The October Wisconsin Squirrel Report

Today's first squirrel sighting was this young one sitting on top of the patio umbrella. It wasn't looking down on the feeders so I wasn't sure what it was doing up there. Maybe just being up high.

 

Then I saw this one hanging onto the round feeder nibbling seeds and peanut halves from the ports. It moved around until it was hanging on sideways so it must have checked out each port for goodies.

 

The best squirrel action was this evening. I watched a squirrel running along the top of the retaining wall and when it got up to the hanging horse head feeder, the feeder was turning and it turned to look at the squirrel. The squirrel startled so hard it fell off the top of the wall. It clung to the edge and pulled itself up, then looked around as if to see if someone saw it. I'm sure if it could talk, it would have said, "EEK!" Too funny. Unfortunately it happened so fast and is too far away for a clear picture so you get to see the feeder without a squirrel.

 

Yesterday at the craft show, GBB looked up "magic wand" on her phone (I don't know why) and an "adult" site popped up. She said that was definitely not what she was looking for. But the booth behind us had these jeweled plant sticks that look like magic wands so I asked how much they were and was told $6 or 2/$10. I thought about getting a couple but the booth owner offered 2 for free since we'd been giving her info about how to publish a book her daughter wrote and illustrated as a child. That was nice of her. Not surprisingly, I chose a red one. I gave her my card and said she could email me if she wanted help with self-publishing. 

 

Since one of the other classes at The Clearing last week was oil painting, I was motivated to paint today. I pulled one of my framed first watercolors off the wall and tried to paint it again. It isn't great but it isn't terrible either. I like the way the sky and the birch trees turned out. I'm getting better at birch trees.

 

I spent a lot of the day slogging through the emails I got over the last week. There's no internet service in the rooms at The Clearing, so I used my cellphone's hotspot every day to save my writing to the cloud and sort emails. It's a good thing I have unlimited data. During the week, I'd delete the emails that I knew I didn't need or want to read, but that left a lot of them to read today. Plus I had to pay the bills that came during the week. 

Finally this evening I pulled out the copies of Chapter 1 of Not Fair to go through the comments made during my roundtable critique session last week. Lots of helpful comments and suggestions. I deleted a bunch of unneeded verbiage and added character details that were missing. I was assuming that people would read the first book first so I wouldn't have to give all the character details in the second book. Wrong. My other booboo is giving too much exposition in the form of dialogue. It isn't natural sounding. Another thing to watch for in Book 1.

I was going to take a walk today but I never got around to it. Bad girl. I did get my writing things put away and the crate and suitcase hauled downstairs and put away, so that's something. 

DD called this evening after getting IT tucked into bed, so I'm late blogging. It was so good to talk to her. I really like her. Isn't that lucky?

--Barbara 

Back Home!

I made it. Last night I left The Clearing right after the end of the Friday night Show & Tell and drove straight home. In the dark. Watching every mile for deer crossing the road. I got home, unloaded the car, reloaded the car with book sale needs, unpacked so I could find my phone charger, and finally got to bed around 11 pm.

 

The West High Boosters Fall Craft Show started at 9 am, so we had to be there to set up around 8. There was a guy in the parking lot telling us what booth we had and which door to use. They even had students with flatbed carts to help us move our stuff into the gym. Big help since I had to haul my own chair in addition to the regular books, display rack, and bag of other display items. The sale was pretty successful. I sold four books--two novels and two novellas. However it didn't occur to me not to wear red. The school colors are purple and white. Red and white are the colors of their crosstown rivals, but I don't think it affected my sales.

 

However those four books can't hold a candle to the seventeen (17!!!) books I sold between October 3rd and 9th. Since I received the first author copies of Sailing the Seas on Saturday morning before I left for The Clearing, I called OtherWorlds Books & More in Sturgeon Bay and asked if I could stop in on my way through town. The offer was accepted so I drove into town and sold four books to the bookstore. While I stood there talking to the owner and getting paid for the books, a customer picked up a copy, read the back, and said, "I'll take this." !!!!! I did a modified happy dance when I got into the car to continue my drive up the peninsula. The members of my class were eager to look at my books and one of them, an old friend, wanted the whole Seaview Series to gift to a friend who is having surgery with a long recovery. That was a big, profitable surprise.

 

This morning while eating my breakfast, I nearly choked when I saw what had arrived while I was away. There was a flock of about five Juncos in the backyard. This one visited under the round feeder so I could take its picture. Those birds migrate from the arctic because it's so much warmer down here. Ha! (Although today it got over 80 degrees, tomorrow and Monday too, then it's back to the 50s and 60s)

 

The next time I looked up there was a Red-bellied Woodpecker on the round feeder which was the only one with seed in it. The suet nuggets feeder was empty and the suet cakes looked pretty picked over. It flew away as soon as I snapped the picture.

