Adjective challenge
A Visitor to the Badlands of Montana
By: Carrie Keiser
Standing on the edge of this cliff, staring out at the incomprehensible work of God’s hands, he feels his minuscule insignificance in the great scheme of life. They call this the badlands and he understands why, they appear to hide the mysterious and the unpredictability of the forces of nature. Why would anyone choose to live in this area? It doesn’t look inviting and feels quite dry. Oh there is a river not far, but those first-comers to this area didn’t have nice air conditioned vehicles and easy ways to extract and clean the river water. They would have had to travel in the stinkiest fashions: on foot, wagon or horseback to get to the Yellowstone River and cleaning it for drinking, well that wouldn’t have happened. He counts his blessings, turns away from the amazing view and climbs back into his three-quarter ton silver Dodge, enjoying one of those modern conveniences. Slowly, he heads a mater of minutes where his eyes are met by such a different view, he is amazed that he’d only travelled for 5 minutes!
Gently he bows his head and in a gracious near silent tone he thanks the Lord above for his health and his ability to travel and see His creations. Motionless for several minutes he can hear the sounds of nature all around him and a slow smile spreads across his face as he closes his grateful prayer and gazes one more time at the sight before his face.
Once again, he steps into his trusty truck and heads off to see this Yellowstone River. He has heard that sunsets in Eastern Montana are unparalleled and he does love a good sunset.
But it would appear that he has spent too much time in Mokashika State Park, and as he nears the visitor’s center he sees the sun is slipping down behind these badlands. He pulls over to enjoy the opalescent sky painting. After a few more moments, he wonders if he can still make it to the river before the sun sets, or if like an elastic band, he will have to bounce back to this area and try again for a view of the sun setting over the Yellowstone. Throwing the dodge into drive, he might have exceeded the speed limit a little and as luck would have it, he hit all the lights on green.
When he comes to a gravelly stop, he realizes he has interrupted a sunset photo shoot. The kids being photographed were very gregarious and didn't mind his invasion. As unobtrusively as possible, he snaps a quick shot of the fading colors and drives away.
As he hits the pavement again, he has decided that he should come back in the spring when this mighty river “goes out”. He has heard that it is quite the sight to behold.
Adjectivity for Flynn Family Storyslingers
17 July 2022
Gregarious
Mysterious
Gracious
Motionless
Elastic
Minuscule
Opalescent
Incomprehensible
Stinkiest
An Essay in Adjectivity
by C.E. Holmquist
That was the last time I was going to attempt this incomprehensible task because I did not have the gracious abilities to go any further with the exercise in futility. It’s not like me to be mysterious, but I was given minuscule instructions to string together an elastic narrative for a gregarious group of listeners. So this is a tale told by an idiot, full of the motionless fury, signifying anything but an opalescent view on an incident in life. And the result is about the stinkiest drivel I have produced since I crammed an anthropology article abstract in my second attempt at finishing the intro course in college nearly 40 years ago. Now there would be a tale of total epic, idiotic boredom. Luckily for you all, I ran out of adjectives and I keep dropping my iPad as the sleepies nod me off.
Thanks, but this drivel deserves no applause.
By: Colleen Holmquist
It’s incomprehensible to me but In a word, our garbage can was the stinkiest—ever. But I’m not going to dwell on that here today.
No, I shall concentrate on a miniscule story that begins in a most mysterious way. Upon awakening of a morning not so long ago, I glanced out the bedroom window—without my glasses yet upon my face—and saw an opalescent orb overhead. While now I know it was a moon in its fullest phase, at that moment it seemed but a motionless UO—not moving so couldn’t be a UFO—unidentified FLYING object.
Soon I turned my attention to the day’s pending adventures. I chose a loose fitting t-shirt dress with an elastic waistband as I aspired to eat all good things upon which I happened I expected that the results would be finest if I could pretend a gregarious personality and be gracious in every interpersonal encounter.
In this endeavor, I discovered I was not to be disappointed. I wended back in time on the pathway to my adolescence. Anon, I found myself in front of:
The One and Only: The DQ of the Nut Whip
I was. Not Alone.
Story Slingers Prompt
Use each adjective submitted by participants
July 14, 2022
Daren Flynn
DECLAN AND THE SNAKY HOSE
It has been called "the merry month of May" and it is in that very month, in the year 2018, that we find little Daren Declan Tabor engaged in a serious exploration.The location is the front yard of our very gracious hosts, Declan's grand Aunt Megan and grand Uncle Shawn's home in Spokane, Washington. The occasion is the impending baptism of Liam, Shawn and Megan's son. Declan and his family, along with many members of his extended family, are all presently inside the house with the exception of Declan and me, his Great Grandfather. I'm here with Declan in the yard, but I'm pretty sure he has forgotten I'm here, as the scrutiny of his immediate surroundings is taking his full concentration. I stand motionless holding my iPhone with its minuscule camera and, with which I am shaping pictures of my namesake Great-grandson's mysterious wanderings, and enjoying myself immensely.
It seems incomprehensible to me that a boy so gregarious and outgoing as Declan, can be so single minded in his exploration that he is oblivious of me, his observer, but he is paying no attention to me or anything other than his immediate discovery. Now his focus is on a small opalescent stone which he found under a leaf from the tree in the yard. He studies it briefly then tosses it away.
In his meanderings about the yard, Declan has now come across the coiled garden hose. and it seems to have caught his eye. He studies it for a few seconds then kicks it gently and notices that it recoils as if it is elastic,
then he kicks it again, but harder this time. Once again it bounces back to it's original position.
The springy motion of the looped hose seems to serve as a challenge to the boy. I can see that Declan sees the challenge as a dare, and eagerly accepts the taunt by climbing upon the snaky coil
and stomping, then dancing on it with zealous abandon and a mischievous gleam in his eyes.
