tirsdag den 22. juli 2025

Find Familiars 7 ~ Trying to use up the Words

I still have these words left over from Wednesday's words:
Party
Note
Faucet
Jelly
Leather
Books


and then the infamous Bellowcat from last Wednesday. Let me see if I can end the story with these words.

I continue my story from previous chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

Back to Trausti and his talk on Familiars:

"Also," Trausti continued, "not all Familiars are nice." He whistled another tune, and a very big bat flew in through the window and landed on the table and rubbed it's big, gargoyle-like head on Trausti's gloved hand. It was almost a third of Trausti's size, and so ugly that it was almost cute. Most of the apprentices could not help laughing.
"This male hammer headed bat comes from Africa," he said. "How it ended up here, I have no idea. I fetched it in a big banana crate in a supermarket, where it scared the man opening up the crate. A logical place for it to hide, as it's a fruit eater, living mainly from figs, mangoes and bananas." He looked at the apprentices, who were most of them studying the creature with interest. "The downsides? I can see you think. Apart from the size and the claws to fit this size, they are nocturnal and extremely noisy during their active period. And here we have another uncouth specimen. A giant cat-like creature approached Trausti, rubbing its head against his trousered leg. Suddenly the cat began breathing rapidly, panting like a bellows and expanding. Then it opened its maw, a gigantic, pink abyss. It raised its head, and Trausti quickly drew his wand, pointed it at the now enormously swollen cat and screamed: "haltu kjafti!*
Thora looked at him in disgust: "That's not a nice spell to use in front of the apprentices! Was that really necessary?"
Trausti looked squarely at her: "That was a Bellowcat. A few seconds more and we would all have been deaf. I thought she was a Sweller, she has never bellowed before." Trausti bent and examined the flaccid cat. He blanched, stood up and continued: "Any questions?"

There were a few, mostly variations of Will we ever get a Familiar, and What are Bellowcats and Swellers.
After listening to their questions, Trausti answered:
"Will you ever get a Familiar? Only time will tell. Once you're a true witch or wizard, you can begin looking for one. Or more possible the Familiar will find you. I think this is one of the subjects Gylfi has in mind for next year's curriculum." He looked at Gylfi, who nodded.
"Then to Swellers and Bellowcats. Bellowcats are an under-species of Swellers, at least that's what I have found out from studies. Swellers are cats that can increase their size by inhaling air, then they can soar by letting out the air slowly. They kind of fly, like a balloon where you let out the air. They are fun, and it can be a great help for the cat to get somewhere they cannot climb. They are able to steer, partly using their tail, partly by controlling the outlet of air. It takes training for a Sweller to become good at it. It is not a practical thing inside a house, notwithstanding any cat's natural ability to not break or turn over any object, and always land on their paws, flying cats are not a thing to bring into your living room. Bellowcats are a subspecies. They breath in the air rhythmically, like bellows, like what you saw earlier, instead of the steadier intake of Swellers. And instead of using the airflow for flying, they let out the air in one, big MEOW, loud enough to make anybody at close quarters deaf, break the window panes and any other glass nearby, and sometimes even killing the bellowcat himself. Normally Bellowcats are male and Swellers female, although male Swellers are sometimes found. They can interbreed with normal cats of any species, fortunately they generally limit themselves to housecats - fortunately for the world at large. Just imagine a lion-sized, or even a panther sized Bellowcat.

The apprentices left, discussing Familiars and strange cats in small groups. Susan went out in the dark evening with Heidi, Lis and Tage, it was crisp and cold, with a hint of snow in the air. "I forgot my notebook," Susan said, "wait for me please, it'll only be a second." She ran back into the Barn, and overheard Gylfi's, "... but it's male!" before he fell quiet. Susan excused herself, grasped the notebook and hurried back to her friends.

Curiouser and curiouser ... maybe to be continued.
You might say I used
Note and Book
else I only got rid of
Bellowcat
let's see what happens tomorrow.
 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
* This means shut up, but its very rude, more like shut the bloody F... up!

mandag den 21. juli 2025

Poetry Monday :: Quince

Dear readers ... MotherOwl's new, old computer still needs some working out. It's tough times upgrading from Windows 7 to Windows 11. In a few days more I seriously hope I'm done strongarming it into doing what I want it to do -  instead of me doing what it wants me to do.

Reading of blogs, commenting and hopefully writing will resume soon - I hope.

- A - - B - - C -

Kære læsere, Uglemors  nye, brugte computer volder stadig knuder - det er tough times at gå fra Windows 7 til Windows 11. Derfor vil det nok vare et par dage mere, før hun er færdig med at kæmpe med installationer og få computeren til at gøre so hun ønsker og ikke den anden vej rundt.
Blogging, læsning af blogs og kommentarer vil komme i gang igen snart!

