Summerabbacat

“Good.” She nodded. “Ruth here”, she gestured at her companion who remained silent, “had a family event nearby and luckily for you we decided to look up. I have to say”, she looked around the room, “you’ve surprised me. It isn’t shit. It isn’t shit at all.” She nodded." Never was Vince's smooth calming influence more needed than when Gray was approached by Eileen Garner from The Old Barn Press. Clearly the "old boiler" had managed to escape the old barn herself, obviously having shaken off her bell. Really, the effrontery of this woman had me thinking of venomous Venetia, although at least this one may prove to be useful to Gray. I can only but laugh imagining how the Gray of old would have responded to such rudeness. I am intrigued as to how Sandra and/or Elspeth managed to upset or ruffle Matt. The physical description of Elspeth up to your usual standard @Robert Hugill, and with the addition of a comparison example, a very clear image formed. Somewhat birdlike I think, I had an image of the cartoon character, Miss Prissy, without the pronounced beak.

And the sheeple have fallen for it hook, line and sinker @Mark Ponyboy Peters. I am a 'bar humbug' when it comes to Halloween, I loathe it with a passion, not just because of its American origin and its retail opportunism, but also because of the sheer waste left over which ends up in landfill. I also read with horror during the week of a rare little bat which is slaughtered by some to "celebrate" this event. This I find abhorrent. Now onto the story itself. I loved @centexhairysub's comment above. The rumour the Baker boys may have been murdered by local businessmen who wanted their timber cutting business, made me think of the greedy Thompson family immediately. I also wondered if the Baker boys were in fact lovers rather than brothers, or perhaps were brothers who were also lovers. This would have been another reason for members of the Thompson family to murder them. An interesting short from you Mark; not something I would usually read, but it was an entertaining read nevertheless. The possibility of ghosts is no more far-fetched than the possibility of a single all-knowing, all-seeing deity.

It is difficult to decide whom I dislike more, Antonio or Andrea, although I think it is the latter. Both are spoilt, entitled, arrogant and thoroughly unpleasant brats, and whilst I understand Antonio's anger, he is directing it at the wrong person. Praveen is completely without blame. Emilia on the other hand is completely delusional and deranged. The talk of the "almighty" having blessed her and her family, what drugs is this woman taking because clearly they are not working properly. I found it very intriguing Ethan does not like Bruce. I wonder why this is so. Perhaps Bruce is not the person Antonio thinks he is. Perhaps Bruce is everything which Antonio thinks Praveen is.

Emilia is not dissimilar to Veronica, the spawn of the devil from Vanalas' latest drama, Groom For Rent (my first exposure to his works). Although Emilia does not appear to be as nasty as Veronica, she is as manipulative, arrogant and self-absorbed as Veronica. Her threat to commit suicide was a tasteless and calculated stunt, albeit resulting from a quick calculation. @NimirRaj is right in his assessment of the characters above, the only one for whom I feel any warmth is Praveen. I did feel a degree of warmth for Antonio until he referred to Praveen as a "a filthy, stinking, classless boy". Is Antonio a product of his wealthy upbringing? It is hard to imagine what else could have fashioned his ideals, although Emilia has not presented herself as superior because of her wealth. "You have made my mother turn against me for the first time.’ He thought, hugging his sister tighter. ‘You are gonna pay for this. I will destroy your life so much that you are gonna beg for death.’ He sobbed. ‘You will pay for this. I promise!" This thought was very intriguing @vanalas because I am uncertain to whom Antonio was referring. Was it Praveen, or his sister Andrea? I won't be at all surprised if it is revealed Bruce is only in love with the fortune he assumes Antonio will inherit, rather than with Antonio himself.

OMG. Harvey and Emilia's offer was almost as absurd as royalty or very wealthy families who betroth their children as a business transaction, allegedly to honour/appease their invisible friend.

Another top 10 placing for it too @Mark Ponyboy Peters to honour its farewell. # 6 on the Most Read Adventure "chart" for the month ending 24/10/25. And another top 10 placing for What Brings Us Together - Part 2 by @Paladin at #5 on the Most Read Mystery "chart" for the month ending 24/10/25. A most remarkable achievement by both stories given neither has been published frequently in the past month. Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi.

