It is that time of the week. One I look forward to a great deal. And by the way Quilly, mahalo for hosting Three Word Thursday. It’s a blast and I can’t tell you how much I enjoy it.

Each week Quilly, Quilly’s Pacific…Paradise? give us three words to compose a story. This weeks words are:

propinquity – a. Proximity; nearness b. Kinship c. Similarity in nature
susurrus – the indistinct sound of people whispering
nescience – a. Absence of knowledge or awareness; ignorance b. Agnosticism

Twinkle, was painted in Moodbox

Cherie “Most impressive! Though I will admit that use of ALL the words is getting beyond me.”

Jientje ”
This is getting REALLY complicated for me. You see, I’m not really with the story from the beginning, and I have the hardest time trying to figure out who is who? Or should I say, who is what? Maybe you could do a who is who/what on top of the post or something? And the use of all of the words…”

Juliana “…however, i’m with others… you might consider leaving some of the words out”

Quilly “…I agree with the others – -these are my words and your story is getting too hard to read!”

Fandango “Wow! All those words piled on top of each other. Dragons are lucky if we can handle three but ours are posted now.”

Alice in BC Canada “…Ya, I must admit that I do agree with the general consensus as to the use of copious past words. You have really made it work to date… tho can you imagine in a few more weeks, or months? Let see… 3 words per week times, let say 52 weeks, that is 156 Quilly words in a year. You really would have to drop that at some point, and it sounds like now would be a good time. My hat is off to you for achieving this challenge to date, and I look forward to an easier-to-read story next week.”

And from the treacherous trickester himself, twice no less.

Dr. John “Every week you suffarcinate your Quilly story with quondam words. I suggest the summotion of the most traboccant of them…”

Continuing.

“suffarcinate v 1656 -1656 to load up; to stuff His daughter suffarcinated the moving van with a hoard of old clothing, to his chagrin. traboccant adj 1651 -1654 superabundant; excessive
Your traboccant generosity will no doubt be repaid twice over by the award recipients.”

He kept hearing this over and over again all because of his nescience. And then another voice. The isangelous

Melli “OH! But I WILL say this… because I just HAVE to… because NO ONE ELSE will… (Lord, forgive me)… but in every story you use the word isangelous in a way that refers to being like ANGLES – or angular, or adjacent or something like that… but the definition is like ANGELS – you know – those spiritual beings with wings and halos? AAAAAAAAACK! I didn’t WANNA tell you! The devil made me do it! Nooooo… I DID wanna tell you — cuz I know you really DO wanna know. I would want somebody to tell me…”

Devon couldn’t believe what he thought he was hearing. How could this be? How could this keep happening to him? ….

Waking Up, was painted in Moodbox

“Wha…what happened?” Devon quizzed as he rubbed his eyes with his legs and saw Howie, the huge bloodhound standing over them all, worrying about the propinquity of the beast.

Howie was drooling and the small grin on his face eased Devon’s mind. He must be friendly or the others would have scattered Devon thought.

“Well, you fainted Devon. Howie made the ground tremble running over to us. You were holding onto Gracie and the next thing you know…blop.” Samantha said victoriously. “Men!” she continued.

“Gracie I heard voices. Changes need to be made and I shall make them” Devon said quickly. “And….”

“Devon…shush” Gracie spat. “Samantha has something to show us and we are getting a late start because of the scene you created.” With that, Gracie, Samantha, The Lightning Bug and Devon all jumped up on Howie’s back and he started off.

Devon knew what he had to do. Off in the distance he heard the noise.

Oh the life of slithering creatures.

Each week Quilly, Quilly’s Pacific…Paradise? give us three words to compose a story. This weeks words are: bacchante, queachy and jibber.

