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The Lost Trail Incident part 4

Bonus Posts, Color Photography, Fiction Story, Uncategorized

Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Mossy Crossing 30420” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

This is part 4 of a 5 part series. Please read the previous 3 posts by clicking the links below.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Once back inside the cabin the hiker sat back down on the bed and elevated his injured leg. “We’d better check under your bandage to make sure you ain’t got no infection.” The boy advised. It struck the hiker that for someone so young this boy was fairly mature. “Where are parents?” He asked. The boy hesitated and a look of sorrow fell across his face. The hiker immediately regretted asking the question so bluntly. “Pa took a load of his goods down river to sell or trade. He makes chairs and boxes and stuff from the lumber we harvest in the woods. He’s also got several bags of medicinal herbs that we gathered as well as some furs we trapped. He comes back with the stuff that we can’t make ourselves.” The hiker took a breath and asked about the boy’s mother. “She went out gather some herbs a few years ago but she never came back. We think that cat….” his voice dropped off before he could finish his statement but the hiker didn’t press the boy. A tear rolled down the boy’s boy’s cheek as he went to work removing the bandage. “Pa showed me that a deep wound like this one here shouldn’t be allowed to heal too fast. If it does it turns gangrenous and you have to take it off. He saw it in the war sometimes.” The hiker opted not to press on questions about the boy’s situation. The wound started to bleed a little as soon as the boy got it unwrapped. The boy noted that this was a good thing because it would help flush out any infection. The bandage though, was too blood soaked to be used again and the boy tossed it into the fire. “Wait here.” the boy instructed. He left the cabin for a moment and returned with a large square of very soft felt-like material. The boy explained that this was one of the resources his father traded down river. The felt was made from a mushroom that grew on trees and that his grandfather had brought the skill to work with it to the New World. The material was called Amadou and among other things it could be used for bandages. The boy placed the spongy pad on the wound and realized he had no way to secure it. No problem. There was plenty of stuff in his father workshed he could use to bind the Amadou over the wound. As he was returning with a ball of homemade twine he noticed that it was starting to get dusk and then he noticed something that made his blood run cold. A small log that had fallen across the ditch near the cabin was missing a patch of moss. Something had brushed against the log while he was in the workshed. He quickened his pace and bolted the door of the cabin with the heavy iron bar. He turned to see the hiker on the bed with Rex the hound curled up at feet. The hiker hadn’t noticed the boy’s panic. The boy knew that he had to finish binding the wound before they could do anything else and he manged to tie the last knot of his makeshift bandage when the warm glow of the sun faded in the waxed paper window. Rex whimpered slightly but soon began to growl. Just outside the door there was a baby’s crying followed by the scream of the Devil cat. Then there was an ominous moment of silence before cabin’s paper window was ripped away by a huge black paw. The opening was only large enough for the cat’s head to pass through easily and given enough time it would have wriggled itself into the cabin. The hiker was locked in a gaze with those lifeless yellowish green eyes as felt around the bed for a crutch to defend himself with. Time seemed to stand still as the two looked at each other but the tension was broken by the long bay of Rex as he lunged at the huge black cat. The loyal hound had his jaws locked on the cat’s neck as he thrashed his head from side to side. The awkward position of the Devil cat stuck partially in the window made it impossible for a full swipe of claws giving Rex the advantage for the moment. Eventually the Panther manged to escape Rex’s grip and withdrew from the opening but Rex would give no quarter and dove through the broken window frame in pursuit. The boy and the hiker could only listen in shock as they listened to Rex’s voice baying out through the night as he chased the Devil cat up river. They sat in the firelight most of night. Occasionally they would hear Rex bay, bark and growl and then the sound of animals locked in combat but eventually the night became silent. The boy manged to find enough wood to cover the broken window securely and both he and the hiker went to sleep wondering if they would see Rex again.

Thank you for joining me on this series Friends. Tomorrow night we’ll see the close of the Lost Trail Incident and all the loose ends will be tied up. But until then be blessed throughout your days.

Proceed to part 5

Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!

To book me simply reach out using the Contact Page and we’ll set a date. If you’re within a 50 mile radius of Summersville West Virginia all travel fees are waived.

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The Lost Trail Incident part 3

Color Photography, Fiction Story

Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Robin 30120” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

Please read part 1 and part 2 before reading this post.

