Leon Stevens is an independent author, composer, guitarist, songwriter, and artist.
Lockdown Hoedown (Quarantine Reel)
A tune inspired by CBC radio's Quarantunes Books by Leon Stevens
A tune inspired by CBC radio's Quarantunes Books by Leon Stevens
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New short story below!
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New Short Story
I am going to post a chapter of my new short story. If you like it, sign up for a chapter/week. I am also looking for a few beta-readers for my Sci-fi/post apocalyptic collection "The Knot at the End of the Rope". You can sign up at the top of the page. I hope you enjoy!
“The View From Here"
CHAPTER 1: The Ridge
The hand-written note on the dashboard read: Not abandoned. This was a nice courtesy to others, but unnecessary since the car was parked in the parking lot at the head of a popular hiking trail, called "The Ridge". My curiosity piqued, I studied the vehicle, looking for what I don't know. It was a little dusty, probably from the dirt road, not the kind of dust that accumulates after several rains and drying winds, which we had recently. Two, three days ago? I wasn't sure but it had to be at least two. I reluctantly put off my hike to avoid any rain. I usually don't mind hiking in inclement weather, it keeps the other hikers away, but "The Ridge" is notorious for looking like a muddy river on days like that.
There was no camping along the trail. A fairly difficult out and back, once you get past the first section, which, if the trail sign was to be taken as gospel, was a half-day hike, about six hours. I've done it in three. I've come close to that a few times, but that day was my crowning glory. Now, in my 60's, I usually finish it in four. Not to bag. Not to bag…(I have no idea where I picked up that saying).
Since I wasn't here as an investigator, I checked my backpack: water, jerky, M&M's, half a baked potato, and my first aid kit. And my knife. I saw only one other car, the couple had started just as I had pulled in, so that gave them a twenty-minute head start. Not that it was a race or anything, I just liked to know these things. I'm sure to catch up to them. OK, it's kinda a race.
After kneeling to tighten my laces, I did a few stretches (getting older sucks) and started up the path. The first section was wider and hard-packed. Most people go to the first lookout, take a few pictures, and head back. It is a stunning view. The trees stretched upward, providing a decent amount of shade, while letting in magnificent shafts of light, which gave the forest a surreal quality.
It only took half an hour to get there. I was expecting that I might see the couple making out on the bench, and I was pleased that I was wrong. Leaning on the rail, I took a drink of water and started to chew on the jerky. No matter how many times I come up here, I'm always blown away by the view, the valley, the mountains rising along the river, and the sea of green forest as far as the eye can see.
After the lookout, the trail begins to rise steadily. A bit narrower, a few more rocks and roots to put you off balance, but I've grown to know where each and every one of them are. There is one rock, right in the middle of the path, that is so smooth and black from all the shoes stepping on it, that it is almost as reflective as a mirror. At about 11:00 am, depending on the time of year, it seems to glow. I have been on this trail a lot.
As the left side of the trail begins to drop away, the right side gets steeper. Most hikers hug the right side (going up). I kind of like the feeling of being on the edge. It surprised me to learn that no one had ever died on this trail. Lots of injuries, though. I have a scar to prove it.
The hikers in front of me must be moving at a good pace. I thought that I would have been able to hear voices, the sound carries well in this valley. I pick up my speed a bit, despite the heat, and the fact that I'm breathing a bit harder than normal. Another sip of water and a few bites of potato gives me a bit more energy.
I'm lost in my thoughts. Looking at my watch, I see that I've been hiking for an hour and a half, so that means I'm pretty close to the end, maybe even closer. I feel that I'm exceeding my normal pace. A little competition will do that. I stop and listen. I'm not sure, but maybe there are voices…
After another twenty minutes, I definitely hear voices, and they're getting closer. Rounding the corner, I see a woman and a man coming toward me. Knowing the narrowness of the path and the steep bank I call out, "What side do you want to pass on?"
