Copied from dapperscavenger :  Sum up your day in the form of a haiku.


Early start at six
Work busy but not too bad
And home before five.


Any takers?

I'm home again after two weeks in Cornwall, with wonderful weather (a pleasant change after last year's wash out!)   I've been keeping up to date with e-mails and LJ etc, but there's been no time to post anything as I intended.

There are a lot of pictures here, so I'll split it into two entries to make life easier!


The weather was fine and clear, and the views were fantastic:

( Holiday Pictures ... )

Thanks to the wonders of modern technology (mobile broadband) I'm posting this as I sit in our caravan on holiday, looking out at a glorious view along the coast to St Ives. 

Life is good!!



Jay

On the night before the battle of the Black Gate, Elladan and Elrohir are in a sombre mood. 

Written for the ALEC 'Last Words' challenge.

On The Eve Of Battle

 

 

March 24, 3019

 

 

Aragorn’s company made their final camp on the plain that lay before the Morannon and waited sleeplessly for dawn. Flames flickered fitfully in the darkness and guard fires ringed them like watchful fireflies. 

 

Restless, Elrohir took a kettle from the embers of their fire and poured the steaming water into two mugs before passing one to Elladan.

 

Elladan took it silently, staring into the darkening water as the tea brewed. “Do you think our tactic will work?” he asked at last.

 

Elrohir gave a slow nod. “It is working already. Have you not felt the oppression of the past days? The sense of dread? The Nazgûl follow us, and Sauron’s Eye is watching us. And while he does, he is not watching … elsewhere.” He spoke cautiously, even here in the heart of their camp. Out there in the darkness unseen creatures whispered, and crept and prowled all about them – and those who crept and whispered might also have ears to hear.

 

“And tomorrow?” Elladan’s tone was sombre.

 

“Tomorrow we face battle. The greatest battle this age has seen, I fear.” Elrohir sighed. He shared Elladan’s dark mood.   “And perhaps the final battle of all.   For if we fail, Sauron will be victorious, and there will be none left to withstand him again.” 

 

He fell silent again, his eyes on Aragorn as he prowled the camp, sharing a flagon of ale here, a jest there, an encouraging word elsewhere. Where he passed the sombre mood of the men lightened, and Elrohir heard snatches of song drifting on the heavy air.

 

He lay back on the hard, barren ground, gazing upward. Moon and stars were veiled by the smoke and fumes that arose from the plain around them. But somewhere up there was Eärendil, looking down on them – probably for the last time.

 

“We are unlikely to see another night,” Elladan said, echoing his thoughts.

 

“I know. I have no hope that we will survive the battle ahead. Sauron cannot afford to ignore our challenge – and his lieutenants are not fools. There are some in our company who will make a very tempting prize.”

 

Elladan gave a mirthless smile. “Us among them.”

 

Elrohir nodded. “Yes. They will know us, and they will send all their might against us. We have harried his minions for too long. He will take the bait and crush us. And yet … if It is destroyed, and Aragorn lives to claim the crown, I will die content.”

 

Elladan nodded but did not speak.

 

“I would not wish to outlive you,” Elrohir continued, finally voicing the fear he had harboured in his thoughts for as long as he could remember. “But if you die, I will avenge you. I will rid Arda of as many enemies as I can before I too fall. This I vow.”

 

Elladan stirred at last. “No. If this is to be our last night before we meet Námo, let us make a different vow, brother. We will face the foe together, and – if it comes to it – we will face the end together and we will fall together.” He reached out a hand to touch Elrohir’s shoulder.

 

Elrohir raised his hand, clasping Elladan’s briefly. “Together,” he vowed. “Always.”

 

 

 

The End

 

Home again, after a wonderful two days.  It was lovely to see Anne's graduation ceremony, and I felt so very proud of her!

We travelled down yesterday morning, met (very briefly) over lunch, and went to the graduation in the afternoon.  Afterwards there was plenty of time to congratulate Anne and her friends, drink champagne, take photographs, drink champagne, meet her tutors (and discover one went to the same school as I did, and we remembered the same teachers!), drink champagne ... it was a wonderful celebratory, lazy day.

In the evening we took daughter and her boyfriend (who is also graduating, but his is today) out for a meal (with more wine and champagne) before going for an evening walk along the beach next to the hotel.

