Land of Glowing Skies
A back-country experience in New Zealand.10 total reviews
Comment from LG Wolfe
A remarkable story well told. I wasn't sure what kind of stories would come out of this contest category - but I loved your entry. A hands-down winner!
reply by the author on 06-Jun-2019
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A remarkable story well told. I wasn't sure what kind of stories would come out of this contest category - but I loved your entry. A hands-down winner!
Comment Written 05-Jun-2019
reply by the author on 06-Jun-2019
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Wonderful review! Thanks so much, Lisa.
Comment from Gail Denham
Amazing story - and how beautiful it all sounds and seems. We don't always get what we ask God for eithe r- but often He has something entirely better in mind for us.
Good story.
reply by the author on 06-Jun-2019
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Amazing story - and how beautiful it all sounds and seems. We don't always get what we ask God for eithe r- but often He has something entirely better in mind for us.
Good story.
Comment Written 05-Jun-2019
reply by the author on 06-Jun-2019
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We should not even try to second-guess what God has in mind for us.
Thanks very much for your lovely review.
Comment from JudyE
What a wonderful, wonderful story! I enjoyed this so much and yes, it's strange how we sometimes get what we need, rather than what we think we wanted. Good for you for making the most of your time on the island.
reply by the author on 05-Jun-2019
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What a wonderful, wonderful story! I enjoyed this so much and yes, it's strange how we sometimes get what we need, rather than what we think we wanted. Good for you for making the most of your time on the island.
Comment Written 05-Jun-2019
reply by the author on 05-Jun-2019
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Thanks for this super review, Judy. It happened 8 years ago so it was rather nice for me to revisit the island while writing this. It made me realise I have quite a few stories about that trip I could write about. Watch for more to come, eventually.
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I'll look forward to them.
Comment from Richard J
What a crafty way of infusing the required "lemonade" into your wonderfully exciting tales of adventure, history, geography, and all around creatively enchanting manner of grabbing hold of our minds, hearts, and emotions and not letting go till the very end ... but, for me, there's a residue I'll not soon shed.
I rather fell in-love with Stewart Island and the artist who told this tale ... is that, by chance, You in the picture?
Surely, the judges will see everything I did and find you worthy of a win!
I wish you the ultimate best! ~ Richard : )
reply by the author on 05-Jun-2019
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What a crafty way of infusing the required "lemonade" into your wonderfully exciting tales of adventure, history, geography, and all around creatively enchanting manner of grabbing hold of our minds, hearts, and emotions and not letting go till the very end ... but, for me, there's a residue I'll not soon shed.
I rather fell in-love with Stewart Island and the artist who told this tale ... is that, by chance, You in the picture?
Surely, the judges will see everything I did and find you worthy of a win!
I wish you the ultimate best! ~ Richard : )
Comment Written 04-Jun-2019
reply by the author on 05-Jun-2019
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Thanks for your positive review, Richard. Most folks who go to Stewart Island/Rakiura fall in love with it. I've got plenty more stories I can write about it, so may get round to them eventually.
Yep, that's me. It's a wonder I am smiling as there were over 100 dead pilot whales stranded on the beach.
The judges in this particular contest are fellow writers so it will depend on who gets round to voting.
Comment from Sugarray77
I really enjoyed reading this story with your wonderful flair for exuberant phrases and exciting storytelling. Well done on this and thanks for a very delightful read.
Melissa
reply by the author on 05-Jun-2019
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I really enjoyed reading this story with your wonderful flair for exuberant phrases and exciting storytelling. Well done on this and thanks for a very delightful read.
Melissa
Comment Written 04-Jun-2019
reply by the author on 05-Jun-2019
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Thanks so much for this super review!
Comment from Rachelle Allen
Wowie zowie! What an inspiring story!! This was a perfect amalgam of a travelogue, Robinson Crusoe, and How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying tale! Your descriptions are exquisite, and I think you could make a book out of all the experiences (the boy with the fiery socks, the feral cat in a trap, the twenty-nine people housed in a place for twenty...) you had. Readers would be fascinated because of your lively, interesting way of sharing.