Word Definitions

1.   cynicocratical – Pertaining to or a reference to a ruling body of cynics
2.   isangelous -  Equal to the angels
3.   volgivagant -  Of or pertaining to the uneducated masses;  the “little people”
4.   fracas - A noisy, disorderly fight or quarrel; a brawl. See Synonyms at brawl
5.   numismatics -  The study or collection of money, coins, and often medals
6.   perspicacious – Acutely insightful and wise; clear-eyed, clear-sighted discerning – having or revealing keen insight and good judgment; “a discerning critic”; “a discerning reader”
7.   opprobrious -  a. Expressing contemptuous reproach; scornful or abusive: opprobrious epithets b. Bringing disgrace; shameful or infamous: opprobrious conduct
8.   quondam – That once was; former: Formal of an earlier time; former: her quondam employers
9.   casuistry – a. Specious or excessively subtle reasoning intended to rationalize or mislead b. The determination of right and wrong in questions of conduct or conscience by analyzing cases that illustrate general ethical rules c. the branch of ethics or theology that studies the relation of general ethical principles to particular cases of conduct or conscience d. a dishonest or oversubtle application of such principles
10.  apanthropinization – The process of the broadening of the ambit of one’s preoccupations and concerns away from a narrow focus on those things most palpably human and most closely pertinent to humanity
11.  paucity – a. Smallness of number; fewness b. Scarcity; dearth: a paucity of natural resources
12.  zither – A musical instrument composed of a flat sound box with about 30 to 40 strings stretched over it and played horizontally with the fingertips, a plectrum, or a bow, or set into vibration by the wind, as in the Aeolian harp
13.  hitonious -  For those of you who do not know, hitonious means beyond horrid. You use it when something is horrendous and hideous and horrid combined
14.  teterrimous – This means most foul
15.  mellifluous – a. Flowing with sweetness or honey b. Smooth and sweet: “polite and cordial
16.  sternutation – a. The act of sneezing b. A sneeze
17.  zoilist – The practice of making bitter, carping, and belittling critical judgments
18.  anopisthograph – A manuscript, parchment or book having writing on only one side of the leaves
19. bacchante - A priestess or female votary of Bacchus
20. queachy - a. Yielding or trembling under the feet, as moist or boggy ground, shaking; moving. b. Like a queach, thick, bushy
21. jibber - A horse that jibs, i.e. refuses, stops short

Devon’s Surprise

Samantha was something else to look at. A real bacchante. Eight inch long, lucious legs which were isangelous no matter what view you had of her. Eyes that sparkled like diamonds and made you would think you were looking into a treasure of numismatics. Her body was svelte and firm. The rich red and brown coloring on her created a fracas everywhere she walked. She was so sure of herself all the time that others felt as if they were queachy. Not a member of the voligrant society this girl. She turned heads everywhere she went and just had an air about her. Real perspicacious. Never opprobrious or casuisitry by any stretch of the imagination. She commanded  a crowd when she walked and all could hear the music of a zither playing softly as she strutted her stuff.

Gracie could sense apanthropinization from Devon about herself. He was awestruck by the beauty and, not to her liking, was already beginning to think teterrimous thoughts about that creature. She knew she had to stop these zoilist ideas immediately and keep an eye out for the cynicocratical bird of prey because it had become clear to her, that Devon wasn’t going to make sure they were not food in someone’s belly, letting out a huge sternutation at the same time. Gracie watched Devon jump quickly to Samantha with the Lightning Bug in hot pursuit.

“Hey Samantha” the Lightning Bug spouted. “This here be…” turning his head quickly “…Yo what you say you and your lady friends name were?”

“Devon” he grinned “and that be Gracie over yonder” he said nervously, feeling him getting red with melliflous thoughts of Samantha, or was it the heat from the bright red fire ball in the sky he wondered.

“Pleased to finally meet you” Samantha responded coyly sliding out from behind the braids of silk.

“Finally?” Devon questioned

“I’ve been watching you and Gracie for months Devon. I just never had the chance to meet the two of you.” Continuing. “I think you are a lovely couple. You always watch out for her. Protect her. You are like two peas in a pod,” smiling and responding as if she had rehearsed these lines right from an anopisthograph.

Devon, upon closer inspection of the beauty, thought he had seen her before. But he had dismissed this quondam idea long ago all because of his love for Gracie, whom slithered over to join the group and keep an eye on this woman.

“Gracie. Samantha. Samantha. Gracie.” the Lightning Bug chimed in.

“Pleased” Samantha said pleasantly.

“Likewise” Gracie responed and had to jibber her hitonious thoughts.

From the warming sky above the bird of prey was watching every move of this foursome. She also spotted Oscar watching the them from the banks of the stream.  The paucity of food she had for her young ones today was becoming unbearable to her as she listened from atop the emerald green Pine tree that bore her abode and nested her young. They were screaming for food and she knew she had to do something. She knew this was the time to make her move. Taking her eyes away from her squawking young she saw movement approach the group.

“Howie” the Lightning Bug yelled. Then whistled as loud as he could.

“Good thinking” Samantha approved.”Devon, Gracie. The Lightning Bug knows me too well. I have something for you both of you. I’ve been wanting to give this to you for a while and now is my chance.’  she stated looking above and not seeing the bird of prey flying around yet also unaware that she was watching them from the beautiful nest she had lovingly built for her young.

