Monday June 20th, 2011

The exercise:

Let's see what we can do with: the bounty.

Had a big pick this morning for our local orders, which included our biggest strawberry harvest so far. We got nineteen pounds in all - here's ten pounds of them:


Didn't get much work done otherwise, which was okay because the sun was blazing today. We're expecting more of the same tomorrow, but at least there won't be as much picking to do.

Mine:

In the gathering dusk, we came together in the alley behind Mrs. Henderson's house in silence. A few of us had dressed all in black, while the rest were decked out in grubby jeans and old t-shirts. I was in the latter group.

Once all the stragglers had arrived, we stood in a loose circle. Eric held out his hat and everyone else placed a dollar in it. I noticed one or two kiss their coin first, but I didn't go in for such nonsense.

"On my signal the hunt begins," Eric whispered with all the solemnity of a preacher standing over an open grave. "Whoever gets back here first with Mrs. Henderson's cat takes the bounty home. Go!"

5 comments:

morganna said...

We waited as the tiny white flowers bloomed, as the petals fell away, as the tiny green nubs formed, grew, and turned red. Now we fill our mouths with the bounty of the strawberry.

---------------------------

We are still waiting here, which is understandable since I grew alpine strawberries from seed last year in containers, overwintered them, and they came back. It's been a cold spring, here, too.

Your strawberries looked so delicious, Marc, I couldn't resist incorporating them into my response.

Greg said...

@Morganna: very ethereal and beautiful! You must have taken inspiration from the strawberries themselves!

@Marc: Those strawberries look gorgeous! I love the slightly sinister tones to your story today.

Sorry this is short, I'm short of time again.

The Bounty
"Look," said Sylvestra, "you've been hemming and hawing for the past thirty minutes. Have you got something to tell us or not?"
Dr. Septopus cleared his throat again, and then quailed as Sylvestra glared at him.
"Is it the Lightbulb?" she said, sounding angry now. "Has he done something stupid again?"
"I'm not incoherent," said the Green Lightbulb. "I think you'll find I'm entirely mental compost."
"...compos mentis?" said Dr. Septopus, just as Sylvestra nodded in agreement.
"No," said Dr. Septopus. He sighed. "It's the League of Super-efficient, Super-Scientific Super-heros. They've posted a bounty on my head and on the Green Lightbulb's."
"Why not mine?" said Sylvestra, her tone indicating that she could guess the answer and didn't like it already.
"...because you're a woman." said Dr. Septopus, rather indistinctly as he was hiding under the table with his tentacles tucked all around him as a shield.

Marc said...

Morganna - perfect!

I hope your strawberries are ready to eat soon :)

Greg - 'mental compost' made me laugh :D

By the way, it be your turn in How The Best again.

motherinToronto said...

The Bounty

She sat on the doorstep and noticed the pretty petals on the big red rose bush. She had never stopped to notice these flowers out front of her house before. Her hands still slightly pudgy, leaving babyhood, she reaches out and grabs a stem. Sharp pain attacks her palms and she yanks her hands back, pursing her lips not to cry. She see's the lovely flower bush and wonders what hurt her. Examing her hands, she seems small drops of red on her pale hands. Searching the stem, she finds the offending thorns. She's filled with rage that it had tricked her so and a look of determination creases her brow.

Her temper is unleashed on the stems. Thorn by thorn, she pops them off, stabbing her little fingers repeatedly in the process. Finally done, she has the bounty of the roses and has taken away the pain.











A little late, I drew a blank yesterday. This was all I could think of aside from paper towels.

Marc said...

Mother in T.O. - '... aside from paper towels.' That made me laugh :)

You had me wincing with every prick of the fingers. I hope she found the end result worth all that pain!