 

Right away it was replaced by this little Downy Woodpecker. It stayed a little longer but I was running out of gawking time so I had to get myself going and get to the high school to set up for the craft fair.

 

I tried to take a sunset picture last night from the path down to the Schoolhouse for Show & Tell but couldn't find a clear spot so this is all I got. It was pretty orange when we left the Lodge but by the time we got down the path it was fading quickly. You can barely see the orange horizon through the leaves.

 

Fall colors were just starting to pop late in the week. This tree was half vivid orange and half greenish across the street from Kick Ash, a shop and cafe in Ellison Bay where cda and I went to buy granola and a few other tidbits to take home. 

 

It was a great writing week at The Clearing. We have Monday afternoon, all of Tuesday, and Wednesday morning for what she calls Quiet Writing Time. Hours and hours of it. cda and I sit in our room; she edits and I write. We're not especially quiet because we keep interrupting each other to ask a question, make a comment, or read something. But I wrote about 12 pages of Not Fair, the second cozy mystery. One thing I learned when I read the first chapter of book 2 to the class and got feedback is that I probably need to go back to book 1 and make some changes. That's okay. I wasn't sure it was ready to be left alone just yet anyway. We did an editing exercise on Monday morning in class that was a real eye-opener. I only hope I can be as dispassionate and ruthless when I tackle book 1's manuscript as I was with that little free write. I have a bad habit of thinking that what I write is just fine. Not perfect, but fine. I need to get over that. It'll make me a better writer, I think.

I was happy to be back in my own bed with my own bathroom last night. I miss the lovely (too generous) meals and the wonderful group of writers I met, but I'm glad to be home. I think. There's still my plastic crate of writing stuff to be put away but I was just too darned tired last night to tackle it and too darned busy today to do it. I had to go pick up two prescriptions, birdseed and suet nuggets, bananas, blueberries, and lunch food this afternoon so it didn't happen. I'll get to it tomorrow, I'm sure.

After I got home from my errands today, I filled the bird feeders and the horse head squirrel feeder. The birdbath was dry so I filled that too. This morning I had a little birdseed left so I dumped it into the round feeder so the Sparrows and Woodpeckers found it. Hopefully other birds will get the message and the squirrels too.

I'm glad to be home and back talking to you. I hope the latest hurricane didn't hit Fort Myers. 

--Barbara 

Visitor in Blue

The Bluejays were back today. This one came down onto the patio chair to remind me that the cob corn was empty, I think. Their raucous cries caught my ear when I was at my desk so I went out to see what the problem was. I refilled the cob corn and they got quiet. Or flew away.

 

Today we drew Poppies. Well, I drew one poppy because my paper is quite a bit smaller than hers and I skipped drawing a second, smaller one off to the left of the stem. Then she segued into drawing poppies in a vase but I had things to do so I skipped that too. Maybe I'll go back and catch the second half of that video when I get home.

 

Sparrows made themselves at home on the round feeder. They flit and flutter, changing places, hoping to find the best place to eat seeds.

 

The tiny Stella d'Oro lily bud bloomed today. I didn't notice another bud so maybe this is the last of them. I won't be home next week to see if there are more.

 

In the afternoon I took the time to draw a gratitude journal page for yesterday. I like the new sun shape I drew and I'm always pleased at the way I draw my vehicle. Who doesn't love a red car?

 

At Friday Night Knitting, I made it to the crown decreases on the Pale Orange & Tangelo Chemo Hat. I'm about halfway through them and will be done before you know it. When I get home, that is.

 

I finished packing to go to The Clearing tomorrow. I reprinted what I'm taking to be workshopped, thereby wasting paper and ink, but I realized that what I'd printed at first is nearly done and would be more showing off than asking for help. Chapter 1 of Not Fair is a better choice, plus it's three pages shorter. Also I switched out a couple short-sleeved tees for long-sleeved shirts. It's supposed to be in the 60s next week and it's always cooler and breezier up there between Lake Michigan and the bay of Green Bay.

I'll be back here next Saturday. I'll miss you but I'll try to post a few pictures on Facebook so you know I'm still alive.

Oh, and I got the shipping notice for Sailing the Seas author copies. They'll be delivered by UPS on Tuesday. When I'm out of town, dammit. Why can't they have come last Tuesday when I was home and could take some with me to The Clearing? No, that would have been too convenient. I'm not over my frustration. Not by a long shot. Can you tell?

--Barbara 

Grateful

I realized this morning that I'd skipped drawing gratitude journal pages for the last two days of September, so I knuckled down and drew them this morning. It's a good thing I keep a Bullet Journal so I can look back on the pages to remember what I did. First I did Tuesday's page. I was most grateful for finally getting a haircut.

