Victoria Zigler's Blog: Zigler News, page 136
August 12, 2016
#Furkid Friday: Update On Jacob The #Degu (FD)
Hi humans, rodent types, and anyone else reading this.
This is Jenks the degu, here to give you an update on my brother, Jacob, because he's still a little sulky about having to take nasty tasting medicine, not to mention having to be put in a box by himself on two seporate occasions, just to be poked about by some guy the human caretakers say is called a "vet" and supposed to make sick animals feel better.
Jacob told the human caretakers he was feeling better and didn't need to go back to see the vet person. But they didn't listen. Instead, they stuck him back in that box - all by himself, I might add - and took him back there.
The moment the box was opened and Jacob saw the vet guy, he started yelling that he was, "All better now," and telling him that he no longer needed any medicine, and wanted to go home. He says he squealed it as loudly as he could. But, just like our human caretakers, the vet guy didn't listen, and started poking Jacob about to check him all over again, despite his loud protests.
Seriously! What is it with you humans and refusing to listen?
Anyway, as Jacob had been trying to tell the humans, his mouth wound was all healed up, he'd gained a gram where he was back to eating normally again, and his fur is starting to grow back.
See... If they'd listened to him, they could have saved the vet trip. Stupid humans!
So, anyway, Jacob now weighs 215 grams (which, for those of you who deal in pounds and ounces, is a little over eight and a half ounces) and he doesn't need to go back to the vet any time soon. Although, Jacob says he did hear something about how the human caretakers will have to get something called "antiseptic wash" from the vet guy if his fur doesn't continue to grow back, so he's really hoping it does, because he doesn't like the sound of that.
As I said, Jacob is now eating normally again. He's stopped looking for the softer food items among our nibbles, and started enjoying things like dry pasta and chinchilla cookies again. So, that's good.
As I also said, the humans could have avoided the return trip to the vet if they'd only listened to Jacob. I mean, he even grabbed hold of the Mummy human's finger and put enough pressure behind his grip to tell her that he could really hurt her if he wanted to, without actually doing anything to hurt her. He did this a couple of times, but she didn't take the hint. I told him he should have bitten her, and then maybe they'd have believed him that his mouth was all better, and listened to him when he said he didn't need any more nasty tasting medicine, or another vet trip. But Jacob's not a biter, and was shocked I'd even suggest it. More fool him, I say. Had it been me, I'd have made sure it hurt. Maybe then the humans would have gotten the message. Sometimes I think Jacob is too nice to these humans for his own good. I know they feed us, provide us with toys, clean our cage, etc. But still... How else are we supposed to make them listen?
Squeak soon,
Jenks
This is Jenks the degu, here to give you an update on my brother, Jacob, because he's still a little sulky about having to take nasty tasting medicine, not to mention having to be put in a box by himself on two seporate occasions, just to be poked about by some guy the human caretakers say is called a "vet" and supposed to make sick animals feel better.
Jacob told the human caretakers he was feeling better and didn't need to go back to see the vet person. But they didn't listen. Instead, they stuck him back in that box - all by himself, I might add - and took him back there.
The moment the box was opened and Jacob saw the vet guy, he started yelling that he was, "All better now," and telling him that he no longer needed any medicine, and wanted to go home. He says he squealed it as loudly as he could. But, just like our human caretakers, the vet guy didn't listen, and started poking Jacob about to check him all over again, despite his loud protests.
Seriously! What is it with you humans and refusing to listen?
Anyway, as Jacob had been trying to tell the humans, his mouth wound was all healed up, he'd gained a gram where he was back to eating normally again, and his fur is starting to grow back.
See... If they'd listened to him, they could have saved the vet trip. Stupid humans!
So, anyway, Jacob now weighs 215 grams (which, for those of you who deal in pounds and ounces, is a little over eight and a half ounces) and he doesn't need to go back to the vet any time soon. Although, Jacob says he did hear something about how the human caretakers will have to get something called "antiseptic wash" from the vet guy if his fur doesn't continue to grow back, so he's really hoping it does, because he doesn't like the sound of that.
