Through an Author's Eyes - Part 19

 Good morning!

It's Friday once again and the sun is coming up. We've had a lot of clouds this week and rain. And yesterday it actually snowed. Quite hard at times too. But it didn't stick. The sun finally came out last evening and my best friend and I walked a mile and a half in the cold.

Yesterday was the last day of the writing challenge at camp. Girls were working hard and getting their goals met. My tent set a new camp record for the highest percentage for a tent. And they were trying to set a new record for how many campers from a tent could reach their goal, but I went to bed before that was done. I need to hurry to camp and find out if they did it.

Writing has been steady this week. Still working on "Don Wood." I think I'm nearing the end. We'll see how it all comes together. Anyway, I'm keeping this short because, like I said, I want to see who reached their goal by midnight last night!

Through and Author's Eyes

Part 19

 

    Soon the tarp was nailed up and the bitter wind was blocked for the most part. It still found its way between the cracks in the log walls, but it wasn’t as harsh as when they were in the open. Two tarps had been spread out on the floor and the tired hikers gratefully sank down, many leaning against their packs. Since the roof was solid, Annette pulled off her rain jacket and hung it from one of the nails by the window as most of the floor space was already full of damp jackets. With her other sweatshirt on, she took off her boots and pulled off her wet socks. “If you have dry socks with you, you all might want to put them on.”
    “I wish we had some way to dry our shoes and socks,” Savanna sighed. Wiggling her toes now encased in warm dry socks, she looked at them stretched out before her. “I already dread the thought of putting those damp things back on.” Her nose wrinkled at the very idea. “Levi, do you think we could start a fire in the fireplace?”
    Gabe had been examining the fireplace with interest, but at his cousin’s question, he shook his head and replied before Levi had a chance to speak. “I wouldn’t. There’s nests of some sort in the chimney and I don’t have a hankering to be smoked out of our only shelter.”
    Settling down on the tarp between Savanna and Bethany, Annette crossed her legs and stared out the door. The snow had grown thicker and the flakes larger, fatter. Already a light dusting of snow lay on the ground. This was certainly an adventure she hadn’t thought of.
    Almost as though Savanna had read her thoughts, she nudged her and said, “Will this work for that adventure you were wanting?”
    “I think so.” Annette grinned back before unzipping her pack and pulling out her NEO. Scooting back until she could lean against the wall, Annette turned on her typewriter and set her fingers on the keys. Moments later the soft clicking of the keys was the only man made sound to be heard.

*

    Huddled against her friend, Kate wished her father or some of his Marine buddies were around. They’d rescue them in no time. Of course no one was hurt and it was rather exciting, but Kate could feel the cold seeping through the cracks in the walls and looked up anxiously at the roof. Was it really as sturdy as it appeared?
    Darkness was beginning to creep over the mountains although Kate wondered if it was just the storm. Surely it wasn’t that late in the day. For the fifth time that day she wished she had remembered to put on her watch that morning before leaving the house.

*

    “Hey!” Someone shook her leg and Annette looked up.
    “What?”
    “Did you even hear a word we said?” Savanna demanded.
    “No. Sorry.” Annette, her fingers still resting lightly on the keys, glanced around. Everyone was looking at her. “What?”
    “We need some entertainment,” Elijah said. “How about you read us some of your story.”
    “It’s not done yet.” And Annette looked down at the blinking curser.
    “Who cares.” Using her backpack for a pillow, Savanna had stretched out. “You are including this adventure, aren’t you?”
    “Yes.”
    “How are you getting your characters off the mountain?” questioned Gabe from across the room.
    “I don’t know. I haven’t gotten that far yet.” And Annette lifted a few fingers to start writing again.
    Bethany’s hand was placed over hers. “Read it to us before it gets dark.”
    “It’s not that late. Besides I don’t know–” Annette began slowly. She’d never read her stories aloud before and wasn’t sure she wanted to begin now.
    “Annette–” Savanna began in warning tones, “–what’s your middle name?”
    Blinking at the sudden change of topic, Annette looked down at her story as the screen went blank. It had been four minutes. “Annette.”
    “You go by your middle name?” Jaina asked, leaning forward from the protecting arm of Levi to look at her.
    Annette nodded.
    “Then what’s your first name?” Savanna rolled over onto her stomach and propped her chin in her hands.
    Though she hesitated a moment, Annette decided that names would be better than reading her story, so she smiled. “You’ll have to guess it, but I will give you a hint,” she added as groans and growls sounded in the small cabin. “My parents kept up the Vogel tradition when they named me.”
    “It must have a V in the name then,” Reuben said.
    But Annette shook her head. “That’s not the real Vogel tradition.” She didn’t miss the puzzled looks that were exchanged between her Vogel cousins and their cousins. “This started in earlier generations.”
    “An earlier generation Vogel tradition, huh?” Vic scratched his head. “That would be Grandpa and Grandma Vogel, Dad, Uncle Art and Aunt Marie. I know Dad and Uncle Art were named for presidents. But not Aunt Marie. Is she named for a First Lady? Does anyone know the names of any First Ladies?”
    Smiling to herself, Annette kept her own council and turned on NEO. Perhaps that would keep them occupied long enough for her to finish writing what she was working on and then she could put it away. It was rather dim in the cabin, and she was thankful she didn’t have to rely on reading the screen too much.
    After spouting several names of the First Ladies, Savanna stopped short and turned to Annette. “Are we even on the right track?”
    “I’d say you were on parallel tracks.”
    “Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?” And Savanna pushed herself into a sitting position.
    “It simply means that you are close but it won’t get you to your destination.” 

 

Do you ever get snow with flowers blooming?

How was your week?

What do you think Annette's name is?