]
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thanks, Hugh!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Live your story Charlie it really has a gentle reminder of mother nature 💜💜
LikeLiked by 2 people
We need to treat her tenderly, Willow! ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes we do she is running running out of patience with us and rightly so 💜💜
LikeLiked by 2 people
She can flick us off her back like fleas! 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wishing you plain sailing for the home stretch, Charli. Here’s the link to my contribution. I think it’s the first time ever I’ve produced a 99-word story in a single draft, without the need to add or subtract words.
The Good Earth
Heather would’ve welcomed more support from her colleagues for her latest occupational therapy project. Instead, they queried the purpose of creating a herb garden in a hospital about to close. All she could say was that gardening had been a lifeline to her when depression struck.
Continues:
https://annegoodwin.weebly.com/annecdotal/passion-and-place-wreaking-a-beast-in-paradise
LikeLiked by 5 people
Thanks, Anne! I can see the shore from here. Oh, say, that’s fun when a fully formed 99-words drops onto the page.
LikeLiked by 1 person
[…] https://carrotranch.com/2021/04/22/april-22-flash-fiction-challenge-2/ […]
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hi there, here’s my entry. Looks like a lot of people were inspired to write about earthing, a subject with many possibilities. https://robertkirkendall.com/2021/04/26/99-word-prompt-earthing/
LikeLiked by 5 people
Great take on the prompt, Robert. 🙂
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thank you, Doug!
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’m enjoying all the dives into earthing, Robert. We must all need a bit of that right now.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I think you’re right, Charli, I know I do.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hi there, here’s my entry. Looks like a lot of people were inspired to write about earth, a subject of many possibilities. https://robertkirkendall.com/2021/04/26/99-word-prompt-earthing/
LikeLiked by 2 people
Here is my take on the prompt. https://writinginthedeep.com/2021/04/26/flash-fiction-dirty-hands/
LikeLiked by 4 people
Great twist, Heather!
LikeLiked by 1 person
[…] is another response to the Carrot Ranch Literary Community April 22, 2021, prompt to write about “earthing”. I had posted what I thought of as two separate flashes in […]
LikeLiked by 2 people
D., this rounds out a nice trio!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Charli I tried to leave mine but it said link expired? So I leave it here and hope it is published. 😪 https://ellenbest24.wordpress.com/2021/04/27/making-a-connection-with-this-beautiful-earth/
LikeLiked by 4 people
That’s a WP thing — might be a setting on a time limit to upload the form to prevent spam. If that happens, try again. I’ll grab it from here but I’m less reliable than the form, lol (memory).
LikeLiked by 1 person
[…] This was written with the prompt earthing provided by the Carrot Ranch April 22 Flash Fiction Challenge. […]
LikeLiked by 2 people
Here’s mine finally: https://jedigirlblog.wordpress.com/2021/04/27/new-life-flash-fiction/
LikeLiked by 5 people
Ah, new life for our young farmers. Thanks, Joanne!
LikeLiked by 2 people
[…] wrote this in response to Charli Mill’s April 22, 2021 Flash Fiction Challenge. In 99 words (no more, no less) we were write a story about earthing. And as always, we were to go […]
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, Kate!
LikeLiked by 1 person
[…] Carrot Ranch Prompt (04/22/2021): In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about earthing. Put a character’s hands, feet or body and soul into the earth. Who needs recharging? What happens between the interaction? Go where the prompt leads! […]
LikeLiked by 2 people
Just under the wire!
Coming Home
She’d sailed by the stars, rounding islands of moons to arrive home. Joanna leaned into the helm, her final tack bringing her ship into bayside.
Virtually all Earth’s inhabitants left to settle… [Continue ]
LikeLiked by 4 people
Ann wrote about gates, but there is always the option to slip in under the wire, Liz! Hope spring has you in its renewing grip.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Watching the greening grass, and blue vincas peep.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I love the blues and purples of spring, adding color to the green. I saw fleabane blossoms in my grass this morning! I was surprised. My hyacinth look scraggly this year and they are out of sync with one another. Glories of the snow are a bumper crop, loving the snowstorms.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Charli,
I had never heard of earthing as a healing tool for the body My grandson’s observation was it would get one outside in the sun in order to do it so it must be good. He’s a great kid to go walking in the woods with.
The last week of school work. Hallelujah!
And I can see calves in the kitchen but what a mess…on to the prompt…
Roots
The hot day had Tessa itching to return to the park of her youth. She drove the streets admiring the colorful flowers in bloom, realizing the town had grown while she was away. She parked in the same space she used years ago, wondering if the forest trail that beckoned was still in use. Finding it even wider than she remembered, she took off her shoes in order to feel the warm packed earth underfoot. While walking, she imagined the day her granddaughter would be big enough to step over the same roots and share the experience with her.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Wise woods walking companion you have in your grandson, Sue. I suspect we benefit from all the elements. The truck we bought in Kansas to haul our RV belonged to a ranch veterinarian and I’m pretty sure he had newborn calves in that cab. It was awful to try to clean. I imagined the sacrifice of a new clean kitchen. Celebrating, soon!
I love your story’s hope for sharing the roots with the next generation.
LikeLiked by 2 people
[…] This week at the Carrot Ranch, Charli Mills challenged writers to In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about earthing. Put a character’s hands, feet or bod… […]
LikeLiked by 2 people