As I said, Jacob is now eating normally again. He's stopped looking for the softer food items among our nibbles, and started enjoying things like dry pasta and chinchilla cookies again. So, that's good.
As I also said, the humans could have avoided the return trip to the vet if they'd only listened to Jacob. I mean, he even grabbed hold of the Mummy human's finger and put enough pressure behind his grip to tell her that he could really hurt her if he wanted to, without actually doing anything to hurt her. He did this a couple of times, but she didn't take the hint. I told him he should have bitten her, and then maybe they'd have believed him that his mouth was all better, and listened to him when he said he didn't need any more nasty tasting medicine, or another vet trip. But Jacob's not a biter, and was shocked I'd even suggest it. More fool him, I say. Had it been me, I'd have made sure it hurt. Maybe then the humans would have gotten the message. Sometimes I think Jacob is too nice to these humans for his own good. I know they feed us, provide us with toys, clean our cage, etc. But still... How else are we supposed to make them listen?
Squeak soon,
Jenks
August 11, 2016
The Power Of #Chinchilla Cuddles
Mollie and Maizie are affectionate chinchillas. Maizie especially, since Mollie tends to be a bit shy and reserved a lot of the time. They almost always come bounding up to the door of their cage to greet me just on hearing me enter the living room (where all the rodent gang’s cages are). They also like to be petted and played with, and will often climb in to my arms for a cuddle (not usually a long one, but still). I was very glad of that this morning.
Today (August 11th 2016) marks two years since I lost my Kero dog. I still miss him terribly. Between the anniversary of his death, and the sad news I got from someone I consider to be a very good friend on Tuesday (which I won't share, because it's not my news to tell) I was feeling really low when I woke up from my nap in the early hours of this morning.
But then I went in to the living room.
As usual, Mollie and Maizie bounced over to greet me at their cage door the moment I walked in to the room, so I opened their cage door to give them some attention; I do that most times, to encourage them to continue with their eager greeting.
Maizie immediately climbed up on to my shoulder, where she stayed for several minutes, cuddling up to my neck while “grooming” my hair. Meanwhile, Mollie was climbing all over my other arm. They even stayed there when they realized Kelly was watching, which is the unusual part... They normally dash back in the cage when they realize they have an audience (hence the lack of photos of me cuddling them). They stayed put even when he spoke.
I think they knew I needed some critter cuddles today.
Cuddles from them don't make everything better; chinchilla cuddles can't take away the pain of losing the dog I loved - and still love - so much. But they sure helped.
Today (August 11th 2016) marks two years since I lost my Kero dog. I still miss him terribly. Between the anniversary of his death, and the sad news I got from someone I consider to be a very good friend on Tuesday (which I won't share, because it's not my news to tell) I was feeling really low when I woke up from my nap in the early hours of this morning.
But then I went in to the living room.
As usual, Mollie and Maizie bounced over to greet me at their cage door the moment I walked in to the room, so I opened their cage door to give them some attention; I do that most times, to encourage them to continue with their eager greeting.
Maizie immediately climbed up on to my shoulder, where she stayed for several minutes, cuddling up to my neck while “grooming” my hair. Meanwhile, Mollie was climbing all over my other arm. They even stayed there when they realized Kelly was watching, which is the unusual part... They normally dash back in the cage when they realize they have an audience (hence the lack of photos of me cuddling them). They stayed put even when he spoke.
I think they knew I needed some critter cuddles today.
Cuddles from them don't make everything better; chinchilla cuddles can't take away the pain of losing the dog I loved - and still love - so much. But they sure helped.
