Mark Ponyboy Peters

October 2003 - Luke - A wise man once told me that nothing ever stays the same. Things have to be constantly changing in order for us to move forward, in order for us to learn and mature and grow. I'm sure he was right, but sometimes it's hard to understand why things happen a particular way, or why they should even occur at all. Are the things that happen to us a part of the grand plan from the masters of our universe? Or are they all just random events, seemingly w

And rest assured you will all find out how Ben and Sam are doing in the next story!

Yup! Congratulations @weinerdog!!! You win the Kewpie Doll! 😁

August 2003 - Tim - ‘Okay then, so does somebody here want to bring me up to speed and tell me what the hell happened and just how the hell I got here, ‘cause I’m feeling a bit left out of the loop at the moment? And you better start at the very beginning please . . . I mean, like, from school, seeing as some of us apparently go back that far,’ Ben demanded. We had all gathered in the visitors’ room just down the corridor from the ward they had moved Ben into after h

Thank you, @Ivor Slipper

Oh yes. It's a well-known fact that champion mares rarely produce their equals . . . however, their daughters and grand daughters often do. It's all a bit hit-and-miss though . . . and that's one of the reasons I like hearing stories similar to the one from this years Melbourne Cup. Bred just down the road from where I live (about 45 minutes away) and from a mare that only cost $1000. Just shows that anyone can strike it lucky with the Sport of Kings! You've got to be in it to win it!

Ahhh... yes ... those females I know well!

Flipper was stuck in Florida ... and as talented a macropod that Skippy might be, she only ever mastered the occasional dip in the Hawkesbury River. Deep sea diving just wasn't her go! 😛

August 2003 - Samantha - The Intensive Care ward of the Macquarie Harbour Hospital was much like I expected it to be. Sterile. Cold. Smelling of disinfectant. Lots of machines going 'beep . . . beep . . . beep . . .' Nurses and doctors were rushing here and there. Anxious family members fearful of what was happening with their loved ones. Then add to that the occasional sound of crying or wailing. When I first came here two weeks ago, following Ben's

August 2003 - Ben - Nothing. That's all there was. No sounds. No light. Just this huge, dark emptiness, as if I had fallen into an abyss, deep and unending. I felt like I had been away some place. Some place far away, but now I was slowly coming back, my senses and awareness gradually returning, although with still nothing there to actually feel or hear, just an awareness that I was . . . errr . . . here. Very scary. Then it happened. Somewhere in the dista

@Summerabbacat I had heard of "this thing" years ago ... but it has only been recently that I had discovered myself that it had a name! lol

July 2003 - Matt - It wasn’t long after Cye headed below decks, to make sure that Ben and Justin didn’t drink all of the coffee, that Ben joined me in the wheelhouse. The weather wasn’t getting any better, rain was lashing against the windows of the wheelhouse and the boat was rocking from side to side, but I seemed to be managing alright for my first stint as pilot. I was actually feeling pretty happy with myself, and I guess that Cye must have thought the same, see

If only I could give this a 🤣 and a ❤️ ... lol

July 2003 - Justin - With an easterly drizzle coming in, which only served to dampen both our clothes and our spirits, I waved goodbye to Scott from the deck of the Wanderer this morning, just like I did on most mornings after he had dropped me off at the wharves in the wee dark hours. It is now July and winter has finally arrived on the north coast, making up for its late start this year by keeping the skies constantly dark, our clothes constantly wet and the seas c

Thank you @Summerabbacat for your kind words. And yes, the older couple mentioned elsewhere was indeed Davy and Jack. My intention is that they will feature in other stories in this Thompson River Tales series as a flesh out the life and times of Thompsonville and its people since the beginning. I think that as we grow older, we all appreciate the sacrifices of those that came before us, especially in these times we currently live in, where conflicts seem to be able to start at the drop of a hat. Let's all pray that we don't have to live through another global conflict like that which Jack and Davy managed to survive!

If I recall correctly it was because they didn't want to be dependant on family now that they were out on their own.

February 2003 - Guy - After everyone had left for the day, leaving just Tim and me and my rather forlorn looking car – with half its front smashed in – all to ourselves, an eerie quiet descended over our old home. The quiet was broken only by the occasional creak and groan coming from the building, or the distant and inviting rumblings of surf coming from our beach. The gang had all seemed excited about what they were about to do when they left us, with Ben and Matt

Esteemed??? Awww ... shucks. Thank you. 😁

February 2003 - Samantha - ‘So . . . what do you think, honey?’ I asked Ben as we hurried across towards where we could see Matt and Luke standing on the deck of the old boat. Ben just looked at me, without saying anything, but I kind of got the feeling that he was a little disappointed in what he saw. I think it would be safe to say that the old fishing boat had seen better days. The white paint on its hull was flaking off in places, and the pale blue trimming

Thank you very much! ❤️

February 2003 - Luke - ‘Awwww . . . man! This is going to be just so cool! I can hardly wait,’ Matt said to me when we were eventually alone. We were still at the kitchen table, and I had just got up from my seat and carried our plates and cups over to the sink to start washing them. Tim and Guy had gone for a drive into town, and Ben and Samantha were safely behind closed doors, doing god-only-knows what, which left just the two of us here in the kitchen. I cou

All I will say is that by the end of the story you will know about all the surprises in store! MP

February 2003 - Tim - I never said much to anyone when Ben and I came back inside after our little chat, although we both received more than just the occasional inquisitive stare from the others, as if they were expecting us to open up and reveal all. I couldn’t do that though. And I wouldn’t. Ben had remained fairly quiet, which only served to fuel the intrigue which now filled the air. I guess that there was still a lot going on inside his head. After dinner

Thank you! I actually wrote this in 2014 it seems, but if my memory serves me correctly I did do some looking into the effects of the influenza, Australia's conscription and how things affected small town Australia. The flu, while having an effect in Australia, probably wasn't as deadly for those living in rural areas as it was for city folk (much like the effects of COVID really). As for the army and being able to communicate to families, there were numerous cases of nothing being heard for ages ... with this being exacerbated for those in outlying areas, for obvious reasons. Communications just weren't like they are now (actually in some areas they probably still aren't much better! LOL). Anyhow, when I set out to write this one I did so on a whim, I think. Armistice Day was approaching, and I was wanting to write something that fitted my Thompsonville universe. When I read it now it still brings a year to my eye, so I think I did an okay job on this one ... even if I may have fudged a few things here and there! 😉 Thank you very much for your comment ❤️

Thank you. And I'm so very sorry to hear about your friend!