IanG

I'm glad you can see the positive side of your mother and yout relationship. I hope you continue to heal. Some things will never be the same again, but we learn to deal with it. I wish you didn't have to learn so young but it can be done.

Children will probably like how the parrot goes from zero to hero. It would take more than 20 parrots to right the ship but you're using a surreal premise all along so you might get away with it. Its a nice twist at the end.

You evoke the setting very well, especially the swim on the summers day.

The pigeon and what it left is a witty touch. I've heard before that people in dry climates welcome rain so that rings true. In my native Britain rain means gloom, but I can see why things would be different in a desert.

A sweet story and also a timely one about taking others as they are.

I like the comparison of the ringmaster to a potato. You evoke a different, I think more innocent time very well. The attempted robbey came up ratber suddenly, its as well to foreshadow these tbings. Then again it would be sudden for them. Overall, well done.

This is an evocative, if sad, story. I took a holidsy in Kingussie many years ago and I like dogs, so it struck a chord with me. Well done.

This is a nice twist on the theme of don't underestimate the elderly. Chsracters and settings are described very well