Darby Confides

by Sue Gibb | Sep 8, 2019 | Fancifull Stories

Spoiler Alert Possible – Read “Darby is Home” first, followed by “A Fancifull Celebration“.

Darby is learning it is very hard to keep a secret… a secret about himself. He is afraid his friends will not like him anymore. They will make fun of him when he tells them why he’s always doing homework after dinner. He will lose their friendship if he explains why he will not come out and play. He always replies that he is in his last year at Drone-On Dragonfly Academy and needs to do his best so he can go to university and study business finance.

Maybe Hazy Dayz Dragonflies will hire him when he graduates. 🙂

Darby is not being entirely truthful with his friends. It is true that he wants to go to university. He studies very hard to get good grades in school. Not only does Darby want to get into a good university, but he also strives to retain what he’s learning here to help him once he gets there. Darby is a very smart dragonfly, one afflicted with a very common phobia. He studies at night so he won’t be outside past dark. Darby is afraid to be outside when darkness falls.

Darby on his way the Drone-On Dragonfly Academy

Nobody knows this. Darby has been able to keep it secret from his cousin, Delta, and his kinda’ girlfriend, Dixie. His Mom, Dad, and little sister, Darla, do not know. Everyone thinks Darby is strong and brave. He knows he isn’t. Brave dragonflies are not afraid of anything, certainly not the dark.

Darby does not know why he is afraid. He is not afraid of dark spaces indoors and doesn’t need a night light anymore in his room. When night falls, it’s the big open spaces outside that terrify him. Darby isn’t little anymore and doesn’t know what to do about his phobia. It would be so embarrassing if his friends were to find out.

Darby remembers his friend, Dash (Please read “Darby’s Home”). Dash has become a qualified Military Drone, graduating top of his class. Dash said he was signing up in the summer, and he did. Second Lieutenant Dash Dragonfly is brave. Darby wishes he were brave too.

Dash is a bit older than Darby and they lost touch while Dash was completing his university degree and military training…. To be a military drone, you must be an officer. To be an officer requires that you complete a degree of study at university. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a degree in avionics or aeronautics, though either of those majors would be useful. A university degree in any field will suffice to prove that your mind is capable of learning the tough stuff, required to be a military drone.

Darby wants to be a part of keeping his country safe. He loves to fly in daylight, always attempting to fly higher and faster. He remembers how fast Dash was at Drone-On. He still holds school speed records for target diving. Darby is trying to break those records. A few Fancifulls even call him a dare-devil and are concerned for his safety. He knows he’s pushing his limits, overcompensating, to draw attention from his weakness. He decides he needs to seek some advise from Dash.

As luck would have it, Dash was on leave in Oh Valley. He was grounded until the focusing chip of his on-board digital camera could be replaced. He dropped off the camera and came home to have a short visit with everyone. Darby said he wanted to talk privately with Dash about something very important – No kidding.

Leaving Oh Valley in the Distance.

They slipped away and headed to the Mighty Oh River where they hovered for a heart to heart – a real important conversation.

Darby didn’t know where to begin. He’d been hiding his phobia for so long. He might as well get it over with and thought of pulling a bandage off quickly. He told Dash that he wants to be a military drone just like Dash but also told him why he didn’t think he could be. He said that he, Darby MacIntyre Dragonfly, is afraid of the dark. Darby couldn’t see how he could perform his duties satisfactorily if he is only flying when the sun is up. Weren’t a large part of their duties done in ‘stealth’ mode which works triply better at night?

Instead of making fun of Darby, Dash hovered there for a minute or two. It seemed like a very long time to Darby. Maybe it wasn’t that long but it sure seemed like it was. Could Dash help him? Then Dash spoke, “Have you ever flown at night, Darby?”

“Never. I go inside as soon as the sun has set before it gets really dark out,” came Darby’s very quiet reply. He was so embarrassed.

Dash looked Darby in the eyes, “I promise to keep you AND your secret safe. OK? I want you to see something, something that I think will help you. Do you trust me?”

“Yes. I told you my secret, right? I couldn’t have done that if I didn’t trust you”

“Sure enough. I’d like to help you with your fear of the dark. I would like us to fly to the edges of Oh Valley just as the sun is setting.”

“But…”

There goes the sun.

Darby was very nervous as they flew to the edge of Oh Valley. When they got there, the sun had set and at first he thought the sky was dark. Then he noticed the blinking lights of Crazywort in the distance. That was really cool! He could see some lights further in the distance too. Dash said those were the lights of Waterville, where Darby’s friend, Bradley lives. Darby could see bits of light above him too. Those, Dash explained were stars. In his military training, Dash learned how to navigate using star locations, time of year and time of day.

“Stars can guide you, particularly Polaris,The North Star, that big, bright one up above Waterville.”