"We'll take the inside, " the woman replies, "Chickenshit here gets a little dizzy!"
He slaps her on the shoulder and says, "I tripped on that root and nearly fell over! Excuse me for being cautious."
"Been there, done that and I have the scar to prove it!" I laugh and they join in. "Have a good one," I say as they pass me.
"You too," he says back. In a few minutes I'm alone again. I completely forgot to ask them about the car, I think to myself. I forgot about it too. They probably would have mentioned it, wouldn't they have, if they had seen something?
Finally, I arrived at the trail end. There was a stone and concrete wall with a metal railing that would have been quite the task to build. There were still remnants of the old wooden posts sticking up through the ground which had to be replaced after the avalanche, twenty-five years ago. I sat for a moment, had a drink, and looked around. From here, a person had three choices: go back, go down (straight down), or up (straight up). I got up and walked to the metal railing.
I turned and looked up at the sheer rock face. A free climber could scale it, but I have never seen any attempts. With my hand brushing along the rail, I followed it to where it met up with the mountain. My hand was quite dusty, so I brushed my hands together and then wiped them on my shorts. Not wanting to leave the rest unwiped, I began to run my hand along the top, then stopped. I had to look closely, but there was a boot print in the dust on top of the rail. A jumper? Peering down, I had a feeling of vertigo, which surprised me, since I've been here before. If someone had jumped or fallen, there was no way of survival or discovery. I looked over the edge, there was a bit of a ridge about two feet below the wall.
I backed up a bit to see if I could tell how far it went along the rock face. It seemed to curve around a vertical shaft of rock. There was a narrow crack above, paralleling the ridge. A brave soul could inch along, with fingers twisted into the gap, but to where?
I looked at my watch: 3:43. Plenty of time to get back before dusk. My curiosity fought with my sensibility. I've done some climbing before, but always supported. I looked around and spotted a long branch laying by the path. Grabbing it, I returned to the wall. I poked down to the ridge to see how stable it was. It was about an inch wide to start, then narrowed as it approached the corner. I used the branch to flick some of the loose material away and watched the tiny rocks fall to the valley below.
Except for one.
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“The View From Here"
CHAPTER 1: The Ridge
The hand-written note on the dashboard read: Not abandoned. This was a nice courtesy to others, but unnecessary since the car was parked in the parking lot at the head of a popular hiking trail, called "The Ridge". My curiosity piqued, I studied the vehicle, looking for what I don't know. It was a little dusty, probably from the dirt road, not the kind of dust that accumulates after several rains and drying winds, which we had recently. Two, three days ago? I wasn't sure but it had to be at least two. I reluctantly put off my hike to avoid any rain. I usually don't mind hiking in inclement weather, it keeps the other hikers away, but "The Ridge" is notorious for looking like a muddy river on days like that.
There was no camping along the trail. A fairly difficult out and back, once you get past the first section, which, if the trail sign was to be taken as gospel, was a half-day hike, about six hours. I've done it in three. I've come close to that a few times, but that day was my crowning glory. Now, in my 60's, I usually finish it in four. Not to bag. Not to bag…(I have no idea where I picked up that saying).
Since I wasn't here as an investigator, I checked my backpack: water, jerky, M&M's, half a baked potato, and my first aid kit. And my knife. I saw only one other car, the couple had started just as I had pulled in, so that gave them a twenty-minute head start. Not that it was a race or anything, I just liked to know these things. I'm sure to catch up to them. OK, it's kinda a race.
After kneeling to tighten my laces, I did a few stretches (getting older sucks) and started up the path. The first section was wider and hard-packed. Most people go to the first lookout, take a few pictures, and head back. It is a stunning view. The trees stretched upward, providing a decent amount of shade, while letting in magnificent shafts of light, which gave the forest a surreal quality.