 

On Wednesday I was most grateful for seeing the Cooper's Hawk on the backyard privacy fence. It's always a good day when I see a Hawk. And I was grateful for having coffee and a muffin with my writer friend, GBB.

 

Today I saw the Red-bellied Woodpecker on the suet nuggets. I'm coming to believe that it has a preferred spot to eat there because it's always on the back side with its head on the right. It reminds me of having a regular seat at the family table.

 

I found another set of drawing videos. They're by the same teacher so they're just line drawings. Today we drew leaves, one separate leaf and then five on a branch. 

 

Tonight was my monthly knitting with the ex-board of knitting guild. KE made ham and cheese sliders, CS made roasted veggies, DM made beer cheese dip, and I bought fancy cookies. They drink wine, I drink water. We talk and talk and talk and we even knit. I thought I was to the crown decreases on the Pale Orange & Tangelo Chemo Hat but I was a couple of inches short so all I had to do was knit and purl around and around. Not much thinking needed. We gifted DM some things for her upcoming granddaughters. I knitted two teddy bears, CS knitted two tiny sweaters, and KE bought Dr. Seuss books for grandma's house.

 

This squirrel tried very hard to break into the round birdseed feeder. I don't know what it thought it would do but it gnawed away at the wires on the top for a long time. Then it turned around and ate seeds out of the feeding ports.

 

I did laundry today. A lot of laundry. A load of undies and socks, a load of towels, and two loads of sheets. Coupled with the two loads of clothing I did yesterday, it was a lot. It had been a long time since I did laundry and it showed. I only took a short walk while I waited in the school pickup line because I spent so much time going up and down the basement stairs.

I worked on Not Fair today and dropped the first body. It kind of feels too early in the story but I guess you have to start things with a bang. I'll double check the how-to book and adjust if need be. It's early days yet.

Man, I'm tired. I'm going to slap some photos on here and hit the hay. Good night.

--Barbara 

Hawk!

I looked out the window over the kitchen sink this morning when I went to make breakfast and there was a Cooper's Hawk sitting on the privacy fence. Naturally it flew away just when I got the camera turned on and was about to focus on it. So I went back into the archives for a hawk picture for you to enjoy. I did not choose the one where it's got a dead bird pinned to the patio to spare your delicate sensibilities. You're welcome.

 

This afternoon I put together pieces of Not Fair, book 2 of the cozies, into one document and discovered that I have Chapter 1 and the beginning of Chapter 2. Eleven whole pages! I'm going to get a lot of the story written next week, I just know it. One thing I have to do is make sure I take notes of the things rolling around in my head so no ideas get lost.

 

DS finally had time to visit with me today while he brewed the next batch of Yard Games IPA. Here he's weighing out hops to put into one of the Brewer For a Day beers that's fermenting away in the brew house. It was good to see him and get to hear about Scouts with OJ and playing trombone with LC. They are so busy. I'm confident that they both just fall into bed at night and are out like a light.

 

Here's today's version of the Wisconsin Squirrel Report. I was entertained watching a squirrel working very hard to get corn kernels out of the horse head feeder. It's too bad I can't take a decent picture because it's sure fun to watch. Then there was this nearby squirrel cozied up to the round feeder eating suet nuggets like it was all for him.

 

Today was the last drawing prompt for this series of videos. It was Telephone which was pretty much fun to draw. I turned off the audio so I wasn't sure what I was drawing on the last one. Turned out it was a cellphone with app icons on the screen. And here I thought I was drawing number keys. I'll have to search out a new series of drawing videos tomorrow.

 

Look at what I did after lunch. I went downstairs to start the laundry (which reminds me I need to go downstairs and hang up the dry things and put the wet things in the dryer so they don't decay overnight) and carried up my suitcase. Then I started packing for my trip to The Clearing on Saturday. Saturday! It's coming at an alarming speed. I printed off 10 copies of the first chapter of Three Cheers for Murder to share with the group when it's my turn for feedback too. I think I try to do too many things at once which is why the laundry almost got forgotten.

 

I met a friend for coffee this morning at a place I thought was a cafe. Turned out it's a breakfast and lunch place. I expected fancy coffee (which they had) and fancy pastries (which they didn't have), but they had blueberry muffins which were tasty and went well with a mug of coffee. It's been a long time since I went out for coffee. I enjoyed it and hope to do it again.

--Barbara 

Another Confused Flower

I went outside to take pictures of a couple things and when I was coming back to the house I saw some trash on the ground, so I picked it up. Walking back to the patio and the trash can I saw this. It's a dandelion. In September. Aren't dandelions a spring flower? Talk about climate change.

 

And the large lily bud that peeked out behind the Stella d'Oro lily I posted yesterday opened today to take the place of yesterday's flower. I forgot to look to see if the little bud next to it had gotten big enough to open tomorrow. I'll wait and be surprised.