Dash told Darby that there had been a few times when he’s had to rely on this training because his on-board electronic guidance system was doing its own little dance and not helping him fly. When he brought it in for repairs, the Drone Technician told him they had to get the ‘bugs’ out. Even Dash was confused about that. He hadn’t invited any bugs to see his guidance system. How did they get in?

Dash said that tonight the sky was actually quite dark tonight because there was a ‘New’ moon which meant that the moon was not shining on Oh Valley like it does most nights.

Darby had no idea there was actually this much light at night. Dragonflies have extremely good vision and Darby realized he was seeing almost as clearly at night as he could during the day. He was so happy and so relieved! He was not afraid anymore.

He was excited to see more and asked Dash to fly over to Crazywort with him and check out the Dettledag plant in the Community Garden right now! He’d only heard about the Dettledag plant when everyone returned home after the Fancifull Celebration. He didn’t see it because he wanted to get home well before dark – “and study.” He and Dash flew to Crazywort to see the white flowers that were still popping from the Crazywort… er…. Deetledag plant although the leaves had changed back to green from their celebratory blue.

Darby and Dash darting around the Deetledag bush in Crazywort.

Dash and Darby flew around well into the wee hours of the night. It wasn’t nearly as dark as his imagination made him think it would be. Darby also wondered if the fear of other Fancifulls finding out made it all seem worse… a big mountain of fear too high to fly over. What do you think? Could Darby’s fear have grown because of the imagined expectations he thought everyone had of him?

Darby’s one pretty smart dragonfly, isn’t he? I think he’ll make a fine military drone one day. For now, he needs to get some sleep. He doesn’t want to miss school in the morning. He has so much to learn about LIGHT, especially Light Emitting Diodes (LED’s) – and maybe lasers! The possibilities are endless!!! Darby could envision new horizons for his life because he trusted in Dash and Dash was able to help him by flying with him over the horizon of Oh Valley.

You may need some gray hair to understand the significance of the following. 😉

As Dash and Darby parted for their own homes, Dash called to Darby, “You, Darby, can be my ‘wing man’ anytime.”

At which cheeky Darby responded, ‘YOU can be MY wing man anytime!”

Don’t let anything stop you from reaching your full potential.

Sue, Axie, and All The Fancifulls of Oh Valley

(Thank you to Darby and Lilly, my new (human) neighbours, for inspiring me.)

A Fancifull Celebration…

by Sue Gibb | Sep 1, 2019 | Fancifull Stories

Bradley flew as quickly as his mini butterfly wings would carry him. He had urgent and fantastic news to share. Everyone in Oh Valley was invited to a huge celebration in Crazywort.

Crazywort is a community closer to Bradley’s own village of Waterville. It is the only community that has a highly revered Crazywort plant smack- dab in the middle of the town’s central park. The plant is so rare that the founders decided to name their community, Crazywort, after the massive shrub.

Bradley while relaying invitation to Crazywort celebration.

Once Bradley caught his breath, he said, “Willow spotted a BLUE leaf!” He looked at the gathering cloud of Fancifulls expectantly.

Nothing.

“Willow! Crazywort! The Crazywort bush.”

“Ah,” Belvedere caught on to what he was trying to say.

“Oh My! Really? This is fabulous news! Well that could only mean one thing. Thank you Bradley, for flying all this way to tell us.”

A blue leaf has been spotted on Crazywort’s iconic plant by Willow Walking Stick, CCM – Community Crazywort Monitor. She confirmed sighting a blue leaf while performing her morning ground check. Willow doesn’t have wings. Instead, Willow’s special ability is that she is an agile climber with a long, slender body that she can maneuver among the branches to easily monitor every single leaf on the Crazywort plant.

Since spotting the blue leaf this morning and notifying Peabody Praying Mantis, community leader of Crazywort, the whole village has been in a tither, flitting around in a frenzy, preparing for the celebration known as, “The Turning of The Blue.” Communities far and wide will descend on Crazywort and gather around their fabled plant, rejoicing that they were able to witness an exceptionally rare event.

You see, no one in Crazywort was alive the last time their namesake plant turned blue. It is from history lessons that every Fancifull knows what to expect – that within 24 hours, all the leaves on their Crazywort… every budding one, will turn a beautiful shade of indigo – a deep blue, the shade of the night sky as it fades to black with sparkles. All Fancifulls want to witness, “The Turning of The Blue,” and be a part of the grand celebration.

Off to Crazywort, everyone flew, some quicker than others. Dragonflies, although fastest of all Fancifulls, stay to the rear of the community cloud, making sure no Fancifull is left behind.

