Lesson #4/1

1. The bakery was jam-packed this early dark gray morning. The aroma of fresh-baked bread and oh-so-rich treats permeated the air. I pulled the lever on the ticket machine, the familiar 'click' producing a neon green ticket. Number 0012 was boldly staring back at me. I glanced at the electric sign on the wall, now serving 0010 shown in bright red. While I waited my turn, I looked over the display cases. Mouth-watering temptations lined every shelf. I smacked my lips, waiting to savor my favorites. Finally, it was my turn! I purchased a few chocolate cream-filled donuts, 2 sticky buns and one loaf of potato bread, still warm from the oven. With any luck, the donuts would make it back to the house!
sight: jam-packed, dark gray, neon green, printed, boldly, glanced, shown, bright red
smell: aroma, permeated
touch: pulled, warm
sound: 'click', smacked
taste: mouth-watering, sweet

2. A week of white sand and crystal blue water is just what the doctor ordered!  The beach house is a small bungalow set back amongst the stately palm trees. A stroll through the backyard reveals an abundance of tropical foliage in hues of greens. Brilliant shades of pink, purple and yellow extend the branches. The fragrant aroma of the flowers surround the yard. The buzzing bees and butterflies dance from bloom to bloom, savoring the sweet nectars. The ocean's edge lies beyond the yard. The waves crash to the shore, he warm breeze blows through my hair, caressing my skin. I just may have to extend this vacation !
sight: white sand, crystal blue, small, stately, hues of green, shades of pink, purple, yellow,
smell: fragrant aroma, surround
touch: dance, warm, blows, caressing
sound: buzzing, crash
taste: savoring, sweet

3. The bus was over-crowded. You can't move without bumping into someone else. Everyone was talking at the same time and my head was pounding from trying to tune them all out. The ride was jarring due to the potholed roads currently under construction. It seems we have hit every red light today too, because this short trip across town has taken forever. Horns are blaring and tires are screeching, its rush hour and everyone has a place they need to be. Hopefully my car is out of the shop today and this will my last day using public transportation.
sight: potholed, red,
touch: bumping, pounding, jarring
sound: talking, tune, blaring, screeching

4. Awoken to a cold nose and a poof of warm air against my cheek, I opened an eye to a pair of vivid gold eyes staring back at me. I gave Calypso a gentle shove, knowing it was time for her breakfast, but I just wanted a few more minutes of sleep. A nudge against my arm, a slight mew and her purr told me her patience had come to an end. She rubbed her head along the side of my face, her soft, velvety fur tickling my skin. I gave her head a pat and her purrdeepened. She licked my chin and pranced to the foot of the bed. She won and she knew it! I took a whiff of the air and now I noticed it, no aroma of coffee scented the house. She even beat the ding of the timer on my coffee maker this morning! My day doesn't start without the rich flavor of that first cup of coffee. There was a still a chill in the air and in my haste to feed Calypso, I forgot socks so the kitchen tiles were cool on my bare feet, sending chills over my skin. I heard the loud meow and knew she would wait no longer. I reached for her red food dish as I pressed the coffeemaker on button. The gurgling and dripping of coffee began almost immediately. I popped the top off the cat food, spooned it into the bowl and set it at my feet. Calypso sniffed it, looked up at me and mewed, as if to say she approves of the variety I chose and began to eat. Tapping my nails on the counter, waiting for my first cup of coffee, I glanced at the clock. No wonder she was up so early, daylight savings time began! I hate losing an hour of sleep!
sight: vivid gold, staring, red, spooned, looked, glanced
smell: aroma, scented, sniffed
touch: cold, poof, gentle shove, nudge, soft, velvety, tickling, cool, chills
sound: slight mew, purr, ding, gurgling, dripping, popped, mewed, tapping
taste: licked, rich flavor, variety

5. The clear, cool night was perfect for camping away from the city. The logs crackled in the fire, popping and sending orange embers into the air. The flames danced against the breeze, giving off a warm glow. There is a hoot of an owl off in the distance while the crickets chirp to one another. Lying back in my chair, I look up to the midnight sky. The stars shine so bright and seem so close, it's as if you can reach out and grab one.
sight: clear, orange, danced, look, shine, bright
touch: cool, warm,reach, grab
sound: crackled, popping, hoot, chirp

