Thursday’s Travels…

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Maps… check!

Snacks… check!

Books, clothes, games, tools, fishing stuff, diving stuff, and of course, exploration stuff… check, check, and triple check!!!

Oh well, we can always send Brutus to retrieve anything we’ve forgotten, right?!

Now, for everyone coming along on this venture, a tour of the ship, as well as your quarters, is in order. Otherwise, you’ll never find the bathroom, and the babe’s will take all the best bunks.

Come on, let’s get you settled…

First stop is the kitchen. This is one of the best places on the ship, and where we spend a good deal of time together. Mini Wiwohka will be our cook for this voyage, as Miss Tilly has her hands full with babies, and all.

Oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you that Tilly had twins…

While mamma and babies are all doing well, Tilly won’t be able to accompany us this time. She is needed at home, which is totally understandable. With that being said, Mini Wiwohka has gained quite the skill in the kitchen, so we are all in for a real treat!

Moving on, let’s show you where everyone sleeps, as well as, the restrooms.

You’ll find that there’s a ladies room at the bow (that’s the front) of the ship,

And, yes, we do provide unlimited hot water. Why, we have a dragon to heat the hot water tank, of course! There’s water being piped to both bathrooms, the kitchen, and also a washroom for the cook.

Check out the boy’s bathroom at the stern (the back)…

Oh! I’m so sorry, Peanut! We didn’t know you were in here.

How embarrassing!

Anyway, you get the idea about where the bathrooms are, so let’s move on to the bunk area…

It looks as if Nugget has already claimed one of the bunks. You should probably make quick work of finding your bunks, before the rest of the babes get here. They should be arriving any moment.

Speaking of the babes arriving, I must leave you here to settle in, as I must finish my tasks before we depart. As soon as little feet start dropping on the deck, we’ll be shoving off. I want to get started as soon as possible. Hopefully, we’ll be weighing anchor shortly.

If you wish to say your goodbye’s, I suggest you stow your things and make your way above deck. I think I just heard Eustace moving about above our heads, so I better get up there. I made the mistake of telling him it was alright to bring extra things for the baby, if necessary. He’s gone a bit overboard (no pun intended, there)…

Oh, brother!

Well, at least the baby will have more than enough stuff to keep her happy. I can’t fault the camel for that. I know we’ll be thanking him later, and he knows it, too!

Luckily for you, she has her own designated bedroom, so Eustace can shove everything in her closet.

There should be more than enough room for us all, thanks to Creed’s handywork. It’s too bad that he couldn’t come, what with schoolwork, and all. We’ll have to make due without him. No worries, though. If anything needs repairing or replacing, Brutus can fetch him for us.

Ummm, I think that’s everything. If I’ve forgotten something, there will be plenty of time to figure it out, and fill you in. For now, let’s say our goodbye’s, or farewell’s, if that sounds more mysterious…

Awww, look how excited Squagon is to be leaving. It’s no wonder though, as this whole journey is to find those lost to him. And to think that you will be a part of this adventure, as well. I couldn’t be happier to have you all aboard.

Shall we depart, then?

Perfect?

WiwohkaLeave a comment
Daily writing prompt
What’s a show that had the perfect series finale?
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Honestly, I couldn’t tell you the answer to this prompt. Do you realize how many shows there are, and have been, in the past? That’s a huge list, my friends. One that I’ve no time to divulge.

Cookies?

Golden trophy-shaped cookies arranged in a pile on a wooden cutting board
A pile of trophy-shaped winner cookies on a wooden cutting board

Wednesday Words…

WiwohkaLeave a comment

As you may know, tomorrow is departure day for our Barnyard crew, so everyone is busily loading the ship in preparation for the adventures ahead.

Eustace is apparently all packed, and ready to head for open waters. If you ask me, the camel is taking the whole baby preparedness thing a bit further than anyone might have anticipated.

But, if you think I’m going to burst his happy bubble, you’re crazy!

What this ship needs is a happy camel, a confident camel, and a free babysitting camel, standing at the wheel. Traveling the high seas with a baby onboard will be quite the undertaking, and I’ll need all the help I can get!

None, thank you…

Wiwohka6 Comments
Daily writing prompt
If you could have dinner with any philosopher, who would it be?
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Why on earth would I want to eat dinner with a complete stranger? How uncomfortable would that be?

Busily trying to prepare and serve food to someone I don’t know, while simultaneously attempting to hold a somewhat intelligible conversation with them, seems absurd.

You know, I went out onto the internet and queried a list of all the philosophers. It’s substantially longer than I expected, and no surprise here, folks… I didn’t recognize any of them.

