Author: Dawn Renee Miller

Lifelong writer of boring things like specs and reqs ready to spread her wings with some creativity.
travel, writing

Fairy Pool Frivolity

Posted on by Dawn Renee Miller

Near the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, the mountains rise up and the thick rainforest covers the mountainside. We hiked the dense forest on a winding trail which included suspension rope bridges and narrow steps up and down the slopes.

From one of the suspension bridges, we spied our ultimate destination. A row of fairy pools fed by a stream originating further up in the mountains glistened beneath us.

We wound our way back down the trail. The final descent was steep and the sweat from our hike clung to our brow. The fairy pools enticed us to keep climbing down.

Finally we arrived at the pools. A continual rush of water made its way down the mountainside, filling the main pool and spilling over its edge, downstream to smaller pools.

We set down our packs and slid out of our hiking boots and clothes. Everyone had donned suits underneath, knowing these pools were our destination. We stuck our toes in the water. It was cold and refreshing compared to the heat in the Costa Rican sun.

Rich and Don jumped right in, splashing about and rough housing like the childhood playmates they were. April and I found our way to a shallow spot where we could relax and avoid the chaos from the guys.

Someone had suspended a rope up the rock where the water cascaded. The guys climbed up the rope and slid back down the rock, splashing in the pool.

I decided why should just the guys have all the fun? I waved to April and dove into the pool. The power of the water coming down was more forceful than I expected. I found the end of the rope and pulled myself to the base of the rock, staying out of the splash zone as much as possible.

While I didn’t have the arm strength like the guys, I floated in and out of the falling water. It felt good on my shoulders, massaging away any stiffness from carrying my pack.

Finally, I let the rope go and allowed the water to push me back into the center of the pool. We all climbed out of the pool and dried off after floating around a little more.

We found a dry spot, unpacking and drinking our waters then hiked back out of the jungle. The hike out was flatter and easier than the hike in. When we arrived back at the post where we started, we were greeted with a delicious Costa Rican meal to refuel us for the rest of our day.

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travel, writing

North Sea Sleep

Posted on by Dawn Renee Miller

A snippet of imagery

The cruise had been rough all day. Sea legs were hard to come by as the ship keel raised and lowered through the high swells. Melissa crawled her way from the stateroom’s bathroom to the bed. If only the rocking would stop for a few moments, she might be able to finally fall asleep and get through the night and hopefully the storm.

She finally made it to the bed and laid on her back, staring at the ceiling. When she tried to close her eyes, waves of nausea would return. Her eyelids were heavy, having been ill for several hours. The doors in the cabin knocked back and forth, squealing on their hinges and banging open and closed. Each sound would make Melissa come out of any rest she might get. Finally, exhaustion overcame the nausea and she succumbed to slumber. As she slept, the bed felt as if it was falling away from her and then catching her as the ship came back to center.

A loud thud shook the entire room as if they had hit a wall. The sound of breaking glass startled her and her cabin mates awake. The ship shuddered and groaned from the impact. Yelps for help throughout the ship could be heard as the passengers awoke startled from the event.

A steward knocked on the door. “Everyone alright in there?”

Rich, one of Melissa’s cabin mates, answered the door. “Yes, but we have broken glass everywhere.”

The steward looked as green as Melissa. He came in the room and assisted with cleaning up the broken glass and removed all other glasses from the room.

Melissa looked around the room. It looked like it had been tossed by burglars. The shelf where the glasses had been stowed was missing its metal bar. Melissa saw the bar and put it back in place.

The waves continued to rock the boat. Melissa became woozy again as the adrenalin wore off. Rich helped her back to bed and he finished straightening up anything that needed immediate attention.

The next morning, all of the rough weather had subsided as they had pulled into port. All of the passengers and crew had a rough night. The steward who helped them the night before came by to check in.

Rich inquired, “What caused that horrible thud last night? We know it was rough, but did we hit something?”

The steward looked at him. “We hit a rogue wave last night. The crew will be checking for damage to the hull now that we are in port. The bridge indicates it was at least a thirty-foot wave.” Melissa’s eyes grew wide, no wonder it felt like she was falling last night….she was.