 

There was a nice bee on the pink sedum that held still long enough to have its picture taken. I don't remember if the bees that go out seeking nectar are boys or girls, but I think they're boys. Drones, I think. Nope, I'm wrong. I just looked it up. The bees that collect nectar and pollen are girls that have stingers and make honey. The drones are boys. They don't have stingers and their only job is to mate with the queen bee. Tough work.

On the bronze sedum there was also a lone bee busily collecting nectar. She did not hold still. I had to try to take her picture as soon as she landed because she was on a mission.

 

Funnily enough, Bee was the drawing prompt today and I loved it. I always say that the Bee is my spirit animal because B is my initial. In the olden days when we had a pool in the backyard, I used to make everyone in the family two swimsuits each year and I always sewed on a little embroidered bee on the left side near the leg, like the Izod gator.

 

I drew a gratitude journal page for yesterday and especially like that I mentioned the beautiful full moon because no matter how hard I try I can not take a decent picture of it with my phone or my camera.

 

The squirrel was back curled around the round feeder. For some reason the metal part didn't slide down to cover the ports so it was gobbling up seed as fast as its little jaws could move.

 

I got a haircut! I went to the salon, C was there to greet me, and it only took her half an hour or so to cut my hair. Maybe forty minutes, not more than an hour like my previous stylist, and she was on time. I like what she did with my hair and made an appointment to go back in four weeks. She even showed me how to make my curls stick around longer and told me about a product I could buy to help them stick around. I always wanted curly hair and the older I get, the curlier my hair gets. It doesn't stay curly for long because my hair is too fine to hold onto them, but if I can encourage the curls, I want to.

Then I got to pick LC and OJ up after their piano lessons and take them home. LC gave me oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and some pants that need the waistband taken in to take home. Instead of sitting in the car waiting, I walked around the block. *pats self on back* OJ hopped in the car when I got there because his lesson ends first and he knelt on the back seat to look at the box of my books asking, "Meemaw, which one of your books can I read?" So I told him Christmas at Seaview because I let LC read it a couple weeks ago, it's short, and there's nothing a kid can't read about in there. 

 --Barbara

Bluejays!

The trio of Bluejays was back this morning doing their best to denude the remaining cob corn. I got a couple of pictures of them and one turned out pretty sharply focused.

 

Then a squirrel leaped from the patio chair to the round feeder and this time it stayed there long enough for me to take its picture. Naturally it was late enough in the day that the feeder was mostly in shadow so you can't see the squirrel's face as it does its best to access the seeds through the little feeding ports. It was focused.

 

The drawing prompt of the day was Sunshine, something I could draw with confidence and not have to worry about making the right side match the left side.

 

Another Stella d'Oro lily bloomed today and I saw that there's another bud getting ready to pop and a tiny one behind that one. It's amazing that it's blooming so late in the season. Lilies are usually long finished by late September.

 

Down the retaining wall from the lily there was a tiny little bee on the bronze sedum. I really had to crank in the focus to be able to even see the little thing. It was barely half an inch long with wings that looked too big for its body. 

 

I knitted some more on the Regia Summer Sock heel flap tonight and thought you might like seeing the pretty bracelet I'm using to count my rows. The 9 beads on the right side are the single digits and the beads on the left side are the tens so I've knitted 20 rows of heel flap with 4 more to go before I have to do something more interesting which I won't be able to do without some YouTube assistance. I've done it many times before but only once with a single circular needle. I'll need some help.

 

I've been trying to get a haircut from my usual stylist since a week ago last Thursday. I had to change that appointment so I texted her. She called me five days later and said I could come in at 6:30 on Wednesday evening. She never showed and when I called her then she sounded drunk or high and said she could squeeze me in at 1:30 today. When I got there today she wasn't there and hadn't called or anything. I don't know if she's having a health crisis or is on a bender but I'm done. I got home, called around, and found a new stylist who can take me at noon tomorrow. I hope I like the new woman because I'm tired of JS and her unreliability. 

Still no copies of Sailing the Seas and no shipping notice. Arrgh. I just know it'll come the day after I leave for The Clearing. I'll have to give my tenant a key so she can have her husband put it into my house if Amazon delivers. If the USPS delivers, it'll come the day I get home when he delivers my held mail. Which reminds me, I didn't check the mail today. Maybe I have something interesting or maybe just another handful of political garbage. I'll go check. Be right back. All there was was yet another Land's End catalog. You know, if they stopped sending catalogs every week, they could lower their prices and still make a profit.

The only writing I did today was the October monthly writing progress email newsletter. I did have a critique session with cda this morning which is a writerly thing, but didn't write on my manuscript.

--Barbara