Thursday, May 3, 2012
3rd episode
And the investigating of the missing guinea pigs continues!
Next, Hitty Agatha, Tony and Toby come upon the Raggedys, Annie & Andy, and Teddy.
Tony is questioning Annie and Toby is questioning Andy.
The boys ask, "Have any of you seen any guinea pigs go by here?"
All 3 answered "no" in unison. They said they hope the guinea pigs are found and returned to their home. They just arrived here
after some adventures of their own and they know what it is like to be lost!
Hitty Agatha and the boys travel on and what is this?!?!! "It can't be snow!" says Tony. "The temperature is too warm and it would be melted!"
"It is flour!" says Toby. "I remember hearing of a little boy who likes to get into the flour canister and get some to build roads and hills for his toy cars!
Next we'll have to find out who and where this little boy is!"
Hitty Agatha says, "Look, there are some animal footprints outside of the flour; it looks like the guinea pigs may have come this way."
The boys said, "Yes, and there are some larger footprints that look to belong to feet larger than the guinea pigs feet! I see one the shape of a boy's shoe, but what made
the other footprints?? We have a FEW mysteries to solve!!"
The boys and Hitty Agatha heard a noise, like a guinea pig makes, and they followed the noise.
Lo & behold, one of the guinea pigs found his way back home!
"I bet the poor little thing is thirsty and hungry!" says Hitty Agatha.
Now to find the other missing guinea pigs and to solve the other mysteries!!
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Agatha-2nd episode
Tony and Toby were checking out the critters that live here and when they came up to the guinea pig cage, lo & behold, there were no guinea pigs in it!!
Hitty Agatha says: "Where could they have gotten to?? There is no way they got out of the cage by themselves."
"They had to have help. We sure hope they weren't stolen!!" said Tony and Toby.
"We've got our trusty magnifying glasses to help us search for clues. We need to question some of the dolls who live here, to see if they know anything about this."
said Tony and Toby.
"That is very smart thinking boys." says Hitty Agatha.
"Amelia, have you seen any guinea pigs run by here?" asked Tony.
"I've been very busy rocking my baby doll to sleep. I'm sure I would have noticed the guinea pigs, though, if they HAD come through here! Maybe you could ask Smurf.
He is over there pouting 'cause he is jealous that my baby doll is getting most of the attention." says Amelia Thimble.
"Smurf, have you seen any guinea pigs run by here?" asked Toby. Smurf just stood there with his arms crossed and didn't answer Toby, so Toby took that to mean the answer was no!
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Hitty Agatha Arrives in California
There was a rumor that a famous lady detective was coming to visit us in California. There are two DIT's (Detectives In Training) that live here and they were VERY excited to hear of the arrival of this famous person! We'd like to introduce you to the DIT twins, Tony and Toby. They think one of their best detecting secrets is that they are identical twins and no one can tell them apart!
Here are Tony and Toby, waiting patiently by the mailbox for the arrival of our visitor. Oops!! Now here you can see they are in need of Hitty Agatha's expertise!
Do you know what is wrong in this picture?
Did you guess the answer?
Yes, this is a mailbox where OUTGOING mail is deposited! Not a mailbox for incoming mail!! Well, these two little guys are still in training! We hope Hitty Agatha can hone their detecting skills!
Our visitor almost didn't make it to us on her specified arrival day! The mail person left a postal pick-up slip in the mailbox, without attempting to deliver Hitty Agatha to the household, even though someone was home and on the lookout for her! The grandson saved the day and he went to the post office and got Hitty Agatha so she was able to arrive as scheduled! Hooray!
Tony and Toby are on top of the box that Hitty Agatha arrived in. They have their magnifying glasses in hand and their briefcases to keep their notes in; they are well prepared and very anxious to meet the famous lady detective.
And the great moment has arrived when Tony and Toby get to meet the famous Hitty Agatha! They are most happy to make her acquaintance!
Hitty Agatha says, "I'm honored to be working with these young DIT's, Tony and Toby. And what a nice welcome they have given me!"
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Dothan Botanical Gardens.....................................
Dear Friends,
The time is soon coming for me to leave The Wiregrass and travel to the west. My visit here has been very pleasant, if chaotic, but I thrive where mysteries abound and can make decent sense of even the slightest clue. My hosts, however, allowed me a respite this glorious Sunday, and we celebrated thusly:
Earth Day 2012 - Consider the Lilies of the Field - Dothan Botanical Gardens
The Volunteer Garden
"The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good."