Feeling the earth start to tremble, Devon grabbed and held onto Gracie for dear life.

“What is going…Who is that? ” looking startled and holding his trembling love.

Oh the life of a bloodhound.

THE WORDS

1. Apanthropinization – The process of the broadening of the ambit of one’s preoccupations and concerns away from a narrow focus on those things most palpably human and most closely pertinent to humanity.
2. Paucity – a. Smallness of number; fewness b. Scarcity; dearth: a paucity of natural resources
3. Zither – A musical instrument composed of a flat sound box with about 30 to 40 strings stretched over it and played horizontally with the fingertips, a plectrum, or a bow, or set into vibration by the wind, as in the Aeolian harp
4. Opprobrious -  a. Expressing contemptuous reproach; scornful or abusive: opprobrious epithets b. Bringing disgrace; shameful or infamous: opprobrious conduct
5. Quondam – That once was; former: Formal of an earlier time; former: her quondam employers
6. Casuistry – a. Specious or excessively subtle reasoning intended to rationalize or mislead b. The determination of right and wrong in questions of conduct or conscience by analyzing cases that illustrate general ethical rules c. the branch of ethics or theology that studies the relation of general ethical principles to particular cases of conduct or conscience d. a dishonest or oversubtle application of such principles.
7. Fracas – A noisy, disorderly fight or quarrel; a brawl. See Synonyms at brawl
8. Numismatics -  The study or collection of money, coins, and often medals
9. Perspicacious - Acutely insightful and wise; clear-eyed, clear-sighted discerning – having or revealing keen insight and good judgment; “a discerning critic”; “a discerning reader”
10. Cynicocratical – Pertaining to or a reference to a ruling body of cynics
11. Isangelous -  Equal to the angels
12. Volgivagant -  Of or pertaining to the uneducated masses;  the “little people”
13. Hitonious -  For those of you who do not know, hitonious means beyond horrid. You use it when something is horrendous and hideous and horrid combined.
14. Teterrimous – This means most foul.
15. Mellifluous - a. Flowing with sweetness or honey b. Smooth and sweet: “polite and cordial
16. Sternutation – a. The act of sneezing b. A sneeze
17. Zoilist – The practice of making bitter, carping, and belittling critical judgments
18. Anopisthograph – A manuscript, parchment or book having writing on only one side of the leaves

DEVON FINDS A GLOW

Gracie took a huge jump and Devon followed in quondam fashion and he knew immediately where the little vixen was headed. She couldn’t fool him with her casuistry behavior. He knew better. He was too perspicacious not to know, even though the cynicocratical birds of prey deemed them the most volgivagant of all species living in this beautiful paradise. He, after all was the one that had to tell her that “he” wanted to cross the stream and see what was causing the glow, like that of man’s numismatics.

“Gracie,” he said sternly. “I’m the one that wanted to come over here, see this glow and explore.  And you went first”  he snorted.

“Well Devon, my heart was racing after that attack” she said in a very opprobrious tone. “And the paucity of just you and me…Well I was frightened and just wanted to get out of there.”  He understood and smiled at the her in a very mellifluous manner.

“Gracie you so smart to make that decision and I’m glad you did.” He loved her so!

The two, as if remembering the instructions from an anopisthograph simultaneously turned their heads and, as if being one, began to cautiously make their way toward the glow. The stench was hitonious and they both had a sternutation that echoed for miles. Devon could not recall such a teterrimous odor in his entire life. It was if they were in another world. An apanthropinization from the reality. And nearing the glow, between the isangelous rocks, stood the source of the glow. A Lightning Bug. Devon had never seen one of these creatures in all his life. He was fascinated.

“Gracie, stay back” he ordered.

“Yo, what are you and what is that smell?”

“Why I’m a Lightning Bug and that smell is the odor from my wings rubbing together to attract a Lady Lightning Bug.” he said proudly. Continuing. “And if you listen very carefully, there is a slight musical tone being emitted also, like that of a zither.” “And…”

Boy this dude can talk, Devon thought.

“…the best part of all is it makes us glow so we are easier to spot. Even in the daylight.  The Lady Lightning Bugs, well, they can respond to all of this so quickly, that it creates a huge fracas with us men folk.”

“I’m gonna be sick!” Gracie said

“Well it don’t work on any one but the Lady Lightning Bugs.” he said.

‘Hmmmph…well it just stinks” she carped as any zoilist would and with that she turned to Devon.