That’s not to say that they don’t hold any value, or useful knowledge. It just means that I don’t know them, personally. What on earth would we talk about? I fear I would bore them with ridiculous questions about how they managed to survive without modern conveniences.

There honestly isn’t any list of important questions I’ve been holding onto, for someone I’ve never met. I mean, if they hold important information, don’t they normally write it all down somewhere, anyway? If I’ve a list of burning questions, I can simply look them up on the internet. Why do I have to fork out dinner for them, first?

Now, I would go back and walk beside some of our greatest prophets, and apostles of Jesus Christ. Those would be the only people of interest to me, as I spend most of my time reading and studying scripture about them. They saw the things that Jesus did while on this earth. They heard his voice, walked with him, and were taught by him. I’ve always wondered over the impact Jesus had on those He touched, those that were changed by his teachings, and his sacrifice.

Outside of that, I don’t really have any desire to seek a dinner reservation with anyone I don’t know, personally. Don’t judge! I’m just not a social as I once was.

Cookie?

Cookies shaped like faces of philosophers spilling from a baking tray onto a wooden table and floor

Tuesday Tinkering…

Wiwohka6 Comments

With our departure this Thursday approaching rapidly, there’s a good many things still needing to be done aboard The Torrent. Along with the comfort level of all her guests, this ship needs to become more solid, as a whole.

I’ve made numerous Avatars of the differing personalities you see, moving about the ship, but no solid re-usable image for the ship, herself. Don’t ask me why I like to refer our ship as a her, but I thought to look it up, out of curiosity. Did you know that there’s an actual reason for calling a ship her? Well, there is…

Referring to ships and cars as “she” or “her” is a centuries-old tradition born from a mix of historical superstition, deep emotional bonds, and linguistic quirks. [1, 2]

The main reasons behind this practice include:

  • Maternal Protection: Historically, sailors spent months at sea and relied completely on their vessels for survival. Because a ship carried, nurtured, and protected the crew from the harsh elements, it was often viewed as a maternal or goddess figure.
  • Linguistic Roots: In ancient languages like Latin, objects (including ships) were assigned grammatical genders, and the Latin word for ship (navis) is feminine.
  • Honoring Loved Ones: Sailors famously named their ships after wives, mothers, or influential women as a mark of respect and to bring good luck on perilous voyages.
  • Appreciation for Elegance: Just as with ships, early cars were highly prized, expensive possessions. Early enthusiasts and drivers anthropomorphized them, assigning feminine pronouns to reflect beauty, sleek lines, and perceived grace. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]

Huh, go figure! Well, at least now we know why, right?!

Anyways, back to the work at hand. The Torrent needs to become a solid ship, before we can adventure anywhere, so let’s do this!

First, we need some images to begin the process:

As you can see, creating a visual that is authentic and yet appealing isn’t such an easy task. Just trying to be far away enough to capture all her sails and riggings, is a feat, in and of itself. I spent some time out on the internet, looking through differing styles of ships, masts, and sails. It’s quite extensive, actually.

Here is the image I worked with last year, from OpenArt:

Starting with a simple boat image, I worked with Norbert to enhance the colors, and transition into a more authentic design:

From those images, I finally struck gold, so to speak:

Now this is a good stock image, I think. It’s still rather simple, as those sails, ropes, and riggings need a lot of work, if we’re to seem legit!

How bout these?

All that’s left to do now, is to take the handful of images we’ve gathered, and hand them off to Norbert. Let’s hope the ai can create something beautiful…

I think she is coming along nicely, though we’ve still work to be done on that figurehead… what on earth is that supposed to be, anyway, a fishhook or something?

Overall, I feel rather confident that things will all be ready to go, come Thursday.

For those joining us, don’t forget to bring your Dramamine, if you get seasick. While the seas in this image seem calm, once we leave the safety of shore, all bets are off! It can get pretty choppy out there, and where we sail will be quite stormy, at times.

At least you’ll sleep good, knowing that the ship is sound, and the crew be loyal, to a fault.

See ya at the docks!

Surrender…

Wiwohka6 Comments
Daily writing prompt
How do you handle fear and self-doubt?
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Much of my life has been spent running… running from hurts, fears, and enough self-doubt to sink a battleship, as they say. From the time I was a small child, anything that caused one or more of these emotions, meant it was time to run away.

I ran away from an abusive and neglectful home, ran away from every foster home they put me in, and tucked myself away from watchful eyes. Much of my youth was spent wandering the streets, in the hopes that I might find my own safe place.

Somehow, I managed to let my own fears and self-doubts destroy my first marriage, and the lives of my children. Ouch! Yeah, fear will do things like that.