August 10, 2016
#Writing Wednesday - August 10th 2016
I've done some exercises as part of the 2016 KidLit Summer School that may potentially become stories (or appear in stories) in the future... Possibly. I've also written a couple of new poems, and done some work on a few stories I'm working on. But I haven't really been able to settle in to one project fully, so there's not much to report when it comes to my writing at the moment. Good thing I have "Jeffrey The Orange Alien" and "Eadweard - A Story Of 1066" scheduled for release in late August and mid October respectively, so you have something to look forward to while I mess about, and continue to flit between projects.
How about you? If you're a writer, how's your writing going? Have you been gathering story seeds? Is it going well? Or does your story need a heart transplant?
Regardless of how your current work in progress is going... Have you been considering starting up an author newsletter, but aren't sure where to start? This post on the how and why of author newsletters is a great starting point, I think. I've thought about starting an author newsletter, but it's never gotten further than a passing thought with me.
Newsletter or not, do you want some writing tips? If so, check out these six tips from a master linguist on how to be a better writer.
What kind of writing do you do? If you write dystopian stories of any kind, you might want to check out these tips for perfecting your dystopian world in five easy steps. Alternatively, if it's fantasy you write, you may want to check out this post on creating a sense of wonder in fantasy.
How about age range? Do you write for children? If yes, do you want to market your books to schools and classroom libraries? If yes, then read this post on selling to the educational market.
Regardless of the genre, or age range, you write for, if you're the kind of person who worries about whether your book is the right length, you should check out this post on how to know if your book is the right length.
Most important of all though... Don't let those rotten reviews and terrible trolls get you down!
How about you? If you're a writer, how's your writing going? Have you been gathering story seeds? Is it going well? Or does your story need a heart transplant?
Regardless of how your current work in progress is going... Have you been considering starting up an author newsletter, but aren't sure where to start? This post on the how and why of author newsletters is a great starting point, I think. I've thought about starting an author newsletter, but it's never gotten further than a passing thought with me.
Newsletter or not, do you want some writing tips? If so, check out these six tips from a master linguist on how to be a better writer.
What kind of writing do you do? If you write dystopian stories of any kind, you might want to check out these tips for perfecting your dystopian world in five easy steps. Alternatively, if it's fantasy you write, you may want to check out this post on creating a sense of wonder in fantasy.
How about age range? Do you write for children? If yes, do you want to market your books to schools and classroom libraries? If yes, then read this post on selling to the educational market.
Regardless of the genre, or age range, you write for, if you're the kind of person who worries about whether your book is the right length, you should check out this post on how to know if your book is the right length.
Most important of all though... Don't let those rotten reviews and terrible trolls get you down!
August 8, 2016
#Photo Of July 2016's #FullMoon Plus #Stargazing Tools And Tips
The above photo of the moon over the ocean was taken from our window on July 19th 2016.
Taking photos of moons when you can't see where they are isn't easy. But, when I realized there was a full moon on a clear night, I just had to try and get a photo. Then, of course, once I finally managed to get the moon in the photo, I had to share it. So... Here it is. Enjoy!
***
Deanna posted last week about stargazing. It's one of the things I miss most.
How about you? Do you enjoy stargazing? Or, do you want to do some stargazing, but aren't sure where to start? Here are some stargazing basics: tools, equipment, and advice.
Also, here are EarthSky's top ten tips for super stargazers and 13 tips for stargazing from astronomers.
Plus, I'm told the Star Walk phone app is a really good one, if you want to have an app for your phone or tablet to help you identify what you're looking at.
August 7, 2016
#Ocean #Photos From July 2016
These were taken looking out of the computer room window on July 19th 2016. As you can see, it was a beautiful day, weather wise.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
August 6, 2016
Dark Ages Royal Palace Discovered In Cornwall – In Area Closely Linked To The Legend Of King Arthur
Reblogged from The Story Reading Ape, as reblogged from TheBreakAway:
Source: Independent.co.uk
David Keys
August 5, 2016
The mysterious origins of the British archaeological site most often associated with the legend of King Arthur have just become even more mysterious.