“Let’s roll Devon.”

As Devon’s curiosity continued to grow he watched in utter delight the fancy dance the Lightning Bug was performing and was getting used to the stench.

“How long it take the Lady Lightning Bugs to get here?” he quizzed, looking over at Gracie and shaking his head, indicating they were staying put.

“Well usually not long but today that bird of prey has been circling above  and I think they are scared to come out” he replied. “My friend over yonder even ‘fraid to come and  chat with me. She usually keeps me company while I wait for the Lady Lightning Bugs” the gab fest creature continued.

Looking around Devon saw the Lightning Bug’s friend peek her head through the security of the silk braids.

Oh the life of a spider.

Definitions

1. Apanthropinization – The process of the broadening of the ambit of one’s preoccupations and concerns away from a narrow focus on those things most palpably human and most closely pertinent to humanity.
2. Paucity – a. Smallness of number; fewness b. Scarcity; dearth: a paucity of natural resources
3. Zither – A musical instrument composed of a flat sound box with about 30 to 40 strings stretched over it and played horizontally with the fingertips, a plectrum, or a bow, or set into vibration by the wind, as in the Aeolian harp
4. Opprobrious – a. Expressing contemptuous reproach; scornful or abusive: opprobrious epithets b. Bringing disgrace; shameful or infamous: opprobrious conduct
5. Quondam – That once was; former: Formal of an earlier time; former: her quondam employers
6. Casuistry – a. Specious or excessively subtle reasoning intended to rationalize or mislead b. The determination of right and wrong in questions of conduct or conscience by analyzing cases that illustrate general ethical rules c. the branch of ethics or theology that studies the relation of general ethical principles to particular cases of conduct or conscience d. a dishonest or oversubtle application of such principles.
7. Fracas – A noisy, disorderly fight or quarrel; a brawl. See Synonyms at brawl
8. Numismatics – The study or collection of money, coins, and often medals
9. Perspicacious – acutely insightful and wise; clear-eyed, clear-sighted discerning – having or revealing keen insight and good judgment; “a discerning critic”; “a discerning reader”
10. Cynicocratical – Pertaining to or a reference to a ruling body of cynics
11. Isangelous – equal to the angels
12. Volgivagant – Of or pertaining to the uneducated masses; the “little people”
13. Hitonious – For those of you who do not know, hitonious means beyond horrid. You use it when something is horrendous and hideous and horrid combined.
14. Teterrimous – This means most foul.
15. Mellifluous – a. Flowing with sweetness or honey b. Smooth and sweet: “polite and cordial

Devon’s Bird of Prey

All that Oscar could see happen was the harrowing escape by the two volgivagant grasshoppers. He doesn’t know how they escaped the clutches of the cynicocratical bird of prey, but they did and the fracas that they created made him forget all about the beautiful music he yearned from the zither he had imagined. She was a beauty, Oscar noted. Every talon of her perfectly formed claws were isangelous to one another. Her beak: sharp and pointed like that of a perfectly formed arrow. It was as if she knew she could be opprobrious to all the small creatures as she saw fit, even though her kind was a very paucity society. Her keen eyes sparkled as if full of shiny gold coins displayed promptly in man’s numismatics. They spoke volumes of the perspicacious attitude she flaunted. The feathers that covered her muscled body were in perfect form. Anyone looking at her would know it was casuistry in order to deceive her prey from attack. And her voice. Oh that voice. It was fierce and piercing just like the time when she took his quondam spouse into her grasp and devoured her right before his eyes. He hated her and everything she stood for. But her beauty was stunning.

Within an instant, she was winging her way into the still air, soaring higher and higher. Escaping the reality that she didn’t capture her prey, she let her mind begin its apanthropinization. She was such a failure today. Her third miss. She knew back home, her two young ones were squawking wildlyand loudly. They need their nourishment and she is failing. She was so hitonious it disgusted her. She continued soaring over the weald and vowed she would never be a gravid mother again.

“What kind of mother am I?” she thought as the tears began to well in her eyes. “I should have taken Oscar. But oh no. I wanted two for the price of one.” She continued her flight, feeling the hot sun beating on her back and the cool breeze speeding through her long luscious quills. Looking down with her piercing eyes, she sees Devon and Gracie. “I will get you one of these days, I promise you that” she spat!

Oscar, being very mellifluous, bid the two grasshoppers goodbye and quickly swam away. He had enough teterrimous thoughts for the day, and it was only mid morning.