Mandagsdigtet er en blogleg, som Mimi fra Messymimi's Meanderings og jeg har overtaget - midlertidigt håber vi - fra Diane, der slapper af og rejser verden rundt med sin mand. Vi håber hun er parat til at tage over igen, når hun kommer hjem.

Dagens tema er:
Kvæder og jeg havde fået en god idé på dansk også, men så skulle jeg lige vande mine nyplantede krydderurter, og ideen forduftede sammen med vandet.

For at kunne fortsætte denne blogleg uden at overanstrenge os selv – vi vil skrive digte og fjolle lidt rundt, ikke rive os i håret over at have glemt at finde nye på stikord - har Mimi og jeg besluttet at vi hægter os på gruppen  365 Days of Drawing Prompts and other Arts. Det er en Facebook-gruppe, der udgiver et stikord til hver dag i året.
     Dette er så det sidste af vores stikord, men bare rolig, stikordene vil stadig være at finde både her og på Mimis blog.


- A - - B - - C -

Mimi of Messymimi's Meanderings and I have taken over the hosting duties, mostly the supplying of the prompts - only temporarily we hope - while Diane at On the Border is taking a break for health and relaxation, travelling the world with her husband as far as we can tell.
 
We just hope she's going to take back over once she returns home.

In order to to continue this challenge and not overexert ourselves - we want to write poems and goof around a bit, not spend time pulling out our hairs over forgetting to find new prompts - Mimi and I have decided to latch onto the 365 Days of Drawing Prompts and other Arts group. This is a Facebook group with a prompt for each day of the year.

This is the last prompt by Mimi or me, b
ut no worries, the prompts will still be here and at Mimi's blog.

  I have something more to ask of you: If you read this and the poetry of others via the links, would you please leave a comment.
  Half - if not more - the fun of these challenges is receiving the responses of others
.


Today's subject is Quince.

We eat a lot of quince
we've done so ever since
I got my English jam-book.
So every fall
I pick them all
And cook my jam
I follow Pam*
and more quince cheese I cook.

 ____________________________________________________________________

*Pam: The jam book is Pam the Jam's excellent Book of Preserves:

- - - - - - - - - -

Up and coming subjects:
July 21 Quince (Today) - the last one coming from Mimi and me.
Aug 4 Lonely  -
The first one from he 365 Days of Drawing Prompts and other Arts.
Aug 11 Biscuits
Aug 18 Don’t be afraid
Aug 25 Wonderful


 --  A  --  B  --  C  --

And the Wordle 1.493 6/6
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜
⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜
⬜⬜⬜⬜🟩
⬜🟩⬜⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Today’s average difficulty is 5.4 guesses out of 6, or very challenging. I find this average difficulty by clicking the bulb, which takes me to today's Wordle Review page where we can find (clickable) hints and the solution.

I don't go here until I have solved the Wordle - or not.

Lowermost on this page - before ads for themselves, games and news, is Further reading  I love this statement: See the archive for past and future posts.
If I click the link, I see only past posts 😁

søndag den 20. juli 2025

Sunday Selection :: Writing Pleasure Purple

I am still wrangling my new PC - Getting the pictures from my camera in there is tough. There's no slot for the memorycard from the camera any longer, and all sorts of strange pop-ups are trying to take over my transfer when I finally get the PC and camera to interact.

But here's a few of the photos from this week that suceeded in being taken, looking somewhat OK and finding their way into my folders.

First - this year again we visited the sandsculpture featival in Hundested meeting old aquaintances

- ⏳ -

Jeg kæmper stadig med min nye computer - det er bøvlet at få billederne fra mit kamera ind på den. Der er ikke længere et hul til hukommelseskortet fra kameraet, og når jeg endelig får computer og kamera til at tale sammen, er der alle mulige mærkelige pop op-vinduer der forsøger at overtage det hele.
     Men her er et par af de billeder fra denne uge. Det lykkedes at få dem taget, de ser nogenlunde ud, og de har fundet vej til de rigtige mapper.
     Igen i år besøgte vi sandskulptur-festivalen i Hundested og mødte gamle bekendte. Vi har så vidt jeg ved kun misset den to gange siden den åbnede i 2012, nemlig 2016 og 2024.
I think he's been there from the very start - ⏳ - Jeg tror ham her har været med fra starten.

This one has been here for some years too - ⏳ - Denne her har også nogle år på bagen.


