Long hard night with much Rock. I learned some things too. The first and most important being, Paul and I have a gig tomorrow (Sunday). At The Brookside, north of Stillwater from 2-5.

I had thought I would be playing tomorrow, but I had myself down with a differnt band, at a different venue. It was a bit of a surprise, I can tell you. I’m happy, I love the Brookside, outdoors, great place. I don’t seem to have noted this on our website tho, and I certainly never mentioned it to Paul. I am guessing that The Mighty Fitz told me about it, I accepted, and then promptly forgot the matter. Or Fitz forgot to tell me. (I am pretty sure it is the former, things got pretty hectic for a while)

Tonight was much fun, but it was 85 out, and the air conditioner was out. Not good for working in. People are hot, we get hotter, and it’s hard to play, feels like walking thru honey. And drains you. Quickly. Still, a good show. We had a lot of people how up late, third set, which is a short one, and they wanted more…I think they decided to come , en masse, to the show tomorrow, which is nice.

It would be nice to see people there. Especially if it was somone who wanted to handle Cabal while we played. (Hi Aleta!!!!!!!!) I promised him an outing, so I need to bring him. He will be dissapointed he can’t wear his costume tho…

I’ll leave you with a story to curl up with, as I sispect I will be a Zombie tomorrow night, and I am going on Monday to play with Bedlam, and get my first Bagpipe lesson…

Love and Heat,
Lorraine

Tonight we dance.

The invitations were sent far and wide, the spiders will spread the news. Vampire, Ghost, Fey, Banshee, all Creatures of the night, come and dance with us. We shall whirl across the floor, you and I , never still, never silent. Candles that never burn low, sweet wine for the taking, dresses with lace, and leather, lips as red as blood, and our hair , long and dark and shining.

Yes , tonight we dance, and all are welcome.

But , perhaps, not the others, anymore that they ever are. One in a hundred of Them will ever understand, and we would welcome them, if we could understand them. Or they us.

Why do they fear us? Hunt us? Burn us and stake us? We would not hurt them. Often. And not intentionally. Their legends and myths have been handed down for to long and have , as legends and myths do, changed and grown. ( look what they have done with Christ, and Buddha and Allah and Yeweh )

Don’t they know that the Loup-Garou is far more beautiful in her wolf skin than in her girl skin? So strong and sleek and wild and free…

And the Vampire, so dark and pale. Why are they thought so greedy ? As if they would drain all the blood from a body, a taste, a glass as it were of wine finer than any made on earth. Don’t they know the love, and the closeness, teeth on neck, breast to breast, hip to hip, bone against bone. Do they not make love the same way?

And if some of the Fey will growl and claw, and crunch ,well, if they would but take the time to know them, and to find out the why all the growling and clawing, and crunching , they might understand the reasons better. Much like understanding anyone…. We all have our quirks and bad days. Some faerie will beguile and trick, and will play music to dance forever to, but it’s all in fun and if they would dance forever, might they not be better for it?.

The Banshee sing with joy , letting the houses know that soon, soon, one of their own will be free, free to fly the night sky, dance the dance of the dead, and un-dead, finally to lay down all the worldly cares and seek the joy of the otherworld. They will join the dead soon, why do people weep so, and wail? Unless it be that they have not yet become so, I can see no cause for such tears.

Why do they run screaming from Ghosts ? ( not that I have anything against running and screaming, we do it often you and I, hand in hand and roll down hills , laughing in the long grass, when the moon is full ) But do they not understand how close in kin they are to ghosts? How once the ghosts walked the earth, much in the same manner as the people now do?

Do they not know how beautiful you are? Do they not know how your eyes shine when you are happy and how your soul stretches when your wings unfold? Do they not know how much you give and how much you love? Or how much you mean to me?

Why do they fear something so simple?

Tonight we dance, you and I.

Let them listen to the music they cannot hear. Let them see what they cannot see. Let them feel all the things they ever dreamed of in their sleeping nights. Tonight.

Tonight we shall leave them.

Alone.

The brand new Solar Powered Electric Bear Repelling Fence is up around two of the hives and charging.

The gate isn’t up yet, but will be Monday ad then No More Bears. Not that they have tried yet, but no sense closing that barn door after the horse is gone….(See what a Farmer I am now???)