Grace and Devon starred at each other and began to laugh.

“Wow Gracie” Devon said with excitement. “That was a close call. We were near death,” he said as he looked up and saw the bird of prey flying away. The beauty of the blue sky made him feel safe for the moment.

“Touche’ Devon,” she whispered. Her eyes moving back and forth, thanking her lucky stars to still be alive and knowing that Devon wouldn’t mind if she had bit the dust. Or so she thought. And at the same time…..

Oh the life of the lightning bug.

1. Apanthropinization - The process of the broadening of the ambit of one’s preoccupations and concerns away from a narrow focus on those things most palpably human and most closely pertinent to humanity.
2. Paucity – a. Smallness of number; fewness b. Scarcity; dearth: a paucity of natural resources
3. Zither – A musical instrument composed of a flat sound box with about 30 to 40 strings stretched over it and played horizontally with the fingertips, a plectrum, or a bow, or set into vibration by the wind, as in the Aeolian harp
4. Opprobrious -  a. Expressing contemptuous reproach; scornful or abusive: opprobrious epithets b. Bringing disgrace; shameful or infamous: opprobrious conduct
5. Quondam That once was; former: Formal of an earlier time; former: her quondam employers
6. Casuistry – a. Specious or excessively subtle reasoning intended to rationalize or mislead b. The determination of right and wrong in questions of conduct or conscience by analyzing cases that illustrate general ethical rules c. the branch of ethics or theology that studies the relation of general ethical principles to particular cases of conduct or conscience d. a dishonest or oversubtle application of such principles.
7. Fracas – A noisy, disorderly fight or quarrel; a brawl. See Synonyms at brawl
8. Numismatics -  The study or collection of money, coins, and often medals
9. Perspicacious – acutely insightful and wise; clear-eyed, clear-sighted discerning – having or revealing keen insight and good judgment; “a discerning critic”; “a discerning reader”
10. Cynicocratical - Pertaining to or a reference to a ruling body of cynics
11. Isangelous -  equal to the angels
12. Volgivagant -  Of or pertaining to the uneducated masses;  the “little people”

DEVON’S RIDE

Oscar, swimming around in a stream, whose bottom glistened from the stones, all of which were isangelous to each other, looked up and spotted the four eyes from the volgivagant grasshoppers staring down upon him. Knowing that he, as well as the two perspicacious creatures, had to keep an eye out for the cynicocratical birds of prey, Oscar mused what fracas they were going to cause on this beautiful day.

“Hmmph.” Devon and Gracie. Something was odd. Usually Gracie is  always very causitry with Devon, using her womanly wiles to tease the poor boy, and stays well away from the cool blue water. But on this day, both of them were there. Close. Needing something. Wanting something. It wasn’t their normal behavior. Devon, usually is very opprobrious to Oscar, putting on a “He Man” show for Gracie, who enjoys it immensely. But today he could spot their inquisitive nature.

“Yo, Oscar” Devon chirped.

“What do ya want?” Oscar replied in a quondam voice, so stern it reminded him of his earlier years.

“You the best trout this stream got, Oscar, and me and Gracie wanna explore the other side. I see something very shiney, like, ummm, what do you call it? A coin or something.”

Oscar knew what was coming and if this boy wanted to pretend that he was like man and find his pot of gold, well then who was he to say no to the numismatics of this fool. Besides, then he could enjoy apanthropinization in the cool stream and the paucity of his fellow swimmers.

“So I was hoping,” Devon continued, “me and Gracie could hitch a ride on your back and you could swim us over there?” he asked. “It’s way to far for us to jump and with those damn birds of prey. Well  you could get us there fast and safe.”  ”And Oscar, you the best.”

“Yea, yea yea,” he retored. “Get on and be quick.”  Oscar thinking that when this is done, it will be music to his ears, fantasizing of hearing  the zither playing in the background. Its beautiful tones singing out it’s precious notes. To be rid of the two fools he can enjoy the serenity of his abode, once again.

The two quickly hopped on and Oscar gently started to swim to the other side of the stream, being careful to do no harm, because deep down inside, he did enjoy them and the constant harassing Devon fed the old man. Reaching the other side, Oscar heard a huge gasp as the two jumped off his back. Looking up, he saw the cause.

Oh the life of the bird of prey.