Bradley, after flying to Oh Valley on his mini wings, was already so pooped, he was finding it very difficult to keep up with the cloud. Thankfully, Darby took Bradley under his wing and made sure he arrived safely with everyone else. Bradley was very grateful. He might have missed the event if not for Darby’s kindness. He is quickly realizing from his dealings with Baxter and by staying at the Insect Inn on occasion, that the Fancifulls of Oh Valley are as nice as the Fancifulls in his own community of Waterville!

When they arrived in Crazywort, they flew in succession around the the Crazywort plant as part of the opening ceremonies. By this point, the Crazywort had already turned half blue. What a sight! This day would be remembered for a lifetime. As Oh Valley’s Weather Prognosticator, Belvedere (Senior Bumble Bee), would ask Buttercup (Butterfly and Oh Valley’s reader and ‘knower’ of all that is important), to make a record of this day in their own community history books and Belvedere himself, would record all the meteorological details of the day. He would also ask his friend, Gramps – a senior Grasshopper, if he recalled anything unusual about the weather today that might have precipitated these events. Belvedere would record any anomalies.

For now, however, Belvedere remained with his Fancifull neighbours and watched as the Crazywort plant continued to develop more blue leaves. The process was quickening its pace. Only buds on the tips of branches remained green. Those buds looked a bit different from all the ones that had turned blue. These were larger, plumper, as though there was something hidden inside them, something besides other leaves,

Then, simultaneously and without warning, hundreds of little white Deetledag flowers burst forth from every one of the large buds. It was startling – similar to having paper confetti thrown at you, without warning. The flowers, remained attached – though just barely as the buds popped open. All the Fancifulls were in awe! This performance hadn’t been recorded in any of the history books they had read. What was going on?

Crazywort Flowers?

Deetledags are common in Oh Valley. They’re a ground cover plant. Many would classify a Dettledag plant as a weed, always shooting up in the wrong location. Bees don’t even bother to collect the nectar from the Deetledag as it doesn’t really have a taste. It’s bland. It wouldn’t make very good honey.

But this? The Crazywort had never been known to flower. Today the Fancifulls were discovering an event that might never be seen again. The only possible conclusion to draw from today’s events was to recognize Crazywort’s Crazywort plant as being a very, very, very old and large Deetledag plant. As a ‘weed’ no Crazywort plant had ever been allowed to age to this point and grow it’s own blue leaves. They were torn out or trimmed off, their significance never recognized.

Belvedere, being Senior Bumble Bee was certain their Queen, Bizzy, would want them to collect the nectar from these flowers so he, along with his nephew, Baxter, and other hive mates, Brighton, Honey, Billy and Bernie worked tirelessly until all the nectar was collected. They found that there was a definite smell and taste difference between a young Deetledag weeds and this ancient Deetledag. This nectar had a strong, pungent taste, like the nectar they collected each summer, from buckwheat flowers.

The Fancifulls were dazzled by the brightness of the pure white Deetledag flowers against the deep blue leaves. They quickly developed a new respect for the little Deetledag plants growing haphazardly around their own homes. Maybe with care and protection, they might eventually host a celebration in Oh Valley like the one they celebrated in Crazywort. At the very least, the bees might have a new nectar source to keep their winter stores well stocked.

As for the community of Crazywort, once they picked up their jaws, they got busy comparing what each had witnessed so they could ensure the final chapter of the History of Crazywort Celebrations was recorded with no detail overlooked. It was guessed that, at previous celebrations, during the shower of excitement, the distraction had held this chapter from being written. Peabody appointed Willow with the new title of Dettledag Historian, now that monitoring of their Newest Deetledag Bush might not be necessary for a very long time. She would set about collecting witness statements and updating the information supplied in Crazywort’s school history books.

Until next time, The Fancifulls hope you learn something fabulous about the ‘Deetledags’ in your yard….

Sue, Axie, and the Fancifulls of Oh Valley and beyond.

Just a thought… If citizens of Canada are called Canadians, and citizens of Alberta are called Albertans, what do you think the citizens of Crazywort call themselves? Would you believe they refer to themselves individually as, “Worts?” They really do! Collectively, they are known as, “Wortsandalls.” 😉

Bianca Types About Wing Tag

by Sue Gibb | Aug 25, 2019 | Fancifull Stories

Hello,

My name is Bianca. I am a Butterfly. Sue has asked me to type this post for her as she is quite busy cleaning and unpacking from her show in Almonte, Ontario yesterday. (Originally Posted August 25, 2019) I wasn’t able to go but she promised me that I’d be able to join them soon.

I wonder what ‘soon’ means. Does it mean tomorrow? Next week? Next month? I will be patient. I know that I will be in on all the fun when it’s my turn. (Sue mumbled something about Christmas… but I don’t think I was supposed to hear that… or type it. Shhh.)