A very brief guest appearance by "the Damian" @ChromedOutCortex? If so, I guess either Ring was set some 17-18 years ago or In My Mind is set 17-18 years in the future, or time is irrelevant because everything that has occurred and continues to occur to the present day is all in Adam's mind. Or maybe I have completely lost mine.

Well that went well, NOT. Their return home was off to a promising start, with Nick and Jack frolicking and flirting their way through the supermarket. Afterward their meal preparation became a culinary seduction, worthy of an episode of Nigella Lawson "marinated" in rich dark chocolate. Mr Bojangles was beside himself with joy, with not one testosterone-infused "chewy-toy" to play with, but two. Dr Kincaid appears to have erred not once, but twice. But what if she hasn't? What if she is well aware of simmering tensions, and has concluded the best way to silence the green-eyed monster is to confront it head on. If she has drawn this conclusion, let us hope she knows something Nick and Jack are completely oblivious to.

"What is waiting for our young stud behind Door Number 1? Hephaestion's Lair has a somewhat wild and suggestive connotation. Will Cal's experiences in the lair live up to what Hephaestion might do?" Alexander the Great with his mighty sabre at the ready? Trevor with a 9" boner and a "guest", an off-duty policeman with a 10.5" boner, ready for a DP of Calvin's malleable manpussy? Vance the vacuum certainly sounds like a talented compact power-bottom. Shades of Kevin Williams, although with his hair-colouring perhaps more Kevin Wiles, who very capably and enthusiastically bottomed for Chad Douglas in the William Higgins classic Big Guns, one of my all-time favourite "alternate cinema" masterpieces. And what of those Four Tops? With Calvin Standing In The Shadows Of Love, ready to respond to Baby I Need Your Lovin'? Oh honey Reach Out, I'll Be There because I Can't Help Myself even if It's The Same Old Song. Most enjoyable again @KKirk. I wonder if the Four Tops ever shared Three Bottoms? They did record several duets with The Supremes. My personal favourite from the Four Tops:

Killian solved Amalie's murder when he "became" Amalie and was pushed from behind. For this reason I assumed Killian "became" Paul and what he felt was Paul being strangled in his doorway and Paul's life "leaving" his body as the murderer's hands tightened their grip. Sabrina is observant, sharp-tongued and clearly does not like Razi. I found her comment "At what cost? Razi doesn’t do charity. He doesn’t do anything out of the kindness of his heart — if he even has one." particularly telling of Razi's character, and it does not augur well for Tad's living arrangements. The only "positive" she had of Razi is that she did not think he was Paul's killer. The red herrings seem to be spawning in Chesapeake Bay again @drsawzall, so I daresay a school or two will murky the waters of this story before its conclusion. The bon vivant of Baltimore may have them smoked and served for dinner with crab cakes, Smith Island Cake and the finest of wines from the Napa Valley.

Dare I say a "team mascot" @drsawzall, albeit an X-rated one, willing to "take one" for the team. He may enjoy performing the one task seemingly disliked by all others, the teams' dirty laundry. A smorgasbord of jockstraps to be sniffed and chewed on.

Nate receives "top billing" in this continuation of The Seventeenth Summer, to date my favourite story from the pen of @Mark Ponyboy Peters, with the events taking place two calendar years later. Danny (my favourite MPP creation) and Jake make a welcome return in a story of growth for all three, but particularly for Nate as he transitions from his teenage years to adulthood, although technically he is still a teenager. With a wonderful array of supporting characters, including a delightful dingo named Fergus, this story seduces the reader with its idyllic setting and the serene lifestyle of the humans, Fergus and an amusing and cheeky cockatoo. Tranquil is the word which best describes this latest work from the "pen of the pony". And although it was a "weepy" upon conclusion @Mark Ponyboy Peters, My Heart Will Go On.

Or Thelma Bullpitt but definitely not Bruno Bertolucci? Or Esme Watson, Dorrie Evans or Australia's greatest actress in our lifetime Mark, Skippy? What's that you say, Skip? Real men don't eat quiche? You are so smart Skip.

Jason is a jizz-junkie, needing regular hot beef injections to keep his testosterone levels high and his orifices well lubricated. A true pig bottom it would seem.

Or "Cookie" from A Country Practice?

