Micro Fiction (like Picking Out a Puppy)

Posted on by Prior...

I hope that our fiction challenge hosts do not mind my combining challenges today, but it all seemed to fit so well.

Earlier this week, Rochelle’s photo was one of sliced wood – then the Sunday Photo Fiction had wood chips in a wheelbarrow (pic from Dawn Miller), and then our traveling Pegman stopped off in Norway this week – and all this ended up flowing into a unified road trip story.

Please join me. 

First

Part 1: Picking the Right Piece (fiction word count:100)

We walked through the piles.

Picking out a piece of wood

Like pickin’ out a puppy:

“Oh, look at the cute stripe on that one.”

“That one’s too small.”

“And those lighter tones? Not what I want.”

With a sigh, and shoulder shrug, I retreated back to the patio to sit out the selection process. Having the wood artist create a serving bowl for us is quite the custom take-home souvenir gifted to us from this pricy Lodge. Now if my wife could only decide on the right piece.

“This one?” the guide asked.

“Nah, too much *feather crotch.”

__

__

The Sunday Photo Fiction (here) photo prompt was this one:

Part 2:

Stopping Off (fiction word count: 168)

On the way home from the lodge, we stopped at Uncle Wilbur’s ranch.

He served us freshly brewed tea and sandwiches layered with bacon and sliced tomatoes. It was almost as if he and his wife expected us.

As we sat there, chomping and sipping, I noticed the small wheelbarrow down in the field.

“Hey…. is that Grandpa’s old wheelbarrow?”

“Yup, still have it. Thing is a workhorse; not like most of the made to fail items sold today. I thought about hanging it on a hook in the shed- away from the elements. But you know Grandad, he’d want it used.”

“Stuff was made to be used, not shelved,” he’d say.

“Damn right,” Wilbur added, as he poured more tea into the glasses. “And sometimes when I use it out there I think of him and the times he was around.”

Well I am really glad we stopped by on our way home – seeing that old wheelbarrow felt like we visited a little with Grandpa too.

__

__

Pegman’s location (here) is Norway this week, my photo prompt:

 

Part 3:

Final Stop of Norway Road Trip (fiction word count: 158)

After the lodge and three hours with Wilbur, our road trip through Northern Norway was almost over. One more stop to make.

“Take as long as you want,” my wife softly said. “I’ll just sit and read on my Kindle.”

I walked slowly to the house and rang the doorbell. After a third ring, a man opened the door and grumpily asked, “Hva trenger du?”

“Speak English?” I asked. He nodded and I told’em I was the one inquiring about banner fish for sale. His countenance changed as he led me to the racks of drying bonefish. I circled the rows; trying to decide which pieces I wanted for my bundle. The man said, “When you decide which fish you want, the wheelbarrow is on the side- old but sturdy – I’ll go pack up some bacon and tomato sandwiches, on the house.”

My wife walked up, and whispered, “Goshhhhh, just make a selection already. It’s not like you’re picking out a puppy.”

__

__

Author Note:

*Feather crotch is a term used to refer to a type of grain pattern on Walnut wood (more here)- and I wanted to somehow add that fun term into my fiction piece.

Thanks for reading and hope you have a great rest of your Sunday.

Author Update – here is Lady Gaga last month – and this is what I thought of when I first heard that term above (all in good fun…)]

.

.

.

70 thoughts on “Micro Fiction (like Picking Out a Puppy)”

  1. I love the way you reprise the wheelbarrow, bacon and tomato sandwiches, and one partner waiting for the other to make a selection. It makes a nicely rounded whole.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. yes, and I just realized that a long time ago (two years this month) I think this came up in one of my “A to z” posts (on my other blog) – something like “use your stuff” and Amy M said something about the nice stuff – I need to check.
      but ahhh – nice point about the meaning that comes while using…

      Liked by 1 person

    1. the term was new to me too – and I thought maybe it was something Lady Gaga wore at her latest performance (that was not a dig – she just happened to wear large wings that covered the piano::
      Lady Gaga performed “Joanne” and one of her other biggest hits at the Grammy Awards in January 2018- Sitting at a white grand piano covered in feathers made to look like angel wings, the star played while singing…”

      and so I thought maybe that was it… lol

      Like

  5. I love the combination of stories! You write so vividly. I’ve never heard the tem ‘feather crotch’ before, so I’m glad that I learned something new today.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Fascinating Yvette. Never heard the term “feather crotch” before. The grain of wood definitely looks like a feather. Cool how the post all ties together! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks for taking the time to read, Carl.
      and your comment about the feather crotch was appreciated extra because I almost did not add that last photo – but felt like it helped explain the term. oh and side note – I love walnut – just love it….

      Liked by 1 person

        1. mmmm
          walnuts are a staple around here these days because we have found them at one of our favorite stores- fresh and halved – organic and raw – by the pound at a great price. Packed with fat, protein, trace aminos and minerals, and fiber!

          and so do you crack yours open? that sounds pretty fresh

          Liked by 1 person

  7. Good saying, stuff was made to be used. I like stuff made in the old days before the smart people put the life expectancy in the stuff. Sometimes it dies before its life is supposed to end.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. well you touched upon something very important, M. The people intentionally build in a shelf life to items – and good point on how terrible it is when it falls short of even that span.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Yes, the quality is way inferior than what it was in the old days! Even the toilet bowl… I agree with my daughter that when they remodel the bathroom, keep the toilet since it’s still in good shape. We have almost top of the line toilets in our new bathrooms, but they have stain already!

