It’s Terrasse Time! – Friday Fictioneers

Posted on August 10, 2022 by Dale | 109 Comments

Good Wednesday, my peeps! It’s Friday Fictioneers Day and I could not resist this photo. It kinda called me to do a certain sequel to my story from a couple weeks ago. As always, a thank you to Rochelle, our fearless leader, who, while still frolicking in the ocean, still manages to host our weekly shindig. Should you want to join in and write a story inspired by Roger Bultot’s photo, then click on the frogs below to add your link!

frog, chair, cozy, for two, drink, wine, soaked, cute, sweet, funny, relaxation | Pikist

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Since you didn’t like my choice last time we got together, you pick.

It was disgusting. And great, it’s terrasse weather. I know just the place.

Terrace weather, you mean.

Terrasse, terrace. The important thing is we sit outside.

In the shade?

Yes, in the shade.

Okay. Meet you there?

7:00 pm.

***

This is your choice?

Yes, this is my choice.

You thought my tables looked like toilets, what the hell is this?

Art.

Art? It’s graffiti!

Stop. The food and drinks are worth it.

They better be.

At least we won’t feel crowded.

Why does that bring me no comfort?

It’s Gonna Be a Bumpy Ride – Friday Fictioneers

Posted on August 3, 2022 by Dale | 135 Comments

Hello my peeps. Lovely to see you on this first hump day in August. How it is already August when July was barely a day long is beyond me, but I digress. Rochelle may be off cavorting in the ocean on vacay but she still manages to host this weekly shindig. She is a rockstar, eh? When I saw this photo by the super-talented Sandra Crook, I knew exactly where I wanted to go. Then I remembered (vaguely) that I was pretty sure I had written about this experience before. Dang it! A search revealed that I did. Back in June, 2017. Wait… back in 2017… who the hell is gonna remember it anyhow, right? Right. And, hey, it happens that others repost old stuff. This is more of a rearranging. Apologies to those who do remember it. I was surprised to see the number of Fictioneers from then who are still around today. Hope the newbies enjoy… If you’ve got an idea for a 100-word original story, then by all means, do click on the frog below and add your link. G’head. It’s fun 🙂

Frog Driving Car Stock Illustrations – 99 Frog Driving Car Stock Illustrations, Vectors & Clipart - Dreamstime

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“Total gridlock, Mon, in Sint Maarten! We’re gonna miss the boat!”

The walkie-talkie crackled with Sébastien’s voice. “If I make a move, you guys gonna follow?”

“Hah! Go? There’s nowhere to go!” Mick grumbled.

Karl’s voice came on, “We’re in!”

Suddenly Sébastien’s jeep, followed closely by Karl’s, passed us on the left. On the sidewalk. People scurried out of the way.

“Are they stupid?”

“You best be stupid, too, if you don’t wanna miss the boat!” I yelled. The song “Bumpy Ride” came on the radio. Serendipity? A sign?

“Put the music up louder!”

“Whoo hoo! Go, Daddy, Go!”

Happy Wife, Free Man? – Friday Fictioneers

Posted on July 27, 2022 by Dale | 120 Comments

Well, well, well… Would you look at this coinkidink? It is the Brilliant Birthday Boy Bill’s photo today! And Rochelle chose today to use it for Friday Fictioneers. How cool is that? Well, I, for one, think it is so there. So, apologies, Bill and Yolonda. I done used ya. But all in good fun, o’ course! Should you have a great 100-word story you’d like to share, inspired by this here photograph, just click on the frog below and add your link. Easy peasy!

Oh, and Happy Birthday Bill!! 😘

Photo by Brazen Birthday Boy Bill Reynolds

A Dancing Frog and Inside A Greenhouse Background in 2022 | Greenhouse, Background, Plant shelves

Click me!

Quite the spread you have here, Bill.

Thanks. There’s a shit-ton of work to do but that’s okay. Work never killed nobody.

Beg to differ—

Shaddap! You know what I mean; don’t be so pedantic.

Just pulling your leg. How far’s it go?

I have about 50 acres in all.

Holy shit! What are gonna do with all that space?

The wife wants a greenhouse. This one seems to have good bones, so it’s a start.

What about you?