Now that he has conquered, subdued or at least bested the twisted beast, he steps off and proudly looks up at the just discovered camera.
It's true folks. It's not a hoax. If it was it would be the stinkiest deception ever perpetrated on this family by way of STORY SLINGERS.
If you doubt the veracity of my tale, just take a look at these photos. They are the proof of it.
Story Slingers
July 17, 2022
Myrna Flynn
UPHEAVAL OF THE BLANKENSMITHS
First, let me introduce you to the family:
Sir Arthur Blankensmith, Earl of Nottingham (handsome and gregarious)
Dame Adelaide Blankensmith nee Thatcher (gracious and kind)
The perfect couple to be members of the royalty.
Children: Alistair, Adeline, Edwin, Julia & Judith (twins), Caroline, Simon & Samuel (twins). Ranging in age from 15 to 5.
The one peculiar trait running through this family's history was that one or two was odd or eccentric. It so happened that this branch of the family tree. each member was just a little strange.
They lived on a beautiful estate. Their abode was a stately mansion several centuries old. The children started to notice something mysterious. Cabinets were empty; antique dinnerware and silverware was no longer being used. Soon furniture was vanishing, but only the small pieces. The next strange thing was the appearance of three large steamer trunks.
The children gathered around in the foyer and stood motionless. What was going on? It was incompressible. The opalescent of their home was disappearing and the emptiness of it was frightening.
They looked at each other and decided that it was time they confronted their parents and found out what was going on. Before they could do that, their parents came down the long elegant spiral stairway and joint them.
Their father said, "It is time that we explained what is going on. We have decided that it is time to leave England and immigrate to America."
The children had mixed emotions about leaving their motherland, their friends and comfortable lifestyle. They were afraid that it would be a dangerous wilderness, full of savages and unpleasant living conditions.
Alistair was all for it and said, "When are we leaving? Life here is too stale and settled. I am ready for adventure in this year of 1767."
(I think he was seeing himself as a mountain man or an explorer.)
Adeline said dreamily, "I wonder if we will be welcomed in society and I will be swept off my feet by a gorgeous elastic man who asks for my hand in marriage."
Julia and Judith looked at each other, nodded their heads and said, "We think you are jumping the gun with such a minuscule situation. We believe that there will be many adjustments to make and a lot of learning how to live so differently. Your dreams will have to take a backseat to reality."
Caroline, being the youngest girl, was more concerned with worry about her dog. She was afraid that she would not be able to bring her on the ship, and whispered, " Can Stinkiest come?"
Simon and Samuel chimed in, "We want bows and arrows so we can hunt squirrels and rabbits and we want guns so we can hunt deer."
Sir Arthur and Dame Adelaide motioned for them to come into the parlor. They started by saying, "We will no longer be Sir Arthur and Dame Adelaide. We leave that behind. We will be mother and father or if you want Mum and Da. The prestige we enjoy now will be ours only until we reach America. We travel on the best ship England has to offer and we have the privilege of taking whatever we can pack into one large trunk each and anything else we chose. Caroline, that means the Stinkiest can join us. Alistair, our ship sets sail next Wednesday , July 4th. Get upstairs and begin sorting out what will have to be left behind, and what you each can fit into your trunk."
The day arrived for leaving. The Blankensmiths boarded the ship and were on their way to the New World. They had calm seas all the way, no one suffered seasickness. The only disruptions were the youngest twins. They pestered the crew with almost non-stop questions and trying to probe into places off limits.
They arrived at their destination, Wilmington, NC, on September 23. Gathered their children and their belongings. They hired a wagon, found where they could store their trunks, settled the children in the lodging house and asked the owner where they could go to find someone who could arrange for them to buy land and a house.
They could not believe their good fortune. On the day of their arrival, there was a house with 100 acres and 10 bedrooms on auction. Author placed a bid and it was accepted. In 6 months, repairs and renovations were finished and they moved in.
Even though neither Arthur or Adelaide never had to work, like most other people, they had hobbies that changed into professions. Arthur was skilled in woodworking. He built furniture and cabinets, he soon had many people needing his talents. Adelaide was sewing and doing needlework. She created beautiful gowns and crocheted doilies, afghans, and other decorative items that women wanted.
Little did they know what was soon to come. Americans were fed up with England's unjust laws, rules and taxes. The final straw was the tax on tea. The Boston Tea Party was the start of the war.
Alistair, now 25 years old, joined the militia. The leader quickly recognized that he was officer material. No longer was Alistair locked in a stale and settled life. When the war was over, he became an explorer and a mountain man, ranked with such men as Davey Crockett, Jeremiah Johnson and Jim Bridger.
Adeline had found her (in today's term) soul mate. They were only married 3 months when he left to fight and was gone for 4 years. Thankfully, he returned safe. He was greeted at the door by Adeline and his son he did not know he had.
Edwin, the scholar in the family, had just earned his law degree and was establishing his practice in Wilmington.
The twins: Julia and Judith, married men active in government, and were members of congress. Ahead of the times, they consulted with their wives when they were struggling with a decision. On several occasions, they could see that Julia or Judith suggestions would be the best solutions.
Caroline enjoyed the companionship of Stinkiest until her pet died at the age od 16. Caroline was not left alone, she had Stinkiest's pups, Stinky, Smelly and Spicy, to keep her and her family company.
The twins: Simon and Samuel had their guns and their bows and arrows, they became the suppliers of meat, not only for their families but also for the town's butchers.
As a new saying might go, "Whatever starts well and ends well" leads us to the end of the story. Arthur, Adelaide and all the children, with the exception of Adeline, never regretted leaving Mother England. After Adeline married her elastic husband and having him returned safely from the war, did not regret it either.
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