Well, it is October and black cats tend to be popular as familiars and sinister omens. Not sure why that superstition sticks around since I’ve heard orange cats are much more demonic in nature. Anyway, I’m not going to pass up a chance to post funny pictures of cute animals. Enjoy these guys crossing your path.
Next 3 weeks are only 4 days of work/school each. Think I genuinely need it because this one was full on crazy. Everyone was off and I ended most days . . . Look, I know I fell asleep because I woke up in my pajamas with my CPAP mask on. How I got there and when isn’t important at this point.
As far as progress goes, I got all of the December posts done and began added stuff to January. This is easy since it’s a bunch of old posts that did well over the years. I want to do this and start 2025 off with more editing time. Darwin & the Demon Game saw a little progress this week, but only part of a chapter. Almost got more done, but evening appointments took longer and exhausted me quicker than expected. Seems I know a lot of people who suddenly become active after 7:30 PM too, so my phone blew up a few times with things I couldn’t ignore without being rude. At least I have this weekend to get through 1-2 chapters.
My slow progress on editing has me thinking about my own mind too. When I edit, I’m really taking my time and absorbing all of the words to make sure I like how they fit together. I go back for information too. So, it takes me about 1.5 hours to get through 5 pages, especially since I take mental breaks. Brain fog and fatigue is still an issue, which might be a life-long thing. This results in me needing a full day to get an entire 16-18 page chapter done. I’m sunk if I have any appointments or events that suck up most of a morning or afternoon. That’s been the biggest issue this year because it seems my non-parenting weekends are seen as fair game for others. Some I don’t mind, but others need to learn boundaries or accept that I don’t mind be left behind. Alone time helps me recoup my energy and sanity.
This bombardment has also resulted in me getting my sense of progress and victory from a different source:
Pokemon Go
Sure, I’m 44, but this game has probably saved my sanity and sense of self-worth. It’s become a small flicker of relaxing, success, goals, and father/son time during what really is the worst year of my life. So, I try to go out after editing in the morning and catch a bunch before grabbing lunch. I edit again for a bit and go out to catch before dinner. This weekend might be a little more Pokemon than editing because I have an appointment this morning AND there’s an event. I basically have until 10 am on Monday to catch 574 ghost types and 875 dark types. They’re out for Halloween and they aren’t that common outside of the second half of October. If I hit these numbers, I’ll get the platinum medals, which will help me catch stronger Pokemon and level up later.
All of that probably went over people’s head because it’s game stuff. I’m sure at least one person is considering unfollowing me since I’m sounding like I’m giving up writing to play a ‘silly game’. The reality is that I’ve been so battered by things this year that I can only write and edit in blips. My creativity shifts mostly to anxiety spiraling about how things are still not going well and how it can get worse. All of the positive energy in the world can’t help when one is trapped in a messy situation that is eroding their sense of self-worth and confidence. Editing was supposed to help here and it was until certain changes happened and things got worse. Now, I can only edit every other weekend or days off when I don’t have my son. Not going to sacrifice what little one-on-one time I get with him to work on my own stuff, so I’m limited.
Next week is Halloween, so it’s going to be primarily getting to Thursday. I might get a little editing in on Thursday night after my son goes with his mom. Don’t have any thoughts on what I can watch that is Halloween-related. I’m not a horror movie fan and will only have maybe 3 hours since I have to wake up early on Friday. Eh, I’ll figure something out since it’s more important to rest and edit. Maybe I’ll get lucky and finish 3 chapters by next weekend.
Goals of the week:
Kinderhook Blob
Found in New York, this creature was first spotted in the 1960’s. Two children saw it first, but all those afterwards were adults. All of them encountered the Kinderhook Blob while walking in the woods. So, what did people see?
Well, the name pretty much suits this creature. It is found in the woods of Kinderhook, New York and it’s a blob. It is white and floats through the area like a ghost, but doesn’t seem to be considered one. It has no features, so people can’t tell if it’s staring outside of a ‘feeling’. Some say that even though it floats, it still makes noise as if it’s stomping on the ground. It might make a creepy whistling noise as well.
That’s pretty much where the information ends. I found this one interesting only because it was somewhat consistent in description, but no other stories. A white blob floats through the woods and chases people or makes them so scared that they go running away without a second thought. It really makes me think of ghosts, but it’s called the Kinderhook blob instead of the Kinderhook ghost. Maybe I just missed that name when looking around.
So, what do you think about this kind of creature?