For much of my 58 years on this earth, I allowed my own fears to dictate my journey. I refused to let go of all that haunted me, all that continued to cause incredible damage to my body, mind, and soul.

When Covid brought about a nationwide shutdown, the world around us imploded! When that occurred, the scales of balance in my fear department were simply shattered beyond recognition! The weight of it all seemed to crush my spirit, leaving nothing more than an emotional disaster area!

Not more than three years ago, I chose to quit running from painful things, as I’d been doing all my life. The running hadn’t done anything for me, aside from make things worse. God offered me the freedom of letting go, surrendering it all to His will, and trusting in something other than myself, for once. While I’d been a Christian since the age of 18, I never fully let go, and let God, if you will. I’d made a right disaster of my life, thus far, so I had nothing to lose.

Well, I did have some things to lose… like that ole fear and self-doubt that the prompt was asking about. It’s not a perfect walk, nor always an easy one, as I’ve shared with you on occasion. But, whether the journey is easy, hard, long, or even painful… it is without fear, and for the most part, without any nagging self-doubts. If any of those pop up, it’s not God that’s the problem, but my willingness to surrender.

So, when fear and self-doubt come knocking at your door, you don’t have to let them in. Be brave, be strong, and lay those fears down. They won’t change the outcome of a thing, unless you let them.

Cookies?

Plate with hen-shaped cookies decorated with colorful icing

That’s not cocoa…

Wiwohka4 Comments
Daily writing prompt
What’s a moment that made you question reality?
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If you’ve ever seen the video of the little boy who ate a spoonful of baking cocoa powder, you’d agree that he was probably questioning reality, right at that moment!

Aside from moments like that, I can’t say that there has ever been a time that I was unsure of reality. I’ve hated it, avoided it, and downright ran full force away from it, but never questioned it.

Reality is one of those undeniable factors of existence, just like time. Time doesn’t change it’s pace, though at times, it feels as if it goes too fast. Then again, there are times that feel as if they might drag on for eternity. I would say that reality and time probably go hand in hand.

As far as questioning reality goes, as long as I don’t have to eat unsweetened cocoa powder any time soon, we’re good!

Cookies?

I promise they’re sweet!

This is such an honor, really…

Wiwohka1 Comment

Daily writing prompt
What is the meaning of life?
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While I am entirely flattered that WordPress desires my definition for the meaning of life, it’s highly doubtful that my response will be world altering, or anything.

Perhaps, on certain occasions, I may feel inclined to think that I have a firm grasp on life, and how I fit into it. You might even observe me patting myself on the back, in my own self-delusions. But, if you think I would ever really offer an actual statement on my assumptions, regarding the meaning of life… your out of your mind.

Why? Because all of us, and none of us, has it figured out! We’d like to believe that at some point, we’ve finally got it all mapped out, right?! Maybe some will, but I highly doubt it.

While none of us may ever figure out the entire meaning of life, I think most of us get to a place where we have a solid grasp on the meaning of our own lives, hopefully. We find our place within the world around us, as best we can, and make peace with it. And, we discover what treasures are worth holding, deep inside our hearts.

I think those treasures are the very answers to the meaning of life, and they’ll be different for everyone. They’ll look different, and feel different… but in the end, most likely they will all mean close to the same thing.

I’m not sure if I just explained myself, or if I’ve simply confused everyone. It’s Saturday though, and I’ve no desire to overthink this. Let’s just move on to something else, like cookies. Yeah, that’ll balance things out…

Live Novel Friday

Wiwohka2 Comments

The Wharf

Episode VII

With the shocking reveal of baby Brugo, things took a sudden turn in the way Ollie saw Maiyah. The grumpy Orc now found himself at the mercy of his young bar maid, as he had no idea how to care for a baby. He felt awful for the way he’d treated her, always yelling at her, and making her work such long, hard hours in the tavern. He’d never shown her the love she deserved, and yet, Maiyah was as loyal as they came. For days, she’d been secretly caring for his own son, and under his very nose.

As the two stood watching the sleeping baby, Ollie worried that the child would be frightened of him, and wouldn’t recognize his father, as they hadn’t seen one another since the child’s birth. Ollie could see his wife’s features on the baby’s face, even though Brugo’s eyes were closed.

The infant looked just like his mother. Her face was etched upon the orc’s heart! There hadn’t been a day that went by, in which Ollie hadn’t thought of her…

The orc’s heart hurt, when he considered what could possibly possess the child’s mother to abandon her son.

He looked down at the letter in his hands, afraid of what might be written on the paper. The orc knew that the answers he sought would be written there, but he was terrified of what it might reveal…

“You should read her letter, Ollie.” Maiyah encouraged the orc. “At least we might have some answers.”