The gate needed to be big enough to drive a truck thru. In case some one ever needed to move a hive. Not that a sane person would want to pick up a hive of bees and move it…. (Could this be foreshadowing of a further adventure???)

And here are some pictures from the instructions that Hans and I found rather amusing. (I’ll add a photo in the morning)

I don’t understand EXACTLY but it seems there are three metal rods that need to be driven in the ground to create a Good Ground System. You place one hand on the electric bit and one on the ground, to test this. Here is a picture of a Good Ground System.

And here is what can happen to our poor Farmer, (or Woodsman Hans) if you do this test and have created a Bad Ground System.

If you were following the comments on the last post, you wail know that I successfully managed to enroll in college today. Due I must say to my own perseverance and wits and not because the college makes it easy. It got to be kind of funny the more offices I visited, and mind you, I am not applying to Harvard, I only want to audit on little French Course.

Here was one of my comments, on the funniest part of the adventure..

“”I was dealing with Crusty Older Man who did not seem to be either a people person or a yes person. SO when he said “Garland, ha-ha, you related to Judy?’ I said, kid you not…”Yes. They call me LIZA, short for Lorraine, and I am a bloody celebrity, and I’d appreciate it if you would start treating me like one”

His next words? “HA! I like you! Give me that” faxes my Paper, Fod knows what it was for, which he had told me I had to take to yet another office, and gets on the phone and I hear…Yeah, enter this now, she’s a CELEBRITY I’ll get you an autographed photo….”"

When he finally left me with yet another person he said “Don’t worry, Carol here won’t bite” I said “Worried? Me? I survived YOU didn’t I???”

And made a new friend.

As I drove home thinking, long day, so ready for some Buffy, need couch, and other such deep thoughts, I saw a cat sitting in the street. In the middle of the street. Stupid cat, I thought, going to get nailed.

(You SO know where this is going..)

Escape Artist Mim. There she was. Only this time, the doors were locked and shut. No screens were off.

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio…

Love and Electric,
Lorraine

It is getting late, and as luck would have it, there is a storm coming in, lovely thunder, and lightning. No one died today in tho making of the electric fence, but it is not far along, so there may be some excitement yet, but I don’t think it is ready for it’s own entry.

We’ve been all over the garden, and covered the Bengals. Mim says she thinks it is a night for more stories. Here’s one…

Love and nighttime,
Lorraine

Haunted Stories

I will tell you stories tonight, as you lie in the darkness. You cannot much move yet, and you breath air that is cleaner than one can find here on Earth these days. But you can listen, and even if it hurts, I will make you laugh., and I will make you dream. , and I will make you believe, even if what I tell you is lies, and the stuff of fairy tales. Or truth so true, no one would believe it.

I could tell you of a boy who grew up in a Graveyard, and tho it will be a well known tale soon, very soon, at the moment there are not many who have heard it, and I was the first. But for one. You will love this story, and make many friends in the hearing of it.

I might regale you with the history of King’s Mistress’s. There were many, and they were always, then and now. They had the better end of the deal than did the wives. It was not so good to be born a Princess. In the fairy tales, they were beautiful, Damsels constantly in distress, awaiting rescue, by brave and handsome Princes. The truth is not so pretty. And neither were they, poor dears. And you had best bear a male heir..Or lose your mind, and your head for it.

I know why Romania draws people. I know why it is magic. I was there a log time ago and I knew those people. I built those cities, or caused them to be built, I knew the ones that lived there then and the ones that live there now. Some of them that were there then, are still there now. Walk softly around them, and when I tell you their tales, I will speak very softly. And only you will hear this. Listen…

Some love cats. Some think them fiends from Hell. And not the nice part. Demons, balls of fluff, claws ripping and tearing, purrs so soft they will lull you to sleep, where you WIll dream. Cats remember. Everything. They knew the first stories. They remember when they were worshipped in Temples, and sat upon bits of paper, on which were written all the prayers, the hopes and the history, of everything that has happened, or will happen one day.

Bast told me this, and I believe her. It is not wise to do anything else. Even for me. Or for you.

Do you want more stories?