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About Me, writing

Gulf Side Memory

Posted on by Dawn Renee Miller

Moving from the cold frozen north of Illinois, I knew as a child I may never have to don a snowsuit again when we found our way to Florida. I had a yellow ten speed which I would ride from our condo to the front gate to catch the schoolbus, and then ride it back again at the end of the school day. I was the last to get on the bus, and the last to get off.

I couldn’t wait to be home each day. My mom and stepdad had rented a gulf front condo with a nice screened back porch, a lanai really. I was a latch-key kid as they called us back in those days. On my arrival home, I would grab a towel and my school books then go sit at our table outside to do my homework. The warm breezes and the glass like surface of the water calmed any childhood angst I had and allowed me to concentrate.

Like clockwork, around 4:15 PM, the rains would roll in. Most times, I was done with my homework at that point. I’d close up my books and stow them away to prevent anything from getting wet. I’d wrap my purple and yellow striped towel around my shoulders and sit there, watching as the rain would roll in from the gulf.

The small islets outside our condo would become blurry as the rain took over and the smooth water would give way to ripples and eventually waves if the winds were strong enough. My towel would protect me from the spray as the rain splashed against the screens.

The rains normally would pass in fifteen to twenty minutes. By then, my short cropped hair would be damp and begin to curl up. I’d wipe off any excess with my towel, then dry off the table and chair. If I had more homework to do, I’d wrap it up. Otherwise, I would sit there, trying to see if there were any dolphins playing in the water and watch the birds fly by until it would get dark when my parents would arrive home.

We only lived on the water like that for six short months. I occasionally find my way there as an adult to reminisce and enjoy the view, grateful for having had the experience.

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poetry, writing

Weariness

Posted on by Dawn Renee Miller

My eyes open slowly, fighting the new day.

I stumble from my slumber, struggling with my shirt and jogging pants.

I finally make it to the door, greeted by a cold rush of wind.

I must push onward. That goal is waiting at the end….and what a goal it is.

Days like today will be worth the push, I tell myself.

I see my breath in the crisp morning air.

Left foot, right foot, left foot.

Don’t give up.

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travel, writing

A Day in London

Posted on by Dawn Renee Miller

Based on a trip from 2019

Weary eyed from an overnight flight from the states, we found our way from Gatwick to London. At least we were staying at the Grosvenor near the terminus of the line. We stumbled with stacks of luggage for 5 up the small back stair from the station, and found our way to the concierge. Thankfully we could check our luggage for the day until our rooms were ready.

We enjoyed a buffet breakfast in the hotel full of classic London fair, coffee, and tea…glorious hot tea. Over breakfast, our group decided to do a Red Bus tour; we only had a day and everyone was tired from the flight. A bus tour seemed like a good way to see the sights with low energy.

The day started out rainy, but gave way to crisp temperatures and blue skies for most of our tour. When seats were available, I found my way to the top of the bus to get some of the best pictures I could as the sights flew by.

Bundled in my scarf and jacket, exhaustion took over at times. I found myself drifting off and leaning on my travel companion to keep warm. I couldn’t wait until we could settle into our room.

We hopped off the tour when it reached Buckingham Palace. By then, we found our second wind. We walked out front, admiring the statue of Nike and the gates in front of the Palace.

Our hotel was only a short walk away and check-in time had arrived. Naps were in order once we checked in. The linens swallowed me as I drifted off to sleep. I could have slept the rest of the afternoon and overnight until we needed to head to the port for our cruise. But we had agreed to do dinner together, so sleep was secondary on the agenda yet again.

We were greeted with more rain when we met up with the rest of our party for dinner in the beautiful lobby of the Grosvenor. We ended up having dinner in the same restaurant as breakfast to avoid the weather. Dinner was just as good…or maybe we were just hungry! So goes our London experience. In the morning, we were headed to Brighton, England, to catch our ship.

