To The Sea, To The Sea, To The Recovering Sea.

The newly released Shelter of Daylight #9, edited by Terri Leigh Relf, includes my short story, To The Sea, To The Sea, To The Recovering Sea.

I originally had the idea for this story down at Phillip Island waiting for the penguin parade. Some British relatives were visiting and we'd arrived really early, and so we were seated in an almost empty grandstand that faced straight onto the ocean.  What if, my mind began, this site is discovered and excavated in the future as an archaeological ruin, and the discoverers have no idea about the penguins landing here each night?

Why would a grandstand face the empty ocean?

And so the story developed from there. Except it didn't end up travelling in the direction I'd planned, as tales are wont to do, and so penguins, archaeologists and Philip Island never enter the narrative.

It's a story I like, and a world I might revisit in the future.

Vale: Bob Welch.

There are reports that Bob Welch has been found dead.

When I was a teenager, I used to stay over at a friend's house some Friday nights. We'd stay up real late, listening to albums and making toast. He was a huge Fleetwood Mac fan, and so I became a fan also.

Most of the Fleetwood Mac albums we listened to were from their pre Stevie and Lindsey days. As such I grew to love Kiln House, Mystery To Me, Heroes Are Hard To Find and Penguin. In fact, Jewel Eyed Judy was probably the first songs I ever learned on guitar. Bob Welch was the guitarist on those albums. He left before they hit it big in the U.S.

Afterwards he had a hit single with Ebony Eyes. Not exactly my cup of tea, but decent enough pop. Since then? I have no idea what he's been up to.

But I thank him for his contributions to those four great albums.