Hvorimod denne her var helt ny - ⏳ - This one was all new
Årets tema er Showtime, alt kan ske  - ⏳ - Theme of the year: Showtime, Anything can Happen.

    - ⏳ -

Then we go home again - ⏳ - Så tager vi hjem igen

Jeg har fået klinte hjem i haven - ⏳ - I've had a corncockle grow in my garden.

Dette er et overskudsprodukt - ⏳ - This is a byproduct

Saltlage, nu kogt ind til salt - ⏳ - brine, now boiled and dried and turned into salt

Det blev brugt til at salte de her slåen, der nu står i eddikelage og trækker. De bliver til slåliven
- ⏳ -
The brine was used for these sloeberries, now in another liquid made of vinegar, sugar and water. This will turn them into slolives, or Nordic olives.

Jeg plukkede også gyldne stikkelsbær, de blev til en gylden stikkelsbærtærte. Det var ikke så godt som det gyldne syltetøj fra sidste år, så ikke flere gyldne tærter.
- ⏳ -
I also picked all the golden gooseberries, they were made into a gooseberrypie. It was nothing special, as opposed to the golden jam from 2024. No more golden gooseberry pies.


And finally scroll down and see today's Wordle solution - it is fun - and Writing Pleasure Purple ;)
- ⏳ -
Og til sidst dagens Wordle, med en sjov - og skriveglædelilla løsning længere nede.


Sunday's Wordle 1.492 4/6
⬜🟩⬜⬜⬜
🟩🟩⬜⬜🟩
🟩🟩⬜🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Another one with green and grey letters only .... this made me want to play
Solution will be revealed, so scroll with care

Endnu en løsning med kun grå og grønne bogstaver ... Jeg fik lyst til at lege
Dagens løsning vil blive afsløret længere nede, så scroll med forsigtighed.


 * * * *

* * *

 * *

 *


The solution as it was - and with the colours inverted, which makes the green letters turn
Writing Pleasure Purple

Løsningen som den ser us - og med farverne inverteret. Det får de grønne bogstaver til at blive Skriveglædelilla



onsdag den 16. juli 2025

Words for Wednesday ~ July 16

Word for Wednesday is a challenge that was started a long time ago. Now it has turned into a movable event with Elephant's Child as our coordinator; and the Words provided by a number of people.

The general idea of this challenge is to make us write. Poems, stories, subtitles, tales, jokes, haiku, crosswords, puns, ... you're the boss.
Use all Words, some Words, one Word, or even none of them if that makes your creative juices flow. Anything goes, only please nothing rude or vulgar.

In July, MotherOwl - yes, that's me will supply us with prompts, but they'll appear at  Elephant's Child's blog. I wrote and sent them back in December last year, so they are as new to me as they are to you. I hope they'll get us all writing.

 It is also a challenge, where the old saying
"The more the merrier" holds true.

So Please, remember to follow the links, go back and read other peoples' stories. And please leave a comment after reading. Challenges like this one thrives on interaction, feedback and encouragement. And we ALL need encouragement.

- - A - - B - - C - - 


I'm shocked writing the date. More than half the year has gone past already, and more than half the summer.

For today we had these words
:
Party
Chance
Note
Faucet
Black
Idea
    And/or
Jelly
Leather
Books
Root
Amusement
Pardon
I'm going to be a bit "mad as a hatter" today. I only used the stricken words. 

Beg your pardon, but yesterday I thought out a crazy computer game. I am going to tell of it here for your amusement. It's called the Gooseberry Gardener.

The objective is to pick as many gooseberries as possible from one bush. Problem is, it's entangled in other bushes, other gooseberry bushes as well as redcurrant bushes. Every time you make a berry fall to the ground, be it one of the gooseberries, you're supposed to pick, another colour of gooseberry or some redcurrants, you lose a small amount of berries (d20, below 8 makes you lose 1 % of what you picked). The same happens if you prick your fingers on the gooseberry thorns (d20, below 10 makes you lose 1 % of what you picked).
I think I need to add some sort of saves, eg. every time you reach one whole kg or full berry picking container, go offload and none of these berries can be lost again.

Additional difficulties, DLCs in gamer lingo, can be added. Each DLC giving a level up, increasing the chance of more berries, but also the risks of a fail. Installing one = difficulty level 2, installing both = difficulty level 3:

  • Weeds: Adds nettles and bindweeds, one will sting you, one will pull off berries, both making you lose some berries. Again roll d20, below 12 makes you lose 2 % of what you picked. 
  • Optimistic Spring Gardener: Adds rebar poles and twine, meant to hold branches off the ground, now just adding to the tangle. And naturally having bindweed climbing the twine if Weeds is installed.
Pro gamers are invited to add: Approaching Thunderstorm. Making this a timed game, finish in time or get drenched.