If I am ever on the British Isles again, it will be a land tour with more time in London. The vibrant city holds more than anyone can see in just a single day.

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poetry, writing

Finding What I Lost?

Posted on by Dawn Renee Miller

Travels down memory lane

Stir up feelings once thought long gone

Yet they feel as fresh as yesterday.

I wish I could transport back and see

If I had done things differently,

Where would my life be?

I will keep the memories, the good and bad,

And the lessons of yesterday

as I come back to now, hoping I found

A little piece of myself I was missing

From all those years ago.

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writing

Break In – Chapter 4

Posted on by Dawn Renee Miller

Carol stared intently at Officer Tatum. “How did you do it? How did you figure out who broke in to Shana Lee’s house?”

Officer Tatum smiled to himself. He outsmarted the ace reporter. “Well, Miss Whiting, that’s simple. It was pure detective work.” Billy was proud of beating Carol to the punch this time.

Carol, not losing her inquisitiveness, continued to question Officer Tatum. “Did knowing Joelle was Johanna Smith lead to any breaks in the case?”

“Why, yes, it did Carol. I had put together a list of contacts the night of the break in when I realized the connection,” he smirked; he wasn’t going to let her take any credit for that find.

She frowned a bit, but pushed on, “So, how did you know it was John?

Billy leaned back in his chair. “I didn’t. I staked out Johanna’s gravesite, figuring whoever did it didn’t know about Jo’s passing.”

Carol looked up. “So, my article helped solve the case?”

Billy recognized she was looking for validation. He decided to give it to her. “Miss Whiting, it sure did. But next time, would you mind checking with me before blowing up my case?”

Carol stood up and extended her hand. “Thank you Officer Tatum! I hope we’ll get to work together more in the future.”

“It’s Bill,” he replied as he gave her hand a shake.

Carol, satisfied with her interview, headed out of the Precinct. Her phone rang.

A voice quaked on the other side, “Is this Miss Whiting?”

Carol responded “Yes. Is everything okay?”

“It’s Shana Lee. Could you come by my house, the Smith house? I found something I need to share with you. The sooner, the better.

Carol turned around and made a beeline for Shana’s place.

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writing

Break In – Chapter 3

Posted on by Dawn Renee Miller

Officer Tatum stormed in to the precinct. “Did you see the headline? For once, I wish they’d just let me do my job!”

Deputy McComb looked over the edge of the paper. “Why are you griping Bill? Because Carol figured out the big question from last night’s break in?”

The paper headline read “Who’s Joelle?” with Johanna’s picture pasted right beside it.

Bill, exasperated, bellowed, “I figured it out last night. Couldn’t Carol at least wait until one of us make a statement?”

“You know her, she always needs to pounce on any story with a mystery behind it. You really should give her a chance,” McComb commented between the sips of his coffee. “She’s a bright one!”

Bill grumbled to himself as he sat down to finish up the paperwork from the night before. “We still need to figure out who broke in to Miss Lee’s place. I need to follow up on some leads,” he scoffed as he picked up his phone.

Across town, John sat in Gregory’s Diner, reading the town gazette. He couldn’t believe what he was reading. Jojo passed away just a few months after he went to jail. After all this time, his pent up anger about how he thought she left him faded away, and a tear streamed down his face.

I need to make this right, he thought to himself. He headed out to the florist for flowers and found his way to Jojo’s gravesite.

When he arrived at Douglas Cemetery, he drove around to the Langford section, expecting her to be buried with her family. He walked up and down the hillside and eventually found himself in the Smith family section.

He found her stone finally, laying the flowers on the headstone. To the right, he saw a smaller headstone with the name Gloria Smith. It had the same date of death as Jojo.

John collapsed between the two headstones to his knees. He sat there, crying for what seemed like an hour.

He started to gather himself when a hand gently laid down on his shoulder. “Want to go talk about it?” Officer Tatum inquired. “You’ll have to ride with me, but it’s time for lunch. Then we can get this all sorted out with Miss Lee.

John looked up. “I never meant any harm. I loved her so much, it tore me apart, Sir.”