I could tell you stories with my violin. That thing knows some rare tales. I could make you believe in anything. Everything. Or nothing. There are tunes that are not of this world. There are tunes that can take you, well, elsewhere. It’s not fair, sometimes, I think, hen I play. They have no chance. Bit at least they are happy. For a time. They see, something. They hear, something. And they are happy. They are magic. For a time.

As you are always. Are you comfortable? Are you tired, my dear? It is not yet sunrise, and there are many more stories that can be told…

I could tell the tale that is you. And that is me.

But that is a tale for another time.

I think Mim has forgiven me for, as she says “Intentionally and maliciously” shutting her in the door last night, and catching her tail in the process. This may be one of the very few photos ever taken of TWO Bengals in repose.

I thought since we were talking about gardens today, daytime ones, I would post a couple of shots of mine. And since Dr Score said the other night to the Happy Guy that mostly we talked about Flowers and Kitties, but when we talked about Zombies, he was into it, I am going to work some Zombies in tonight. (Teach him, Sassy Pants!)

Something, all signs do point to Zombies, knocked down a bunch of my corn last night. Here, you can see the evidence of knocked down corn, and clearly, Cabel has spotted the Zombies in question.

And treed this a few moments later….

You can tell it is a Zombie Woodchuck because of the glowing eyes, and he fact that Woodchucks Do Not climb trees. (Hence their other name GROUNDhogs)

Mostly I just want to hear what Jess, Dr Score and Danguy have to say about Zombies…

Here’s another Garden shot, just because I am proud of it.

I wanted to link to this, that Phiala sent me today, on the Amazing Exploding Knife. Snorted tea I did….

Tomorrow, Woodsman Hans and I get to build a solar powered electric fence around the Bee Hives. Well, I get to make sure he has everything he needs, and take some pictures. He gets to to go down there and build it. Tip for Hans, wear a beesuit!

(Guess he should have read the fine print in his job description, eh?)

As to why we need this, one word: Bears.

I had planned some serious Buffy viewing tonight, but forgot to bring them along, so may be off to bed soon. Doggie Boot Camp did me in….

Love and Zombies,
Lorraine

This Bee is CLEARLY in communication with Danguy. I am Very sure of this.

What a fine day. I always love getting to spend an afternoon with The Birdchick, and The Bees. Today there wasn’t much to do, but we spent a lot of time with the bees, just watching them. We did add another super to the Bickman Hive, those bees are going to town! As is the Kitty hive, we will get lots of honey. The other hive, not so much.

There was a bit of rouge comb on the top of a Super in the Bickman Hive, which broke open when we broke in, creating a lovely pool of honey, and within minutes, a swarm of workers came and cleaned it right up. Amazing to watch, they got it all.

When Beekeeping, you have to watch each other’s back. I looked down at Sharon’s glove, and saw the Biggest Spider In The History of the World! (Well, felt like that at the time) We had been lying on the ground near the entrance, watching Bees go in and out, and this guy hitched a ride. I said (calmly, I am sure) DON’T MOVE DON’T MOVE!!!!!!!

When your Beekeeping partner says that (Or anything else, like say RUN!!!!! You do it. ) And I turned her hand over and there it was…

I am very proud of the calm and rational manner in which we handled it.

This picture was taken of the Spider on my glove, after we came back from running and screaming SPIDER SPIDER!!!!!!!!

The rest of the evening was spent making The Rat Dish (Which only Val so far has been brave enough to spell, and watching Buffy. This is my first crack at it, never really saw it, but I am hooked. I saw the first episode, then three from the second season.

Joss Wheaton can tell a story. I am so looking forward to the rest of it. Mim and Venus have decided views on a Mistress who stays out until 11:00pm watching TV with a dog (and we are not talking about the Birdchick here!) tho, and are now Watching every word I type, making certain they get equal time.

(Mim asks that I mention I did in fact shut her in the door coming in tonight, catching her tail in a horrible life threatening manner. For this I most humbly beg her pardon)

Love, Bees, Bengals and Buffy,
Lorraine

Very tired tonight, some gig weekends take it out of you. Worth it, every time, but I do end up a Zombie some Sunday’s….Nathilie is back and that is all to the good. Val has her painting up, hurrah, and Phiala is , one hopes near to getting done with her mountains of paper…Gayle is back in school, and everyone is working on our Nightime Garden. Jess and Dr Score may be starting their own Zombie revolution, along with the Happy Guy from the Pub last night (also a Zombie nut, weird how these things come out..)