The light fell softly on the hiker’s face through the waxed paper window. The warm glow of morning made last night’s unsettling events feel like a bad dream. As the hiker began to stir the young boy removed a cast iron skillet from the fireplace. In spite of the cabin’s modest setting the boy had manged prepare a small feast for breakfast. The aroma of bacon hung in the air and the table held two plates with with biscuits and gravy, eggs and of course the bacon. A fresh percolator of coffee sat between the plates. The hiker didn’t realize how hungry he was until he saw it. “Come and git it.” The boy said as he smiled warmly. The hiker started to move but the pain in his calf reminded him that he was injured. “How?” He said in with desperation. The boy gestured to a set of handmade crutches on the floor next to bed. “I know it hurts but you’ll stiffen up if ya don’t move a little. I made them last night before the Devil cat showed up.” The boy called for Rex to get off the bed and give the hiker room to get up. The hiker looked at his calf and found that the boy’s first aid skills looked as good as his cooking smelled. With some effort he manged to figure out how to get to feet. He’d been on crutches before and he instinctively kept his weight off of his injured leg as he hobbled to the breakfast table and sat down with a bit of a plop. Ge reached out for the plate but the boy’s hand caught him by the wrist in an ice cold grip. “We gotta say grace first.” The boy spoke. He then offered a short but sincere prayer to bless the morning meal and ended it with “Amen and dig in.” The hiker was a little amused but obligated the boy by repeating the amen. It seemed as if no matter how much he ate that the hiker couldn’t couldn’t make a dent in the supply of food on the table but eventually the hiker felt he’d had his fill. He thanked the boy for his hospitality as he finished the last sip of coffee. “I want to remember this meal. Do you mind if I take your picture?” The boy looked a little confused and stated “You ain’t got no camera.” “Ah but I do” the hiker replied as he produced the cellphone from his pocket. “I ain’t never seen one that little” the blurted out as he scooted back in his chair and gave a practiced smile. The hiker had him pose with his skillet and utensils in front of the fireplace for a few shots and the turned the phone off again. “Hey watch this!” The boy shouted as he grabbed a biscuit from the table and went outside. The hiker hobbled along on his crutches out to the porch and watched as the boy gave a strange whistle.

The boy repeated the whistle several times in regular intervals and within a few minutes he was surrounded by songbirds from all over forest accepting crumbs of biscuit from his open hand. The look on the boy’s face was pure joy as the little birds came one buly one fir their treats. Realizing that noone would believe what he’d just witnessed without photos the hiker used his phone again. But suddenly one of robins gave an alarm call and they all returned to the top of trees. The boy’s countenance dropped like a hammer as the sounds of a crying baby echoed from across the nearby river. They both turned to face the the woods on the other side as the black figure of a huge cat stepped out of bushes and stood near the water’s edge. It’s unearthly yellowish green eyes seemed cut right to the hiker’s very soul. The cat gave a wild scream and the boy dropped to his knees and began to pray. He no sooner uttered the name of the Lord when the cat screamed again and disappeared back into the shadows. The boy looked up the hiker who was frozen with fear. “He ain’t gonna cross the river.. not today anyways.” He said softly as he stood up and helped his newfound friend back into the cabin.
“We gotta get ready for tonight though.” he continued.

That’s it for tonight friends. Thanks again for spending time with me and be blessed throughout your days.

Proceed to part 4

Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!

To book me simply reach out using the Contact Page and we’ll set a date. If you’re within a 50 mile radius of Summersville West Virginia all travel fees are waived.

If you would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is

https://www.facebook.com/aviewfromthelens/

If you’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

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The Lost Trail Incident part 2

Color Photography, Fiction Story

A Light In The Shadows 30520a — Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled a Light In The Shadows 30520″ and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

If you have not read Part 1 please do so first.

The hiker woke to Rex growling aggressively towards the door of cabin. A spine chilling scream ripped through the night air. Because the fire had burned down to embers the only light in the room was a dull red glow. It was just enough to cast shadows that seemed to move and sway slightly. Rex moved across the hiker’s body in a protective position as cabin door slowly opened. And Rex relaxed his stance slightly. The boy stepped in silently and he closed door softly behind him. The glow of fire made his face red and his eyes were covered by shadow. He looked at the hiker and raised a boney finger to his thin lips as he seem to glide across the floor in a single step. He picked up the antique carbide head lamp and cupped his hand over the dish shaped brass reflector. In the dim light of the fire the hiker heard the hiss of gas and with a sweep of the boy’s hand there was a loud pop and the room erupted into brilliant white light. The hiker closed his eyes in pain due to the sudden dramatic change. When he opened his eyes again the room was dark once more. He could barely make out the heavy iron bar securing the the door. He could see the brilliant light from the lamp leaking into room from under the door and coming in through a window he’d not notice earlier. The window of cabin was opaque. It was made from paper that had been saturated with bee’s wax and oils until it was translucent. It let in the light but not enough to give an opportunity to see what was happening outside. There had been a few minutes of silence when the hiker could smell dust in the air. Remembering that he still had his cellphone in his pocket he pulled it out and turned it on. In the glow of the cracked screen he could see dust particles falling from the ceiling. He distinctly heard the sound of a baby crying from above him and could track the movement of something large by the places that dust was falling from. Then another blood curdling scream. This time from near the door of the cabin. The hiker could tell that the light from the carbide lamp had swung around by the shadows that fell across the translucent window changing angles. “You ain’t gonna git him!” The boy shouted as he began to reel out music from his fiddle again. This time it was loud. Very loud. The hiker recognized the tune as “Nothing But The Blood” from his own childhood. Whatever was on the roof screamed again but this time it sounded pained. Rex began to bay loudly with his hackles bristled and his own body covering that of the hiker. A large shadow passed quickly in front of the window and landed with a soft thud as the boy played on with a fury that was completely untethered. The beast he’d been engaged with gave a last scream in painful rage and disappeared into the underbrush.