It only took half an hour to get there. I was expecting that I might see the couple making out on the bench, and I was pleased that I was wrong. Leaning on the rail, I took a drink of water and started to chew on the jerky. No matter how many times I come up here, I'm always blown away by the view, the valley, the mountains rising along the river, and the sea of green forest as far as the eye can see.
After the lookout, the trail begins to rise steadily. A bit narrower, a few more rocks and roots to put you off balance, but I've grown to know where each and every one of them are. There is one rock, right in the middle of the path, that is so smooth and black from all the shoes stepping on it, that it is almost as reflective as a mirror. At about 11:00 am, depending on the time of year, it seems to glow. I have been on this trail a lot.
As the left side of the trail begins to drop away, the right side gets steeper. Most hikers hug the right side (going up). I kind of like the feeling of being on the edge. It surprised me to learn that no one had ever died on this trail. Lots of injuries, though. I have a scar to prove it.
The hikers in front of me must be moving at a good pace. I thought that I would have been able to hear voices, the sound carries well in this valley. I pick up my speed a bit, despite the heat, and the fact that I'm breathing a bit harder than normal. Another sip of water and a few bites of potato gives me a bit more energy.
I'm lost in my thoughts. Looking at my watch, I see that I've been hiking for an hour and a half, so that means I'm pretty close to the end, maybe even closer. I feel that I'm exceeding my normal pace. A little competition will do that. I stop and listen. I'm not sure, but maybe there are voices…
After another twenty minutes, I definitely hear voices, and they're getting closer. Rounding the corner, I see a woman and a man coming toward me. Knowing the narrowness of the path and the steep bank I call out, "What side do you want to pass on?"
"We'll take the inside, " the woman replies, "Chickenshit here gets a little dizzy!"
He slaps her on the shoulder and says, "I tripped on that root and nearly fell over! Excuse me for being cautious."
"Been there, done that and I have the scar to prove it!" I laugh and they join in. "Have a good one," I say as they pass me.
"You too," he says back. In a few minutes I'm alone again. I completely forgot to ask them about the car, I think to myself. I forgot about it too. They probably would have mentioned it, wouldn't they have, if they had seen something?
Finally, I arrived at the trail end. There was a stone and concrete wall with a metal railing that would have been quite the task to build. There were still remnants of the old wooden posts sticking up through the ground which had to be replaced after the avalanche, twenty-five years ago. I sat for a moment, had a drink, and looked around. From here, a person had three choices: go back, go down (straight down), or up (straight up). I got up and walked to the metal railing.
I turned and looked up at the sheer rock face. A free climber could scale it, but I have never seen any attempts. With my hand brushing along the rail, I followed it to where it met up with the mountain. My hand was quite dusty, so I brushed my hands together and then wiped them on my shorts. Not wanting to leave the rest unwiped, I began to run my hand along the top, then stopped. I had to look closely, but there was a boot print in the dust on top of the rail. A jumper? Peering down, I had a feeling of vertigo, which surprised me, since I've been here before. If someone had jumped or fallen, there was no way of survival or discovery. I looked over the edge, there was a bit of a ridge about two feet below the wall.
I backed up a bit to see if I could tell how far it went along the rock face. It seemed to curve around a vertical shaft of rock. There was a narrow crack above, paralleling the ridge. A brave soul could inch along, with fingers twisted into the gap, but to where?
I looked at my watch: 3:43. Plenty of time to get back before dusk. My curiosity fought with my sensibility. I've done some climbing before, but always supported. I looked around and spotted a long branch laying by the path. Grabbing it, I returned to the wall. I poked down to the ridge to see how stable it was. It was about an inch wide to start, then narrowed as it approached the corner. I used the branch to flick some of the loose material away and watched the tiny rocks fall to the valley below.
Except for one.
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Like what you have read? I hope so! Why not head over to https://vocal.media/authors/leon-stevens to read some of the articles that I have written!
