In which Rolanni goes to the devil

[rolanni]

May I just say?  That when I accompanied Steve to his cardiologist appointment this morning, I did not expect to spend. . .a significant part of the hour talking with the doctor about unhappy doglets.

So!  The day started much too early, as will tomorrow, because we decided that we must, indeed, go see the house at Archers Old Orchard Beach.  This will mean, among other pleasant things, that Steve will drive and I will give my hands a day off, which they really, really need.

Today, the Early Adventure was, as above, the cardiologist, after which we betook ourselves to CVS in order to receive our shingles shots and to pick up a few things, including a prescription.  Thence, to the post office inside of a brilliantly sunny and very, very windy day.

How windy was it? you ask.  It was so windy that there were at least a dozen dust devils playing gritty tag with each other in the post office parking lot.  Dust devils (or, in season, snow devils) are itty-bitty little tornadoes that pick up dust and grit and paper trash (and snow).  Sometimes, they get big enough to loft quite sizeable pebbles and pine cones and such.  Rarely, they get big enough to flip over a mobile home.  They're extremely localized, though, again, you might occasionally see one walking down the street, paper fluttering around it like long white sleeves.

Anyhow, these today were of the itty-bitty variety; not really up to anything more than grit, and there were, as I said, quite a number of them, which I played dodge with on my way across the parking lot to the post office.

On the return trip, I was hurrying, and failed to see the devil until I had actually stepped inside of it.

One of the weirdest, coolest feelings of my life.

First step, it got A WHOLE LOT WINDIER than it had been just a step back, and a ton of sand was thrown in my face.

Second step, there was absolute stillness; a complete absence of grit, and movement that was startling and a little scary while also being. . .enchanting.

Third step, REALLY WINDY with GRIT.

Fourth step -- I'm out.

. . .I kinda wanna do that again. . .

The rest of the errands were accomplished with verve if not actual style.  We have eaten a very early lunch indeed, and it's now time to get to work, even though the cats are whispering, "sleep. . .sleep. . ."

This is a picture of Trooper right before he shoved all those papers, and the book he's leaning on, off the desk and onto the floor, so he could stretch out.

Comments

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

Back in ancient times when I was a kid, I saw a dust-devil pick up a child my own age and spin him around a few times.

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

Boy, that had to've been scary -- for you and for him.

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

Nah, the kid was a bully. He had it coming.

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

OK, so now my question is: Did the encounter make a difference? It's not often you get to see the workings of karma up close and personal.

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

If I still remember him as a bully, without being able to apply a name to that memory, I doubt if it did.

[bandicoot.livejournal.com]

I liked to run into them and try to break them up. It was an iffy thing.

Trooper says to quit leaving your stuff on his bed, if you would be so kind ;)

dust devils

[k-10b.livejournal.com]

In Tamora Pierce's Beka Cooper series, Beka can talk to the spirits who inhabit dust devils. They kind of operate like street informers. It's not my favorite Tortall series but it has its moments.

Heinlein's Kitten

[amm-me.livejournal.com]

There was an early Heinlein about a dust devil that, as I recall, helped a reporter bring down a crooked politician.
Your description of walking through one is quite wonderful.

Re: Heinlein's Kitten

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

I haven't read that story since. . .forever. Thanks for reminding me.

Obligatory RAH reference

[rdmasters.livejournal.com]

Did you remember to say 'Hi' to Kitten and/or give her some streamers to play with? :)

I've always thought that, despite the political overtones, it was one of his more whimsical stories = and both my wife and I always remember to be polite to the little ones we meet.

Re: Obligatory RAH reference

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

No, I didn't. I've been. . .a little distracted, lately.

[margotinez.livejournal.com]

Grit from the dust devil reminded me sharply of Khatelane Gobelyn's excursion on the surface from ship to Banthport, in Balance of Trade. I could taste the dirt.
I'm sorry, I do't know what doglets are, happy or unhappy?

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry, I do't know what doglets are, happy or unhappy?

You are, thereby, a fortunate woman. It's the current tempest in scifi's teapot, somewhat nastier and more demented on all sides than usual. It's spilled over into the Real World sufficiently that its come to the attention of people like Steve's cardiologist, who is a RAH-head from 'way back, and a casual reader of science fiction, but not in the community. He does, however, read the Wall Street Journal.

Sad Puppies and unhappy doglets

[spacecowboy528.livejournal.com]

I had to read that twice, but I unfortunately got it. Kinda wish we could all just get along and respect each others differences of opinion and philosophies of life.

Re: Sad Puppies and unhappy doglets

[attilathepbnun.livejournal.com]

*?* Oh.
For a few moments, I thought you were speaking of actual juvenile canines ....

Re: Sad Puppies and unhappy doglets

[margotinez.livejournal.com]

Thank you, I am informed. And I agree with your sentiments.

[otterb.livejournal.com]

So, do some trenvay have the ability to raise a dust devil?

[6-penny.livejournal.com]

I am doing a happy reread of Exile. Love the carpet. And - one of the things that make your work so special is that you have the ordinary people as well as the powerful in your stories, and they and their points of view matter. They are not just the supporting chorus.

For you FAQs perhaps something on how the Scouts are funded. I recall that Korval contributed, but in the present circumstances I doubt that they could support the entire organization. Or could they?

How was the house viewing?

[thewol.livejournal.com]

I had two cats of the "jump up on the counter, and play cat hockey* with whatever they found there" variety -- tooth brush, hair barrette, comb, whatever. Last month, I lost the one that lived to drink from the sink tap and who ate paper (he was 16), and the star cat hockey player on the team just a week ago (kidney failure). The one left is too durn fat to jump any higher than the ottoman or the sofa, and has to jump up from a foot stool to the night stand to make it up on the bed. He's going on a diet now that I don't have to feed hairball formula to everybody just because one of them really needed it.


*batting it lightly with the paw, push it gently to the edge and ---off onto the floor!

[attilathepbnun.livejournal.com]

Ohhh .... *offers hopefully consoling hugs about the cats*

[thewol.livejournal.com]

Oh, BTW, the tree and dragon logo you use now and again, if a big version of that logo was available on a tee, I'd buy it in a New York minute. I seem to recall that somebody did the graphic for you. Might they be amenable to enlarging the design?

Dust Devils

[catherine ives (from livejournal.com)]

Inside a dust devil. Wow! Trooper doing his paperwork. Everybody very busy.

[farwing.livejournal.com]

wow that dust devil experience sounds fascinating...

[threeringedmoon.livejournal.com]

I got chased around a riding arena by a dustdevil once, or rather, the horse I was riding, a rather magnificent Thoroughbred, got chased around and he kindly condescended to take me along for the ride. It was a wild couple of minutes of galloping before the dustdevil decided to go do something else.

[attilathepbnun.livejournal.com]

I do believe I'm jealous. I don't think *I've* ever seen a dust devil!