This is exactly what this contest calls for, and I loved reading every word. Good luck to you with it...and keep in mind what I said about making it into a book. It would be a huge hit.
reply by the author on 02-Jun-2019
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Wowie zowie! What an inspiring story!! This was a perfect amalgam of a travelogue, Robinson Crusoe, and How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying tale! Your descriptions are exquisite, and I think you could make a book out of all the experiences (the boy with the fiery socks, the feral cat in a trap, the twenty-nine people housed in a place for twenty...) you had. Readers would be fascinated because of your lively, interesting way of sharing.
This is exactly what this contest calls for, and I loved reading every word. Good luck to you with it...and keep in mind what I said about making it into a book. It would be a huge hit.
Comment Written 02-Jun-2019
reply by the author on 02-Jun-2019
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Thanks for this stellar review my friend. I have heaps of stories that just require time to write; it is my plan to write a book of experiences. Initially it was going to be a continuous narrative of my 2yr motorbike trip (some of which is already written), but now I am thinking a book of short stories about different events or people would make better reading (and be easier for a busy person to a.) write it, and b.) read it... as a dipper).
Comment from Cass Carlton
Wow! What a story! How wonderful that you went to the place you actually wanted to go to in the first place, but in a different capacity. How wise you were to see it as a Heaven sent opportunity to broaden your horizons.
The chance came for you to learn so much about yourself which enabled you to truly bloom as a person. The blessing here is not only what happened, but the fact that you KNEW what was happening and fell in with it and made the most of it. A lovely story about a beautiful, wild place on the earth and a magical experience for you. cheers Cass
reply by the author on 01-Jun-2019
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Wow! What a story! How wonderful that you went to the place you actually wanted to go to in the first place, but in a different capacity. How wise you were to see it as a Heaven sent opportunity to broaden your horizons.
The chance came for you to learn so much about yourself which enabled you to truly bloom as a person. The blessing here is not only what happened, but the fact that you KNEW what was happening and fell in with it and made the most of it. A lovely story about a beautiful, wild place on the earth and a magical experience for you. cheers Cass
Comment Written 01-Jun-2019
reply by the author on 01-Jun-2019
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It looks like my story fell into the right hands with you as a reviewer, Cass. Thank you so much for your enthusiastic review. I acknowledge this experience, even though it came fairly late in my life, as heralding in the happiest phase of my life. The one where I understand myself better and know what I can be capable of doing. And that is: Anything.
Comment from C T Curtis
What an awesome experience and the wonderful job in the telling. Amazing what we can do when we put our minds to it and to accept what is rather than moan about what is not. Very well done, well-said and well-written!
reply by the author on 31-May-2019
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What an awesome experience and the wonderful job in the telling. Amazing what we can do when we put our minds to it and to accept what is rather than moan about what is not. Very well done, well-said and well-written!
Comment Written 31-May-2019
reply by the author on 31-May-2019
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That was another of the lessons I learned: "to accept what is rather than moan about what is not". I did not enjoy cleaning a toilet used by many people or burying the cat or catching the rat, but they were part of the 'payment' for having the other experiences.
Comment from tfawcus
This true-life story bubbles over with enthusiasm, carrying your reader along most delightfully. Your frequent use of alliteration seems spontaneous and scarcely ever forced. I liked phrases such as 'pristine with potential'.
Your reworking of the old proverb about counting your chickens before they are hatched was delightful:
"Nooooooo! The kitchen suddenly filled with a flock of squawking, pecking chickens. I had counted them too soon. Now there was egg on my face."
I also enjoyed your description, "the dream-shards on the floor were too sharp", but thought the preceding sentence: "The shattered dream was a bit of a mess underfoot as well" could do with some tightening. For me, "The shattered dream lay underfoot" would have been a stronger way of foreshadowing the metaphor.
In almost all instances, your overbubbling of enthusiasm was delightful - but it can be overdone: "This flabbergasting news was overwhelming in its level of amazing serendipity!"
