For a smile as wide as a country sunrise
Hi everyone! Well, yesterday and today has felt more like summer once again. It has been sunny and warm with temperatures up around 82F (28C) and the humidity is quite high too which makes it feel warmer than it really is.
But, this week it is going to get cold, well below normal for this time of the year. One night it could actually be cold enough to give us snow flurries, though I doubt it. That would be early, even for us.

However, further north they have already had a taste of snow, getting 4 inches (10cm) a couple of days ago.

Much too early for that kind of weather, for me anyway. I would like to enjoy fall first. But, I guess we get what we get when we get it. Anyway, here are some more of my balcony flowers, petunias this time.

I should have taken the pics a bit earlier when they were flowering at their peak. But, you get to see what they look like anyway. Have a great day everyone and God bless!
Steve and Muffin. ©2025 Steve McLeod.
The fight had begun at the home of Joseph and Gabriella and they had already been killed by Sky using one of her lightning balls. Sky is deadly accurate with those, whereas I am still learning how to use them. Unfortunately, guns are not Jennifer’s strong point, she is an up close type of fighter and guard. She is also extremely fast at running, so she decided it was best to get closer to these men and fight them.
However, when Amerie had opened the car door to toss a gun to Jennifer, one of the men shot and hit Amerie in the arm. This caused her to lean forward in pain and the man shot again. Amerie then fell out of the car and onto the ground and didn’t move. Katresa then jumped out to help her and the same man shot again and Katresa fell to the ground beside Amerie.
“Only one way to do this girls,” said Aasta, “when I say jump out, we all go at the same time and just keep shooting in the direction of those men. Then run to a spot where you can get cover while Engla and I get our wounded back in the car. Okay, jump and shoot!” Jennifer didn’t realize that Amerie and Katresa had been shot, or she would have helped. Anyway, she was now at two of the men and began to fight with them.
While she did that there was a loud roaring of motorcycles coming along the road into the property. The Black Wolves were there and shooting in every direction! The attacking men decided the best thing to do was retreat, so they headed to their jeeps and took off down a dirt road. Aari and his men didn’t bother to follow them though. They stayed behind to help with the wounded.
Amerie, Katresa and Engla were all wounded, but the Black Wolves came prepared this time and had one of our vans with Samantha and Bridgette along, just in case. And it turned out to be a good thing. Meanwhile, with this going on with Jennifer’s team, things were happening with us too. Jennifer communicated with me, while she was fighting, that she sensed danger close by to us, and it had to do with Dorothy and myself. I told everyone we had better get in the cars and start heading to our spot.
Then the manager came out and called to me so I went to see what he wanted. Dorothy was starting to come with me, but Dawn told her to stay behind with them. “What would you like?” I asked. “Please sir,” he said, “there is a woman to see you. She said to tell you her name is the Cat, and you would know who it was. She said it was extremely important.” Now, when talking, cat and Kat sound the same, but I should have recognized a problem when he said “the cat”, a term Kat only uses when she says “the wrath of The Kat”.
Dorothy heard that, however, and it suddenly hit her. “No, Steve, don’t go!” she yelled, but too late, I was already gone. She ran after me though, with Dawn and Colette running after her. By the time Dorothy got to the kitchen where the manager had taken me, I was already on the floor gasping. Dorothy dropped to her knees to try and resuscitate me. After one breath I was able to say, “Sky”, clearly and she was there with us immediately.
Talk about the wrath of the Kat, I think the wrath of Sky is worse. She was angry like I had never seen her before, and she cleaned up the would be attackers very quickly. Dawn and Colette were now there and Dorothy said I needed fresh air right away. She knew what had been used against me, though she didn’t know it wouldn’t kill me, just slow me down a bit.
I was actually lying on the floor due to slipping on some oil that had been put on the floor deliberately, and then I hit my head on the stove, before falling to the floor. Maybe Jennifer is right, I am a bit clumsy at times. Anyway, everyone quickly got me outside, but Dorothy was last in line going out and she was stopped by a man with some bodyguards at his side.
“Well, well, look what we have here,” said the male voice, “I think it’s time for you to come home with my my dear.” Dorothy tried to pull the handgun she had taken from the car, but the man just looked at her. “Put the gun down, my dear,” said the voice, “you know that using a gun against me is very bad, and you know what happens to little girls who are very bad, don’t you?” “Y, y, yes sir,” she said, almost like she was in a trance of some kind and she dropped the gun on the floor.
Then Dorothy tried to run and call out for help, but nothing happened. “No, no, my dear,” said the voice again, “that is bad too. Do you want that big spider to get you again?” Then she screamed, but just barely, and she fell to the floor, curling up in a ball in the corner of the hallway, whimpering and crying. “That’s right, you will be eaten by that big spider,” said the voice, “unless you come with me right now.” But Colette was back and she yelled, “Stop!”
She also had her gun out, but one of the bodyguards turned and shot her before she had a chance to shoot, and she fell to the floor. But two lightning balls hit two of the bodyguards, killing them instantly. Another turned to shoot, but Sky killed him too. The head man and the other bodyguard were gone by this time however, but they left without Dorothy. However, no one was able to get near her, she would just scream and pull away whenever anyone tried.
Angel had taken Arielle back to our room after breakfast to keep her safe, so I called her and said to bring Arielle and the cats down to the lobby right away. They arrived quickly and Arielle knew the problem right away, even though she didn’t know it. She told us it looked just like what she saw in a movie where people had been hypnotized by using fear, something that the person was deathly afraid of, like some kind of animal, or insect, something as simple as a spider.
When she said spider, that got a reaction out of Dorothy. That’s when Ginger and Azura went over to Dorothy and began to purr loudly which seemed to calm her down quite a bit. “Well Steve, your turn,” said Sky. I just looked at her blankly. She sighed, then whispered something to me. “Right now?” I asked. She crossed her arms and looked at me, frowning. I guess she means now, so I did.
It was like she suddenly woke up from sleeping and she looked at me. “Is that something you do often?” she asked, “Because I certainly enjoyed that kiss.” The girls all laughed. “Prince Charming does it again,” said Sky, smiling. Dorothy told us that the man was Mr. Stone and she would soon tell us more about him. But first, another problem is coming our way…
To Be Continued. ©2025 Steve McLeod.