by Kim Van Sickler
[Kim's posts will all relate to her MG historical fiction novel with a paranormal twist: Muleskinner. Here's the pitch: An extraordinary canal dog gives twelve-year-old mule driver, Clay, the conviction to fight against a highly suspect Indenture agreement his pa supposedly signed...right before Pa was found swinging from a tree above Lonesome Lock.]
My muleskinner walks along with the mules pulling the freighter
Bonnie Lass. His freighter measures about 80-feet long and 14-feet wide and carries supplies like pig iron, boilers, stoves, plows, and general supplies from Cleveland to Akron and coal from Akron back to Cleveland. It's made up of three cabins and the empty space in between: the stern (aft) cabin is where Ruby, the mother of Owen (the bowman) and Loomis (the captain) sleeps and doubles as the kitchen. The bow (fore) cabin is where the men (and Clay initially) sleep. The middle cabin is where the mules are stabled, and where Clay beds down with his new-found dog, Lucky.
The
Bonnie Lass and walking back and forth from Cleveland to Akron on the Ohio Canal towpath is the only world that Clay has ever known.
Fascinating how they used to move goods, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great story. And you've done a great job with the details.
ReplyDeleteStopping by on the 7th day of the #Challenge. Congratulations on a well presented blog and theme for #atoZ. Know you are going to make new blogging friends. If you have time or interest, I am writing about gardening and related topics this month. Stop by.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. Enjoyed reading it.
ReplyDeleteThank goodness for modern conveniences. That freighter must have been tough to pull.
ReplyDeleteSuch an interesting setting for a novel!
ReplyDeleteI'm enjoying this alphabet journey.
ReplyDelete