Awestruck Comments

Maz: You always handle the back-and-forth banter beautifully, but this had undertones of regret and acceptance that I found very touching. And turnabout is fair play here - writing this may have kept you up at night, but I think I will be up for a while tonight, absorbing this short but powerful story.

InsideOutlaw wrote:

Frankie: I think Keays and I can vouch for them still being able to mount a horse at 55. You aren't saying that's old, right?!! [/size]

Ha ha! NO!
Both my sisters still ride and are in their 50s and you only have to look at Nick Skelton who did so well in the Olympic show jumping and he's broken just about every bone in his body - including his back and is going to have another major operation so he can carry on riding.
I guess I was thinking of the hard life they'd led - and all the times we have injured them! I was feeling sorry that they were still on the run at 55 - bless them! I was just feeling particularly stiff yesterday when I left my comment. Need to get active again as soon as my dodgy ankle heels - damaged something while dancing in a cowshed a couple of months ago!

Oh Maz!! You wrote a bittersweet one - still together, still bantering - but grey and still running...

Twenty five odd years on the run, huh??? Poor chaps.

Loved it as always ...

Was that going to be the end for our poor boys??? Gulp

Maz - What an absolutely perfect story. It just has everything, from the sparking dialogue, to the genuine warmth between the two men facing what may be their last stand together. Please say it ain't so! Just a wonderful piece of writing.

Trying to be true to my word here is another comment ...
Hunkedory - Clever, clever, clever! Are you a librarian?!! Nice miscue, making us think the boys were casing the bank. I do love a laid back thinking man's sheriff. And loved it that the sheriff thought cos he was in the library Heyes must be an upstanding citizen even though he was resally there to read up on strategies to rob a bank.Great challenge.

Because George still had the axe in his hand!

Love that.

Sweet tale Hunkey dory.

Somehow I knew it wasn't our boys robbing the bank but I didn't know why.

Love the sheriff..Off to look up fec..flcu..ciandry..fiduciary . Sheesh pass the dictionary

Hunkeydorey - Very funny and very clever. I loved the character of the sheriff - all laid back and welcoming the opportunity to broaden his mind at the library. A great snapshot of Kid too. I could just imagine him being the kind of child who could unwittingly give us a howler which could bring everyone to their knees with laughter.

Hunkeydorey: Welcome back--good to see ya! And a great story to return with! Loved the sheriff and his paean to the library--that was very funny. Nice twist about who actually was robbig the bank.

HunkeyDorey: that was a hoot! I loved the sheriff who loved the library. Amazing to see Heyes and a lawman having anything in common.

Like Williams Dean Howells said, "The secret of the man who is universally interesting is that he is universally interested.”

HunkeyDorey -- welcome back and with such a fun story! I was sure the robbers weren't our boys but was wondering if they might be Wheat and Kyle in their younger days, or if not, how you were going to work our boys in. Great job -- and you were able to work in the word of the week. Clapping hard here.

HUNKEYDOREY - What a great story! Absolutely loved the last part. Could really see Kid giving that kind of answer. And what a clever sheriff...but not clever enough to know what Heyes was up to. Wonderful writing!

Silverkelpie: Would I be correct in assuming this is part of a larger story? Love Tibby's real name--I instantly thought of James T. Kirk, except that this Tibby doesn't seem to have the redeeming qualities of that space cowboy. I'm going to guess that Tibby is the woman's father and he's escaped his dull, ordinary life but she doesn't approve. The conversations with Heyes and Curry were lots of fun, especially his astute conclusion about their background. This is an intriguing story and I hope to read more of it soon.

SilverKelpie; There were so many great lines in this that it would be impossible to quote them all! As has already been stated, I do hope you are going to continue on with this little ditty. You have such a knack for coming up with these new and interesting characters! You should be writing for TV!! Looking forward to the next installment--hint hint hint!

Silverkelpie -- another wonderful piece from you. This is clearly part of a longer story and I hope you'll share the rest with us soon. Once again, you have come up with such a wonderful name -- I look further to hearing about Tibby Dunbar and the woman who wants him dead.

SILVERKELPIE - I loved the exchange about the 'decorating' of the newly painted wall! Tibby is shaping up to be a great character I want to know more about. I do hope there is a continuation. Wonderful writing from you, as always!

HUNKEY DOREY:Oh, you had me wondering at first just which pair of young men might be trying to rob the bank! The dialogue between the sheriff and the bank manager was a hoot! Terrific last line, too.

SILVERKELPIE: You know, if you're not careful, you could find yourself with some more strong characters and another series of stories. As it is, you've got Tibby and his nemesis, neither of whom are boring or predictable. You've set up another mystery. And those two ex-outlaws? Apparently they are like us readers; they absolutely cannot turn away from a mystery either. That's going to get them into trouble, isn't it? I'm looking forward to see where you're going with this story.

RIDERS 57: Oh boy, Heyes' singing really is infamous, isn't it? "The Ballad of Heyes and Curry?" With new verses? Amazing what 7 or 8 glasses of gin can do. The whole set-up of how the boys averted the robbery was hilarious. But, as my old aunt used to say, "they just can't win for losing." Out of work and sleeping on the ground again - it figures!

RIDERS - I LOVED this! From the way they stopped the robbery to Heyes' singing...and then to find out WHAT he was singing! It was great! Sitting here clapping :)

Riders - Loved this. I could really picture Kid getting so mad at Heyes for ruining such a good little number for them, and I chuckled at the way they 'saw off' the robbers. The whole story was a catalogue of errors strung together so cleverly. It really built up to a great ending - finally something which Heyes couldn't talk his way out of.

Silverkelpie - You really manage to create characters who grab the imagination. Tibby is another wonderful creation and the air of mystery is thickening fast. I really want to know more about Tibby and the enigmatic woman with murder on her mind. Many wonderful lines, as always, but I love the dry, understated humour you drop in there too. '"There’s something about Irish mothers - the poorer they are, the grander the name the give their offspring." Kid darted a look of knowing amusement at Hannibal Heyes.' You don't just write a story - you weave a tale which seems so easy to visualise.

Riders - What a tough month this is going to be at voting time. Yet another terrific story. I loved the scene in the store and the way they bumbled their way to a heroic position. You really capture their relationship so well in all your stories and this was no exception. Great to see Heyes being forced to face the consequences of being too clever by half. Clapping

SIlverkelpie...I too get the feeling we are in for another chapter from the adventures of Tibby Dunbar. Nice way you built the story. So who is the mystery woman?

Riders...How time flies huh? And the boys are still being thrown out of town. Who knew Heyes was a singing drunk. :)

Riders57: A real fun story! The cascade of falling and flying objects thwarting a robbery was great to envision, as was Kid's anger at whatever Heyes had done. Loved the retelling of all the events. Favorite line: “You were singin’ The Ballad of Heyes and Curry!” he shouted. Because I wrote something by that very name! (On WetPaint at: http://asjfanfiction.wetpaint.com/page/September%2C+2008[/url] in case you weren't familiar with it.) The sheriff was actually really decent about letting them go even though he knew who they were.

And... on your first anniversary!!!