Licking his lips, Devon feels as though he has joined the ranks of the cynicocratical birds of prey. But I must eat, he quietly thinks to himself. Thrusting off the thought he dives into the fracas stirring wildly below him. Scooping up the delicious ants as quickly as he can, the poor volgivagant ants fill his insatiable appetite while many of them scurry off to their own sanctuarial home in the earth below, hidden among the small stones that are neatly isangelous among each other, escaping their own doom. Belching as if he didn’t have a care in the world, Devon applauds himself for being so perspicacious in his find for breakfast. Oh those ants. It is as if they are a gold coin and I involved with numismatics, have hit the mother lode. His belly being full, Devon takes a leap of faith and jumps away.

Swoosh!!!

He doesn’t know how he did it but Devon avoids a near miss. The bird of prey missed him this time and Devon knows that he let his guard down not spying the quondam attack. “Be aware of such things” he reminds himself. Yesterday, the day before…it’s a continual battle and such things he cannot ever forget.

Coming to rest near the babbling brook he looks around and smiles.

“Gracie” he yells.

Being a sex pistol in the grasshopper world, Gracie follows a causitry way of life. It has come to be a slight problem for this young belle as she knows how she is to behave, but she just doesn’t conform. She begins to bat her bulging eyes and rubs her long svelte legs together.

“Devon” she purrs.

“Oh stop it” he snorts in a opprobrious manner. “Come on, we have work to do.”

Knowing she will eventually win the stubborn one over, she concedes and quickly walks to him. “Where are we going?” she asks inquisitively.

“Sweetness, look at the brook. We have never been to the other side and today, we shall.” “But first we must get past those lurking swimmers” he says staunchly!

Oh the life of a trout.

Oh those cynicocratical birds of prey Devon thinks to himself as he begins to trod along his sanctuary. ’Tis a glorious day, he beams, even though with each step or jump he takes, he must be aware. He knows that he must be perspicacious to their every move for if he isn’t…well he’s not ready to meet his maker. He pauses momentarily to take in the beauty surrounding him and the scent of the new dawn.

“Glorious” he shouts. “Simply Glorious.”

Turning his head he sees movement behind the stone in front of him. With his curiosity getting the best of him he takes a huge jump into the crisp morning air and lands on the stone with perfect form. Looking around he notices the stone he landed on is so isangelous to the others, that he is amazed he saw the movement. But alas he did.

“And those beasts think I’m so volgivagant” he snorts.

“Perfect landing, Ha!”

What a fracas he spies! The hustle and bustle makes him dizzy for one short instant. Licking his lips, he continues to eye the air above while at the same time feasting on the bountiful morning breakfast he has come upon. His heart begins to race. His pulse quickens. He imagines it would be like that of man involved with numismatics and discovers, that yes, there is a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Oh his lucky day.

The movement. The energy. They scurry around as fast as the rays of sunlight beam down upon them all. Squatting down as low as he can, he meticulously moves forward. His stomach aches for nourishment and he must obey this calling and feed his empty gullet. Momentarily forgetting about the sky above, he knows what he must do and thinks “I am a bird of prey,” smiling evilly.

Oh the life of an ant.

I urge you to visit her blog. It’s a wonderful and mind boggling foray into topics that make you think.  Thank you Quilly.

DEVON’S BEGINNING

The sun peaks up over the mountain top. The haze and the mist of the new day transpire upward through the fields of trees and plants towards the glowing red fireball.  The cool stream babbles quietly along its path, spouting its cool clear liquid on any and all in its path. The dark brown dirt covered by the grass, as green as an emerald, scrolls for miles and, as far as Devon is concerned, as far as the eye can see. The trees and the boulders align all in a pattern brought on by the earth’s own aging process. Coloful flowers of all kinds sprout up, isangelous to the trees and boulders that form Devon’s home. His abode. His sanctuary.

Another day he thinks. I made it! Devon quietly and with little effort starts to move about. His eyes constantly moving. Looking all around for any movement, any trouble, any one of those cynicocratical birds of prey.

“Bastards” he thinks to himself.

Devon is aware they fly above in the clear blue sky. Hunting for anything to swoop down upon, grab with their talons and then dart away to devour. Satisfaction on their face and bellies full. Oh how Devon loathes them. Every day, it’s the same old ritual and every day that Devon lives he is grateful.

“Why oh why do these birds of prey seem to think I am volgivagant?” he thinks.

“I mind my own business, do harm to no one and just enjoy the day. Yet day after day it starts all over again.  I breathe a sigh of relief when I have lived another day” he crones. “Oh well, move on.  Nothing ever changes.” He continues to enjoy the new day, watching closely for those birds of prey.

Oh the life of a grasshopper.