A couple of minor points. Avoid statements of the obvious. e.g. 'amazing sunsets from a west-facing beach'
and the only typo that I spotted: 'I celebrated by (my) 58th birthday while at Mason Bay'
This was a most interesting story to read, and it exemplifies the adage, When life serves you up lemons, make lemonade.
Very much enjoyed! I hope it does well in the contest.
reply by the author on 01-Jun-2019
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This true-life story bubbles over with enthusiasm, carrying your reader along most delightfully. Your frequent use of alliteration seems spontaneous and scarcely ever forced. I liked phrases such as 'pristine with potential'.
Your reworking of the old proverb about counting your chickens before they are hatched was delightful:
"Nooooooo! The kitchen suddenly filled with a flock of squawking, pecking chickens. I had counted them too soon. Now there was egg on my face."
I also enjoyed your description, "the dream-shards on the floor were too sharp", but thought the preceding sentence: "The shattered dream was a bit of a mess underfoot as well" could do with some tightening. For me, "The shattered dream lay underfoot" would have been a stronger way of foreshadowing the metaphor.
In almost all instances, your overbubbling of enthusiasm was delightful - but it can be overdone: "This flabbergasting news was overwhelming in its level of amazing serendipity!"
A couple of minor points. Avoid statements of the obvious. e.g. 'amazing sunsets from a west-facing beach'
and the only typo that I spotted: 'I celebrated by (my) 58th birthday while at Mason Bay'
This was a most interesting story to read, and it exemplifies the adage, When life serves you up lemons, make lemonade.
Very much enjoyed! I hope it does well in the contest.
Comment Written 31-May-2019
reply by the author on 01-Jun-2019
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Thanks for pointing out the things that did, or did not, work for you.
I do get rather over enthusiastic at times so I have toned that down, deleting the overused 'amazing' and making a couple of other slight modifications. Thanks for catching the typo, too.
I really appreciate how thorough your review was.
Comment from juliaSjames
You are such a good writer. I read with enjoyment this easy flowing essay.
But I wish you had gone into more detail on a key activity on the island or afterwards. Was there a moment of epiphany when you internalized the understanding that the initial rejection had pivoted you into a richer, more satisfying life? Was it the 58th birthday to which you make passing reference? Or was it when you were elected President of the Art Society? Or was it during a quiet moment having a lemonade alone at home?
Of course it may not have happened at a particular time, could have just crept up on you. But if it did, please share.
Oh, by the way, the title is terrific. Evocative and mysterious!
Best of luck in the contest.
reply by the author on 31-May-2019
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You are such a good writer. I read with enjoyment this easy flowing essay.
But I wish you had gone into more detail on a key activity on the island or afterwards. Was there a moment of epiphany when you internalized the understanding that the initial rejection had pivoted you into a richer, more satisfying life? Was it the 58th birthday to which you make passing reference? Or was it when you were elected President of the Art Society? Or was it during a quiet moment having a lemonade alone at home?
Of course it may not have happened at a particular time, could have just crept up on you. But if it did, please share.
Oh, by the way, the title is terrific. Evocative and mysterious!
Best of luck in the contest.
Comment Written 31-May-2019
reply by the author on 31-May-2019
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Thanks so much for your review. As the contest was limited to 2,500 words max. I had to keep to within that boundary so there was no room to write about what you would like to know.
A partial epiphany happened as soon as i got news the location was the same ... I immediately figured it was for a reason. Then the experience itself led to acquiring some skills that I later realised were part of the pathway. Being elected President was a sign that my cake was not only sweet, but it was nutritious as well. And the icing on that cake was very artistically presented. Moments of reflection while sipping lemonade also make me realise the gift I was given, to unwrap at my leisure through its many layers. Then while deciding what to write for this lemons/lemonade prompt I was able to have another think about my life and what important things have happened in it to get me to this stage in my life.
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I understand. You have a great gift with words. I imagine your art must be wonderful too.
Blessings, Julia
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At the moment i seem to be finding it more satisfying to paint pictures with words. I got asked to give an illustrated talk about my photography to a group, but i said I'd rather talk about poetry! However, they want to hear about phtography so I will have to focus (haha) on that.
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Go for it!