Sue can be quite silly at times – Dragonflies with Tams? Really??? (They were a hit!)

Until ‘soon,’ I flutter around Oh Valley with all my friends, The Fancifulls. We have a wonderful time. We play Rain Ball on rainy days and Wing Tag when the sun shines.

What? You don’t know how play Rain Ball? You simply must go back and read Sue’s Post about Dinah arriving and learning how good she was at playing Rain Ball. Sue say’s she’d show me how to link Dinah’s story to this one if she knew how. Unfortunately, she’s still on that learning curve she’s always going on about. Is that like a curve in the road, or the curve that makes a basketball round? Update June 20, 2020 – Here is your link back if you missed it.

Wing Tag is so much fun. To tag someone as ‘it’, you must touch one of your wingtips to one of theirs. The rules are as simple as that.

It is much harder than it sounds. Dragonflies and Bumble bees can fly so much faster than Butterflies or Moths.

It is nearly impossible to tag a Grasshopper! They can leap out of the way just before you tag them and you never know where they’ll land. They get their large wings flapping and they can end up practically anywhere! Besides that, when they land, they tuck their wings up to their sides and don’t look like they’ve gone anywhere at all. Wow!

Did you know that when Grasshoppers are young, they don’t know where they’ll land either. That’s why they have C.H.A.S.E. to develop their skills. You can learn more about C.H.A.S.E. – Catapulting for High Adventure and Sighting Exercises in a future story.

Ladybugs don’t fly much faster than I do but they’re so small, with suitably small wings, they are hard to tag. My best friend is Lily. She is a Ladybug. She told me that in some places of the world, Ladybugs are actually referred to as Ladybirds (United Kingdom). I like that, though I’m not sure why they’re named, Ladybirds. Lily looks NOTHING like a bird. (Sue’s back… an says that technically, Lily isn’t a bug either. Lily is a beetle.)

I long to be a Ladybug. I want to be able to zip around like Lily can. My Butterfly friends, Buttercup, Flutter, Fanny, Bradley. Bella, Brianna, and Bonnie, are supportive but don’t really understand. They enjoy their beautiful wings and are proud to display them. I think that my wings are beautiful but they are so darn cumbersome. They get in the way so often and stop me from doing what I want to do. I like compact wings that tuck away when I’m not using them. My Grasshopper friends, Grommet and Gryffin’s wings do that. Lily’s wings do that too. Way cool!

I may not be very good at Wing Tag but I am good at Rain Ball. Butterflies make the best ‘Shelley’s.’ The more butterflies you have on your team, the more likely you are to win the game. I will remember how much fun I have at Rain Ball and stop feeling sorry that I don’t play Wing Tag as well. I have decided to keep finding what I’m good at and fly with it! We can’t be good at everything. That’s impossible!

Sue doesn’t think I’m old enough to have my picture posted on the internet yet so I can’t show you how big my wings are. She said something about Christmas then too. She says I have to post pictures she took at North Lanark Highland Games yesterday. (Update December 5th 2019, Butterfly Collection has finally made it from prototype to production to purchasing – the real reason there were no pictures of poor Bianca – I hadn’t designed her yet.)

Oh My Gosh… I almost forgot…Bradley (Butterfly) visited our Insect Inn the other day. He stopped over due to bad flying conditions (super high humidity) on his way to Berrytown. He had a very long conversation with Baxter about something called a Pollen Extractor. Bradley is a travelling sales-fly and he sells these.

Bradley arrived to find that all the Fancifulls were staying out of the humidity too. We were inside spending the afternoon playing board games like Clue, Snakes and Ladders, and Crokinole. Bradley is a whiz at Crokinole. He grew up in Sebastopol, Ontario, Canada, where the game originated in 1860 or so. His town holds biannual tournaments and he’s played against the best players from many countries. At the inn, He won every game of Crokinole he played.

When the weather had cleared everyone went out for some fresh air. I waited for Bradley while the others flew on ahead. He’s kind of cute. Although he’s a butterfly like me, his wings are very small, sort of mini. They don’t seem cumbersome like mine do. Not at all! While catching up to the others, he mentioned Baxter was interested in purchasing a pollen extractor and Bradley was glad he chose to stop in Oh Valley on his journey from Waterville. He would have missed an opportunity to meet and help Baxter otherwise. I wonder what Baxter wants with a Pollen Extractor? Sue’s later addition – Baxter has become allergic to pollen and is quietly looking for a way to do his work collecting it without getting stuffed up. Baxter is a bee and as a worker bee, his primary job is to collect pollen. An allergy to pollen is a big problem!