Officer Tatum helped John up. “I know son, love has us do crazy things at time.”

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writing

Break In – Chapter 2

Posted on by Dawn Renee Miller

Officer Tatum finally ended his day. Aside from the break in at the Smith house today, his little town rarely brought any excitement to his policing duties. He pulled off his cap as he arrived home and hung it on the coat pegs just inside the mud room. He slipped out of his boots and took in a big sigh. The air smelled sweet of sugar, butter and vanilla.

‘Hey honey! How was your day?’ his wife hollered from the kitchen. Jessica’s sweet voice was always music to his ears.

He stood up and turned the corner to see her at the oven, baking away. “Another experiment for the bakery?” he cooed as he tried to sneak a cookie off a tray.

Jessica turned to him. “Billy, get your hands off those!” she teased as he quickly bit into the shortbread. “What am I going to do with you?” she brightly exclaimed as she moved in for a quick kiss.

“Love me, of course! My day was the usual, except a break in down at the old Smith place. We don’t even think perp meant to break in. The poor girl had just moved in this week and she didn’t even know him.”

“Did you catch him?” Jess inquired.

“No. According to the victim, he kept hollering the name Joelle. Do you remember anyone by that name?”

Jessica pondered, “You’d think someone here would remember a name like that. We’re a pretty small town.” Jessica appeared to be racking her brain. “I seem to remember a Johanna Langford….do you think that could be who he was looking for?”

Billy froze solid. Before Jessica, he and Johanna had briefly dated. “It might be… I remember some folks called her Jo L.” He stopped short about how Jojo hated being called Johanna. Jessica didn’t need to know about that. “She ended up marrying Gary Smith and lived in that very house a few months before she passed away a couple years ago. Gary couldn’t handle it and left town shortly afterward.”

Jessica looked at Billy. ‘So she was our age? I wonder if we might know the person who broke in. Why would someone break in to someone’s house when they are already gone?” Jessica paused, thinking for a moment, then asked, “What did she die from?”

Billy recalled to Jessica how she met Gary in some whirlwind romance after her former boyfriend John was dramatically hauled away and placed in jail. Within 4 months, she had passed from complications from her pregnancy.

“I wonder if Gary lost his mind and came back. He did take it hard when she passed away. But why?” Billy put down some notes for him to follow up on in the morning. “Can I please have another cookie?” he sweet talked to Jessica, batting his eyes. Jess just rolled hers as she handed him another shortbread.

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writing

The Challenge of the Goal

Posted on by Dawn Renee Miller

The air was cold on this dreary Wednesday in normally sunny and warm Florida. Every day had been tolerable or comfortable to make my goal this year — 4 miles or 10,000 steps, whichever is greater. Today however is a challenge.

I awoke, tired and sore. The bed was a cozy and comfortable warm hug. Cocooned in the comforter, I could have slept more, but the need to work forced me finally out of bed. No early miles today.

The morning flew in a flurry of needs from my job. Make this schedule, follow up on that, walk through a problem here, solve that there. Finally lunch came. My fellow came out and offered to make lunch, and afterward, coaxed me into a loop to get in my first mile. I donned my father’s fleece jacket, a navy jacket with an emblem from the Smokies, which my Mom had found a few years ago. It is a warm reminder of him after his being gone for 15 years.

Back to work and the day dragged on with the drudgery of more work, more problems to solve, more things to accomplish. Finally I wrapped up my day and donned my shoes for some more steps.

Pains invaded my hip and foot as I tried to get moving. The cold air penetrated to my bones. Make it through the first mile, that will warm me up, then the rest is easy, I told myself, but my limp worsened with each step.

As I rounded the first half mile for this journey, the wind turned stronger and the sky began dropping a fine mist on my head. I turned and headed back home. Fifty percent of the way…

Six hours to go, maybe I’ll get the motivation to finish this after dinner. Hopefully the pain subsides and the rain lifts so I can meet the challenge of this goal. Not giving up!

UPDATE! Today’s goal met! Pushed through the funk in the cold, but the drizzle had stopped.

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