I’ve been thinking about dragons today because I’m considering putting one in the story I’m writing. On the Internet I found two sites with helpful information.

 

https://www.surpriseride.com/16-fun-facts-dragons/

 

http://swordfire.tripod.com/dragonstone/id1.html

 

Dragons stories appear in many cultures of the world. My dragon is going to be a shape-shifter. She can appear as an old wise woman, or a fearsome goddess, or a dragon. Like many dragons, she guards a treasure, but it is not the usual gold and jewels.

I won’t say more because I’m still in the imagining stage.

 

What would your dragon look like?  What kind of powers might it have?

 

 

 

This is one of the main plazas in Sanlucar de Barrameda, where people come to sit in cafes to have a coffee, meet friends, and watch the action.

This friendly goat lives across the street from us.  She shares the farmyard with a flock of black chickens, and two horses (pictures to come).

 

I’m fascinated by the doorways in Spain.  The Moorish influence is evident in the architecture, the houses enclosed by walls, and the frequent bursts of fragrances like cologne and laundry soap.

In an outdoor stall, we saw bins of snails for sale.

A typical breakfast here consists of coffee and toast with tomato puree.

The airport in Madrid

is huge.  There are signs posted that tell passengers how many minutes it will take to walk to the correct departure gate.  My favorite part was the automatic protective plastic cover that slides over the toilet seat.  You wave your hand over the green light and a motor starts and the machine pulls a clean tube of plastic over the toilet seat.  It probably creates a big amount of plastic garbage, but it sure was fun!

 

Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi

 

This 2003 Newbery Medal winner was really a great read. The story takes place in medieval England. After his mother dies, the boy, Crispin, must flee his town because of a mysterious political intrigue that threatens his life.

 

On the road, he meets Bear, a juggler, political activist, and spy. Together, the two encounter dangers, and become as close as father and son. Crispin discovers his true identity and makes some big decisions.

 

Traveling the roads with Crispin, we learn a great deal about life in medieval times. Avi certainly did his research. Crispin: The Cross of Lead is a good book!

 

Tasmanian Tigers Return?

Leave it to Australia to produce another weird creature!  Thought to be extinct, this animal that looks like a combination of several others, may be hiding out in the wilds of Oz.

The Thylacine, or ‘Tasmanian Tiger’, was the largest known carnivorous marsupial of modern times and the last one is thought to have died in Hobart zoo in 1936. However, credible sightings have prompted scientists to embark on a serious investigation to see if some have survived. Professor Bill Laurance is deploying 50 camera traps in the hope of capturing footage of the mysterious animal.

from BBC World Service News, March 30, 2017