On this site I don’t often put up photographs of Ireland but lately the colours and the light here has been remarkable. So here goes a few from
those dogs that the Ogre hates.
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Irish Summer Photos
Category Archives: Photography
Reasons why most Ogres don’t climb trees.
There are many reasons why Ogres don’t climb trees (well most except for our pal Breeze).
The reasons are:
- They are afraid of heights.
- Their legs are too short.
- Their mums told them never to climb trees and Ogres usually obey their mums.
- Just like the picture says, There is a bear in the woods.
5. Or is it because they have difficulty picking the right tree to climb? The most obvious can be spotted if you look at Fred the Ogre closely, when he looks at you, he does not see one of you he sees three because his eyes are crossed. Which is also why most ogres have odd shaped noses, from walking into doors, and ? trees.
Fred the Ogre
Versatile Blogger Award
We would like to thank Kim Gosselin of http://kimgosselinblog.com/ for awarding us the Versatile Blogger Award.
Breeze is delighted to have the honor of being the first Ogre, blogger with an Award. Thank you Kim for your kindness. For parents, young or old, or grandparents Kim’s site is a delight and I highly recommend it to everyone.
The rules of acceptance for this award are to share 7 interesting facts about yourself in addition to nominating 15 other bloggers for this award.
Our attempt at Seven “Interesting Facts”
1. I (Maria) am stubborn, so stubborn at the age of four I refused to be bullied into writing with my right hand. This set the tone of my life as I carried a bright sign titled: Bully me or die trying..
2. This site came about by an accidental comment on Doris Pacheco’s site and the subsequent follow up drawings and story.
3. Doris and Maria have never met. Doris lives in America and I live in Ireland.
4. Mudpile wood is an actual place. Situated near my home in County Meath.
5. Maria has had short stories printed in magazines.
6. My imagination will not switch off.
7. I love chocolate but it hates me – I seem to be allergic to milk chocolate as it brings on a sinus condition.
Doris
1 This project started with a photo of my favorite tree , a tree that I have never touched or hugged, it is my neighbors, but it fascinates me, he is my friend. The photo of the tree was for my time out for art I do every Thursday with my friend Lisa, she lives in Ecuador, and she is one of the reason I did this project, she doesn’t know I have this page, and will find out today about the book and gets an award today.
2 I am an abstract painter, and Lisa encourage me to draw, had not drawn for more than 20 years, so I started having fun every Thursday and it made me take on this project.
3 And, just like Lisa, Gian Paolo a writer from Italy, inspired me to get off my comfort zone, he is really good at writing and creating characters, he has a thing with detail. So, he inspired me to create more than 15 characters.
4 I have never illustrated a kids Book before, my projects are very different. Maria does not know this but I got sick the first couple of days, I had no clue how to start and did not know how to do it either.
5 I went a million times to the library to see kids books, had to learn how to draw characters.
5 I made three characters with red hair, they remind me of a friend Jonathan Caswell, he very nice, funny and sweet, a poet, he always re-blogs everyone.
6 Another interesting thing about the book, as I was finishing with the drawings, Maria published another book called Moving On, I did not know about. Please buy it.
7 Lastly, I had help from the best creative director, my niece Lillian she is 12 and she helped us in many ways. It is funny how kids tell you the truth, if she did not like something, she told us. Many things were cut out because of her. Lillian, want to tell you thank you and I love you. You were the main reason behind this project. Had lots of fun with you and Marcelo :).
Nominees:
1 http://79nexus.wordpress.com/
2 https://callmecaitlin.wordpress.com/
3 http://mylittlegrasshoppers.wordpress.com/
4 http://lizandlifestyle.wordpress.com/
5 http://monkeyworks.org/
6 http://thekidshavegonetoschool.wordpress.com/
7 http://doodlemum.com/
8 http://newwhitebear.wordpress.com/
9 https://bythemightymumford.wordpress.com/
10 http://playamart.wordpress.com/
11 http://witlessdatingafterfifty.wordpress.com/
12 http://kmihran.wordpress.com/
13 https://aquileana.wordpress.com/
15 http://hillsofherchastity.wordpress.com/
*If you are an “Award Free Blog” or do not have time to accept please know that we understand. Your work is always very much appreciated.