Archaeologists have discovered the impressive remains of a probable Dark Age royal palace at Tintagel in Cornwall. It is likely that the one-metre thick
walls being unearthed are those of the main residence of the 6th century rulers of an ancient south-west British kingdom, known as Dumnonia.
Scholars have long argued about whether King Arthur actually existed or whether he was in reality a legendary character formed through the conflation of
a series of separate historical and mythological figures.
But the discovery by English Heritage-funded archaeologists of a probable Dark Age palace at Tintagel will certainly trigger debate in Arthurian studies
circles – because, in medieval tradition, Arthur was said to have been conceived at Tintagel as a result of an illicit union…
View original post (1,082 more words)
Source: Independent.co.uk
David Keys
August 5, 2016
The mysterious origins of the British archaeological site most often associated with the legend of King Arthur have just become even more mysterious.
Archaeologists have discovered the impressive remains of a probable Dark Age royal palace at Tintagel in Cornwall. It is likely that the one-metre thick
walls being unearthed are those of the main residence of the 6th century rulers of an ancient south-west British kingdom, known as Dumnonia.
Scholars have long argued about whether King Arthur actually existed or whether he was in reality a legendary character formed through the conflation of
a series of separate historical and mythological figures.
But the discovery by English Heritage-funded archaeologists of a probable Dark Age palace at Tintagel will certainly trigger debate in Arthurian studies
circles – because, in medieval tradition, Arthur was said to have been conceived at Tintagel as a result of an illicit union…
View original post (1,082 more words)
August 5, 2016
#Furkid Friday: The #Chinchilla And The Pea (FD)
Hi humans, rodent types, and anyone else reading this.
This is Maizie the chinchilla.
As you may already know, the weather's been all over the place over the last couple of months, but several days have been quite hot here. So, in an effort to help us keep cool on some of the hotter days, the human caretakers decided to hand out frozen peas to us rodents. They've done the same thing for the last couple of Summers, apparently. But for us chinchillas, the first time they did it this year was a whole new experience.
The human caretakers regularly hand out nibbles, so we're in the habit of taking whatever they offer. Even my chinchilla sister, Mollie, usually takes what the humans are offering now (except on her bad days). So, when the Mummy human was holding something out to me, I grabbed it without hesitation.
Imagine my surprise when the thing I grabbed was really cold, instead of the room temperature nibbles we're used to.
I jerked back in shock, as I'm sure you can understand. But the Mummy human continued to hold it out, so I went back to try again.
I was more cautious this second time, and gave it a tentative lick, then an experimental nibble. After that, I decided I liked this new nibble, and took it off to find a quiet corner of my cage to enjoy it in peace.
Mollie was much more cautious than me. This is partially because she is in general, but partially from watching my reaction too, I think. But she eventually decided she liked the frozen pea as well.
Plus, the cold nibbles helped us to keep cool, which is a good thing... Especially with all our thick fur!
Squeak soon,
Maizie
This is Maizie the chinchilla.
As you may already know, the weather's been all over the place over the last couple of months, but several days have been quite hot here. So, in an effort to help us keep cool on some of the hotter days, the human caretakers decided to hand out frozen peas to us rodents. They've done the same thing for the last couple of Summers, apparently. But for us chinchillas, the first time they did it this year was a whole new experience.
The human caretakers regularly hand out nibbles, so we're in the habit of taking whatever they offer. Even my chinchilla sister, Mollie, usually takes what the humans are offering now (except on her bad days). So, when the Mummy human was holding something out to me, I grabbed it without hesitation.
Imagine my surprise when the thing I grabbed was really cold, instead of the room temperature nibbles we're used to.
I jerked back in shock, as I'm sure you can understand. But the Mummy human continued to hold it out, so I went back to try again.
I was more cautious this second time, and gave it a tentative lick, then an experimental nibble. After that, I decided I liked this new nibble, and took it off to find a quiet corner of my cage to enjoy it in peace.
