Day 638: Sunshine and more caves

Day 638:

The area with the river cave had another cave behind it. I found that out chasing a seam of ore (of course).

That second cave opened up into a deep cavern with no roof. Which I guess makes it a hole? Anyway, it’s loaded with ore and has a pond of what appears to be rainwater at the bottom. No fish or anything, it’s too shallow.

I’m considering filling the whole thing in since it seems quite fond of housing monsters. But first I’m getting the ore out and checking for sand.

And then I’m considering. What do you do with a giant hole in the ground? If it had bats in it, I’d leave it alone, but it appears to be lifeless (except for aforementioned monsters). It’s a health hazard to just have a giant hole in the ground. I could put a fence around it I suppose, or work on grading it so it’s not so deadly. Or fill it in.

I suppose this is less like mining and more like landscaping. On the other hand, if the hole didn’t have a ton of ore in it I wouldn’t be exploring it, and if I wasn’t exploring it, I’d just cap it with some dirt and move on.

Ethics is hard, especially now that I know there are real people living on this rock. Murderers, yes, but real murderers that don’t deserve to lose a leg to a giant hole.

Day 637: You’re not going to believe this…

Day 637:

You’re not going to believe this, but I’m bored of digging underground.

I tried going back underground today to dig and it was dark and cold and I was so lonely. So after a while I came aboveground again and hugged my cows.

Tomorrow I’m going back to the place where I was digging out the sand and working there in the sun and the trees with the zombies and the skeletons. It’s an odd choice, but I’m comfortable with it.

Day 636: ok less ranting more running

Day 636: still looking for sand in this lake/river combination I’m mining. I’ve found some good diorite while I’m out here. And one of those frogging murderers has found me. So I got shot at a bit.

Glad to say my diamond armor held up okay and his leather armor didn’t.

Not glad to say that it was probably my ranting and raving at the walls of the cave that drew his attention, and I’m thinking it’s time for me to go back to quiet or underground work.

Young Explorer’s Adventure Guide Volume 6

Two years ago, my story “The Smell of Home,” about an old dog who turned out to be more than he seemed, was published in the 2018 Young Explorer’s Adventure Guide. Last year,  my story “The Ground Shifted”, about a teen with a vestibular disorder discovering the source of her problems, was accepted for publication  in the Young Explorer’s Adventure Guide Volume 5.

This year, “Three Minutes Ahead” about a young girl who gets premonitions of the future, can see into multiple universes, and lost her service dog, was accepted for publication in the Young Explorer’s Adventure Guide Volume 6.

The Young Explorers Adventure Guide series is middle-grade/young adult science fiction aimed to represent a diverse range of characters and situations. I’ve enjoyed writing for it, and as far as I know all the kids who’ve read it have enjoyed reading from it.

The kickstarter for this year’s volume launched recently and you can preorder/pledge for a copy now.

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(OMG that cover is gorgeous!)

Day 635: still ranting

Day 635:

And another thing: I don’t care that I’m on a rock with no good metal core in the middle of nowhere: when i dig into the side of a cliff, I expect the dirt that’s over my head to collapse like any good honest dirt would do. None of this floating in the air because it hasn’t realized it’s supposed to be falling garbage.

Seriously, why is it that a skeleton can fall right down on my head without so much as a “look out below” but entire vegetable gardens worth of soil can just hang up in the sky like freaking clouds?

I hate this place.