Greetings to one and all. Beem Weeks here with you again. This month, I am tackling opening lines! All stories have an opening line. It’s sort of a …
Writing a Great Opening Line!
The Orc Disaster (That Time I was Reincarnated as a Slime)
(A fun little poem about a city living on top of a giant. Pretty sure this stemmed from the first ‘God of War’ game where you reach a temple on a Titan’s back.)
Metropolis up high
On a monster’s flattened skull
Kept above the clouds
As the giant plods along
People walking slowly
As their world sways every day
No cars or buses to be found
For fear they will roll off
All ignore the stench of sweat
That wafts off the monster’s flesh
Over time they do not notice
As their noses have passed on
The city trudges on
With its buildings clothed in spikes
Long enough to pierce a hand
That may try to scratch them off
This city standing tall
Has no clue where it has been
As it tries to live its life
Atop the ancient titan
Menehune
So, I really wanted to showcase something from Hawaii since I wasn’t seeing a lot show up in searches. This is mythology and folklore more than cryptozoology though. It should still count as far as I’m concerned.
The Menehune are dwarves who live in the wilderness of the Hawaiian islands. They do their best to stay away from human settlements. At the very least, they don’t want to be seen even though they leave evidence of their existence. In terms of size, stories have them as either two feet or 6 inches tall. Some believe they are actually an adopted version of the European brownies due to them not existing until after contact. The only problem here is that they supposedly had only oral traditions before Europeans showed up to do what they always do.
A big thing that the Menehune did was crafted impressive structures overnight such as ponds, temples, and houses. For example, it is said that they created the Kikiaola, which is an irrigation ditch connected to the Waimea River on Kauai. It is said that they have to finish before sunrise or they will have to abandon their creation unfinished. Another variation had it that they will continue working every night unless they are discovered by a person.
One story with these beings and their work involves the Alekoko Fishpond, which is about 1,000 years old. They only worked at night and were promised by the royal family that nobody would watch them work. This structure was for a princess and her brother, who decided to sneak out to watch them one night. The pair fell asleep and were discovered, so the Menehune turned them into two stone pillars that you can find there today. The fishpond was left unfinished as well, but the two gaps were filled in later by Chinese settlers. You can still see the difference in construction.
There are many other additions to the Menehune legend, which comes from different regions:
A theory about who they really are says the Menehune were the original inhabitants of the Hawaiian islands from long ago. They left these structures and the oral traditions eventually phased them into a more legendary status. It’s entirely possible given how much history has been lost over time. What do you think?
Jan Sikes is a talented writer and musician I have known for as long as I have been blogging and writing. Her books are award-winning and have …
Guest Post – Jan Sikes – #newbook – A Noble Bargain
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Air Rods or Sky Fish
Pretty hard to tell what these things are. You can’t see them with the naked eye because they only appear on cameras. One could think they’re invisible, but there is probably more to them. Still, they are fairly interesting considering many do admit that they actually exist.
Studying videos and a few photographs show the Air Rods to be cylinders ranging from 4 inches to 3 feet long. They have no clear head, so you can’t tell the front from the back. Not when they’re zipping around at least, which is the only way you see them. Multiple pairs of either fins, wings, or limbs can be seen along their bodies too. They come up as streaking and squirming 3-dimensional creatures. The 3D part is important because it brings more credence to their existence.
Another aspect of the Air Rods is their behavior. They do not pass through objects like a ghost. Instead, they go around. Some sightings show them following people or animals either solitary or in a group. They may even circle the target who has no idea they are around and does not get harmed. Videos show they can move in groups and might be playing tag in the air. Either way, they appear to have some level of sentience and activity instead of being nothing more than mindless optical illusions.
So, what are they?
Clearly, they’re aliens that escaped from Roswell, New Mexico and have spread across the world. They stay hidden from view, but their technology doesn’t allow them to hide from the cameras that began getting used in the 1990’s. I mean, they crashed here so long ago that what was advanced before has been left behind by us. We might have even adapted their technology to create what we’re using now and improve on it. That makes sense, right?
Being more serious, Air Rods are thought to be (and possibly proven to be) nothing more than insects. These bugs move so fast that they leave motion blur in the video, which will hide their true form. It can also happen with birds, but it’s usually bugs. For example, moths darting around at night will be caught by surveillance cameras that only pick them up as streaks of light. The strange appendages that one might think are fins are created by the animal’s wings moving so quickly. So, it could all be an optical illusion . . . Or that’s what the aliens want you to believe.
Legends of Windemere 