Mollie was much more cautious than me. This is partially because she is in general, but partially from watching my reaction too, I think. But she eventually decided she liked the frozen pea as well.
Plus, the cold nibbles helped us to keep cool, which is a good thing... Especially with all our thick fur!
Squeak soon,
Maizie
August 3, 2016
#Writing Wednesday - August 3rd 2016
Whether you're new to writing, or have been doing it for ages, here are the things most people wish they knew when they were writing virgins; just some words of wisdom on the most important things to remember when you're a writer.
Need a little help when it comes to figuring out the genre of your story? Then take a look at these fiction genre definitions.
Regardless of your genre, check out this link if you're writing with colour, so you can avoid offending your readers by getting the facts right. I haven't included any people of colour in my books as yet - partially because most of my characters have been animals - but, when I do, I'll be sure to avoid using food to describe darker skin.
Anyway... When it comes to writing in general... Are you one of those people who struggles to get those visual details in? Then take a look at these seven ways to write bisually (without describing everything), and this post on brushing up on "Show, don't tell".
Want to inject some humour in to your writing? These 3 tips for writing humour will help you out. You may want to check out some of the other posts from that blog too, since they're currently in the fourth week of this year's Summer school - which I've been doing, as you may remember me mentioning a couple of weeks ago, around when it started - and this year's topic was heart and humour.
Oh, and, don't forget... It's possible to have allergies, asthma, and ailments in a book... Even a fantasy one. In fact, having these things may be another way to help your readers connect with your character, since plenty of real people have issues like these. I mean, I myself have asthma, though it's not as bad as many people have, nor even as bad as it was when I was younger (these days they call it "bronchial asthma" and it's generally under control even without an inhaler, unless I have a chest infection, but I used to need an inhaler several times a day, every day). On a similar theme, here's a writer's guide to serious injuries and colamities, for those who want to write a scene where your character comes close to dying, but pulls through at the last moment.
Alternatively, if you're in a slump, and not feeling motivated, you may want to try these five tips for when you're in a slump or unmotivated. They're officially aimed at bloggers, but could just as easily have been written for writers of any kind.
***
What is Plagiarism? If you're not sure, read the post I just linked to. The post also contains some useful links you can use if you want to make absolutely certain you aren't guilty of it, so you may want to check it out even if you do know what plagiarism is.
***
Want to show your support for, and potentially help out, any author, artist, or musician, friends or family members you might have? It's quite simple, actually! All you have to do is read these five tips for helping out an author... Or any artist really, and then follow the advice. Obviously, if it's for an artist or musician, rather than an author, you would substitute the word "book" for whatever other creation the person has made, be it a painting an arty person you know has done, a CD or song download by a musician you're friends with or related to, or whatever. Here are more ways to show appreciation for an author. You can also do these things if you don't really know the person, but happen to like their work. Thank you to anyone who has done any of these things for me, or who does so in the near future.
Writing reviews is one thing mentioned in those above posts, and it's something that especially helps an author... Even more so with self-published/indie authors. So, did you read a book recently that you enjoyed? Why not take a few moments to write a review for it? If you're not sure where to start, you can read these four quick ways to write a book review. Now, the post spacifically mentions writing reviews on Goodreads and Amazon, but authors appreciate reviews left anywhere. For example, if you brought a book from Smashwords or Barnes & Noble, you could leave a review there too. The author will really appreciate it. In fact... A huge thank you to those who have taken the time to review books of mine at any point in the past, or who go and do so after reading this!
Oh, and... Authors and publishers... Here are the dos and don'ts of asking for reviews.
Need a little help when it comes to figuring out the genre of your story? Then take a look at these fiction genre definitions.
Regardless of your genre, check out this link if you're writing with colour, so you can avoid offending your readers by getting the facts right. I haven't included any people of colour in my books as yet - partially because most of my characters have been animals - but, when I do, I'll be sure to avoid using food to describe darker skin.