        Liked by 1 person

        1. wow- I never thought about the toilets – but that makes sense that they would cut costs there too –
          and side note – many people are getting Japanese toilets… have you heard of this trend?

          Liked by 1 person

        3. No – they are quite the opposite – they are super advanced – heated – techy – and I guess for more than a decade now the tech is getting more advanced. Self-cleaning – maybe some wipe too – lol – not that i would want that 0- ha

          Liked by 1 person

        10. thanks for reading….
          and getting back to your original comment – rather than fancy gadgets – I will just take a toilet that does not stain – that must be awful!!

          Liked by 1 person

  9. 😂😂😅 that wife tho💁 lolol I enjoyed it so much, wish there was a part 4&&5….and 6??!! Ok I’m done! Keep up the excellent work! God bless you! Xx

    Liked by 1 person

  10. Yvette, I loved all these and was particularly taken with grandpa’s wheelbarrow…very poignant and evocative. Phew…glad you explained the feather crotch term! Interesting and I love to learn new words.

    Like

  11. I can’t tell how much I enjoyed these stories, all coming together with so different emotions 🙂 And a learned a new term too 😀

    Like

  12. Enjoyed the sequence of stories here, the meanderings of the day held together by wheelbarrows and sandwiches and they characters we meet along the way. A great read

    Like

  14. I am not normally fond of a joining of prompts. However, in this case, by being three stories and not one all muddled, I’ll accept 😉
    I love the way the stories followed each other, coming ’round to the beginning, so to speak.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Dale – and I try not to merge prompts too often – but I had to leave and was like – um, maybe it could work….
      so thanks for your feedback letting me know it did…
      🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  16. What an interesting story — it says a lot in a small number of words. I loved the mirroring of the wife and husband’s selection processes, which was very clever. I join with other replies in thanking you for the definition of “feather crotch.” Now to find an opportunity to use it in my daily life!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi – thanks for your nice comment – it was delightful to read today…
      🙂

      and I have seen the deather pattern in some wood pieces – and now we know the name for it – lol – and maybe it will come handy in your writing (or daily use) sometime.

      Like

    1. yes – do you mean challenges? well with challenges I do have to say “no” to so many good ones…
      and with wood slices – if I were making a bowl from one – I’d need to ponder the choice…
      and for fish – not sure that would be a hard choice – done and done.

      thanks for the comment

      Liked by 1 person

        3. I know – it is extra fun to do a little live chatting via blog world – so thanks for coming back and back…ha
          and wishing you a nice rest of your day

          Like

        5. I love when bloggers do that – Sadie used to drop by and do a multi post visit and it was always fun and so just FYI – it worked well on my end and i appreciate your visit and see you next time when your wings bring you this way

          Like

        6. Aww, this comment including my wings was so kind. Thank you! I actually feel closer to a blogger when I “binge” on their thoughts and writings. 📒📃

          Liked by 1 person

  23. I love the second writing about the wheelbarrow. It reminds me of Alice Walker’s Everyday Use — do you know that one? I’m an everyday use kinda person. Quilts, wheelbarrows, dishes, perfume — everyday use.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. well many thanks for the Alice Walker piece…
      no – I did not know it and enjoyed skimming the plot summary just now:

      “Mama suggests that Dee take other quilts, but Dee insists, wanting the ones hand-stitched by her grandmother. Mama gets up and tries to tell Dee more about the garments used to make the quilts, but Dee steps out of reach. Mama reveals that she had promised Maggie the quilts. Dee gasps, arguing that Maggie won’t appreciate the quilts and isn’t smart enough to preserve them. But Mama hopes that Maggie does, indeed, designate the quilts for everyday use. Dee says that the priceless quilts will be destroyed. Mama says that Maggie knows how to quilt and can make more. Maggie shuffles in and, trying to make peace, offers Dee the quilts. When Mama looks at Maggie, she is struck by a strange feeling, similar to the spirit she feels sometimes in church. Impulsively, she hugs Maggie, pulls her into the room, snatches the quilts out of Dee’s hands, and places them in Maggie’s lap. She tells Dee to take one or two of the other quilts.”

      That was exactly what I was feeling here.

      and funny, but we actually had to throw away a quilt I tried to save and preserve. It was not hand sewn, just store bought – but I used it in my step-daughter’s room and the quilt had memories for me – but I guess I did not store it properly and it had to be tossed.
      no big deal – but I have had this happen with board games – not played enough and then we give away an almost new game.
      so let’s use our stuff….
      as you say,
      “Quilts, wheelbarrows, dishes, perfume — everyday use.”

      Liked by 1 person

  24. Pingback: Triple Shot Fiction (Friday Fictioneers, SPF, What Pegman Saw) – priorhouse blog

Comments are closed.