Bob’s Troops arrive.
When Breeze woke the next morning he was a little surprised to discover Eunice the carrier pigeon sitting on the end of his bed. She had a note tied to her leg.
He opened it and frowned. “A dog walked on paper.” Breeze muttered staring at the paw prints.
“Does this mean yes or no?” Breeze wished Tulip were here then she could read it for him.
He decided to have breakfast first.
He was enjoying his berry breakfast with muesili when he heard a lot of barking outside his door. He went to look. The wood was full of dogs, racing about with their noses on the ground and their tails in the air. He smiled and said, “They came.” He thought it was safer to stay out of the way.
As he watched from high in the mountain he discovered it wasn’t many dogs. It was one dog. A black and white collie with a curly tail. “Ellie came.” Breeze said to Spike who sat in the sunshine beside him.
Ellie stopped running and stood on a fallen tree peering about her. Suddenly with a bark and a wag of her tail she raced away.
Breeze felt sad. “Ellie couldn’t find her.” He said and wondered what to do next.
He decided to have second breakfast and perhaps an idea might land during it.
He was on his third bowl of cereal when he heard a familiar shout and a lot of barking.
“Tulip” He shouted and raced outside.
Tulip didn’t look happy.
“Why did that crazy collie drag me here? Are you sick?” Tulip asked.
Breeze looked at her. He decided she looked very angry. He nodded his head. “I was worried, we couldn’t find you, no one knew what happened.”
“Izzy was sick. I went to help her.” She stared at him.” Now I am back and I suppose you and that pair are waiting on Fairy cakes to be baked.”
Breeze began to feel happier. “Yes please.”
Tulip flew away saying, “I think I should bake Ellie an extra big batch and perhaps then I will allow you one or two.”
Breeze was feeling a little grumpy as he walked down the stony path. He stopped when he saw the two dogs sitting looking at him.
“What?” he said. “What do you want?”
“We would like to share our cakes.” Bob said. They got up and raced away.
“But this time you have to come and find us!” Ellie shouted back to him.
Breeze decided it would be nicer to sit in a tree. He knew Tulip was his friend and though he might have to wait a day or two for the cakes. Fairy cakes always, always found their way to him.
Breeze plays detective.
Breeze wasn’t happy. He had not met Tulip in days. This meant he had not eaten one fairy cake in two whole days. He decided a visit to her house was necessary.
When he arrived at Tulips house he found the house locked up and a note stuck to the front door.
“I will be back when I am back.”
Breeze read it aloud a few times. This is very odd he thought and went to see, Elegant.
However Elegant did not know where Tulip was gone.
The kind witch did offer to make some witch cakes for Breeze he accepted them and discovered they were not as nice as Tulips cakes. Thanking Elegant he left with the parcel of cakes tucked into his pocket along with Spike his pet frog.
Breeze asked everyone where Tulip had gone but no one knew. He went home feeling worried. It was most unlike her to simply leave without telling him or Hamish or Elegant where he was going.
When he got home he placed Elegants cakes on the table. Spike had eaten one and was now curled up on a leaf that sat in a saucer. How do I find a missing Fairy, he wondered.
Then he remembered his friend Bob.
He sent him a short note;
Dear Mr. Bob,
I am sending you these great cakes baked by my friend Elegant. We hope you in return will do us a great favor and ask Ellie to find Tulip. We are worried the tiny fairy is in trouble or ill no one has seen her in two three days.
Tulip was last seen at her house on the edge of the wood you could start there.
I am really worried.
Breeze
Then tucking the note into the witches cakes Breeze sent them by pigeon to Bob’s house.
“I do hope the silly dog does read the note and doesn’t simply eat the cakes.”
Breeze could do nothing more but wait.
Breeze lists his top five foods.
My five favorite foods.
1. This is easy everyone knows I love cakes and biscuits.
2. I love green salads, I put a whole lettuce into a bowl and add in green pepper, parsley, chives, and eat it all in one go.
3. Nuts. I am lucky living in a forest. Hazelnuts are my favorite.
4. Mrs. Groundsels home made soups.
5. Carrots. They help me see better at night.
My top five most hated foods.