Pics of Anne:




The view from the hotel bedroom:


Anne plans to stay in Cornwall, so today we saw the house she and Mike are renting and went shopping before heading back home this afternoon.  And tomorrow it's back to work ... :(

I'm down in Cornwall for my daughter's graduation today and tomorrow (and using my new mobile broadband to send this - it works!)

It's been a wonderful day and I'm so proud of her - she and all her friends have done so well.   I also met one of her tutors, and it turns out that we went to the same school, and remember the same teachers!

I took lots of pictures, but forgot to bring the connection thingy - will post them tomorrow.

Back home tomorrow!


Jay

Sending this via my new mobile broadband connection - so I can keep in touch when I go on holiday!


Jay

see more Lolcats and funny pictures


Poor kitten!

I've just noticed that daeomae 's LJ account has been deleted.  Does anyone know what happened?

Today has been another glorious hot, cloudless day.  I'd call it 'the Gates of Summer', but that's a bit unfortunate bearing in mind a fic I've just started ...

I've finally (after two months!) found inspiration for a story for the 'Last Words' challenge on ALEC (A Long Expected Contest).   I'd be very grateful for a beta, as it was written in a hurry and it's easy to miss something then.

Any takers, please?  It's short, just over 500 words and melancholy in theme but with no angst.



Jay

I want my own Hallan Greystone.

Thank you for the book, Agie - I loved it!

As always, many thanks to aglarien1  for the beta.

This story is based on two quotations from Lord Of The Rings, which I decided to combine to form a single event:

‘But when Estel was only twenty years of age, it chanced that he returned to Rivendell after great deeds in the company of the sons of Elrond …’

(The Return Of The King, Appendix A, The Tale Of Aragorn And Arwen)
 

“I too once passed the Dimrill Gate,” said Aragorn quietly; “but though I also came out again, the memory is very evil. I do not wish to enter Moria a second time.”

(The Fellowship Of The Ring, Book Two, Chapter Four, A Journey In The Dark.)
 

Epilogue: 'A Son Of Two Fathers'.   Elrond has revealed Estel's true identity, and Elrohir reveals a lingering nightmare from his journey through Moria.




( 'A Son Of Two Fathers' )

After moaning about work a lot lately, something rather nice happened the other day. 

We've taken on some new members of staff, and I overheard one of them asking about the supervisors he'd be working with.  Two of my other staff told him "Well, M's OK, and L's nice, and Jan, she's really nice ..."

It made me feel great - they had no idea I could overhear  :>)

LOL!  Love this.

I have at long last got round to putting my entries for 25 Fluffy Fics in a table! Each link should take you to the right story - please let me know if any of the links don't work.

All are G rated and family friendly, with the exception of #11 'A Perfect Day' which is NC17 Slash.

1.	Picnic The Picnic	2.	Hobbies Flet building	3.	Sport Kite Flying	4.	Dancing	5.	Holiday Lazing On A Sunny Afternoon
6.	Candles	7.	Breakfast	8.	Dinner Never Again	9.	Blankets Star Gazing	10.	Bath What's In A Name?
11.	Massage A Perfect Day (**NC17**)	12.	Hurt A Narrow Escape	13.	Nightmare Of Balrogs And Battles	14.	Home	15.	Birthday Great Minds
16.	Puppy/kitten Nine Lives	17.	Jealousy Eavesdropping	18.	Gift The Gift Horse The Best Begetting Day Ever	19.	Flowers Pride Goeth	20.	Protection Three’s Company
21.	Sunset The First Star Of Midwinter	22.	Parting Separate Rooms	23.	Reunion Separate Rooms II	24.	Writer’s choice	25.	Writer’s Choice

The Timestamp Meme made this offer: Give me one of my own stories, and a timestamp sometime in the future after the end of the story, or sometime in the past before the story started, and I'll write you at least a hundred words of what happened then, whether it's five minutes before the story started or ten years in the future.

curiouswombatrequested: At 'a time' after the epilogue of Till Death Us Do Part - it could be any length of time, because, of course, time passes differently there...


After events in 'Till Death Us Do Part', Elrohir is summoned by Námo and faces a difficult choice.



( Where Time Has No Meaning )

Birthday greetings to paranoidangel42 

I hope you have a great day!

I'm been given some invite codes for Dreamwidth.  If you'd like one, just comment here!