My Lanark Highland Games Booth – Should have brought the canopy – felt naked 😉

Hey! Who’s this? It was at the Games yesterday too. I believe there is an impostor out there trying to pass itself off as a Fancifull. Don’t you agree? Update – This is a Halloween pennant that liked my display. I think he actually had a thing for the bronze clothespin used to ensure my stock doesn’t fly off the hooks with the strong breezes at the outdoor show.

Halloween pennant dragonfly showing his approval of my branding – or maybe the Martha Stewart mini bronze clothespin. 🙂

If you like the post I helped Sue make, please comment and she may ask me to help again. I enjoyed helping her with it – especially the parts I added that she doesn’t know about. 🙂

I must click “publish” before she gets back from the laundry room so you can see the those parts… teehee.

Bianca, Sue, Axie, and all our Fancifull Friends in Oh Valley

PS… Sue is calling out, as she scrubs the toilet, to remind me to say she will post in her blog, later in the week about her encounter at the games with a real dragonfly.

Whatever… 🙂

Update – July 26, 2020 – Posting to Instagram Feed – If you know more about bees than I did last year, you’ll realize that Baxter could not be a pollen collecting bee as he is a boy bee. Only girl bees collect pollen. I will try to correct future stories but have left this one intact.

Bradley Pays A Visit…

by Sue Gibb | Aug 18, 2019 | Fancifull Stories

The air around Oh Valley is sticky with humidity. Dragonflies, like all winged insects, find flying in humid conditions difficult and avoid it if possible. The moisture in the air sticks to their wings and they are unable to fly distances that they travel easily on drier days. All the Fancifulls are at the in relaxing until the heavy air lifts, when they will pick up where they left off without straining themselves.

Bradley Butterfly lives in Waterville, a small village over the big hills (Gatineau Hills) not far from Oh Valley. He works as one of the region’s best Salesflyers. It is his job to ensure every mailbox on his route is stuffed with its fair share of advertising flyers. Now you know how they all get there!

Bradley is very outgoing and gregarious Mini Butterfly. He’s preparing of his future while he’s young and single. Along with his full time position, he also works part time for Pollenty Bee US introducing a revolutionary new product. He travels to all the communities in his district to introduce a product he knows will change the daily lives of flying insects everywhere.

Pollenty Bee US, has been researching how to mechanically transfer pollen from one plant to another to help in the pollination of plants. They have developed a pollen extractor that will help colony and solitary bees do their jobs more efficiently and easily. With declining bee populations, this may be a way to ensure a food source until populations increase and stabilize again. Incidentally, other flying insects pollinate flower blooms but they have their own jobs to support the community. Bradley’s teeny-weeny briefcase is packed full with these little devices to show to potential buyers. What do you think a pollen extractor look like? Can you draw a picture of one and send it to me?

This morning, Bradley was heading to Berrytown by way of Oh Valley. He set off early, without checking the weather prognosticator’s report. Being a Butterfly, he has more wing surface than a Dragonfly and lacks their power. Flying soon became difficult and Bradley decided to stop in Oh Valley for a room at the Insect Inn until the low-pressure system passed. Of course there was a spare room at the Inn. There’s always room at The Magical Insect Inn. That’s one of the reasons it is named, The Magical Insect Inn.

Once Bradley had unpacked, he checked out the common lounge where many of the Fancifulls were playing board games like Clue, Snakes and Ladders and Crokinole – prounounced, “Croak- in- ol(d)”. He is a very good Crokinole player in Waterville, and finishes quite high in the standings during their semi-annual tournament. He has a special technique for aiming the disc, causing it to glide precisely to the centre hole and drop flat. When he has the opportunity to use this technique, he always scores a ’20.’ He doesn’t get to shoot at the centre hole often because of other rules in the game preventing him from aiming at it while opponents discs are in play…. but when he does get a shot, he makes it count!

By the early evening, the board games have been returned to their shelves and some older Fancifulls have retired to their rooms for a nap before a late dinner in the dining hall. Bradley is glad the weather has cleared significantly. The pressure is rising and humidity clearing out. He will continue his trip tomorrow. For now, however, he’s having such fun with his new friends. He accepted an invitation to go on an expedition around The Valley. After running to his room for his camera he found that all the Fancifulls, save one, had gone on ahead. Only Bianca was waiting for him.

They quickly caught up to the others and together, dozens of Fancifulls, Dragonflies, Butterflies, Ladybugs, Bumble Bees, Grasshoppers, and Moths, all flew over and around the sites, some Fancifulls were eating as they flew.

What could be more fun? Sight-seeing while munching on mosquitoes plucked from the air as they errantly flew by. Early evening air produces the best darn mosquitoes… so tasty, many with their bellies full. (I’ll say it for you…. Ewww, GROSS!) They stopped for a rest and drink at a mighty river that cuts through Oh Valley. It’s appropriately named the Oh River.