I think Russ enjoyed his afternoon cooking with his nephews, even if they were a little boisterous and argumentative at times. He was reminded of his childhood when he and Con behaved similarly at times. Perhaps a little help from Kate and Cindy would not have gone astray. Russ thrives on filial connections, regardless of whether they are blood family or chosen family. His delight in Toby's recount of his holiday with Deirdre warmed Russ' heart with genuine affection for Toby. Charming as usual @Robert Hugill. Anything which "inspires" a song by The B-52's is a winner in my book.

"Crossing the floor to Danny, Jake placed an arm around his waist and pulled him close. ‘My little domestic goddess,’ he said, before planting a kiss on Danny’s lips." As if it was not enough that Bruce "stole" Real Men Don't Eat Quiche @Mark Ponyboy Peters, Nigella "stole" domestic goddess from Danny. The sheer nerve of these people.

I thought the "sharing" of flatulence amongst the human couple and the canine couple was particularly amusing, demonstrating that farting amongst "friends" is universal, at least in Wilsonlandia, the kingdom "ruled" by @Lee Wilson.

To quote Woody Allen, it doubles his chances of a date on a Friday night if he is bisexual.

@Mark Ponyboy Peters and @weinerdog I did a Google search on Real Men Don't Eat Quiche and found it was the name of a book published in 1982 by an American writer Bruce Feirstein, who is no relation to the mega fabulous Harvey whose family name is spelt Fierstein. I think it was a phrase in Australia before then too @Mark Ponyboy Peters. I loved the song Quiche Lorraine from The B-52's second album, Wild Planet, released in 1980 (Private Idaho was the fantastic single from the album), and I am almost certain quiche lorraine was popular in Australia before that as was the phrase. It sounds like something Paul Hogan may have said on one of his shows released in the 1970's (remember Nigel Lovelace 12 years of age going on 13 @Mark Ponyboy Peters?).

I am still waiting for @Mark Ponyboy Peters to reveal how he came to have the nickname Tugger.

Kris' life has not included the violence prevalent in Dean's life, and he at least has had the benefit of a parent who cares about him, but similarly to Dean's life, Kris' life has not been all sunshine and lollipops. Kris and his mother have done it tough after the death of his father, and the jobs his mother has held have all been low-skilled and low-paying, with no additional benefits or entitlements I imagine. The town in which Kris lives, the same one in which Dean lives, has not yet crushed his spirit entirely, but with an uncertain employment future life is a continuing struggle. Frustration with the present, despair, and fear for the future are all encompassing in Kris' life.

"Nate leaned his head against the cool window and closed his eyes for a moment. He saw Danny’s smile, and Jake’s paint-covered hands. He saw Skye’s pencil holding up her hair, and the creek, cool and inviting. A dingo trotting along a dusty track. And young love taking flight." When The Seventeenth Summer concluded I did not believe another tale from the "pen of the pony" could possibly provoke the plethora of tears which fell on that occasion. I should have known better @Mark Ponyboy Peters, the conclusion of this story certainly matched the emotional impact of The Seventeenth Summer for this @Summerabbacat. 😭😭😭😭😭😭 What a delight to meet up with "old friends" from the past Mark. Golden Syrup (I used to like it on crumpets), Passiona (loved it then in all its fake sweetness, but I doubt I would like it now as it was so fake) and Blue Hills (I remember it well, especially if we were travelling in the car during school holidays). So many songs swirled in my very tired and unsettled brain as I read this chapter, fearing the story was coming to an end, some of which I did not even like in 1977 e.g. A New Kid In Town by the Eagles. Virtually all of these songs were mournful or melancholic, with goodbye rather than see you later the likely outcome. The only one I could think of which suggests a possible see yo later, and one which I adore, features the gorgeous vocals (mostly) of the late Christine McVie. A huge hit for Fleetwood Mac, from Rumours of course, Don't Stop.

Poochie is a bitch in every sense of the word @weinerdog. Yappy, snappy, annoying little mutt. A little millennial princess. Given the difference in size between a Great Dane and a Pekinese I cannot imagine mating between the two would even be possible, but that is a minor "inconvenience" as this is fiction after all. I loved Dane's reference to the male human child as a puppy, most amusing.

Dark is good.