The Classics - Opening Lines: Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

"The first place that I can well remember was a large pleasant meadow with a pond of clear water in it. Some shady trees leaned over it, and rushes and water-lilies grew at the deep end. Over the hedge on one side we looked into a plowed field, and on the other we looked over a gate at our master's house, which stood by the roadside;" 

(Published 1877) 

I love the classics and plan to share more "opening lines" over the coming months. Comment if you like, or read for inspiration. Writing styles were different then, but were they really? 

Wild at Heart by Terri Farley: Book Review

Wild at Heart
Author: Terri Farley
Photographer: Melissa Farlow
Publisher:  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015
Reviewer: Sharon M. Himsl
Ages: 10-14, Middle Grade nonfiction
Pages: 196


Velma Johnston of Nevada (some called her “Wild Horse Annie") developed a special love of wild horses in her youth. In 1950, she witnessed the roundup of wild mustangs for slaughter on state land. Horse meat for dog food had become a profitable business. The roundups were bloody and vicious, with no regard for horse families and nursing foals. Having suffered from crippling polio as a girl, Velma understood pain and couldn't bear to see the wild mustangs she loved mistreated. She spoke out against the practice, and as a result, a new state law protecting the horses was passed, but horse hunters simply moved the practice to public lands where the slaughter continued. Cattlemen in particular supported roundups because they freed up grazing land.

Seeking new support, Velma requested help from U.S. schoolchildren nationwide. Students began writing letters to the U.S. Congress, exposing the plight of wild mustangs. Successful once again, a law was passed in 1971 to protect the mustangs and burros. Henceforth, they would be “living symbols of the historic pioneer spirit of the West” forever and free to roam public lands under the protection of an agency called the Bureau of Land Management. However, the agency failed to protect the mustangs when a later decision was made that drastically reduced the acreage on which the animals could roam.

Today, wild mustangs continue to suffer in roundups and are considered an endangered species, but a steady group of horse-loving youth have followed in Velma's footsteps to carry on the fight. Farley shares their stories and shows the positive influence the wild mustang has made on their lives personally. Readers learn the history of horses in America and more about wild horse culture. The pages are filled with gorgeous photography throughout, making this a lovely book for horse lovers everywhere.

Very Inspiring Blogger Award: Thanks! And Here Are My Nominees

 
My thanks to Deanie Humphrys-Dunne for nominating me for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award. 

Deanie is a published children's author and you can learn more about Deanie at her blog, where she writes about her books and recent events, and gives writing hints. Her website lists her books and I urge all horse lovers out there to check it out. Her Tails of Sweetbrier (yes, the book jacket is illustrated) was winner of the Silver Medal in the Feathered Quill Book Awards! (2014). 

Deanie asked that I mention three things that inspired me during the past few weeks.

• I've been reading IWSG Guide to Publishing and Beyond and was inspired to try Flash Fiction after reading one of the chapters. I had been editing my WIP for so long I wasn't sure if there was a creative bone left in me. To my surprise out came a scene for a new book I had been mulling over. Now that's inspiration!
• My husband built a Scottish wall! We had a large rock pile that we had recently inherited with the purchase of our new home. Now for a guy who hates outdoor yard work I thought that's pretty amazing. If he can do that, I thought..........I can do (?????). Inspiring.
• A small furry friend comes to my door almost daily. She's white and black all over and purrs lovingly whenever I pick her up. I do not have a pet, but this sweet little cat is the next best thing. She's one of three hangar cats that live in the neighborhood, and she wanders freely from home to home (or hangar to hangar). I admit she's been in my home from time to time and I heard recently that another neighbor gave her a ham bone. We all love her and she's brought me a lot of joy lately, as I sorely desire a pet. So I guess if there is such a thing as an animal giving inspiration, she is definitely it!

 So....here are my nominees:

http://dcrelief.blogspot.com/ (Dixie)
http://createdbybb.blogspot.com/ (Birgit)
http://suzannefurness.blogspot.com/ (Suzanne)
https://eclecticali.wordpress.com/ (Eclectic Alli)
http://dbmcnicol.blogspot.com/ (Donna)
http://tyreanswritingspot.blogspot.com/ (Tyrean)
http://catherineensley.com/blog/ (Catherine)
http://crystalcollier.blogspot.com/ (Crystal)

These bloggers have been an inspiration to me. I have enjoyed their insights, encouragement, humor, and shared stories.


Rules for the Nominees:
1. Thank the person who nominated you, and link to their blog.
2. Display the award logo.
3. Nominate 15 other bloggers (more or less) and provide a link where they may be found.
4. Go to their blog, leave a comment to let them know they have been nominated.
5. Mention three things that inspired you the most during the past few weeks.

Celebrate the Small Things: Pony Rides and Simpler Times

A picture of me at four years old. Traveling salesmen were big in the 50s and 60s. They went door to door selling their ware and

made a perfectly decent income for all I know. In this case, a photographer had knocked on our door and offered a photo on his beautiful pony. It was the beginning of a love for horses that continues to this day. 

I lived in a big city at the time, so owning a horse was never an option, but Point Defiance Park (Tacoma, WA) had stables where one could rent a horse for a few hours for an affordable price. My babysitting money was usually enough, and I was a regular customer for a while, from about age 11 to 14. You could practice one-foot jumps in the corral or ride on a trail, and the horses were as gentle as lambs. Insurance and lawyers got wind of this at some point (no doubt there were injuries) and the stables were eventually closed for 'insurance reasons'.  To my knowledge, stables like this no longer exist. 

So, today I am celebrating a simpler time when pony rides were more than a spin around the ring at the local fair, which I often see at county fairs and carnivals today. How about you? Ever have a door to door salesman come to your door with a pony and offer to take your picture? Were you as crazy about horses (and ponies) as I was?

On a smaller level (because I should be done by now!), I finished a chapter last week. My frustration level with the novel I am trying to finish could comprise an entire post, but I won't bore with the details. Just happy to have made some progress.

Hope you have had a good week. Enjoy your weekend! 

Copyright 2013 © Sharon Himsl

Desperate Times: Stereoviews A-Z

 In 1906, it was estimated that 500,000 homeless in the U.S. were hopping trains and living on the streets, which was around 0.6% of the population. By 1911, the numbers had grown to 700,000. 

This is before Emmett Kelly's time, although the circus clown shown in this photo made me think of the tramp (Weary Willie) that Kelly made famous during the Great Depression in the 1930s. 

The dialog is not my own (on any in the collection). You can barely see the faded dialog on the bottom right, but every stereoview in the collection has a label with dialogue or description. I had to use a magnifying glass!

 "Why don't dese dudes ride chainless bikes?" 

(ca. pre-1910)

Hmm . . . why not take the horse?

Copyright 2013 © Sharon Himsl; Gravseth family archive
[source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmett_Kelly; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobo]

Sharon M. Himsl

Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. 
Published with Evernight Teen: 
~~The Shells of Mersing