6. I promised I would take my niece and nephew to the county fair this year. We arrived and parked the Jeep out in the designated reserved field and the kids were already excited and shouting to me what they wanted to do first. With no regard to the soggy mud we sank into as we walked or the bees buzzing around their heads, they just grabbed a hold of my hands and tugged me onward. Kara wanted to go see the big horses and Jake wanted to be spun on the tilt-a-whirl but they both agreed they wanted food first. We ended up at the midway. Food booths and their aromas of every sort were waiting to be sampled. Kara's oohs and aahs over the sweet cotton candy told me what she wanted first but Jake told her she had to have 'real' food like soft bread and tender meat before she ate dessert. He headed to the greasy cheese steak booth! Kara giggled and yanked me towards the sugar. I told her just for today the order in which they ate didn't matter so she got her rainbow cotton candy. She sat next to Jake as she ate it, pulling off sticky pieces one at a time. First a blue piece, then pink, then yellow. She shoved a piece at me and I caught a whiff of berries. I took a bite of it and it immediately began to melt on my tongue. Blueberry flavored! Explains why Kara's lips and chin are blue-tinted!! Oh and Jake informed me carnival cheese steaks are not greasy, they are juicy!!! Kids, gotta love them!
sight: big, spun, rainbow, blue, pink, yellow, shoved, blue-tinted.
smell: aromas, whiff
touch: soggy, grabbed, tugged, soft, tender, yanked, sticky
sound: shouting, buzzing, oohs and aahs, giggled
taste: sampled, sweet, greasy, flavored, juicy

7. A line of people wound around the corner of the old family diner. On the weekends, you simply waited to get a table. The ambience of the place was friendly, homey-like. The waitresses wore blue and white jumpers and white waitress hats. The specialty of the house is their fried chicken and sweet cornbread and it kept the locals coming back. The breading on the chicken was extra crispy. Every bite emits a crunch yet the meat on the inside is tender and juicy. Their secret recipe cornbread was more desert than cake, its sweet goodness just melted in your mouth. 
sight: wound, blue, white, jumpers,
taste: mouth-watering, tender, juicy, sweet, melted
sound: crispy, crunch

8. The bright headlights flashed me from behind, accompanied by a honking horn a few times in rapid succession. I glanced down at my speedometer and it read sixty five.  A few seconds went by and he did it again.  Looking in my rear view mirror I observe the car. Obviously in a hurry the car wants by but on this two lane winding road I was in his way. I slowed down so the agitated driver would pass me. He flies into the oncoming lane and as he passes me, he lays on his horn, the blaring noise diminishing as he pulls ahead. The shiny yellow sports car is already several car lengths in front of me within seconds. I watch his red tail lights disappear into the distance. 
sight: bright, flashed, glanced, read sixty five., looking, observe, two lane, winding road, shiny yellow, red tail lights
sound: honking, blaring, diminishing

9. The frozen lake reflected the purple sky as the sun began to set on the horizon. The wind was gusty, blowing snow over the rough surface of the ice. I pulled the hood of my green jacket over my head and kept walking, kicking snow as I went. It was cold, but the feel of the crisp air on my face was refreshing after being cooped up in the hotel room. The snowstorm came out of nowhere. A few inches was expected, remembering the words of the weatherman. Yeah right I said to myself. Fifteen inches were left behind the windy storm that passed through yesterday. It was relatively quiet out here now, just the occasional whistle of the wind and the thud and scraping of the plows heard in the distance. Now maybe the airport will re-open and I can fly home.
sight: frozen lake, purple sky, blowing snow, rough surface, green,
touch: gusty, kicking, feel, crisp air,
sound: remembering the words, said, whistle, thud, scraping

10. Clunk clunk clunk! The horrendous thumping was coming from the basement. I swung open the door, slamming it into the wall and descended the stairs two at a time. At the bottom I stepped off and let out a shriek! Instead of the soft, green carpet under my feet, I was now standing in icy cold water! For a few seconds I didn't move, still hearing the thunderous banging coming from the laundry room. I waded the water a few feet and opened the laundry door. The washing machine rocked back and forth, soap suds bubbling out over the top. I hit the blue power knob and with a click, the machine went silent and still.
sound: clunk, thumping, slamming, shriek, thunderous banging, click
touch: icy cold, soft,
sight: green, rocked back and forth, suds bubbling, blue

