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A Mid-Year's Walking Trip  by GamgeeFest 6 Review(s)
Hai TookReviewed Chapter: 8 on 2/9/2005
lol, they certainly know how to fnd trouble, don't they? I loved Sam's excitement over the new plants. I hope that they do work out well in his garden. Frodo trying to plan out next years trip, and wanting to include Sam but Sam not so sure about being included.

Merry is going to work himself into a frenzy over Sam! I hope he gets up the courage to do it. The whole things with the wasps was great! I am glad they found water at any rate!

Author Reply: LOL, even when they're not looking for it, they find trouble. They must do it subconsciously. ;) Can't really blame Sam about not wanting to be included on another trip after this! Poor guy will need time to recuperate.

Merry will have a not-so-welcome distration the rest of the day, but he'll be back to fretting come morning, when he'll be getting some unexpected help. Nothing like stirring up a hornet's nest to, well, stir up a hornet's nest, lol!

BodkinReviewed Chapter: 8 on 2/8/2005
Well, that's one way to find water. It's a good thing it's hot weather.

It seems that Merry and Pippin are unable to avoid getting in trouble, no matter what they do!

Frodo had better work on Sam - there's practically no time of year when the garden can spare him. Frodo needs to work on convincing Sam that he can spare him even less than Bag End can. I loved watching Sam being forced to sit back while the gentry fixed lunch for him. I can just picture the awkward embarrassment of him.

Merry had better grit his teeth and get down to the grovelling. (It'll do him good.)

Look forward to more.

Author Reply: Trouble does have a way of finding those two doesn't it? Even when on their best behavior, they cause trouble!

Frodo's going to have to give Sam time to forget this little trip before trying to talk him into another one, lol. At this point, Sam will just keep coming up with excuses until he finds one Frodo can't argue with.

Merry needs a good smack up side the head to get him grovelling, and it's about to be delivered. ;) He's going to have to swallow his pride and cough up some confessions if he hopes to get anywhere with Sam.

Thanks for reading!

Elf FriendReviewed Chapter: 8 on 2/8/2005
LOL!! That ending was priceless! This was a great chapter. I love the playful banter between Merry and Pippin and the challenge of getting Sam to fit in with everyone else. No one was going to let him do all the work--so they did it all! ^^ I think Sam really is enjoying this trip, although he says that he's uncomfortable. Or did he just think that? Oh, I don't know what I'm talking about now. Okay, I'm off to add some more to my English essay. *twirls finger* I eagerly await your next update! Farewell! Er...Namarie. ^^

Author Reply: Merry and Pippin could tease each other till doom's day and still not be finished, lol. Trying to get Sam to relax and enjoy himself is a difficult task and they're all doing their best to show him that as far as they're concerned, they're all equals. Sam quite obviously sees it differently. He is enjoying parts of the trip, but he won't be so easily convinced into going on another one anytime soon, lol! Good luck with your essay and I'll take a look at those drabbles soon. :)

DreamflowerReviewed Chapter: 8 on 2/8/2005
ROTFL! What an ending!

I *knew* Merry and Pippin *had* to find water, since the story doesn't nearly show signs of being over, but I never expected it to be in such a dramatic fashion.
Underground wasps? Interesting.

I loved the talks between Frodo and Sam and between Merry and Pippin.

Poor Sam, just trying to find an excuse *not* to go again, and Frodo cheerily and obliviously demolishing all his excuses.

Poor Merry, overthinking as usual, and Pippin with customary directness and not at all oblivious demolishing all his excuses.

Very nice chapter, and a treat to find tonight when I can't sleep.



Author Reply: Yep, wasps can be found underground. Just ask my brother, lol. Thank goodness he had pretty much grown out of his allegery when that little incident happened.

This trip isn't quite over yet, though everyone may soon be wishing it were. ;)

Frodo may not be so completely oblivious as he's pretending to be, at least not by the end of that conversation. Sam has some excuses still up his sleeves. Frodo won't get him on another trip quite so easily as this one.

Exactly. Merry's biggest problem is thinking too much. He overanalyzes until it seems impossible and then he doubts himself. If he could just turn off his brain and go with his heart, he may not have so much difficulty with Sam. And of course, who better to knock Merry over the head than his cousins?

Hope you got some sleep last night. Thanks for reading. :)

LarnerReviewed Chapter: 8 on 2/8/2005
Living in yellow jacket and ground hornet country, I find this chapter all to believable! And, at least they did find water! Heh!

Author Reply: LOL, not exactly the way Frodo was hoping to find the water. Those wasps can be nasty things. Good thing there was water, though I'm sure the wasps would have stopped chasing them eventually. Thanks for reading. :)

Grey WondererReviewed Chapter: 8 on 2/7/2005
That was the most unusual way of finding water that I have ever heard of. LOL I am glad that they found it so that they will get to stay for the rest of their trip. I think Merry needs the time to settle things with Sam. He is driving himself and Pippin nuts trying to solve his problem. Also, I think Frodo may have trouble getting Sam to agree to another trip. Seems like Sam is very worried about his place in all of this. I wonder if Frodo really knows how difficult all of this is for Sam? Great story and I look forward to more, as always.

Author Reply: Yes, but at least they found it, LOL! Merry's going to be a little preoccupied the rest of this day, but he will get another chance to talk to Sam before they head home. After things settle down a bit of course. ;) Merry may soon regret driving Pippin nuts with his problem.

I don't think Frodo will convince Sam to go another trip, at least not one so far away or for so long. Maybe he should give Sam some time to forget out this trip before inviting him on another small one, lol.

Frodo is aware of what Sam is going through, but he's doing some thinking of his own about Merry's problem. That's part of the reason he keeps dropping hints here and there about Harvest. He can tell just as much from Sam's reactions as he can from asking him direclty. He's also trying to get Sam to understand that it's ok if he isn't the one who's always working. The only way to do that is to "force" Sam to sit back and relax, and not make a big deal of it. But Sam is very much on edge about what his position in the group is. He'll find his place eventually.

Thanks for reading!

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