Anyway... When it comes to writing in general... Are you one of those people who struggles to get those visual details in? Then take a look at these seven ways to write bisually (without describing everything), and this post on brushing up on "Show, don't tell".
Want to inject some humour in to your writing? These 3 tips for writing humour will help you out. You may want to check out some of the other posts from that blog too, since they're currently in the fourth week of this year's Summer school - which I've been doing, as you may remember me mentioning a couple of weeks ago, around when it started - and this year's topic was heart and humour.
Oh, and, don't forget... It's possible to have allergies, asthma, and ailments in a book... Even a fantasy one. In fact, having these things may be another way to help your readers connect with your character, since plenty of real people have issues like these. I mean, I myself have asthma, though it's not as bad as many people have, nor even as bad as it was when I was younger (these days they call it "bronchial asthma" and it's generally under control even without an inhaler, unless I have a chest infection, but I used to need an inhaler several times a day, every day). On a similar theme, here's a writer's guide to serious injuries and colamities, for those who want to write a scene where your character comes close to dying, but pulls through at the last moment.
Alternatively, if you're in a slump, and not feeling motivated, you may want to try these five tips for when you're in a slump or unmotivated. They're officially aimed at bloggers, but could just as easily have been written for writers of any kind.
***
What is Plagiarism? If you're not sure, read the post I just linked to. The post also contains some useful links you can use if you want to make absolutely certain you aren't guilty of it, so you may want to check it out even if you do know what plagiarism is.
***
Want to show your support for, and potentially help out, any author, artist, or musician, friends or family members you might have? It's quite simple, actually! All you have to do is read these five tips for helping out an author... Or any artist really, and then follow the advice. Obviously, if it's for an artist or musician, rather than an author, you would substitute the word "book" for whatever other creation the person has made, be it a painting an arty person you know has done, a CD or song download by a musician you're friends with or related to, or whatever. Here are more ways to show appreciation for an author. You can also do these things if you don't really know the person, but happen to like their work. Thank you to anyone who has done any of these things for me, or who does so in the near future.
Writing reviews is one thing mentioned in those above posts, and it's something that especially helps an author... Even more so with self-published/indie authors. So, did you read a book recently that you enjoyed? Why not take a few moments to write a review for it? If you're not sure where to start, you can read these four quick ways to write a book review. Now, the post spacifically mentions writing reviews on Goodreads and Amazon, but authors appreciate reviews left anywhere. For example, if you brought a book from Smashwords or Barnes & Noble, you could leave a review there too. The author will really appreciate it. In fact... A huge thank you to those who have taken the time to review books of mine at any point in the past, or who go and do so after reading this!
Oh, and... Authors and publishers... Here are the dos and don'ts of asking for reviews.
August 1, 2016
More From #HastingsPeer On #HastingsPirateDay 2016 (FD)
As I mentioned in yesterday's post, Kelly and I went to the pirate activities on the peer especially to see it now it's open again. You can see our actual pirate themed photos in yesterday's post, if you haven't already checked those out. Anyway, the above photo was taken from on the peer, from the point where I'm standing in this next photo:
I was stood by the railing near the start of the peer, very close to where there's a cafe, which we ate our lunch at. Our lunch wasn't anything fancy, just an egg and mayo sandwich for me, and a ham and mustard one for Kelly, and a fizzy drink. Still, it was nice sitting on the peer, enjoying the breeze coming in from the ocean, while eating our lunch.
The rail I was stood at when the above photos were taken wasn't too far from where the outside tables and chairs for the cafe were set up. This was the view looking back towards the street from where we were sat:
After our lunch, we took a walk to the end of the peer, and got a shot of the view out to sea, looking towards France...
Then we turned around, and took a photo looking back down the peer towards the street, before heading back...