11. The dilapidated antique house should have been a historical landmark. The previous elderly couple could not physically keep up the needed repairs and the house is severely neglected. Now in auction I came to visibly inspect it, hoping to save it from the crash of a swinging wrecking ball. I pushed open the front door and it gave way to creaking and squeaking of the hinges. The stale aroma of old furniture, crumbling wallpaper and peeling paint overwhelmed me but I had a job to do. It was going to be a long day.
sight: dilapidated, antique, elderly, visibly, swinging wrecking ball, old, crumbling, peeling
sound: crash, creaking, squeaking
smell: stale aroma, overwhelmed

12. The family reunion was at Nana's spacious farmhouse this year. At the top of the gravel driveway we honked the horn, announcing our arrival. We jumped out of the car as the old, squeaky screen door opened and out emerged the lady of the house. I ran to the porch and wrapped my arms around Nana as tight as I could, hugging and holding on. She rocked us back and forth, kissed my cheek and telling me how happy she was to see us. Besides the aromas of home-cooking permeating through the open door, Nana had a scent all her own. She was a mix of honeysuckle, lavender, sweet cookies and fresh bread! Just like I remembered her from my childhood.
sight: spacious farmhouse, gravel driveway, old
sound: honked, squeaky
touch: wrapped my arms, tight, hugging, holding, rocked us back and forth, kissed,
smell: aromas, permeating, scent, honeysuckle, lavender, sweet, fresh bread

13. White light flashed across the sky followed by the boom of thunder. The storm predicted for the Eastern Shore was blowing in off the coast as forecasted. Several inches of rain and fallen trees were predicted before the storm was passed. I sat on the wooden swing on my wrap-around porch waiting for it to hit. The clean, fresh scent of the first rain on the wind refreshes me. The zig zag bolts of lightening across the sky reminds of an artists brush strokes on a blank canvas. The roar of thunder vibrating the house makes me feel alive.
sound: boom, roar
sight: white light, fallen, wooden, wrap-around, zig zag
smell: clean, fresh
touch: brush strokes, vibrating, feel alive

14. The veterinary office wasn't very busy for a Saturday and there were just a couple animals to be seen. There was an elderly, gray-haired couple with a white poodle on their lap. My assumption is it was male, due to the blue collar and leash. There was a little brown-haired girl in pig tails sitting next to her mom holding a red blanket in her arms. Every once in a while she would peek into the blanket and whisper soothing tones to whatever critter she clung to. I glanced at the sign-in sheet to see which patient was next. The name read Watson/CeeCee. I read the chart and found out the blanket contained a kitten, here for it's first shots. I called Ms. Watson and the little girl slid out of her chair, cuddling the blanket as she and her mom went to room two. The poodle yapped a couple of times but the older woman silenced him with a hush. I gently closed the door behind the mom and her daughter but not before the girl unwrapped the blanket and patted the tiny black and white kitten, telling her it will only hurt for a second, just like her own shots!
sound: whisper, soothing tones, yapped, hush, telling
sight: elderly,gray-haired, white, blue, little, brown-haired, pig tails, red, peek, glanced, read, slid, older, unwrapped, tiny, black and white
touch: holding, cuddling, gently, patted, hurt

15. The bake-off competition was sure to be a weight gaining weekend! As a judge, I had to savor a morsel of every dessert entered into the contest. Many dishes were brand new this year and desserts lined the buffet table in overflowing abundance.The aromas of so many goodies all at once can confuse the nose so we sniff coffee grounds in between each sample to clear the previous scent. I decided to hit the two new submissions first. I took a bite of a lemon flavored cake with rich buttercreme frosting. Mmm mmm good! The cake was utterly delicious and melted in my mouth. Second were the pecan tarts! The pecans were coated in a sugary glaze and the little crusts had a very delicate crunchy texture. Voting on a winner this year would be tough, but I had all day.
taste: savor, bite, lemon flavored, rich buttercreme, mmm mmm, utterly delicious, melted, sugary glaze,
sound: crunchy
touch: delicate
sight: lined, buffet table, overflowing, cakes, cookies,
smell: aromas, sniff, scent