The heavy iron bar slid back and the door of the cabin opened. Boy walked in with heavy sound of his boots echoing in the cabin. He placed the fiddle and lamp onto the table before stoking the fire. He looked confident but exhausted as he sat down at the table. He looked at hiker with a deadly seriousness and said, “Devil cat’s got your blood scent and tracked us here. But he’s gone now and it’ll be light soon. We best get what rest we can now.” With that he laid his head on the table and fell fast asleep. Rex turned three circles and settled down at the foot of the bed thumping his tail a few times before laying his head across the hiker’s ankles. The hiker powered down his phone to conserve battery and stared at the ceiling in the firelight until he was settled enough to sleep himself. He was thankful for the boy who took him in but wondered what the morning would bring.

Friends, that’s part two of The Lost Trail Incident in the can. Good night and be blessed throughout your days!

Proceed to part 3

Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!

To book me simply reach out using the Contact Page and we’ll set a date. If you’re within a 50 mile radius of Summersville West Virginia all travel fees are waived.

If you would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is

https://www.facebook.com/aviewfromthelens/

If you’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.

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The Lost Trail Incident part 1

Back and White Photography, Fiction Story

Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “A Walk Among The Boles 100620SBW” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

Tonight begins my annual Halloween fiction series. I endeavor to keep all stories family friendly for your enjoyment. The series will run for as long as I am inspired but should end by Halloween night.

The sign read “Do Not Leave The Trail” as the day hiker strode cheerfully into the dense Appalachian forest. He did his best to avoid snapping twigs or scuffing his boots in the dirt. That would be a sure way to frighten wildlife he might encounter. In his day pack he carried the basics. An optimist first aid kit, water purification pills, a decent hatchet and Swiss Army Knife as well as string, wire and plenty of snacks. His plans were only to knock out a few miles and get some fresh air so he felt a little over prepared but he didn’t want to look out of place if bumped into another hiker on the trail. After a while he began to take some pictures with his cellphone. There was plenty of plants and strange insects to identify later when he had a network signal. The trail led past a cliff and even though it wasn’t particularly high it was on a steep embankment and offered a great view of the mist covered valley below. He decided to get a better look and dropped his pack at the base of a huge hemlock tree for better balance on the edge of the cliff. It was only a few feet off the trail and the bright colors of the pack would be a visual anchor to lead him back to trail. The edge of the cliff was on a slight downhill grade and it gave him butterflies in his stomach as he scooted on his butt towards the precipice. He quickly figured out that if he wanted the best shot he’d have to stand and when he did he felt an acorn rolling under the tread of his boot just prior to his ankle rolling slightly. The next thing he remembered was looking up as the edge of cliff moved away from him in slow motion along with the sensation of falling. When he came to the light was beginning to fade. He’d been unconscious all day. He first slowly moved his arms and there was no pain. He tried to move his left leg and it seemed to okay. But when he tried to move his right leg the was a sharp pain in his calf. He carefully angled his head to find a stick that was slightly larger than an arrow shaft had penetrated his leg. One of boughs that had broken his fall had a twig sharp enough to go through his leg. Instinctively he placed a hand on his forehead and found his face was covered in dried blood. As far as a survival situation goes this was about as bad as it gets. He noticed that his phone had landed within reach. He picked it up and other than the cracked screen it seemed to working. Unfortunately he was also outside of the signal range. He powered the phone down to conserve battery. The air was really cold and getting colder when he saw the white deer step out of bushes. He struggled to get a good look at it but he was really weak from the fall and began to pass out. His eyes fluttered and then there was a brilliant white light and the next thing he noticed was the old work boots step into view. When he came to he was bound to a frame and heard the steady sounds of footfalls in dry leaves. A young man’s voice told him to be still or he’d start bleeding again. The hiker had no choice but to be still because he was lashed to a primitive travois. He could do nothing but stare at the clear night sky as the youth drug him along. Still weak from the loss of blood the hiker soon lost consciousness again.