Dan Guy, of course, is still working hard with the Bengals-Bee alliance and their quest for world domination.

All is right in the world.

No word yet on if I get the F1 Kitten. I’m hoping I do, just for the chance to try. I am going to need some expert advice tho, and am starting to look for someone who has dealt with F1’s.

I’ve been reading a lot about the life of John Donne lately, one of my favorite poets. Brought him into the Haunted House a while back. See what you think, goes a long way towards explaining a lot of things.. It feels so good to finally have broken the “I can’t show these to everyone” barrier.” I think I want to know how it all turns out, and what these Creatures are as much as anyone. Plaguing me they are…

Love and Rest, Lorraine

If thou be’st born to strange sights,
Things invisible to see,
Ride ten thousand days and nights,
Till age snow white hairs on thee,
Thou, when thou return’st, wilt tell me,
All strange wonders that befell thee
And swear, No where
Lives a woman true and fair.
John Donne

Do you remember some years ago, 400 or so, if one would be exact, there was a poet born? I remember how you looked at him. I remember how you sang to him, how you danced with him, and how you left him.

Poor soul, he married foolishly, and quickly, stayed a time in prison for it, in fact. Lost his living, his religion, twelve children, and his life. John-Donne, Anne-Donne, Un-Done, he said.

He traveled so far, looking, searching, wanting. He sailed with Sir Walter and the Lord Essex, for a time, and saw the last of the grand ship San Felipe , saw all aboard die, saw the ship burn, and sink beneath the waves. He looked for you in Germany, in the embassy at the Princes court. And in Italy.

He did not return to England for many years. And never a word of what he wrote, while he lived, was read. Not until long after he had died.

What do you think he and Jemmie, that first King James, spoke of late at night? That was a King who saw too much, but had not the soul, or imagination for it to destroy him…I had something to do with that. It was one of my, let us say, slight miscalculations. I regret what came after. Too many dreamers died, too much magic was lost, all stemming from his fear of demons, of witches, of things that can happen in the night.

Never was a poet born who lived happily. I think, when they see such things, hear such things, and dream such dreams, it is better for them in the next world than this. They burn so brightly. It is worse for them if we find them. Or better. You can look indifferent and shrug if you want to, but there is some truth in what I say.

I just wondered if you remembered these things.

For I think you might be about to make a slight miscalculation of your own.

The gig tonight was wonderful fun! After some initial confusion about whose gig it actually WAS, and who was playing, and when, we got down to the serious business of ROCK.

I love it when Lojo comes to town. Don’t get to see enough of her. Adore her as a friend, and love doing shows with her. It was great tonight, as generally, she comes up to play with me when Paul has a conflict and he misses her. I had thought she was playing with someone else, and Paul and I were maybe sitting in a tune or two, but oh no, crafty little thing that she is , WE were her co-horts for the evening.

Suited me just fine. Later in the night Mike Metheney (I know I am spelling that wrong) joined in, which I loved, have heard him play a lot, but never had much of a chance to really do some tunes. Big Band!!!!!!!

The best bit about it, was we all know a lot of the same songs. Only in different styles and keys. In a show like this, you never know what you will be playing. Shooting from the hip. We did Ride On, a song I love, and we all had versions of, only something happened, and we played it like none of us had ever played it before, a complete creation, right there live. Brilliant it was, if I do say so…Total improv.

Makes one a better player. Place was packed, and saw a lot of old friends and made some new ones. Perfect.

Here’s you next chapter of Haunted….Something to wake up and have with your coffee…

If you want to know more, it’s working..

Haunted Jewels

“Where were you last night”, you asked me.You asked me with fangs, and with claws. Fangs in my throat and claws across my chest. You are never subtle with your inquiries but you cannot fly just yet this evening and without your wings you are not strong enough to hold me.

You are not strong enough at all these nights, I am thinking and I worry.

Some, anyway.

Lie down , back in the bed, pull the covers, and the furs up close, drink this and listen. I will tell you where I have been….

Once long ago there was a girl , the good younger sister, ( as they always are, and yes, of course there was a bad older sister ) and this younger sister found an old women walking along the road and , was kind to the old women ( as they always are ) and was gifted by the old women, as the old women was a fairy ( as ever they are ) and the gift was for every word she spoke. another jewel would come from her mouth.