1. Chocolate. Yuck hate the stuff but oddly I love smelling it.
2. Cream – some people put it in their cakes. I think it ruins the flavor.
3. Sea-weed. My cousin Bertie brought some back from his holiday by the sea. He thought it was delicious. I buried it in my garden.
4. Pumpkins. I hate them so much I don’t use them at Halloween.
5. Mushrooms. They taste slimy to me. Though Spike my pet frog likes to sit on them and sing.
A little more about Witches.
Late one night, when the wood was quiet. A soft swooshing sound was heard in the night sky.
Breeze peeped out of his cave door and saw an odd thing in the sky.
He went back to bed and dreamed of flying witches hats.
The next morning he told Tulip of his dream.
She smiled then said, “I don’t think it was a dream. Because the witches have moved their home.”
Breeze frowned. He closed his eyes and said, “It is down by the giant grasses at the edge of the wood. That is where I saw it yesterday.”
Tulip shook her head. “Well it is gone, poof, gone in the night sky. They said they would let us know where there new address is.”
Breeze chuckled. “Lovisma has gone.” He rubbed his hands together, “no more nasty pranks. This is too good to be true.”
“Don’t be silly they have only moved, not gone. We will find out shortly where they are as Elegant is drawing a new map of the wood. She is tired of everyone complaining that they don’t know how to find a shoe maker or a baker.”
Breeze sighed. “Now that is stupid all you have to do is sniff and follow your nose. The smell of leather means shoes, the smell of cakes or bread means the bakers.”
He left her and went for a nap. He knew better than to worry about a silly map as there was nothing wrong with his nose..
Mudpile Wood: Part 3 – Job Swap
They were waiting for Izzy to return. Tulip and Elegant were in Elegant’s house because she had made some breakfast muffins and bars.
Breeze was sitting at the side of the house chatting to Lovisma when they heard a loud screech.
Breeze saw a flash of pink fairy wings, “Izzy.” They followed her indoors.
“Why are you as red as a tomato?” Lovisma asked Izzy who darted behind the sofa in the sitting room. She refused to come out.
Izzy whispered, “You should have told me how horrible they can be.”
“Who?” Elegant asked.
“Children.”
Breeze frowned. “They are not horrible.”
“Well the ones I met were. The first little girl broke my wand. The second demanded more money. The little boy cried and screamed so much his mum came hurtling through the door with a big white face and waving a frying pan at me.”
Ellen went to sit by her. She put an arm about Izzy’s shoulder. “you weren’t supposed to wake them up.”
“I didn’t on purpose. I had never seen so many things I pressed a few buttons and the rooms were bright, things moved, noises were made, they woke up.” Izzy shuddered. “It was horrible, really really horrible.”
“Sweet dandelion tea is good for shock.” Tulip said and handed a cup to her.
“Thanks Tulip. Something smells nice.” Izzy said. “I am really tired and hungry. I had to fly out of the houses really fast.”
“The breakfast buns were excellent.” Breeze confessed. “So excellent I ate them all. Sorry.”
Everyone swung around to look at him. “Well they were.”
Elegant waved her hand in a graceful manner. A huge plate of breakfast muffins appeared beside her. She glared at Breeze and said, “have one of these Izzy. Breeze has had enough muffins.”
There was silence for a long time until Ellen and Izzy had recovered.
When they were finished breakfast, Izzy said. “I don’t want your job I prefer mine.”
Ellen smiled. “I want mine as well.”
Breeze scratched his head. “But I thought you were both fed up with your jobs.”
Izzy said, “I was but it is easy and easy is good.”
Ellen smiled and then said. “You are correct there is nothing wrong with sticking to what you know.”
Breeze felt a little puzzled by this but decided a room full of magic was a little too much for him and he went off to do what he loved to do best, sit in a tree and dream.
Mudpile Wood: Part 2 Job Swap.
What happened when the fairies swapped
their jobs.
They practiced.
Ellen insisted Breeze watch. She told him he had to pretend to be a sleeping child. He thought she was bossy but he didn’t mind being the sleeping child until Izzy tumbled him out of his sleep on the wide branch. He hit the ground with a bang.
Ellen made Izzy do it over and over again until she got it right. Breeze grumbled loudly each time he hit the ground.
Next it was Ellen’s turn to wake the trees up. “This will be easy peasy,” she said.
He hoped it would be for the tree’s sake.