Of course this game has its roots in real life. I'm sure you can guess what I did yestersday. I did pick all the green gooseberries (more than 10 kgs) - not the black or the red ones, and I initiated a similar game of  Blackcurrant Picker - minus the thorns - but lost to the Approaching Thunderstorm. I will continue playing again today.

mandag den 14. juli 2025

Poetry Monday :: Salt

Dear readers ... I am not blogging much right now and for the next couple of days. I just got a new old computer and I have to install everything back in ... and wrestle it until it does what I want it to do -  instead of me doing what it wants me to do.

Reading of blogs, commenting and hopefully writing will resume soon - I hope.

- A - - B - - C -

Kære læsere, da Uglemor fik en nybrugt computer i går, vil det lige vare et par dage, før hun er færdig med at kæmpe med installationer og få computeren til at gøre so hun ønsker og ikke dne anden vej rundt.
Blogging, læsning af blogs og kommentarer vil komme i gang igen snart!

- A - - B - - C -

Mandagsdigtet er en blogleg, som Mimi fra Messymimi's Meanderings og jeg har overtaget - midlertidigt håber vi - fra Diane, der slapper af og rejser verden rundt med sin mand. Vi håber hun er parat til at tage over igen, når hun kommer hjem.

Dagens tema er:
Salt, der fik mig til at tænke på drilleverset "Gråskæg Halt" fra "Skyggens lærling" af John Flanagan ... det var bare sådan, at verset med Halt og salt kun findes i den danske udgave - Skyggens lærling - Troldmanden fra nord (tror jeg nok) Så nu har jeg stjålet John Flanagans originaltekst og lavet omkvædet om efter den danske udgave - efter bedste evne og hukommelse. Måske finder jeg bogen - bortført af en eller anden ugleunge - eller måske bare forlagt - vi har MANGE bøger! Så kommer verset på dansk.

For at kunne fortsætte denne blogleg uden at overanstrenge os selv – vi vil skrive digte og fjolle lidt rundt, ikke rive os i håret over at have glemt at finde nye på stikord - har Mimi og jeg besluttet at vi hægter os på gruppen  365 Days of Drawing Prompts and other Arts. Det er en Facebook-gruppe, der udgiver et stikord til hver dag i året. Vi starter den første mandag i august – og bare rolig, stikordene vil stadig være at finde både her og på Mimis blog.

- A - - B - - C -

Mimi of Messymimi's Meanderings and I have taken over the hosting duties, mostly the supplying of the prompts - only temporarily we hope - while Diane at On the Border is taking a break for health and relaxation, travelling the world with her husband as far as we can tell.
 
We just hope she's going to take back over once she returns home.

In order to to continue this challenge and not overexert ourselves - we want to write poems and goof around a bit, not spend time pulling out our hairs over forgetting to find new prompts - Mimi and I have decided to latch onto the 365 Days of Drawing Prompts and other Arts group. This is a Facebook group with a prompt for each day of the year. We'll do this from August 4th, the first Monday of August. But no worries, the prompts will still be here and at Mimi's blog.

  I have something to ask of you: If you read this and the poetry of others via the links, would you please leave a comment.
  Half - if not more - the fun of these challenges is receiving the responses of others
.


Today's subject is Salt. This made a song from John Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice chase its tail through my brains ... only the "salt" refrain is from the Danish books and does not exist in the English version :)

NOTE:
Only the refrain was remade by me; the verse cited here are the ones most alike to the Danish version and written by John Flanagan in one of the Ranger's Apprentice books, I think it's from The Sorcerer of the North.
LINK to the whole text
.


    Greybeard Halt, Greybeard Halt
    Worth his weight in salt.
    Greybeard Halt, Greybeard Halt
    He makes the thieves at fault.

Greybeard Halt, he lost a bet
He lost his winter cloak
When winter comes, Halt stays warm
By sleeping 'mongst the goats.


    Greybeard Halt, Greybeard Halt
    Worth his weight in salt.
    Greybeard Halt, Greybeard Halt
    He makes the thieves at fault.

Greybeard Halt is a fighting man
I’ve heard common talk
That Greybeard Halt, he cuts his hair
With his saxe knife and fork!

    Greybeard Halt, Greybeard Halt
    Worth his weight in salt.
    Greybeard Halt, Greybeard Halt
    He makes the thieves at fault.

Every Monday we'll meet and write poetry once again.

July 14 Salt
(Today)
July 21 Quince
Aug 4 Lonely
Aug 11 Biscuits
Aug 18 Don’t be afraid
Aug 25 Wonderful