Genesis 1:12
>
Along The Path
"Jesus answered...but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
John 4:13-14
Recycled Art
"The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it..." Psalm 24:1
In The Wetlands
"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Romans 1:20
Saturday, April 14, 2012
The Affair of the Pilfered Pastry - Conclusion
A tiny doll, whose under-drawers could conceivably be created from a bit of cloth hardly larger than a postage stamp, is clearly no match for the volumes of scenic drapery that now enfolded me. "Blast!", I thought, "That miscreant will steal away and with her the pastry for the party scene!" I knew just how much the actors enjoyed playing that scene. "Do not eat while in costume" was a hard and fast rule with The Stage Manager. Act I; Scene 11 afforded the cast the only opportunity for nourishment in two hours and thirty-five minutes.
The curtains muffled the sounds from the wings and stage. I could not discern what direction the thief had taken, or if indeed, she was not still there, waiting to do me further injury. I struggled free of the curtains at last and flung myself onto the stage floor, ready for any comers. And there she stood, her back to me, a petite nun, hungrily devouring the the last of the ladyfingers.
"Unhand those ladyfingers!", I demanded. She spun about, guilt written all over her child-like countenance. "Miss V!", I exclaimed, "You? I had not expected this of you!"
Between sobs, Miss V. related her sorrowful tale. "As an actress, I tried to develop the virtues of poverty and obedience expected of a Sister. I wished to be a credit to the production. Night after night, however, the tantalizing aroma of buttery pastries tempted me beyond what I was able to bear...I succumbed to that temptation. Forgive me."
I ask you, Dear Reader, can we not forgive this bit of pastry pilfering?
'Course we can - piece o' cake!
The curtains muffled the sounds from the wings and stage. I could not discern what direction the thief had taken, or if indeed, she was not still there, waiting to do me further injury. I struggled free of the curtains at last and flung myself onto the stage floor, ready for any comers. And there she stood, her back to me, a petite nun, hungrily devouring the the last of the ladyfingers.
"Unhand those ladyfingers!", I demanded. She spun about, guilt written all over her child-like countenance. "Miss V!", I exclaimed, "You? I had not expected this of you!"
Between sobs, Miss V. related her sorrowful tale. "As an actress, I tried to develop the virtues of poverty and obedience expected of a Sister. I wished to be a credit to the production. Night after night, however, the tantalizing aroma of buttery pastries tempted me beyond what I was able to bear...I succumbed to that temptation. Forgive me."
I ask you, Dear Reader, can we not forgive this bit of pastry pilfering?
'Course we can - piece o' cake!
Thursday, April 12, 2012
The Affair of the Pilfered Pastry - Part 2
In the following report, the names of the suspects are given according to the role they portray, in order to protect the (mostly) innocent.
The investigation began close to the scene of the crime on the stage right prop table. Franz, Captain Von Trapp’s butler, was well-known for his backstage pranks, but a quick glance at his personal props, a silver tray and elegant snifter, revealed nothing - nary a crumb; nary a drop. This time the actor could proclaim his complete innocence.
Perhaps Liesl’s love interest, Rolf, the youth swayed by Nazi propaganda, was responsible?
He seemed such a pleasant young man, well-thought of by his fellow actors and with a considerable talent. Could he have become consumed by his character – a victim of method acting? Rolf was prompt for the interview, professed his innocence and assured me of his complete cooperation. Had he seen anything out of the ordinary, I queried? “No” was the reply, “Nothing more than rather more nuns, novices and postulants backstage than usual. It’s hard to keep track of all that black and white femininity.”
While I conducted the investigation behind the scenes, Hedydd continued her rehearsal. Her voice didn’t sound quite as clear as it had initially. I pondered the likely cause. Dust from falling from the teasers**? An un-brushed habit? Something perhaps ingested?
I cornered the Stage Hands at The Stage Manager’s station. Usually fine, hard-working characters, Stage Hands do, at times, despair of actors’ histrionics and, occasionally, perpetrate, quite unprofessionally and certainly without sanction of The Stage Manager, a small revenge.
I could not believe it of these two, but I was compelled to interview all likely suspects dispassionately and without prejudice. Under the glare of the blue light, I interrogated them both. My inquiries revealed nothing. They both had been about the business of creating the magic in which the audience would marvel. “However”, remarked the Crew Chief, “I did observe a very diminutive nun behaving in quite an odd fashion”. “Yes”, recalled the other, “She seemed to be secreting something under her scapular***”.