It wasn’t.
The first time she tried it the trees bloomed bright red.
Breeze said, “They look hot.”
The second time she woke them they flipped upside down and their roots were waving at the clouds. A lot of angry squirrels and birds left in a hurry. But the third time she did it perfectly.
Now we are ready to start work,” Izzy rubbed her hands together. “This will be fun.”
They agreed to meet back at Tulips house at dawn.
Breeze sat and waited for the sun to rise. He liked watching it climb out of its bed. He said good night to the moon. It smiled at him.
Minutes later he heard a loud noise. He climbed the tallest tree to spy on Hungry Wood which was a few miles from Mudpile Wood.
It was called Hungry Wood because the Ogres who lived there were always hungry.
This morning the wood was shimmering and hopping.
“Oh dear it shouldn’t be doing that. Or should it?” He called for Tulip. She took a look and called Elegant to come and help.
The three friends decided to visit Hungry wood.
“This is not good at all.” Elegant said when they were close to the wood.
Every tree and bush was trembling. Animals scurried and raced from it. They huddled in a group behind Breeze. He wondered what was going on.
There was a loud belching noise and a giant oak shot from the ground to fall back into place shuddering and groaning. Then a hawthorn tree did the same little dance. Ellen came out of the wood shaking her head. Her hair stood on end and she looked frightened. “I don’t understand it, I did everything I had done in practice but it is n’t working.”
Elegant sighed. “Every wood is different, they have to be treated differently.” She flew into the wood and a moment later there was a great shimmering rainbow of green that flowed over the wood followed by silence.
When Elegant came back to them, Ellen hugged her. “Thank you.” She squinted and looked beyond the wood. “I hope everything went well with Izzy.”
“We will have to wait and see.” Elegant told her.
Mudpile Wood: Job Swap
Breeze loves to see Izzy, a tiny smiling fairy, visit Mudpile Wood. Her visit means Winter is over because Izzy’s job is to wake up the trees.
When Breeze met her on a cold frosty morning, Izzy was not smiling. Her red curly hair was bouncing around her face. He guessed she was angry.
“What’s up?” he asked.
“I need another job. I’m tired of doing this stuff.” Izzy glared at him.
Breeze wondered why he was always finding fairies with problems.
He decided it was because he was clever and could help them.
“If you wake up the trees in Mudpile wood then I will take you to lunch at Tulips house. We will help you find a new job.” Breeze crossed his fingers because he hoped Tulip wouldn’t be mad.
Two mad fairies would be tough to deal with.
Izzy flew close to his face. She flew around his head and came back to stare at him. Breeze smiled. He didn’t blink, not once.
She nodded. “Okay just for you I will wake them up in a hurry.”
Breeze climbed high into his favourite tree and sat watching Izzy work.
“She is very good at this,” he told a passing dragon fly.
Izzy flew to each tree in turn, said her magic words, gave the tree a hug and flew on to the next one.
Today she was moving very fast. The rabbits on the ground got dizzy as they followed Izzy.
Breeze saw the rabbits fall over and grinned. Tulip came to join him. “What are you laughing at?”
He stopped smiling and said, “Izzy is making everyone dizzy, watch.”
Tulip did. “It is not funny. Hamish has just stepped on a hedgehog. Now Hamish has a sore foot. ”
When Izzy finished she came to sit with Breeze. “I’m tired and it is your fault.”
Breeze said, “Tulip says that to me, very often. It must be a fairy thing, You are weak and small, while I am strong and tall.”
“No it is because we work and you don’t.” Tulip told him.
Turning to Izzy she said, “Would you care for some rosehip tea and a cookie?” When Izzy agreed Tulip said, “this way.”
They were sitting at Tulips house minutes later sipping tea and nibbling on cookies.
Izzy explained how tired she was of her job. “I’ve been doing it forever.” She sounded sad.
Breeze said, “why don’t you swap with Ellen, the Tooth fairy? She is tired of her job.”
Tulip looked surprised. “That is a good idea. Let’s go visit Ellen.”
Breeze took the last cookie and told them he would mind the house while they went to visit Ellen. He was feeling sleep but chuckled as he heard Izzy sing: “I’m to be a tooth fairy. When do I start, what do I do?”
Mudpile Wood 