Bradley really likes the look and feel of this place. It suits him well…. and he especially likes Bianca. She’s quite funny and says the most amusing AND interesting things. She makes him think about things he’s never thought about before, so busy working and preparing for a future. Bianca’s ideas, expressed so eloquently, cause him to rethink his own notions. He likes to listen to her as she explains how everyone interacts to sustain a healthy and thriving community. She was born in Oh Valley and has traveled to larger communities but never feels the same supportiveness and inclusiveness, the same camaraderie, in those places that she feels here. She explains to him how lucky she feels to call Oh Valley Home and hopes to always live here.

Oh Valley skyline

Bradley thinks he may stop here more often on his business trips even if the weather isn’t foul. He hopes Bianca will be home when he drops in.

Come back to find out more about Bianca in my post next Sunday. Until then, maybe get your crayons out and draw a picture of a “pollen extractor.” I’d like to see it when I meet you in person. I will be at the Lanark County Highland Games Saturday August 24th, 2019 in Almonte, Ontario.

At this outdoor event, I will be assembling Dragonfly Fancifulls for those who wish to contribute to the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario – (CHEO). You are able to purchase your own DARBY, DIXIE, DELTA, DINAH, or DEXTER with $5.00 of your purchase price going directly to CHEO. A special glass bead, metallic turquoise, will be wound into its bindings. 8AM to 6PM – Almonte Fair Grounds. No other Dragonfly Fancifulls will ever have a turquoise bead attached to them. Twist my arm and I may add more than one… or two. 🙂 We raised $265.15 cents at the Glengarry games. Why fifteen cents, you ask? A toddler of 3 wanted to make her own contribution to help sick children. She had fifteen cents to her name and donated it all to CHEO. People are grand… especially little people!

Bianca posing for Bradley on their excursion

Bradley trying to hide in the Hosta. He likes to be behind the camera but Bianca insisted.

*** Bradley in Toronto – We spoke on the phone from my day job and I wanted to include your name in my Bumble Bee collection next year. But why wait? Bradley, you are now a Butterfly – with the personality I asked you to stipulate – outgoing. I will strive to keep Bradley true to his origins… and thank your parents for me. Bradley is a super name!

*** Bianca – You are an employee that works for the same company that currently employs me. I had forgotton how lovely I thought your name was the first time I heard it – 1990’s Soap Opera, All My Children, Erica Kane’s daughter. I’m glad we chatted this week. I will endeavour to create funny story lines for Bianca as you selected that trait for Bianca. Thank-you for having such a lovely name.

Until next time,

Sue, Axie and the Fancifulls of Oh Valley

Dinah Learns How To Play RAIN BALL

by Sue Gibb | Aug 16, 2019 | Fancifull Stories

Dinah dressing up my plaid scarf.

Dixie and Darby have shared the uncomfortable conversation needed to keep their friendship on track.

Dixie began by explaining that although she sometimes felt sad thinking about Aunt Myrtle, she didn’t want anyone to treat her differently. When Darby became unusually quiet and well mannered towards her, she felt worse. She was reminded that her life had changed.

After listening to Dixie, Darby promised he would be his same teasing and tormenting self; the Darby that Dixie was accustomed to. Darby has been a dragonfly of his word! Dixie is once again getting her fair share of teasing. The pair like each other very much and Darby’s teasing is only in fun.

Do you know anyone that likes to tease you? A brother? A sister?

Dinah has settled into her new room at the Insect Inn. It’s not as spacious as she’d like, thought it is the biggest private room at the Magical Insect Inn. Our resident diva finds she doesn’t spend much time in her room anyway. These Fancifulls are much more energetic, and outdoorsy than the insects in her own community, The Hills.

She’s learning about sports – RAIN BALL for instance. She has never heard of this game before now. Honey (Bumble bee) explained that a dragonfly who created the rules, was born in Oh Valley. RAIN BALL has not become widely popular outside of their valley. One day they hope the game becomes as popular as BASKETBALL.

The whole Fancifull community temporarily sets aside their tasks to take part in the game. There is no set schedule as there’s no game without rain. The community’s weather prognosticator, Belvedere (senior bumble bee) is responsible for keeping an eye on the sky.

When Belvedere spots big, dark clouds rolling across towards Oh Valley, Fancifulls gather in their Central Park. Teams are easily formed. The first two Fancifulls arriving receive team captain leg bands. As each Fancifull arrives, they fly alternately to each team. There is none of the embarrassment caused by choosing team players in Oh Valley. The Fancifull way ensures no wasted time debating who is chosen. Best of all, no Fancifull is ever chosen last.

