Editor’s Choice Feature Fiction #62 & FLF Prompt #97

Grey and good days, gratitude and a gnostic pursuit

Image by author via Canva.

“And for the most depressing summer weather update, we go to our despondent local meteorologist (yours truly) for an update. What have you got for us this week?”

“Well, it’s still cold, gray and windy. We haven’t broken 20°c (68°f) and won’t likely do so until Friday, but that will come with 70% coverage of rain across the area. I did check the calendar to verify that it is June; the summer solstice has passed, but summer remains only a rumour here.”

“That is sad news, although the good news is that statements on global warming may have been greatly exaggerated. Reports are trickling in that there are regions across the country and from the USA where summer temperatures are at their expected seasonal highs. That’s a wrap for us folks, and I’m going skiing.”

All of the above is true. It’s cold, and the ski hill is open until July 5th, and I am unhappy.

The greatest inconvenience is that this cool weather is making gardening an exercise in vigilance. My pepper plants come inside overnight as temps hover only a few degrees above frost, and I’ve green-housed my tomatoes. I don’t have high hopes for a harvest. The rest of my suburban garden is doing okay. Following my neighbour’s lead from last year, I’ve also erected hail netting to protect my meagre plots and raised beds. Thus far, the netting has shielded my young plants through two hailstorms accompanied by tornado winds. Fingers crossed we’ll get through.

Author’s image of suburban garden 2026.

Following that update, I added a brief Canadian current affairs recap, but it ran into a six-paragraph rant, which, I realized after a quick consideration, doesn’t belong here in the home of my happy writers.

Summer will shine, the heat will come, and my garden will grow. With a little luck, I’ll even get some fishing in.

The happy news is that my child turned 17, and we enjoyed the hilarious mayhem of dining out. Father’s Day brought me to the theatre, where the youngling treated me to Disclosure Day, which was fantastic.

The pumpkin is in the middle of the patch with best bud on the left, gf on the right and lil Mama Bear. Photo property of author.

Editor’s Choice Feature Fiction of the Week #62

Stories have been coming in steadily across a variety of genres and lengths, and while Medium has been glitchy in delivering them to the submissions list, I am pleased with the quality of the contributions.

A recent piece stood out for its themes of gratitude, acknowledgment and acceptance. Rick Allen is a long-time writer and a multiple recipient of the Editor’s Choice Feature of the Week, and in each case, deservedly so.

*The Myth of Alone* spoke to me. When I reflect on my career paths, their successes and failures, I see the many faces of those I met along the way. In some cases, lifelong friendships were formed, while others remain as colourful anecdotes in my story. Rick captures that in this pleasant and well-written story.

Readers of a certain age (which most of us are) will relate to his tale. Please read and comment to Rick; after all, at the end of his story, he’s asking us to share that connection.

[embed]The Myth of Alone First Line Fiction Prompt #96medium.com

First Line Fiction Prompt #97

The adult issues of today are getting harder to ignore, and it hardly matters where on the planet you hang your hat or set your slippers. The world is in turmoil. This week’s prompt could reach into the regions of sci-fi, dystopian, or utopian themes. It could open up a dark door to horror, psycho-thriller or gritty, dusky noir detective fiction. The options are only limited by your imagination. Let’s see where that leads you.

FLF Prompt #97

The lies are so transparent, but it’s the truth that’s hard to see.

For all FLF writers, please check out our socials! First Line Fiction’s **Instagram page posts your stories with a matching soundtrack, and our[ FB private group ](https://www.facebook.com/groups/607033858410715)**is a place to share whatever you write so we can all share our various passions and support each other.

We also have a** Bluesky page **that sees your stories go out the same day (most of the time), as they publish.

That’s it for me, folks. I’ll see you next week with a new Editor’s Choice Weekly Feature Story and a fresh FLF Prompt!

Take care and good writing!

Sincerely, Arpad Nagy FLF Owner/EIC.

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