Once she’s happy puttering in her flowers, I’ll be free to do what I want.

***

That’s what you think!

Oh, hey, Yolonda…

Design Flaws – Friday Fictioneers

Posted on July 20, 2022 by Dale | 169 Comments

It’s Wednesday. Oh. Em. Gee…. So, this happened! I wasn’t gonna but then, with fifteen minutes left to work, I didn’t want to start something I couldn’t finish so I looked at the FF prompt and suddenly a story popped into my head. How do you like them apples, Rochelle? Fleur Lind’s photo sent me nowhere I thought it would. Should you have a grand idea inspired by this photo, then please click on the frog below and add the link to your 100-word story.

Hey! Good timing! I didn’t order you anything yet, since I wasn’t sure what your mood was.

Smart. It’s like you know me.

I do. Are you in a bourbon mood? Beer? Martini? Couldn’t chance it, yanno?

Hah! Smartass. What is UP with this table?

Funky design, eh?

Crappy, if you ask me.

Crappy?

Yeah, it looks like a toilet bowl. It’s gross.

Jesus. The things you see…

Babe. Seriously. Look at it! They could at least have made the inside white.

Oh, great. Now all I can see is diarrhea.

Guzzle that. We are outta here.

Copy that. Next!

Off the Rails, They Said – Friday Fictioneers

Posted on July 13, 2022 by Dale | 121 Comments

Well golly-gee whitkicker. I shoulda known when I woke up at 5 and could not fall back asleep that my day was not gonna go according to plan. I gave up on sleep, dressed, grabbed my camera and planned to drive just to the overpass to capture the early morning light; so of course my exit was closed, forcing me onto the highway and well, while I was there, might as well go allllll the way to the end and maybe be lucky enough to capture a heron or something. Got eaten alive by the skeeters whilst attempting. Couldn’t stay long as I had to get back, do my yoga and take a shower before work. But hey, it was still early so I’d be able to do my FF… it is, after all, my photo and all. But nooooo… Start my smoothie, leaving the addition of the frozen fruit till after my shower, so I could sip and write. Take said shower and, hmmm… the house is awfully quiet. Except for the beep of my alarm system telling me there was no power. So, no smoothie, no uploading of photos, no writing of FF… And then, work was so darn busy, I couldn’t even be a bad employee and write it there!

Apologies for my long preamble. Thanks Rochelle for choose my pic! The one good thing is, this morning, I heard this song and I thought, that could work… Miracles of miracles, I did not forget my plan and here I am, inspired by it! My story is squished between the photo and the song 😉 Should you be inspired to play along, just click on the frog below and add you 100-word link!

Cute cartoon frog with a stop sign, illustration, vector on white background. | CanStock

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Off the Rails, They Said

A too-sharp mind was what she had, they said. That she was spinning out of control and needed to dull the edges. That’s what they told her, anyway. And really, what reason did she have to not believe them? She knew she had been erratic and they feared for her. It was love, they said. They loved her. Here, they said, take these pills, you’ll feel so much better. So she choked them down and went from full-speed ahead to barely a crawl. If she could just make it to her bed, it would all stop. She’d be just fine.

Fairy Tale Redux – Friday Fictioneers

Posted on July 6, 2022 by Dale | 133 Comments

Wednesday is here and – gasp! I am participating for the second week in a row! Wild. Rochelle is both hostess and photographer, this week. A thanks goes out to you, Miss Thang, for being at your post week after week.

I fear I have lacked originality this week but so be it. It is what it is and for some strange reason, the idea I had before starting to type was something completely different but my brain could not seem to control my fingers. It’s my story and I’m sticking to it 😉 Should you have a better take, they please, by all means, click on the frog below and add your link! G’head! I’d love to read it 🙂

I hate fairy tale gift frog fairy elf' Men's Vintage T-Shirt | Spreadshirt

G’head click to play

Tell me a story, please, Mom.

Fairy tale or a real story?

Fairy tale. Real life is too unbelievable.

Hah! Gotcha. Classic? Rumpelstiltskin?

With your twist.

That’s my girl! Lemme see…

“Once upon…”

Really, Mom?