SOCIAL LINKS
I’m sure that there are many parents stressing about how to teach their children in this crisis. Don’t worry, you don’t have to do it all. Not even close. This is a great time to reinforce what they already know, allow them to apply their knowledge, and have them teach you. Yes, you heard me, make them the teacher. Teaching a skill is the best application of knowledge.
There are a multitude of homeschooling sites and resources out there to use, and I won’t got into that. Plus, your teachers will be sending work home on a regular basis, as they adapt their lessons to be more self directed.
Again, you are not expected to bring your child through an entire grade, just to make sure there is no summer slide. You know the way students forget 10 months of schooling in 2 months (sometimes weeks…)?
Now I can’t be grade specific, but in general, the older the child, the more independent they are, and they need to be. You are there as an encourager.
Here are my hints and suggestions:
English Language Arts
Can’t learn anything without this subject and it’s easier than you think. Really.
Read to your child: Students learn from experience. Model good reading habits and the student will mimic what they hear.
Have your child read to you: Don’t always correct. Let mistakes happen and discuss skills to decode the text. Sounding out words is not a foolproof method. So many rules and exceptions make this tricky to use. Try the following prompts.
Have spelling bee competitions: This helps you too! I have trouble visualizing words in my head…
Play Scrabble: And Pictionary. Concentration. Make word searches, and crosswords.
Write stories: The best way to learn language is to use it. Verbal vocabulary is always way beyond written or reading vocabulary. Have the student make up a story, then write it down. Don’t worry about spelling or grammar at this stage, it will be a good lesson in editing for any age. If they write words the way they sound, you will more than likely be able to read it, and it’s all about the creativity at this point.
Once you edit, using simple editing marks ( circle and add sp for spelling, carets ^ for inserting, three lines under a letter to capitalize (three lines with a diagonal for lowercase) and – through a word to indicate a different choice etc.), the student can move on to revising. And revising again…
Illustrate: No rules here. It’s art, just have fun!
That’s all you have to do. Really.
Math
Oh-oh. I suck at math. More accurately, I struggle with many aspects. I like math, numbers are fascinating in the way that they work, and I enjoy doing algebra. Really. So, I practice doing math. Not everyday, but I try to do it often. It can’t hurt…
This is the only place where I will put in a recommendation: Greg Tang (or Gregg Tang), nope its Greg Tang. Why? He has a wonderful way of breaking down mathematical processes in ways that students can apply to do math mentally. I don’t remember how difficult it gets, but you can start using it for early grads. Did I say Greg Tang? Yes, I believe that I did.
This is a good opportunity to apply math in everyday life. Add up grocery prices, estimate how many jellybeans (what? You forgot to stock up on jellybeans? M&M’s then…
Play card games: Cribbage comes to mind.
Play board games: Don’t count the spaces one at a time, do it in 2’s, 3’s, or one fell swoop. Each player in Monopoly takes a turn and being the banker so you spread out the opportunity to skim off the top (No, I did not say that…). Games like Blockus, build special skills, as do puzzles.
Read the textbook: There are still textbooks in school, right?
Work through the textbook: You didn’t think you would get off that easy, did you?
Again there are many online resources. Use them to improve your skills as well.
Physical Education
Play: You heard me, play. Inside, outside if you can. At least an hour. An hour will fly by.
Social Studies
History and Geography. This is where textbooks come in handy again. Remember those? Ah, they are probably online anyway.
Science
Watch TV. Bill Nye, MythBusters Jr., Magic School Bus, The Weather Network, The Science of Stupid.
Music
Listen to music, play music if you can, and talk about music. What do you like about it, how does it make you feel. Draw, sketch and paint to music. Write music. Dance.
You will notice that Math and ELA are the most important. Without those two, everything else is out of reach. So, if you are going to do anything, do those.
I hope that I have been able to ease some anxiety when it comes to this new responsibility that has been thrust upon you. Don’t feel like you have to do it all, do what you can to maintain what is there and most importantly, spend time with your family.
