In two weeks the wnners of the 2008 Edgar G. Mueller Photo Contest will be announced. I went to the Limestone School Museum yesterday to look at all the entries. I've got some really tough competition, but one of the museum hostessess told me the judges liked my entry, "Lionhearted". The online exhibit for the color entries is HERE: [link]
Just click "start exhibit".
BROAD HINT: Tomorrow,May 10th, is my birthday. Yay,me. Meh.
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HEAR YE! HEAR YE!
is fighting cancer tooth and nail, but cancer treatment costs $$$. And she doesn't have insurance. Please go to her profile page and donate to help defray her expenses. Thank you.
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Deviants who are my friends:

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The clubs I have joined.


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Deviants I admire:

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Tora-Neko Adventure, part FIFTEEN (still working on it)

Edward would ordinarily have enjoyed the view from the highest hill in Arkham, but he was too winded. He flopped onto his back and puffed like a steam engine while he looked through his bangs at the recending figure of Le Fanu. "How can that old fossil still be walking, Al?"

"I dunno, brother," Alphone's armor body clanked when he shrugged his shoulders. The old man's endurance and speed amazed him too. "But you'd better get moving again before he leaves you any further behind!"

"Help me up,Al," Edward asked, and Alphonse began to extend his right arm, then he pulled it back again. Le Fanu expressly forbade him to help Brother.

"Sorry, Brother, I can't," Alphonse turned his back on Edward and he strode along the crown of the hill with long strides. "C'mon! Get up quick. You'll just get extra work if you lay there!"

Edward grumbled, but he slowly got to his feet and trotted along in his little brother's wake, albeit mumbling impolite words under his breath. The pair had been at Le Fanu's Arkham mansion for less than a week and Edward was already at the end of his rope. They were roused at dawn for an hour of calesthenics followed by an hour of sparring. Only then came breakfast, and Le Fanu gave Edward just half an hour to eat.

Lessons on the history of alchemy - in Amestris and other lands - followed. The brothers were expected to take notes and pay strict attention, otherwise Edward got a crack of Le Fanu's stick across his knuckles. Even the studious Alphonse would receive a whap against his helm. Paying attention was difficult because Le Fanu's lecture delivery was - not to put too fine a point on it - dry and dusty.

Lunchtime was one o'clock on the dot, and then came independent study time for two hours. Le Fanu drew up a such a lengthy reading list it would have scared anyone else but the Elric brothers. Edward enjoyed these hours most of all because he was getting to read books he'd never seen before. And he doubted even the great Central Library had any copies. Otherwise, he would have found and read them already.

But there was a sticking point. Edward had to confine his studies to the books on the reading list,no deviations from it were allowed.

Edward had already strayed several times-and he'd been caught each time.

On one occasion, Edward was balanced at the top of a rickety wooden library ladder while reaching for a heavy book bound in red leather. Then his attention was captured by the book next to it, a thick tome bound in crumbling black leather.

Edward reached for the book and pulled it out. The gold leaf the letters were stamped in was very faded and it was hard to read, but he eventually deciphered, The Emergence of Alchemy in the Machine World.

It wasn't on the list, but Edward was struck by the urge to read it, and he started down the ladder. But he'd descended only one rung when a dry voice boomed out, "Who took my book?"

Almost simultaneously, a skeletal hand shot out of the space the book had recently occupied, and yanked it from the startled boy's hand. This happened so quickly Edward lost his balance and he began to fall.

Edward had time to utter one sharp cry of fear when his descent was brought to a sudden stop by a pair of metal arms. "Brother!" Alphonse looked down with an anxiously light in the eye holes of his helmet. "Are you all right?"

Edward closed his own eyes and blew out a breath. "Thanks Al, that was really close!"

"Brother, what happened? Who was speaking?"

Edward rubbed the back of his head, and grinned sheepishly. "Oh,that was just me, I was just playing around."

"Brother..." Al's eyelights turned reddish, a sign he wasn't amused. "You're fibbing and I know it. C'mon, 'fess up!"

A pulse began to beat in Edward's temple, Alphonse always saw through him. It was exasperating,but he didn't have the energy to argue, "Oh, all right! I saw this book-it wasn't on the reading list-but I was curious! I wanted to read it! But first I heard that creepy voice, and then this skeleton hand came out and grabbed it back!"

"Brother," Alphonse placed one leather glove on Edward's shoulder. "I believe you,but maybe you shouldn't do that again. There are some really strange things going on in this house. Some things are really dangerous. I don't want you to get hurt."

Edward grumbled. Alphonse was right. But he still really wanted to read that book.