The Uninvited Guest....

Winging It.... Part Two.....

Everybody, Dear Readers, was getting ready for the annual Halloween Party at The Castle! They were digging through their trunks and closets to find costumes to wear. Pollyanna and Arthur were once again going as a Witch and a Wizard. Joanna had decided to go as Maid Marion, because Victor was going as Robin Hood.

Charles was once again going as a Lord.... 

and they were waiting for Helen to finish getting ready. 

She was planning to be a Lady. 

Her gown was giving her fits, because it didn't quite fit right... 

but it was too late now to change her mind.

"You look beautiful, my Dear" said Charles. 

"That gown reminds me of many years ago 

when we first met" he added gallantly.

"Well, we better go or we will be late!" said Helen.

 

Sally May and Chip and Annabelle were almost the first ones to arrive.

Chip never dresses up... he says "I am just a Regular Guy"!

 

Joanna is enchanted by Annabelle's Fairy costume.

Will is once again going as a Crusader Knight.

Before long, all the familiar families are arriving....

The Castle is filling with children and grown-ups....

Most we have met before.... and some we have not!

Since Daphne is not here, Ken has found 

someone new to play the Gypsy Fortune Teller....

And there are quite a few folks 

who seem to have come from another Time altogether!

 

And one fellow who was not invited at all!

And who would most certainly be overlooked by nearly everyone else!

I refer to the Tiny Mischievous Fairy 

(Perched there on the mantle in the silver chalice...)

Whose idea of Fun was to make Humans do silly things....!

And tonight he had a whole Castle full of them! 

And they were already dressed and ready to play!

And our Favorite Band..... 

The Deadly Nightshades were already filling the Castle 

with Haunting Halloween melodies!

 

But Far below the Castle, Dear Readers, 

Deep in the Wizards Cave 

in another Time altogether,

 the Wizard had remembered what it was 

that needed to be done this night!

The Ancient Book of Forbidden Knowledge was not where it should be!

It carried Powerful Magic and Terrible Knowledge in it's pages....

 indeed even in the Binding itself, Enchantment was enmeshed.

The Wizard would not touch it himself....

It was not from his Time...

But Perry had touched it..... 

and was perhaps still bound to it 

in a way that could not be seen!

The Book must be removed from the Castle... 

before it could do more Harm..... 

and Time was running out!

"You must fetch the Book from the Castle Chamber 

where you placed it last...." said the Wizard to Perry.

"And you must carry it down to the shore below these caves....."

As if in a Trance, Perry crossed the empty Great Hall....

And found his way to the Chamber where 

the Book still sat on an ancient carved cabinet.

He picked it up. And as he did, Something changed.

He could see more clearly now.

And It was heavier than he remembered.

 

When he passed through the Great Hall again, 

it seemed an entirely different place...

it was filled with people.... 

Although none seemed to notice him as he went by......

And even the dogs in the kitchens did not see him pass...

He kept going, out past the stables and down past the caves,

 until he reached the shore at the bottom of the cliffs.

And there on the sand was a little boat, 

just as the Wizard had said there would be.

Perry pushed the boat into the water and climbed in....

The Wizard had said he must sail to the Forgotten Isle......

He must head due East....

And Not Look Back!

And so Perry sailed off into the night....

All alone!

And the Wizard watched him go!

But lest you think that is all, Dear Readers, 

I must tell you that Mischief was stirring this night!

 

One by One, the Fairy sought out the children...

And whispered in their ears....

Giving them Ideas they never would have thought of by themselves!

And before long the Great Hall was filled with grown-ups....

Dancing and Making Merry....

Without a Care in the World!

But What had become of the Children?

Well, Dear Readers, I hope you will understand

 if I leave you here again....

With our Uninvited Guest making Mischief...

And Time Flying By......

We're just Winging it again...!

 (Yes, there will be more....!)

On A Midsummer's Night....

 Whereof Do You Dream....?

It is that Magical Night, Dear Readers, the Longest day is slowly fading and a Full Moon is rising to cast it's silvery beams over all below. Fireflies are winking in the hedges and and birds are chirping their evensong as the breezes rustle in the trees. Is there time for sleep at all? Or do you find yourself gazing out the windows and Dreaming of all things Magical? Have the Fairies whispered in your ears or rubbed potions on your eyelids? Are you led down the paths of the Forest Mysterious by the calls of your Lover? Have you set out for the Midsummer's Eve Ball, prepared for an evening of Enchantment? Do you wish to Dance until dawn in the Gardens under a bower of Roses? Whereof do You Dream Dear Readers?

Yes, Magic is in the air and even the Tiny Lady Evelyn

 was not quite prepared to find herself and her Sisters 

wandering in a Strange Enchanted land!

Alas, Dear Readers, I cannot tell you

 whether they are on their way to the Midsummer's Ball.... 

Or whether they have strayed into another Enchanted World.....

the Night is still young.....!

 

But I can show you where My Dreams led me the other night....

It was probably because I had mentioned making all those bricks 

for the Foundation of Hardwick Hall 

along with mentioning that I was going to finish

 the Trims on the Porch Foundation.... 

that I Dreamed of that Porch. 

And  when I awoke I realized 

that there would have to be some serious changes.

The porch foundation was all wrong! 

In this part of the world where houses are made of wood 

and sit on a brick foundation, 

the porch is always built with wood not brick. 

And wooden foundations need "ventilation" 

to prevent them from rotting right away. 

And that is usually provided with inset panels 

of latticework between the supporting posts.

I was going to have to revise the porch structure!

I had intended to start making those egg carton bricks 

for the house foundation.... but the porch came first.

Here you can see I have cut away on both sides.

And then I painted the interior wall of the house foundation 

to look like brickwork 

(rather than make the egg carton bricks 

where they would not be visible...)

I also added back in a central "post"  

so that there would be two lattice panels 

on the front side and one on each end.

I made the lattice panels from small coffee stirrers...

Here you can see I am testing the fit of the first panel.... 

and you can see I have also finished painting the trim for the porch posts!

And while I was painting all that lattice work and waiting for it to dry,

 I also finished painting the bricks on the kitchen fireplace!

A Task which I should have done ages ago!

Here you can sort of see it in place... 

the hearth still needs painting.....

Here you can see the lattice on one end....

There will need to be trim added to cover the porch corners.

Both the front panels being tested for fit....

And the close-up view....!

Here is the other end of the porch.

I carefully carved away at the bottom trim board 

where it would be likely to rot a little...!

And I painted a hearth for the kitchen fireplace!

The kitchen side wall.... the porch just looks so much better now!

And who knows.....Something might even live under there!

As for Lady Evelyn and her Sisters, Dear Readers,

Their Stories are as yet untold!

Because Who knows What Adventures they encounter 

while we Mortals are sleeping... 

Straying down Strange Paths...

Dreaming of Tiny worlds.... ?

And in the Morning Light....

Who could say whether they had been anywhere at all?

Certainly This fellow would never tell...!

On A Midsummer's Night, Dear Readers,

Wherof do You Dream?