Oh, and one more thing you will discover:
Teachers are underpaid…
There are a multitude of homeschooling sites and resources out there to use, and I won’t got into that. Plus, your teachers will be sending work home on a regular basis, as they adapt their lessons to be more self directed.
Again, you are not expected to bring your child through an entire grade, just to make sure there is no summer slide. You know the way students forget 10 months of schooling in 2 months (sometimes weeks…)?
Now I can’t be grade specific, but in general, the older the child, the more independent they are, and they need to be. You are there as an encourager.
Here are my hints and suggestions:
English Language Arts
Can’t learn anything without this subject and it’s easier than you think. Really.
Read to your child: Students learn from experience. Model good reading habits and the student will mimic what they hear.
Have your child read to you: Don’t always correct. Let mistakes happen and discuss skills to decode the text. Sounding out words is not a foolproof method. So many rules and exceptions make this tricky to use. Try the following prompts.
- What do you think it says?
- Read the sentence and tell me what word would make sense there.
- Can you find a word within the word to build on?
Have spelling bee competitions: This helps you too! I have trouble visualizing words in my head…
Play Scrabble: And Pictionary. Concentration. Make word searches, and crosswords.
Write stories: The best way to learn language is to use it. Verbal vocabulary is always way beyond written or reading vocabulary. Have the student make up a story, then write it down. Don’t worry about spelling or grammar at this stage, it will be a good lesson in editing for any age. If they write words the way they sound, you will more than likely be able to read it, and it’s all about the creativity at this point.
Once you edit, using simple editing marks ( circle and add sp for spelling, carets ^ for inserting, three lines under a letter to capitalize (three lines with a diagonal for lowercase) and – through a word to indicate a different choice etc.), the student can move on to revising. And revising again…
Illustrate: No rules here. It’s art, just have fun!
That’s all you have to do. Really.
Math
Oh-oh. I suck at math. More accurately, I struggle with many aspects. I like math, numbers are fascinating in the way that they work, and I enjoy doing algebra. Really. So, I practice doing math. Not everyday, but I try to do it often. It can’t hurt…
This is the only place where I will put in a recommendation: Greg Tang (or Gregg Tang), nope its Greg Tang. Why? He has a wonderful way of breaking down mathematical processes in ways that students can apply to do math mentally. I don’t remember how difficult it gets, but you can start using it for early grads. Did I say Greg Tang? Yes, I believe that I did.
This is a good opportunity to apply math in everyday life. Add up grocery prices, estimate how many jellybeans (what? You forgot to stock up on jellybeans? M&M’s then…
Play card games: Cribbage comes to mind.
Play board games: Don’t count the spaces one at a time, do it in 2’s, 3’s, or one fell swoop. Each player in Monopoly takes a turn and being the banker so you spread out the opportunity to skim off the top (No, I did not say that…). Games like Blockus, build special skills, as do puzzles.
Read the textbook: There are still textbooks in school, right?
Work through the textbook: You didn’t think you would get off that easy, did you?
Again there are many online resources. Use them to improve your skills as well.
Physical Education
Play: You heard me, play. Inside, outside if you can. At least an hour. An hour will fly by.
Social Studies
History and Geography. This is where textbooks come in handy again. Remember those? Ah, they are probably online anyway.
Science
Watch TV. Bill Nye, MythBusters Jr., Magic School Bus, The Weather Network, The Science of Stupid.
Music
Listen to music, play music if you can, and talk about music. What do you like about it, how does it make you feel. Draw, sketch and paint to music. Write music. Dance.
You will notice that Math and ELA are the most important. Without those two, everything else is out of reach. So, if you are going to do anything, do those.
I hope that I have been able to ease some anxiety when it comes to this new responsibility that has been thrust upon you. Don’t feel like you have to do it all, do what you can to maintain what is there and most importantly, spend time with your family.
Oh, and one more thing you will discover:
Teachers are underpaid…