Ollie wept openly, as he read the words from his wife. Never before had Maiyah seen the orc cry, nor show any emotion, aside from being grumpy all the time, and yelling at everyone. Here he was, looking so hurt and confused.

Suddenly, in the middle of reading the letter, Ollie gave a shocked and startled grunt, causing Maiyah to jump, and disturbing the sleeping baby, momentarily.

“What is it, Ollie? What’s wrong?” Maiyah whispered gently, placing her hand on his arm in concern.

“War,” replied the orc, in a subdued voice.

“A clan war has been declared between our people. My wife, Shelor, has been called to battle with her clan, but my own clan has chosen to stand apart from them, due to my being rejected by her clan.”

“Oh, Maiyah, this is terrible! Their clan hasn’t the number needed for success, which was why we tried to join with them, in the first place. We were trying to help strengthen both our clans, but while the marriage was sound, the joining of clans failed, entirely!”

Ollie looked toward the sleeping baby, then to the letter, and back at the baby.

Then, after several long moments, he turned his attention to Maiyah. Ushering her out of the room quietly, they headed down the stairs to the kitchen.

“I know that I have no right to ask this of you, Maiyah, and it is certainly within your rights to deny me, but… I need your help! I am torn between caring for you and Brugo, and finding my wife. I know what I must do, but I need your help if I’m to do it.”

“What must I do?” Maiyah asked.

“I must return to my clan and convince them to assist Shelor and her people,” Ollie lamented. “Whether or not I am accepted, doesn’t have any bearing on whether we should protect my wife and son.”

“Then you should go to her, Ollie,” Maiyah asserted.

“But to go means that I must leave you, Brugo, and the tavern. It’s all we have for coin, food, and shelter. How can I choose?”

With a resolve born of love and commitment, Maiyah stepped directly before Ollie, placing both her hands on his arm. “There are enough workers for the choring, and the sailors all know of me, so why not let me run the inn, while your gone?”

“You would do this for me?”

Remembering back over the years they’d been together, Maiyah’s eyes misted over with tears, as she replied, “You are the only father I have ever known, and you’ve cared for me all these years. Of course I shall do this for you and Brugo, both. You are my only family.”

“I have treated you terribly, Maiyah,” replied the orc, shamefully. “I should have given you my name long ago, and you don’t deserve to work like a hired worker. If you will do this for me, I give you my word that things will be different from now on.” Reaching out, the orc took the young bar maid in his arms, affectionately. Briefly giving her a fierce hug, the orc quickly gathered the remaining supplies needed, and stuffed them into an already full satchel.

Before leaving, he gathered all the workers together and gave strict instructions to obey Maiyah’s orders around the tavern, as she would be in charge, until his return.

Stepping out the back doorway of the kitchen, Ollie turned and handed Maiyah the keys to the tavern. “Now that you are running things, I don’t want you doing your normal chores,” he stated. “You’ve Brugo to look after, and coinage to be mindful of, instead. Leave the tavern work to the others, and just watch over the work. And, please don’t keep Brugo closed up in your room, any more. It’s not good for either of you.”

“You don’t want to see your son before you leave?” Maiyah questioned the orc.

“He will know me, but not now. First, I wish to bring his mother home, if that makes any sense. I want our first meeting to be a happy one, and without his mother, it just feels wrong.” Somehow, that made sense to Maiyah. She nodded her head in agreement to his explanation. Quickly, she gave Ollie one last hug, and then reluctantly stepped back, and said her farewells.

Watching the orc walk down the dock, and disappearing into the crowd, Maiyah wondered how on earth she was going to do any of the things she just promised Ollie. She’d never run the tavern without Ollie roaming about the building somewhere. Now it was up to her!

Will Ollie find Shelor and her clan, before it’s too late?

Why are the clans suddenly at war? What happened?

How will Maiyah manage to run the tavern, while caring for baby Brugo?

Operator Error…

WiwohkaLeave a comment
Daily writing prompt
What’s a word or phrase that annoys you?
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It’s not so much about what the word or phrase is, but more about how it’s being used.

While I don’t have any particular annoying words that come to mind, I would have to say that I can become irritated by the way a person chooses to utilize the English language.

Taking a thing out of context, or misusing the word, all together… now that is annoying!

Then again, turning a normal word into slang, or using it to bring harm to another will get my ire up, as well.

It’s more about the person speaking the words, that will sway my levels of annoyance, than it is about any specific thing being spoken.

Choose your words, and your friends, very carefully. As they say, you are like those you associate with!

Oh, and choose your cookies carefully, too…

The ones in the middle are probably the cleanest.