( the rude older sister, who was inevitably cruel to the old women, you ask? The stories say she was cursed, for every word she spoke a snake or a spider or a bat or a beetle would come from her mouth )

Now this good girl, for every word, a jewel, loose jewels, and rings, necklaces, a pin, things for her ears , ropes of jewels and anklets, came from her mouth, until there were too many, far to many and she died. For who could live for long decked so?

Such are fairy gifts to mortals. Even the well meaning ones never stop to think.

I know where this girl died, alone, and forgotten. Her bones , and jewels left in a cave far away from anywhere, away in the place all the stories come from. That’s where I found her, late last night.

Her bones of course, sadly, were long gone but I have brought you the jewels to play with tonight. Rubies for you neck, red as blood and hot as fever. Emeralds, green like your eyes, the way they shine in the darkness. Purple stones for your fingers, fingers long and soft that tickle so when they run down my back and pearls as tender as moonlight.

I have brought you stones as black as every night that same moon is dark and diamonds , one for every star that shines in the sky, and in my eyes when I look at you. And sapphires, each with a tiny blue flame deep within, ever burning , ever reaching, ever hungry ever dying to be really truly free. The opals that shine a different colour every time the candles flicker and agates, which have a magic all of their own.

Deck yourself in my jewels and take them for your own, you are not mortal and they will not hurt you, watch in your mirror as they change and glow and shine and sparkle. Run your fingers over the pearls and drink the drops that run from your fingers. Turn ruby’s to wine, rich and dark and red and take strength from all that they have to give.

And so, you will feel better. Soon. Very soon.

When you are well, I shall take you to where the older sister still lives, for she was not cursed now was she? She yet lives with her snakes, her spiders, her bats and the beetles.

We will go and visit them.

Weird…I just wrote to the In Charge of Everything Lady at my Bengal Rescue Group, and said if ever she needed a home for an F2 or F3, I would love a chance to experience one of these kitties…I spent a lot of last night researching F2 and F3’s thinking about them

(Most pet Bengals are F4, four generations, at least, from the Asian Leopard Cat, a seriously wild animal. F3, three away, and F2 two away, meaning Grandma was wild. F1 means Mommy or Daddy was a Leopard.)

She wrote back to me in five minutes saying she had been on the phone with a women for two days who had an F1. It seems the Breeder did not socialize him, and dumped him at a vet. The vet gave the cat to the women, keeping mum about the whole F1 thing, she thought she was getting a regular Bengal.

Think about a Bengal three times wilder than mine. This would be one extreme Kitty!

Of course I offered to take him, if that would help.

THAT would be something to blog about….I have to say, I would love the challenge, and am kind of hoping that they take me up on it.

And back to art….

I got this this morning in my Inbox from Jane Yolen, saying that it was for our Night Garden search. (she doesn’t waste any time!) So we have page one, and the bar has been set!

It’s truly beautiful and I love it. In fact, I am turning it into the words for my song, that I am doing for my part….

In the Night Garden

Night lilies bloom,
Leaves red as blood.
Frogs without legs
Are astir in the mud.
Foxes with eyes that are
White as blind moons.
Katy-don’ts creaking out
Raw fiddle tunes.
Possums play dead
Till they really do rot.
And I am out searching
For what I know not.;
For what I know not,
And for what I most fear,
Afraid what’s behind me,
Afraid what is near.

By Jane Yolen

And, mostly to prevent you all from shaking your fingers at me tomorrow, after you told me to post the Garden piece I wrote a while back, here you go. (Tho I have to say, posting ones first bit of non-humour writing in public for the first time directly after a poem by Jane Yolen, is rather more of a test of bravery than I was looking for)

Haunted Garden

I can never find your hidden messages, you hide them so well. I know, you told me that I couldn’t find them because I was too afraid of breaking things. What things? Precious things? Fragile things? Hearts? Bah, we eat them for breakfast some evenings.

Lets play hide and seek tonight, we will persuade the bats to act as messengers, and carry clues from me to you and you to I. The garden gnomes will not grumble if we stay out of the flower beds, besides where would the smallest of the neighbors dine if we were romping thru nightshade, the moon-flowers and the ghost roses.

