Grayling, the fourth game fish.
A bad day's fishing beats a good day's writing

When Alex joins the Waterborne community in the Med she meets others. The book is not all death and adventure and I just want to share this little bit of fun:

The Waterborne community of the Mediterranean absorbed Alexandra’s attention for days, then weeks, then months. She met new spirits almost daily.

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I’m just going for a Euphemism.

Euphemisms were invented to hide unpleasant truths or socially unacceptable vocabulary. By shrouding the telling in a gentle cloak, we disguise that which we feel we must utter but would rather ignore. They also can be useful when trying to hide vulgarity or sexual references, especially for the closet prude or when in mixed company. My favourite is “He told me to have sex and travel.”
One concept which has probably as many euphemisms as sex and bodily functions is death:

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A comment from 'jak' has prompted me to make this report:

As I publish each part of my novel in the blog I have no idea about the sequence in which the parts will appear in the book! It is a matter which will be sorted when all the parts are written. All I know is that each of the character's stories carries them gradually closer to each other; although not always smoothly. I use timeshift and flashback type techniques so a bit of final editing will be needed to make it all work in harmony.

The story, briefly, is about two lovers who are seperated when the woman drowns in the Med. A year later the grieving man commits suicide by drowning in a Yorkshire river. They both become 'Waterborne' spirits and the meat of the story is in their adventures as they roam the seas and rivers looking for each other.
Will they meet in the end?
What do you think!

As Philip explores the rivers from within he enters a steep learning curve (no, I do not mean a waterfall!). The apparently benign element holds dangers!................

A stream flows in from the left. I have fished on this confluence; always a productive place. I know this stream. I fished it with a short rod and light line, deep between the overhanging trees in the shady pools on hot summer days. The trout I caught here were generally juvenile, hungry and suicidal. Just occasionally I would be surprised by a heave on the line of a real monster.

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Here Philip starts his river journey and witnesses a fly fisherman from a fishes perspective.
I wonder if this bit of self indulgence would interfere too much with the flow of the narrative.
All comments welcome.

Fool. The water is your carriage, why do you worry about moving?
‘Go with the flow’ has a new meaning - a literal meaning. The trees and the reeds wave to me as the water weed waved to me in the other life.
There, on the bank, is an angler. How delightful. I will stop and watch him.

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Cormorants

Six months after his tragic loss Philip, and Trevor the river-keeper, walked by the pale brown reeds along the side of the chalk-stream in the sharp February morning air; their boots soaked with dew. Each had a small-bore shotgun under an arm; the barrels hanging safely away from the firing mechanism, but still the brassy discs of two cartridges sat ready in the breach of each gun. The quarry for the day, as on many other occasions, were the cormorants.

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The next part of "The Waterborne" is about to appear. I have struggled with it.
I dislike anthropomorphism intensely. Little bunnies in waistcoats make me cringe.

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Now it shouldn't, should it?
Amateurs.

Whilst waiting for a Halle Orchestra concert of Sibelius and Rachmaninov to begin at the magnificent Bridgewater Hall in Manchester, the usual announcements were made:

Good evening ladies and gentlemen and welcome to the Bridgewater Hall. Could I remind you to switch off mobile phones, pagers and watch alarms.

Then the lady stopped. She should have continued:

Could I also ask that you quickly decide which spectacles will give you the best view of the orchestra and then put the other pair away with the customary loud snap of the case, BEFORE the first piece begins. Ditto for handbag clasps.
If you didn’t manage to eat before you came out then, why not! Most of us eat at the table. If you are so badly organised that you couldn’t manage that, then why on earth did you buy the junk food with the loudest wrapper?
If you have brought small children because you couldn’t find a baby-sitter and you thought that classical music would improve their brain-power then please tie them to the seat and gag them. Mozart and Bach do have a positive influence on the brain. You have brought them to a Sibelius concert – perhaps you should ALL go home and listen to lots and lots of Mozart.
If you have a cough then you should be at home in bed.
Try to enjoy the concert.

Grayling 9/07