It was quite a warm day, as you may be able to tell from the photos. Or, maybe you can't? Well, it was, anyway. So, by the time we'd walked along the peer and back, I was in need of something to cool me down. Luckily, the ice-cream cart that I hear from my window most days was there, so I had a strawberry cheesecake ice-cream from him.
I was just eating my ice-cream when our friends Lorna and Andy, and Lorna's friends Kaye and Robyn, all arrived. As long as we're remembering them the right way around, this next photo is me with Lorna and Kaye (we know one is Lorna... We know her well enough... But sorry Kaye if we got you and Robyn mixed up).
As you can see, they were dressed a bit more appropriately for pirate day than Kelly and I were. Still, we weren't the only ones not dressed up, and it was so hot there was no way I'd have wanted to wear a costume even if I'd had one to wear.
Anyway, after I was done with my ice-cream, we headed back on to the peer for some more fun.
A lot of the peer is devoted to the fairground type stuff that you get on most peers, including a Punch and Judy show, and a few games and rides. But the thing that really captured our attention was something all of us - well, all of us women anyway - were eager to go on. The carousel!
Lorna had seen that it was there the week before, and asked the guy running it if it was OK for us all to ride on it, what with us being adults, and me being of the larger persuasion. He said he saw no reason why not, so we arranged to meet up so we could ride together before Kaye and Robyn had to go home.
The guy was fantastic, and made sure to stop the carousel with one of the horses perfectly positioned to make it as easy as possible for me to get on it. Even so, since my leg was aching from all the walking, I wasn't entirely certain if I'd be able to get up on it. However, I REALLY wanted to ride on a horse rather than the sleigh (which would have been easier for me to climb on, but not quite as cool) so I was determined I was going to get on a horse. It hurt to do it, but I got up there...
Then Lorna got on a horse beside me, Kaye and Robyn got on horses in front of us, and we were off...
The guy running it made sure to stop the carousel with my horse in a good position for me to get off it. Even so, he had to help me get back off the horse, and my leg hurt so much I pretty much had to crawl up the last few stairs when I got home. But it was so totally worth it for a carousel ride!
It was a great day, though I was hot and exhausted afterwards. Not to mention, I ended up with a sunburned nose (which is still not completely healed). I also caught the sun a bit more than was comfortable on my cane arm. The other one was OK, because it was shielded by first Kelly and then Lorna while they were guiding me. But my cane arm had no human shield to protect it from the worst of the sun's rays. Still totally worth it for the carousel ride if nothing else though, so I'm not complaining in the least.
July 31, 2016
On #HastingsPeer For #HastingsPirateDay 2016
July 17th 2016 was this year's anual Hastings Pirate Day.
In case you're interested: Hastings currently holds the world record for the most people to be grouped in one area dressed as pirates at the same time. If I'm not mistaken, the record is currently 14,231, and was achieved in 2012.
Anyway, stuff happens for Hastings Pirate Day all over the town, but since they FINALLY have the peer finished - after it burned down the year before we moved down here, and they had to fight to get the work done, because it wasn't the council who owned it - and it was officially opened again this year, we decided to combine checking that out with our Pirate Day outing, so it was only the pirate themed activities happening in and around the peer that we witnessed.
Kelly and I had already planned to do this, but were then joined by our friends Lorna and Andy, as well as Lorna's friends Kaye and Robyn. So, though it was just the two of us for the first part of our outing, we finished things off as a group.
Luckily, the weather was beautiful. Unlike last year, when it rained heavily most of that weekend.
Anyway, here are some pirate themed photos we took. As I've mentioned before, our camera isn't the greatest, which means the shots aren't going to be great quality. But slightly fuzzy shots are better than no shots at all, right?
OK, so...
Here's a pirate flag that was blowing in the breeze coming in from the ocean:
We didn't dress up, but a lot of other people did. Even some of the dogs got in the pirate spirit, like Milly here:
Some of the pirates didn't stop long enough for us to get decent photos of them...