Hedydd had ceased her warbling, and I assumed she has quit the stage and retreated to her dressing room. At the same moment, the Stage Hands pointed up-stage left, and I hurried behind the Abbey drop, suddenly knowing full well whom I would find there and what she had been about. I fully intended to take this puffed-up dolly down a peg or two. The noise of my wooden footsteps echoed across the stage and must have alerted the perpetrator. I heard the swish of long skirts and saw the swirl of black curtains. Dark velvet enveloped me. I spun inside the depths of the tormentors, barely clinging to consciousness.
To be continued....
** Teasers are the horizontal masking curtains.
***A Scapular is part of a nun’s habit, sleeveless outer garment that hangs from the shoulders.
The investigation began close to the scene of the crime on the stage right prop table. Franz, Captain Von Trapp’s butler, was well-known for his backstage pranks, but a quick glance at his personal props, a silver tray and elegant snifter, revealed nothing - nary a crumb; nary a drop. This time the actor could proclaim his complete innocence.
Perhaps Liesl’s love interest, Rolf, the youth swayed by Nazi propaganda, was responsible?
He seemed such a pleasant young man, well-thought of by his fellow actors and with a considerable talent. Could he have become consumed by his character – a victim of method acting? Rolf was prompt for the interview, professed his innocence and assured me of his complete cooperation. Had he seen anything out of the ordinary, I queried? “No” was the reply, “Nothing more than rather more nuns, novices and postulants backstage than usual. It’s hard to keep track of all that black and white femininity.”
While I conducted the investigation behind the scenes, Hedydd continued her rehearsal. Her voice didn’t sound quite as clear as it had initially. I pondered the likely cause. Dust from falling from the teasers**? An un-brushed habit? Something perhaps ingested?
I cornered the Stage Hands at The Stage Manager’s station. Usually fine, hard-working characters, Stage Hands do, at times, despair of actors’ histrionics and, occasionally, perpetrate, quite unprofessionally and certainly without sanction of The Stage Manager, a small revenge.
I could not believe it of these two, but I was compelled to interview all likely suspects dispassionately and without prejudice. Under the glare of the blue light, I interrogated them both. My inquiries revealed nothing. They both had been about the business of creating the magic in which the audience would marvel. “However”, remarked the Crew Chief, “I did observe a very diminutive nun behaving in quite an odd fashion”. “Yes”, recalled the other, “She seemed to be secreting something under her scapular***”.
Hedydd had ceased her warbling, and I assumed she has quit the stage and retreated to her dressing room. At the same moment, the Stage Hands pointed up-stage left, and I hurried behind the Abbey drop, suddenly knowing full well whom I would find there and what she had been about. I fully intended to take this puffed-up dolly down a peg or two. The noise of my wooden footsteps echoed across the stage and must have alerted the perpetrator. I heard the swish of long skirts and saw the swirl of black curtains. Dark velvet enveloped me. I spun inside the depths of the tormentors, barely clinging to consciousness.
To be continued....
** Teasers are the horizontal masking curtains.
***A Scapular is part of a nun’s habit, sleeveless outer garment that hangs from the shoulders.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
The Affair of the Pilfered Pastry-Part 1
Dear Enthusiasts of Crime Fiction,
I have arrived safely in the Wiregrass, a region of the Deep South
encompassing small corners of Alabama, Georgia and Florida. After
over-nighting in the local Post Office Hostel, I made my way to the
Enterprise High School Performing Arts Center, whereupon I found myself
with immediate employment in solving a small mystery which I have set
down in my case book as "The Affair of the Pilfered Pastry".
As soon as my SOC photographer emerges from the darkroom, pictures will
be posted.
Yours,
Hitty Agatha
The word "actor" is derived from the Greek, "hypokrites", from which, as you can no doubt see, we English speakers receive our term for a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion: hypocrite. Armed with that knowledge, I was escorted by Hitty Hedydd and The Stage Manager to the beautiful Performing Arts Center at the newly built Enterprise High School.
(Many of you may recall the destruction of the old high school and, sadly, the loss of eight young lives by a vicious tornado in 2007. The Hitty community throughout the United States rallied behind the Wiregrass Hitties to raise 1200 dollars for UMCOR. http://www.hittygirls.com/research/enterprise/enterprise.htm)
Hedydd disappeared into the long hall of dressing rooms to prepare for her role in “The Sound of Music”. I found myself installed on the property table backstage and given the task of organizing the props. The Stage Manager was quite firm. "Unless it is their personal prop, Agatha, no one should touch the props, play with them, or otherwise even consider them. Above all, NO ONE must eat them", she said, pointing to a silver tray piled with delicate ladyfingers. "Actors are notorious for their appetites and, beyond their craft, have very little discipline - be vigilant".