The rules of the game are simple – think Paintball, with rain drops replacing paint. The inclusiveness of RAIN BALL, however, make it far more fun to play than Paintball. Unlike Paintball, when splattered by a rain drop, you are not finished playing the game. Your new roll on the team becomes that of a Shelly – a shelter for a dry Fancifull of your team. A Shelly hovers over a team member who has not been touched by a raindrop. The sheltering umbrella gradually increases in size as more Fancifulls: Dragonflies; Butterflies; Bumble Bees; Grasshoppers; Ladybugs; Moths, all different species of flying insects work together to ensure that they retain one team member completely dry.

Dixie is watching for the right clouds that signal a game of RAIN BALL is about to begin. Yay!

Strategies abound. With more raindrops falling, decisions must be made on the fly. Which dry Fancifull will the rest of the team shelter. There could be 3 or 4 dry Fancifulls still on the team with small groups of Shellys over each one. By combining all resources and forming a larger and thicker umbrella over a single Fancifull, they might secure their victory over the other team.

The key to winning this game is WORKING TOGETHER. Towards the end of the game, there will be dozens of Fancifulls of varying species flying over a single dry Fancifull teammate.

The length of each game is never the same. A game can progress very quickly. It can be over in as little as 2 or 3 short minutes, depending on how hard it rains.

When only a sprinkling of raindrops fall, the game ends with no winner. It doesn’t matter. Everyone has taken a break from their daily tasks and had fun and laughs, together.

Thinking it was a bit silly at first, Dinah quickly saw how much fun everyone was having. She realized that by joining in, she began having fun too.

At that moment, Honey buzzed past.

“This game is perfectly delightful. So exhilarating! My goodness, I haven’t had this much fun since my friend, Druxy and I walked the red carpet together. No.. This is actually more fun!”

“Isn’t it? I knew you’d like it. You are learning so fast and very good already. You’ve got some great moves.” Honey complimented.

“I am known for being a quick study in The Hills,” Dinah laughed.

Until now, Dinah had no idea how quick and agile she could be! That’s a useful skill in RAIN BALL.

Like all dragonflies, Dinah also has extremely good vision and can see 360 degrees around her ALL the time. This includes seeing above her without having to tilt her head. Dragonflies can see raindrops as they are about to land on them and can dart out of the way.

Wouldn’t that be fun? Seeing a raindrop coming down and shifting out of the way before it splats on your head?

Dodging rain drops is easy at first but as the rain intensifies, the game speeds up and everyone tries much harder to stay dry.

Dinah was flying on her own for quite some time, darting left and right out of the way of the falling drops. Then she became a “SHELLY” in a large mass of flapping wings. It was surprising to witness the ease by which the unified formation of varying sizes and shapes blended.

Do you see the raindrops on Darby? He is now a “Shelly” on his way to join his teammates and use his wings to shelter a dry teamate.

Everyone on her team worked so well together. Dinah was flying with Gabriella (Gabby), and Grommet (Grasshoppers); Brighton and Baxter (Bumble bees); Milly, Molly, and Mazie (Triplet Moths); Lily and Lexie (Ladybugs); as well as Flutter, Fanny and Bianca (Butterflies). They were all hovering over Delta, their one remaining dry teammate.

Fancifulls on the other team were: Darby and Dixie; Billy and Bernie (Bumble bees); Bella and Brianna (Butterflies); Grady, Gryffin, and Gracey (Grasshoppers); Louie, Leah, and Larry (Ladybugs); and Monday and Milton (Moths). A few remaining Fancifulls, who arrived after the game started, watched from their vantage points and cheered everyone on.

*** Note – RAIN BALL is never played in thunderstorms. Fancifulls play safe!

Who won???

Belvedere, who is Senior Bee refereed the game. Like yours truly, Sue, Belvedere is becoming quite forgetful. He officially called it a draw because he couldn’t see a clear winner.

“Oh dear,” he sighed to himself.

Then, raising his voice, “I hope you all enjoyed yourselves. I think it’s time to head inside now,” Belvedere called to the puffing and panting players.

“Baxter, Can I see you for a moment?”

“Yes Uncle Belvedere?” Baxter sensed that something was wrong.

” Shhh….Can you help me find my glasses?”

“Oh, Baxter chuckled. That’s why you didn’t stop the game when we were ALL clearly, dripping wet. Your glasses are on the table in the dining room at the Inn. Lets go.”

With relief, Belvedere and Baxter quickly caught up to the rest of their friends and headed over to the Inn for more fun.

It was not long before all the Fancifulls were drying off and comfortably watching the rain outside while “bench-racing” – replaying the game, with all it’s ducking and diving, bobbing and weaving. It really was quite invigorating and so cleansing! Dinah hoped it would rain again very soon.

