Darkness Abound: Author Penny Estelle

Today I am hosting author Penny Estelle. Learn more about Penny and her various works.

City Girl’s Trip Down Reality Lane – Part 2

One of the first things we did after purchasing our 54 acres in the middle of nowhere was sink a well. But before that could actually happen, we were told, by the gentleman drilling our well, to hire a witcher to find the best spot. There was no joking smirk, or even a look of amusement. This guy was dead serious and gave us several names to choose from.

So I call one of the names, from this point on he will be known as witch guy, and he comes right out. I got to say; he looked just like any ordinary Joe Blow on the street. He’s holding a slim 2-foot metal rod in each hand and starts walking our property. The story goes when the rods cross each other, you’ve hit pay dirt! He stops at a spot, not far from where we are planning to build and declares, “Here’s your water.”

I’ve never been a person to hide my skepticism and my expression must have spoken volumes. “You don’t seem convinced,” says witch guy. “Do you want to try it?”

I took the rods, held them so they layed lightly on my finger tips and walked over the area. Like magic, those rods crossed on their own. “Did you go to witch school for this?” He patiently explained how he had been an apprentice to another witcher and learned the craft that way. (Folks, they do walk among us!)

“Do you want to know how many feet you will have to dig to hit water?” witch guy asked.

Well, of course we did. He proceeded to rest one rod across his finger and let it bounce on the ground. That rod bounced 300 times. When all was said and done, we hit water at 275 feet, but they dug to 320 feet. $10,000 later, we had a hole dug, a casing with a pump installed and a 1500 gallon water tank. I am sure, without any water bill, we will have that investment recouped in an easy 50 or 60 years. I will say this – the water up here tastes unbelievably good! As a side note: We had the water tested and there were no chemicals or any kind of bacteria found!

Over the years, the trailer Jim was living in became a hostel for every mouse within five miles of our property. Let me say here and now, I HATE mice! One weekend when I was there, Jim woke up to me throwing tiny water bottles at a mouse that kept running back and forth on the kitchen counter. He grabbed his gun (which was loaded with snake shot) and aimed. The mouse ran under our tiny futon that we slept on. Jim was looking under that when I noticed the mouse was walking up the screen door. I whisper to Jim, “Look, here he is.”

BOOM! It’s true! Snake shot and mouse guts all over and in the middle of the night! The song, “You Know You’re a Redneck When” by Jeff Foxworthy was probably written for my husband.

It took about 4 years (or winters) for Jim to lay 2,000 cinder blocks, install windows and doors, have the trusses and roof put on. Glory Halleluiah! Jim could move out of the Mouse Palace into a completely enclosed block shell. It was indeed a day of celebration!

Part 3 of my Girl’s Trip Down Reality Lane will be Monday, July 2. Jim Hatch has been kind enough to host me so I sure hope you will come back and read more of ..ahum… Livin’ The Dream! http://cookinwithmisshavana.blogspot.com/

If you would like to read Part 1 of my story, it can be found @ www.pennyestelle.blogspot.com.

If you leave a message today, your name will be entered into a drawing for a PDF copy of Billy Cooper’s Awesome Nightmare!

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I am so excited to report that Billy Cooper’s Awesome Nightmare – the Wickware Sagas, is finally out. The Wickware Sagas – stories about a 7/8 grade history teacher, Miss Wickware, gives certain students a little shot in the arm, when it comes to their book report assignments. They mysteriously end up back in time, meeting the historical subjects face to face. How does that happen?

Take Billy Cooper for example. Who the heck is William Tell – and more to the point, who cares? Old lady Wickware springs this assignment on Friday afternoon and the dumb thing is due on Monday. Billy has way too many things to do over the weekend than to worry about some dude he’s never heard of. Billy has skated by on many assignments with a quick computer search and this will be no different – until he finds himself in 14 century Switzerland, in front of William Tell’s house.

Billy Cooper’s Awesome Nightmare is a short eBook for only 99 cents. It can be found at:

MuseItUp Publishing - http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=501&category_id=10&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1&vmcchk=1&Itemid=1

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Coopers-Awesome-Nightmare-Wickware

ebook/dp/B0088HTJ9U

I have also written a novella called Hike Up Devil’s Mountain. I am honored to say according to The Examiner.com, Hike Up Devil’s Mountain is on the preferred summer reading list for MG/tweens. This story is in print and eBook version.

Hike Up Devil’s Mountain

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Hike-up-Devils-Mountain-ebook/dp/B0058DE9YC

Smashwords

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/69443

Create Space for Hike Up Devil’s Mountain – printed book

https://www.createspace.com/3694330

My last MG/tween story is A Float Down the Canal. This is a feel good story for us girls out there who were always just one of the guys/the underdog/just a good buddy!

A Float Down the Canal