Actually, it's Burnt Umber and Ultramarine Blue, mixed in various combinations.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Story: Fortunate One
Feedback, yada yada...
Fortunate One
Mitsuko closed her front door with a sigh. She had been hoping for fresh air and blue skies, but fortune was not with her. The sky was gray again, and underneath the usual industrial murk was the smell of smoke. Nearby Yahata was still burning from the last bombing raid.
The war was not going well and although nobody dared speak of it, Mitsuko could see in people's eyes the realization that the end was near. Sometimes she secretly wished to hurry the inevitable. She was tired and no longer blindly believed everything she heard on the radio. Her family, like so many others, had given much for the Emperor. Her father was a broken man, one son lost aboard the once-mighty Hiryu and the other still fighting somewhere in Manchuria. If Eiji were still alive.
Mitsuko's husband was a manager for one of the Kokura arms factories across the river. She worried about him because he had been working so hard for so long, and now all for nothing it seemed. These days, it was hard to remember that her entire life hadn't been one of deprivation because of the war. It was hard to recall the happy memories when what was most easily remembered were her lost brothers, her silent father, and her exhausted husband.
There was a sour lump in her throat, bitterness over her life and how it should have been. There were supposed to be children. Living in grimy Kokura was never part of her dreams.
Mitsuko thought of her sister Aiko, who seemed to have all the good fortune in the family. Her husband had been promoted and was now director of a shipyard. Their house overlooked the sea and the breezes swept the air clean. Aiko had recently given birth to a second son. Fortune definitely smiled upon Aiko.
Determined to cheer up, Mitsuko decided that she should visit her sister. Travel was difficult but not impossible. She would ask her husband tonight for a travel permit. If he couldn't arrange it, then Mitsuko would send word to Aiko. Surely *her* husband could manage a travel pass.
Mitsuko's spirits were already lifted at the thought of visiting lucky Aiko in her beautiful home with her new beautiful son.
Yes, she thought, a few days in Nagasaki will do me good.
Fortunate One
Mitsuko closed her front door with a sigh. She had been hoping for fresh air and blue skies, but fortune was not with her. The sky was gray again, and underneath the usual industrial murk was the smell of smoke. Nearby Yahata was still burning from the last bombing raid.
The war was not going well and although nobody dared speak of it, Mitsuko could see in people's eyes the realization that the end was near. Sometimes she secretly wished to hurry the inevitable. She was tired and no longer blindly believed everything she heard on the radio. Her family, like so many others, had given much for the Emperor. Her father was a broken man, one son lost aboard the once-mighty Hiryu and the other still fighting somewhere in Manchuria. If Eiji were still alive.
Mitsuko's husband was a manager for one of the Kokura arms factories across the river. She worried about him because he had been working so hard for so long, and now all for nothing it seemed. These days, it was hard to remember that her entire life hadn't been one of deprivation because of the war. It was hard to recall the happy memories when what was most easily remembered were her lost brothers, her silent father, and her exhausted husband.
There was a sour lump in her throat, bitterness over her life and how it should have been. There were supposed to be children. Living in grimy Kokura was never part of her dreams.
Mitsuko thought of her sister Aiko, who seemed to have all the good fortune in the family. Her husband had been promoted and was now director of a shipyard. Their house overlooked the sea and the breezes swept the air clean. Aiko had recently given birth to a second son. Fortune definitely smiled upon Aiko.
Determined to cheer up, Mitsuko decided that she should visit her sister. Travel was difficult but not impossible. She would ask her husband tonight for a travel permit. If he couldn't arrange it, then Mitsuko would send word to Aiko. Surely *her* husband could manage a travel pass.
Mitsuko's spirits were already lifted at the thought of visiting lucky Aiko in her beautiful home with her new beautiful son.
Yes, she thought, a few days in Nagasaki will do me good.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Funny Brush
Doodling around with a new toy called a "Funny Brush". I think this is going to work really well for running water.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Story: Old Fashioned
Old Fashioned
"Excuse me, Ma'am. Are you trying to cross the street?"
Mildred started, so intently was she peering down the road. She looked around and found the source of the question, a young man in uniform, standing quietly by her side.
"Why, yes I am," she said, a bit of wonder in her voice. "Are you really..." Her voice trailed off, leaving the question unasked.
He smiled. "Yes Ma'am. I am a Boy Scout. And we still help ladies across the street." With that, he offered his arm and she took it. Then each bent forward a bit to carefully examine the length of the street in front of them. First one way, then the other.
They stepped off the curb together. Mildred remarked, "I don't see many Boy Scouts anymore."
"Oh, we're still around Ma'am, but there isn't as much interest." His voice lowered confidentially, "Mr. Larkin - he's our Scoutmaster - says that boys think we're too old fashioned. They'd rather do modern things."
"There's something to be said for the old ways," Mildred replied.
The boy grinned widely, "That's exactly what Mr. Larkin says!"
There was a hollow pop from their right, and suddenly a ragged black hole appeared in the air next to them. Rancid fumes drifted out of the hole, and two greasy tentacles slithered towards them.
Without missing a beat, the Boy Scout did something complicated with his right hand, gesturing towards the hole. With a final flourish, he whispered something that Mildred didn't quite catch. She wasn't even sure if it was English.
The tentacles snapped back inside, just before the hole closed again with a gentle whoof. The only indication that it had happened was a faint lingering odor, and that was rapidly dissapating.
They reached the opposite sidewalk without further incident.
Mildred began, "How did you..."
Proudly pointing to one of the merit badges on his sash, the Boy Scout said, "This is my "Wiccan" badge, Ma'am. Mr. Larkin is very old fashioned."
As he turned away, the Boy Scout said, "And you know the Scout's Motto." He smiled again, "Be Prepared!"
"Excuse me, Ma'am. Are you trying to cross the street?"
Mildred started, so intently was she peering down the road. She looked around and found the source of the question, a young man in uniform, standing quietly by her side.
"Why, yes I am," she said, a bit of wonder in her voice. "Are you really..." Her voice trailed off, leaving the question unasked.
He smiled. "Yes Ma'am. I am a Boy Scout. And we still help ladies across the street." With that, he offered his arm and she took it. Then each bent forward a bit to carefully examine the length of the street in front of them. First one way, then the other.
They stepped off the curb together. Mildred remarked, "I don't see many Boy Scouts anymore."
"Oh, we're still around Ma'am, but there isn't as much interest." His voice lowered confidentially, "Mr. Larkin - he's our Scoutmaster - says that boys think we're too old fashioned. They'd rather do modern things."
"There's something to be said for the old ways," Mildred replied.
The boy grinned widely, "That's exactly what Mr. Larkin says!"
There was a hollow pop from their right, and suddenly a ragged black hole appeared in the air next to them. Rancid fumes drifted out of the hole, and two greasy tentacles slithered towards them.
Without missing a beat, the Boy Scout did something complicated with his right hand, gesturing towards the hole. With a final flourish, he whispered something that Mildred didn't quite catch. She wasn't even sure if it was English.
The tentacles snapped back inside, just before the hole closed again with a gentle whoof. The only indication that it had happened was a faint lingering odor, and that was rapidly dissapating.
They reached the opposite sidewalk without further incident.
Mildred began, "How did you..."
Proudly pointing to one of the merit badges on his sash, the Boy Scout said, "This is my "Wiccan" badge, Ma'am. Mr. Larkin is very old fashioned."
As he turned away, the Boy Scout said, "And you know the Scout's Motto." He smiled again, "Be Prepared!"
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
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