Blog Archives

Going Home

5/21/2023

Baron had wanted to go home from the moment he had regained consciousness after his surgery, but he also realized he was in no condition to travel. The day finally came that the Doctor declared that he had recovered enough to make the arduous journey home.

"Take it easy, son, and don't overdo.You've been through a lot, and it will still take some more time before you are fully recovered."

"I know you've been eager to go home for a while now, but it's a long way home."

"..and you can't ride as long and hard as you could before your accident."

"So it's going to take us a little longer than usual to get you home."

'Well better slow, than not at all', Baron thought.

Baron offered his hand.."I want to thank you, Doctor..."

"Thank you for everything."

"I owe you my life."

"I'm just happy I was able to help."

"Good luck, and safe travels. And do stop in if you are ever up this way again."

Good News

5/20/2023

It had become routine that most days Winston would deliver a letter to Naomi...

"I have a letter for you from Baron.."

"Thank you, Winston. I can't even begin to tell you how thankful I am that you've made it possible for Baron and I to keep in touch during his recovery."

She opened the letter and started to read.

"He's coming home!"

"That's wonderful news!"

"He says the Doctor has declared him well enough to travel. But he will need to take it easy, and can't ride as long every day as he used to. So it will take the two of them at least ten days, or more, depending on the weather."

"I can hardly believe it. He's coming home!"

the Toilet Paper Chronicles

5/19/2023

The test sample of my newest book has arrived!

Remember three years ago, at the start of the pandemic, how the world went nuts hoarding toilet paper, and it became a very hard to find commodity? Well, I did a fun photo series at the time, and now it's been turned into a book.

It's a fun little book, with 35 pages of full colour photos, poking fun at the toilet paper shortage we found ourselves in.

From a knight making sure the kingdom stayed well supplied...

..to a valuable, much appreciated, heartfelt gift on Mother's Day...

...each page just makes me smile.

*Edited May 30 - It's too late to request a copy, as the order has gone in. Although I am ordering a few extra, just in case.

And if you missed any of my previous books, there's still a very limited number of copies of those available as well. (click on images below for more details)

Another Egg-Sitter

5/18/2023

With the eggs back at the lair, Winston contacted Willie, who had offered to egg-sit if he was in need of someone...

She brought along some knitting so she'd have something to do...

Then twice a day she would have to turn the eggs...

...which wasn't all that easy. They were almost as big as she was, and rather heavy and awkward to turn over.

She spent the days knitting, and turning eggs...

Hearing Something

5/17/2023

The children had been helping their Mom with Winston's eggs, and had been taking turns carefully turning them over twice a day...

One day, as she was turning an egg, Paige thought she heard a small sound...

"I can hear something too. And this egg seems to even be moving a bit..."

Monica came over, "That's strange."

"Do you think maybe it's starting to hatch?"

"I sure hope not."

"Just put them back down carefully, and I'll send for Winston."

Winston had just returned from up north with the day's letters, when he heard that the Queen needed to see him.

"We have noticed little sounds coming from inside the eggs, and they even seem to have started moving a bit..."

Winston picked up an egg to listen...."You are right. I can hear something too."

"Does that mean they are going to hatch now?"

"Not necessarily. Saphira tells me that baby dragons can start moving and making little sounds a few weeks before they actually hatch. There's no way to know exactly when that will be, but it could be soon. So it would be a good idea for me to take them back home to our lair. Because you really don't want them to hatch here."

"No, I don't suppose that would be wise. But do you have someone to watch them at home?"

"Yes, Willie has offered to help me out if I really need someone." So he carefully put the eggs back into his cart...

The children were rather disappointed to see the eggs leave.

Especially Ringo. He'd secretly been hoping they would hatch here, where he could watch.

Then Winston covered the eggs, and started out. "Thank you so much for looking after them for me. I really appreciated it."

"Maybe after they hatch...and have been trained a little...I can bring them back and introduce you to each other."

"Yes, we'd like that."

And he took his eggs home...

At the Infirmary

5/16/2023

As time went by Baron slowly regained his strength.

Rex spent the nights at the village Inn, and would come help the Doctor during the days.

He found it all rather interesting...

Winston would drop by every day to see how Baron was doing...

The Doctor had seen a lot over the years....

..but the whole situation with Winston was totally new to him.

"I never thought I'd live to see the day when I'd be welcoming a dragon into my infirmary."

Then he and Rex would get back to work...

...and he'd try not to stare.

Now that Baron was well on the road to recovery, Winston's role had changed,

from reporting on Baron's condition, to delivering letters back and forth,

...between Rex and Baron at the infirmary, and their loved ones and the King back home...

Baron would write to Naomi almost daily..

.and tell her how much he missed her, and longed to return home.

"Here you go, Winston...."

"Would you deliver this to Naomi, please?"

"I'd be happy to."

Almost Finished

5/15/2023

Paige and Nami were almost finished painting their dragons, when Ringo and David came over to look...

"So, what do you think?"

"It looks like a dragon."

Lawrence was impressed by his daughter's efforts...

"This is really wonderful. You've done an excellent job."

"Do you think they'll like mine too?"

"Yes, of course they will. This is really adorable."

"They are going to love it."

But David wasn't done yet...

He still had a lot of sanding to do...

Lawrence offered to help David with the last of his sanding....

"You have really out done yourself making this hobby horse."

"It's going to look amazing when you are all done."

"Those little dragons are going to love it."

Painting the Toys

5/14/2023

Ringo had finished cutting and sanding all his blocks and was starting to paint them.

..and the girls had started painting their pull toys...

David had shaped the hobby horse he had wanted to make, and was busy sanding it...

Ringo painted the first bunch of blocks red...

Paige was concentrating hard on painting her dragon...

While Nami was painting hers...

Then Ringo moved on to painting the next batch of blocks yellow....

...then he painted some purple, some orange, and some green....

"Wow, that's a lot of blocks!"

"That's because I need a lot..."

"I'm making a set for Winston's babies, and one for Uncle Baron's too."

In the Wood Shop

5/13/2023

Monica had been right in assuming that helping to look after Winston's eggs would prove a good distraction for the children. They were very excited about the prospect of baby dragons, and thought the babies would like some toys after they hatched. So when the children asked their Dad if they could make some toys, he was only too happy to supervise them in the castle wood shop.

Paige and Nami both decided to make dragon pull toys...

Ringo decided he wanted to make some blocks, and started sawing...

David was still checking out the wood to find the perfect pieces for the project he had in mind....

Lawrence liked to take a hands off approach, letting his children make what they wanted. They had learned to use tools from a young age, but still needed some supervising to make sure they worked safely. And he was there to offer advice if asked.