Wen he came to he was in a hand built one room cabin on a timber frame bed. The only light came from the fireplace on one side of the room. The light was enough to reveal the beautiful Appalachian pattern quilts that hung on each wall. They were as much for insulation as they were decor. He could smell a stew that was simmering in a cast iron pot in the low flames and from somewhere outside the cabin a fiddle softly drone out an old gospel tune. The music stopped suddenly and he could hear those work boots move towards the door. The door opened to reveal a boy. He couldn’t have been any older than twelve. He was ungroomed but otherwise clean. He held his fiddle and bow in one hand and closed the door. Without a word he placed the fiddle on a hand hewn dinner table next to an antique carbide head lamp. The boy stepped over to the pot and with a carved wooden ladle dipped out some broth into a blue ceramic mug. As he offered the broth to hiker he explained that it was bone broth with wild herbs that would help him heal. The hiker thought about the day pack up on the mountain trail somewhere with it’s payload of energy drinks and protein bars. Then he remembered the antibiotic ointments and what they would do for his injuries. He asked the boy if he would please go back to trail and retrieve the pack but the boy just smiled coyly and said “Thems herbs will fix ya up just fine. Pa swears by ’em”. With that the boy the boy stood up and opened the door. A bluetick hound trotted inside and crawled into the bed next to hiker. The boy spoke again, “Rex here will keep you cozy and watch over you all night. If you need anything just holler. I’ll be right outside. The boy closed and latched the door and once again the heavy sound of work boots walking on the wooden floor could be heard. The boy began to play his fiddle softly again and when the music started Rex thumped his tail on the bed about three times and he and hiker drifted off to sleep again.

Well Friends, that concudes part 1 of this year’s Halloween story. Until tomorrow night thank you for spending time with me and be blessed throughout your days.

Proceed to part 2

Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!

To book me simply reach out using the Contact Page and we’ll set a date. If you’re within a 50 mile radius of Summersville West Virginia all travel fees are waived.

If you would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is

https://www.facebook.com/aviewfromthelens/

If you’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Have you checked out the Zazzle Store?

The October Blue Jay Encounter

Back and White Photography, wildlife

Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Promise In Blue 102220a” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

As the waning days of the sun draw towards their eventual close the leaves drop and uncover the world of birds. In the summer months the hidden avian population fills the breeze with utterance from well concealed perches. But as the world changes and forests begin to sleep a window opens for us to gaze on our companions.

It was near the foot of Panther Mountain Road that they became curious about the big blue truck parked on the quiet country lane. Like all of the Corvidae family the Blue Jays are highly intelligent and intelligence leads to inquisitive moments. I’m certain that they had been following the truck as I made my forrey into their territory. When I came to a stop the male was the first to brave the open contact on a bare branch.

Promise In Blue 102220b — Image Titled “Promise In Blue 102220a” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

His sharp eyes zeroed in on the open window of the cab. Naturally distrustful, he was determined to watch every move bade by the human behind the lens. After a few minutes he decided to circle around and sneak in a little closer to me. But what happened next reveals not just a high degree of thought but also sophisticated communication skills. With a few soft calls he brought out his mate who took a higher position in the tree. As soon as she signaled to him that she had her eyes locked on my position the male dropped from tree and flew unseen down the creek to pop up in the the trees on the other side of the bridge. His bride continued to observe but then a few more soft calls from the male and she began to move from branch to branch. She would drop to a lower branch and return to the top. Her tactics were successful because as I looked on trying to figure out what she was up to the male moved in and skimmed my windshield before taking up a branch directly above the truck. He squawks loudly above my head and when I stepped out of cab to see what he was up to the female flew unseen to cover and echoes his calls. My reflexes caused me to look to where she had gotten to and when I looked back the male was gone. I had been duped by a pair of birdbrains! I knew that I often stepped out of my door and had a Blue Jay cross my path and sound the alarm as it flew to warn other birds of an intruder but I never realized before that as I watched it’s antics it’s mate was probably sneaking away at the same time.

Thanks for spending time with me tonight and be blessed throughout your days.

Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!

To book me simply reach out using the Contact Page and we’ll set a date. If you’re within a 50 mile radius of Summersville West Virginia all travel fees are waived.

If you would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is

https://www.facebook.com/aviewfromthelens/

If you’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/