Mabel and the Hedge

One of the reasons for starting this blog was to link it with the availability of my book about Drifter the driftwood horse. The process of putting it onto createspace and thence to kindle, was a gruelling one for me but, having seemingly successfully accomplishing it, I feel a great sense of achievement: a block smashed in order to leave free space for the next books. In fact I have one already written but will wait till I have a copy of 'Drifter' in my hand before battling with technology again! Recently I have been more involved with short stories. There is something satisfying about having a flash idea and working into a story, which can be finished within a fraction of the time it takes to write a novel. I like the immediacy of it and the humour involved with taking a funny thought and running with it, as with 'Mabel and the Hedge'. I wrote this not long ago and here follows a photo of the said hedge.

I was on top of the highest par,t endeavouring to prevent it from taking every last bit of light and goodness from my garden, when I had a thought: what if I fell between the branched and was lost forever? In a flash, a story was born.To be fair, the writing of it was easy, even flowed but the cutting and editing took a bit longer, helped by my writer friend Kaite. Her comments were invaluable and hightlighted the need for a good editor, even with a short story: or especially with a short story.
Here follows the first few paragraphs of Mabel's story.

'One day, when the sun was shining brightly and all the birds were singing, Mabel decided it was the day for an adventure —no, not to the mountains— but to the top of her huge Macrocarpa hedge. She had been waiting for this day for a long time. First of all her aches and pains had to be in remission so she could climb the big ladder, then the cutting east wind must not be blowing or her bones would be chilled, and last of all it must be a blue, blue day to make the long journey to the top more pleasant.

She knew that when she reached it she would be able to see out to the heads and imagine the coast of Chile, lying on the far side of the great Pacific Ocean. The hedge blocked her view up the harbour. It was so high that Mabel almost needed a telescope to see to the top. When she had woken this morning Mabel had consulted her horoscope. It had said,'Today is a good day to tackle something new; something you have been meaning to do for a very long time. This act will change you forever.' And it continues........ 
There is even a sequel requested by friends who were anxious that Mabel be lost forever, and her beloved cats hungry! For now the day calls and Horatio the Rabbit demands his story too!