Here’s hoping a raindrop doesn’t SPLAT you on the head today,

Sue, Axie and The Fancifulls of Oh Valley

** (Sue is scratching her head wondering where that story came from as it’s sunny out today. Must be from a 25-year old picture she recently posted on FB. It’s a picture of friends mugging for the camera before they began their paintball game.)

Dinah Has Arrived In Oh Valley

by Sue Gibb | Aug 13, 2019 | Fancifull Stories

At a mere 10 grams, Dinah is an eye-catching screen saver to attract attention to your closed patio screen before damage occurs.

Yes, Dinah has arrived in Oh Valley. She is bursting to see what all the fuss is about and couldn’t stay away a moment longer. Dinah enjoys being the centre of attention and by discovering the newest vacation destination, the place to be and be seen, her film and socialite friends will continue to add her name to their invitation lists. This type of exposure keeps her acting career flying high.

Until now, Dinah felt out of the loop. Her newest movie, ‘Amber Lights,’ is in the can, completed and awaiting its premier. She’s now between movies and on a well-deserved vacation. Relaxation is her top priority. What better way than with her gal pals, sorority sisters Dixie and Daphne. She’d like to get to know Delta better too. She was thankful Dixie had such a dear friend looking after her in this trying time.

The valley, Oh Valley, is lovely. It is lush with green forests and massive outcroppings of granite. On Dinah’s arrival she was met by Buttercup, a very wise butterfly that I will introduce in later stories. Buttercup took her on a little flight around Oh Valley. He explained that the beauty she can see, is over one billion years old and that the massive rock outcroppings are granite, remnants of an ancient Precambrian mountain range, scraped bare by numerous ice ages, the final receding tens of thousands of years ago. One billion years ago, these same mountains were as tall as today’s Himalayan Mountain Range, the tallest range on the planet.

“All right Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my close-up.” (Dinah poking fun at her film career with a line from Sunset Boulevard and Gloria Swanson in the role of Norma Desmond.)

Buttercup then shows Dinah the vast expanse of flat, Paleozoic-period land she can see at the base of the foothills. This is a very different landscape from the one beside it. It was created in the wake of the receding two-kilometre thick, Laurentide Ice Sheet during the Pleistocene epoch, first as a continental-sized mud puddle. Then, as the ice melted and the water gradually receded, all rock fragments and other natural debris that had been trapped in the ice, settled to the bottom of the puddles and became the fertile farmland of today. This scraped plain is four times older than Dinah’s earliest ancestors. She knows her family tree dates back over two hundred and fifty million years! Imagine!

The air is clean here. It smells fresh and she can see for miles. The peace she feels compares to nothing she has ever experienced.

On their return to Oh Valley Dinah soon realizes that her tour was only the beginning of a fabulous experience. She has never before felt the warmth of welcome she received from the community’s wonderful array of characters! They are all so pleasant to chat with. How refreshing is that! There is an unmistakable camaraderie among everyone. She found she can let her guard down and be truly happy. The forthright and simplistic way everyone gets along here, now matter which species of insect, has put her at ease and she can set aside her cultivated imitation persona, and be herself – someone she’d almost forgotten. Here, she doesn’t need to continue acting after the camera stops rolling.

Dinah may even unpack and settle in for all longer stay than originally planned. All that from a four-hour tour? Wow! She might forget about her jet-setting life entirely. She must catch up to Daphne and Dixie and find out where the best place is to stay, one befitting her diva status. Being a diva may not go over like it does in “The Hills.” This community likes her for her, not her status. (I’m sure she’ll find a perfectly suitable room at the Magical Insect Inn.)

As the day is unfolding far more quickly than I’d like, I must keep this brief. Rest assured, Dinah is a character I am going to enjoy sharing with my readers. She’s full of life and likes to be the spectacle wherever she goes. She’s not a wallflower, our Dinah.

Dinah perched on my favourite souvenir from the Glengarry Highland Games 2019. Caledonia Plaid. Caledonia – Latin name given by the Roman Empire to the lands of Scotland, a land they could never master. Hurrah! Yes, I am mostly Scots by ancestry.

Before I leave, I want to let my readers know that Dinah’s pin (copper plated steel safety pin styling), will easily clasp together your chunkiest wool shawl, and be equally comfortable on your sweaters – jumpers for my Brit friends, scarves, shawls, backpacks, and coats. She also makes the ideal Screen Saver for your patio doors during the hectic BBQ season.

Dinah says, “Toodles” (She really is a character.) 🙂 She thinks she’ll keep Oh Valley a secret from her society friends. She is sure it will quickly become and remain her special place.

Sue, Axie, and all the Fancifulls of Oh Valley

Darby Confides

A Fancifull Celebration…

Bianca Types About Wing Tag

Bradley Pays A Visit…

Dinah Learns How To Play RAIN BALL

Dinah Has Arrived In Oh Valley

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