Shhh. Quiet. “Once upon a time a farmer’s daughter met a goofy-looking elf. He had these sweet powers and could turn anything to gold. So they partnered up and made a fortune selling golden strands of wool. He really wanted a kid so they adopted one. He stayed home, while she took care of business.”

Why adopt?

Lots of ragamuffins back then.

Win-win for all.

Restocking – Friday Fictioneers

Posted on June 30, 2022 by Dale | 132 Comments

It’s Thursday! Last working day of the week for us Canucks as tomorrow is Canada Day. I hemmed and hawed. I thought and pondered. I went here and then there and came up with this! The Wisoff-Fields are in cahoots this week as hostess and supplier of photo. Thank you Jan for your image and Rochelle for your always diligent presence on this jaunts! Should you wish to play along, you can click on Rochelle’s name for the what’s what or go directly to the frog and link up your 100-word story. Happy Thursday y’all!

I thought you’d be here a week ago! What took you so long? New route? New Supplier?

Sorry, Linda, I got side-tracked a few towns over. My stock had depleted and needed filling.

So, new supplier. You didn’t think you could restock here? You’ve always been satisfied before, Norman.

Well you know, Linda, a little variety in life is not a bad thing. I do like to scope out what’s new.

When you’re tired of the old, you mean.

Not old at all, darlin’. There’s comfort in the familiar.

Yeah, yeah. I know. “Sigh.”

C’mere, show me what you’ve got.

What Are the Odds? – Friday Fictioneers

Posted on June 1, 2022 by Dale | 123 Comments

Hola my peeps! Yessiree, it’s me, participatin’ in the weekly activity known as Friday Fictioneers which starts on a Wednesday, coz that’s how we roll… Get in early, keep up with the new arrivals and Bob’s your uncle! This week, our hostess with the mostest, Rochelle, has selected a photo from Lisa Fox. Don’t ask me why I went where I did. I just did. Coz that’s how I roll 😉 Plus, OK… maybe when I first saw the image smaller, I saw something else. But since my brain went there, who am I to redirect it? If’n you come up with something more betterer, then please, by all means, click on the frog below and add the link to your 100-word story!

Click me to play

There’s the pistol! And they’re off! We can barely tell one from the other. Round the bend they go and it’s Smiley-Joe in the lead. Not too far behind is Jack-in-the-Box with Happy-Go-Lucky sneaking up. Lucky Charm is at the back of the pack and there is no way he’s gonna be a contender!

Wait! What’s going on? There he goes… he’s surging outta the pack! Holy crap! He’s past Suzie-Q, now Sweet-Cheeks. He’s closing in on Happy-Go-Lucky!

My God! I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s like he’s possessed! Whoa! What an upset! No one saw Lucky Charm coming!

***

K. Normally I don’t dig on explanations to stories, choosing for readers to make of it what they will. However, let me just say I thought I saw a vine climbing higher…

The Little Things – Friday Fictioneers

Posted on May 11, 2022 by Dale | 121 Comments

It’s Wednesday! And that can mean many things. Over here in blogland, it means the start of Friday Fictioneers (don’t ask, just know!) Rochelle has ~~dragged~~, encouraged me to play by ever so sweetly asking me to use my photo. How could I refuse? More importantly, why would I? Should you feel so encouraged, please do add your link to your 100-word story by clicking on the frog below. G’head. I dare you!

Frog with rose Royalty Free Vector Image - VectorStock

G’head! Click to play!

It doesn’t take much, you know. To be made to feel more than, rather than less than, or worse, inconsequential. Sure, the big things are nice and all but in the grand scheme of things, those things are just accumulated stuff. Some stuff you really enjoy. Some you don’t know why the hell you keep except for some misguided sense of obligation. And, if you are not careful, you lose sight of the things you love most amidst said stuff.

It might be cliché but actions do speak louder. Small ones. Big ones. Ones that make sense only to you.

Acceptance is Healthy – Friday Fictioneers

Posted on April 13, 2022 by Dale | 159 Comments

Hey! Hey! Hey! Looky here! Rochelle found a way to kick me into gear and get me to Friday Fictioneer with my Friends. Pretty sneaky, you ask me. But then again, I have been away for eons… Nice to be back to play with you. If you want to play with us, just click on the sunbathing frog below and add your linky-link to your 100-word story!