Jay B. R. Wokky Ch. 42.1 — Under the Mountain

CH. 42.1 – Eli was a prisoner in his own body, unable to do anything but obey as Zelda led him down the mountain trail, wading through deep, soft snow. He was soon wet and shivering with cold. His teeth chattered. When he stumbled on a root sticking up through the snow and would have…

Jay B. R. Wokky Ch. 40.4 — What Happened at the Castle

Ch. 40.4 -- Mr. Dumfries made his way through the narrow, snowy streets until he reached the castle gates. His breath puffed out in a frosty cloud, and his hands tingled with cold. He knocked on the small side door, and a guard dressed in furs opened the narrow window. “Who goes there?” “I am…

Jay B. R. Wokky Ch. 40.3 — Into The Storm

Ch. 40.3 -- Prince Eli struggled through the snow, leading his poor, exhausted horse. He had tried to follow Connie’s directions, but it was hopeless. How could anyone see anything in this storm? And it was supposed to be spring! And where was the cat? Felix was supposed to be helping him, not popping away for…

Jay B. R. Wokky Ch. 39.1 — A Refuge in the Storm

CH 39.1 -- Eli’s poor horse struggled through the snow, exhausted. What a storm. Eli called out to Felix. “You’re a magical cat. Can’t you do anything about this weather?” Felix, who was wet and bedraggled himself, growled. “If you wanted a companion who could control the weather, you should have transformed a weather witch.…

Jay B. R. Wokky Ch. 37.1 — What Really Happened to Eli

CH 37.1 -- Eli kept his cloak on and his hood pulled down over his face as he made his way through the inn’s crowded common room to a table in the back. A young woman with flushed cheeks and tired eyes brought him a thick stew and a round loaf of bread along with…

Of Wind and Winter (Tale 1 of the Snow Queen)

Book Review:  Of Wind and Winter (Tale 1 of the Snow Queen), by Danyelle Leafty: Aneira is 9 years old when she is kidnapped by Baba Yaga, and if she ever hopes to see her family again, she must help the witch. What starts out sounding like a straightforward task soon becomes complicated, for everyone…

The Christmas Pony

Book Review:  The Christmas Pony – Kristen D. Randle Xan (Alexandra) lives on a rescue horse farm, where horses and children get second chances. She has a warm, loving family, but she is restless and unhappy, yearning for something bigger in her life than unrequited love and dealing with her family and incompetent ranch hands.…

Let It Snow

On several of my fall field trips out at the GSL Shorelands Preserve, we saw Woollybear Caterpillars with wide red-orange stripes around their bodies.  This is supposed to mean that there will be a long, cold winter.  Well, those caterpillars may know something:  this past weekend we were hit with a huge snowstorm.  I was…

It’s Snowing!

It's definitely a winter wonderland out there.  It's been snowing all day, with 5 to 10 inches expected where we live.  It's also very cold.  Do I really want to see what is in my mailbox today?  Hmmm.  I am glad I don't have to go anywhere!  Meanwhile, I am wrapping presents, getting cards ready…

Driving

I don’t enjoy driving.  Just the idea of strapping yourself into a tin can and shooting along a narrow pathway at seventy-plus miles an hour, all the while keeping watch out your mirrors for the other cars (and don’t forget potential debris in your lane), is unnerving.  Let’s not even mention that road conditions often…