While others were more than happy to pose for the camera...
As I mentioned, even pets were dressed up a little. We didn't get any more pirate pup photos though. We also didn't get a photo of this adorable little toddler who was all dressed up.
There was music playing, and a guy getting kids to jump about to music. But we didn't get photos of that.
We did, however, get a couple of shots of a pirate who was entertaining the crowd with his juggling skills...
And Captain Jack Sparrow dueling another pirate...
(There would have been more of Captain Jack Sparrows duel, but they were obviously moving about a lot, and people's heads blocked the camera's view in most of the shots we attempted).
We were also lucky enough to be near where the pirate band was gathering ready for the pirate parade...
It makes a change... Normally we only catch the parades as they pass our building. But this time we were at the start of their route. So we got some photos as the pirate parade started out...
At this point, the pirate activities seemed to move away from the peer, and we didn't go and check out what else was going on in town. I expect you can find photos and information about the other stuff that happened for Hastings Pirate Day by looking it up on Google though, if you want.
There was a bit more to our day out though. But I'll tell you about that tomorrow, because this is already a long-ish and very picture heavy post, and I don't want to make it any more difficult to load than it already will be for those of you with slow internet connections. So, come back tomorrow for more from the peer.
In case you're interested: Hastings currently holds the world record for the most people to be grouped in one area dressed as pirates at the same time. If I'm not mistaken, the record is currently 14,231, and was achieved in 2012.
Anyway, stuff happens for Hastings Pirate Day all over the town, but since they FINALLY have the peer finished - after it burned down the year before we moved down here, and they had to fight to get the work done, because it wasn't the council who owned it - and it was officially opened again this year, we decided to combine checking that out with our Pirate Day outing, so it was only the pirate themed activities happening in and around the peer that we witnessed.
Kelly and I had already planned to do this, but were then joined by our friends Lorna and Andy, as well as Lorna's friends Kaye and Robyn. So, though it was just the two of us for the first part of our outing, we finished things off as a group.
Luckily, the weather was beautiful. Unlike last year, when it rained heavily most of that weekend.
Anyway, here are some pirate themed photos we took. As I've mentioned before, our camera isn't the greatest, which means the shots aren't going to be great quality. But slightly fuzzy shots are better than no shots at all, right?
OK, so...
Here's a pirate flag that was blowing in the breeze coming in from the ocean:
We didn't dress up, but a lot of other people did. Even some of the dogs got in the pirate spirit, like Milly here:
Some of the pirates didn't stop long enough for us to get decent photos of them...
While others were more than happy to pose for the camera...
As I mentioned, even pets were dressed up a little. We didn't get any more pirate pup photos though. We also didn't get a photo of this adorable little toddler who was all dressed up.
There was music playing, and a guy getting kids to jump about to music. But we didn't get photos of that.
We did, however, get a couple of shots of a pirate who was entertaining the crowd with his juggling skills...
And Captain Jack Sparrow dueling another pirate...
(There would have been more of Captain Jack Sparrows duel, but they were obviously moving about a lot, and people's heads blocked the camera's view in most of the shots we attempted).
We were also lucky enough to be near where the pirate band was gathering ready for the pirate parade...
It makes a change... Normally we only catch the parades as they pass our building. But this time we were at the start of their route. So we got some photos as the pirate parade started out...
At this point, the pirate activities seemed to move away from the peer, and we didn't go and check out what else was going on in town. I expect you can find photos and information about the other stuff that happened for Hastings Pirate Day by looking it up on Google though, if you want.
There was a bit more to our day out though. But I'll tell you about that tomorrow, because this is already a long-ish and very picture heavy post, and I don't want to make it any more difficult to load than it already will be for those of you with slow internet connections. So, come back tomorrow for more from the peer.
Zigler News
Author and book news for children's author and poet, Victoria Zigler, as well as general news from the life of the Zigler family; furry and otherwise!
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