Hedydd emerged from the dressing room, swept across the stage to examine the conductor’s score and make a few minor adjustments for her solo.
The assumption of a costume had somewhat altered Hedydd’s usual sunny disposition. I watched her from the darkened wings. Other cast and crew were now arriving in the theatre as the time for “curtain up” drew closer. The stage hands busied themselves with the rigging and the drops; actors dashed about in various states of undress and make-up.
Hedydd called up to the booth and demanded lights before she began her warm-ups. “Mi-Me-Ma-Mo-Mu, Mi-Me-Ma-Mo Mu”, she sang and, taking breath for a moment said, “and where is my vocal coach? Agatha”, she practically hissed, “Be a dear, and fetch her”. I abandoned my post, hurried to find Hedydd’s coach and conveyed her to the stage where Hedydd stood fuming under the hot lights.
Turning to the dark of the wings, it took my eyes a moment to adjust after the brilliance of being under the lights. It did seem like something was causing more of a reflection than there ought to be. The tormentors* billowed as doors opened and closed in the house. The flash seemed to be coming from the property table. Something was catching the beams of light filtering in as the curtains moved. Alas, I perceived at once what it was. In my haste to do Hedydd’s bidding, I had left the ladyfingers unattended! They were all gone, saving a few crumbs.
* Tormentors are side curtains used for masking the backstage.
I have arrived safely in the Wiregrass, a region of the Deep South
encompassing small corners of Alabama, Georgia and Florida. After
over-nighting in the local Post Office Hostel, I made my way to the
Enterprise High School Performing Arts Center, whereupon I found myself
with immediate employment in solving a small mystery which I have set
down in my case book as "The Affair of the Pilfered Pastry".
As soon as my SOC photographer emerges from the darkroom, pictures will
be posted.
Yours,
Hitty Agatha
The word "actor" is derived from the Greek, "hypokrites", from which, as you can no doubt see, we English speakers receive our term for a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion: hypocrite. Armed with that knowledge, I was escorted by Hitty Hedydd and The Stage Manager to the beautiful Performing Arts Center at the newly built Enterprise High School.
(Many of you may recall the destruction of the old high school and, sadly, the loss of eight young lives by a vicious tornado in 2007. The Hitty community throughout the United States rallied behind the Wiregrass Hitties to raise 1200 dollars for UMCOR. http://www.hittygirls.com/research/enterprise/enterprise.htm)
Hedydd disappeared into the long hall of dressing rooms to prepare for her role in “The Sound of Music”. I found myself installed on the property table backstage and given the task of organizing the props. The Stage Manager was quite firm. "Unless it is their personal prop, Agatha, no one should touch the props, play with them, or otherwise even consider them. Above all, NO ONE must eat them", she said, pointing to a silver tray piled with delicate ladyfingers. "Actors are notorious for their appetites and, beyond their craft, have very little discipline - be vigilant".
Hedydd emerged from the dressing room, swept across the stage to examine the conductor’s score and make a few minor adjustments for her solo.
The assumption of a costume had somewhat altered Hedydd’s usual sunny disposition. I watched her from the darkened wings. Other cast and crew were now arriving in the theatre as the time for “curtain up” drew closer. The stage hands busied themselves with the rigging and the drops; actors dashed about in various states of undress and make-up.
Hedydd called up to the booth and demanded lights before she began her warm-ups. “Mi-Me-Ma-Mo-Mu, Mi-Me-Ma-Mo Mu”, she sang and, taking breath for a moment said, “and where is my vocal coach? Agatha”, she practically hissed, “Be a dear, and fetch her”. I abandoned my post, hurried to find Hedydd’s coach and conveyed her to the stage where Hedydd stood fuming under the hot lights.
Turning to the dark of the wings, it took my eyes a moment to adjust after the brilliance of being under the lights. It did seem like something was causing more of a reflection than there ought to be. The tormentors* billowed as doors opened and closed in the house. The flash seemed to be coming from the property table. Something was catching the beams of light filtering in as the curtains moved. Alas, I perceived at once what it was. In my haste to do Hedydd’s bidding, I had left the ladyfingers unattended! They were all gone, saving a few crumbs.
* Tormentors are side curtains used for masking the backstage.
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