(not mind you that the ghosts would be caught alive stopping to smell the roses, as if !)

I’ll dress like Alice in Wonderland gone bad and you can wear a shift of spiderwebs and shimmer like you do in the bright moonlight. Stay by the house and count as high as you can, which my dear, I do know is more than FIVE , none of that again. I will go and hide, and a bat shall fly back to you with a note saying I lie in the place where the dead people live. I’ll give you a spell and be home before ye…..

One is you
and the second is I
I shall run and
you shall fly

Come and find me,
if you can ,
alley alley in free,
with three dead men

Four little nightbirds
sitting in a tree and
five little spiders
all looking for me

Six dark vampires
and one make seven,
No good children will
go to heaven…….

A chest of gold,
pieces of eight,
will buy you time
it’s getting late

I’ll run home and
you’ll be mine
that cat’s done,
life number nine

as the churchbell tolls
number ten,

I’ll wait for you, and we’ll play again……

Love and Poems, Lorraine

We’ve had a lot of great ideas, about our Project, which is seeming like it is going to be a sort of a “Book” , only online, a things like music and sculpture won’t work in a book-book. All on a theme of Things that might appear in a Garden at night, real or un-real…

More ideas are very welcome, let’s go for it. For those of you who missed out on what this Project is, we were talking one day about art, and how many different things could be done on a particular theme, and how one would interpret it, depending on what one did for art, and how different they would all be. Some people write, some do music, some do sculpture, some paint, some dance, some make things…Who can say..

For tonight tho, since I am knackered after Doggie Boot Camp (Agility Class) and since Hera has sent me some great photos, I think we will give the dogs a look in, and perhaps a shout out to people I am missing right now…

Yup. That’s Loki. Here’s a better look at his sweater. (which being hairless, he needs..)

Cabel did really great at agility class tonight, despite being very naughty beforehand and hopping up to the stove to snatch the cooling chicken that I use for treats. He only ate one, and I am hoping he will be ok, as dogs should not eat cooked chicken bones.

Here is a shot that Spacelaw took last winter…(She is REALLY going to have to catch up when she gets back!)

Since Hera’s pets have been featured for three nights now, I think it only fair that we include a pic of her too. And it just so hapens that I have one not only of she and I , from a concert we did together last year, but one that includes our Miss Kitty (currently lost on the Jonas Bros tour, she is doing well, by the way, tho the road is hard, and has nothing but good to say for the people she is working with. Let’s send her some love! Miss her I do!

Here’s one of us on stage, the shadowy figure in the forground is none other than my Boss, (with Dr Score to the right) currently lost in China, tho by all accounts doing well, and having a wonderful time. He hasn’t told me much as such calls are expensive and tend to focus on Things That Must Be Dealt With, I keep a list every day….Miss him too.

Love and Dogs and to Absent Friends,
Lorraine

And you thought yesterday’s picture of Brjann was scary….Welcome to Seriously Freaky Cats….

These came from Hera today. She knits these little sweaters for him, when she is not making music.

Not sure what to say about this next one, it’s just wrong on so many levels…

Thank you, Brjann and Hera! Venus and Mim, have no sweaters, seeing as how they have fur and it is nearly 90 here, but not to be outdone, they decided last night to scale my cupboards and hang out on top of them near the ceiling. Of course.

Cool, says Venus. And then discovers Monsters. (That’s where I keep them, some of them anyway.)

And promptly and completely and totally falls inn love with the Five Headed Dragon…

AND the Sea Monster…

Singing “Anything Venus can do I can do better” thru clenched fangs, eyes beaming Death Rays, Mim ascends the cupboard….

See, says Mim? I am Evil, and I am up high.

I will leave you will a shot I call “Venus and Vampires (John Bolton, I know you’re going to ask, scetches from A Short Film About John Bolton, and very cool they are!) If you have any photos of your own Freaky Pets, send them, and I will post them here for a while. Not sure anyone tho, even my Bengals, will out freak Brjann. The bar is pretty high. Remember tho, he is a Professional Freaky Pet, someone once said “All cats are extraordinary” so cats, dogs, Tasmanian Devils, whatever you have, send ‘em.

Love and Freaky,
Lorraine