Yarrow and Friends

  Today was the final day of the Midwest Writer's Workshop. Even so, there were five sessions, and I took a quick mile walk between two of them. I just went down to the corner to take a look at the patch of yarrow that seems to hang on to some of its magenta DNA, never quite (at least not yet) getting back to the white of its wild ancestors.

It was growing with Queen Anne's Lace and Chickory, but I couldn't seem to frame one picture with all three colors (white, blue, magenta). Here it is with the Queen Anne's Lace.

And an even less satisfactory picture with the Chickory. There are so many stems of the English Plantain gone to seed that they really get in the way.

So the artistic half of my brain remains unfulfilled. The side that wants to know everything reminded me that I recently read you can make tea from the yarrow leaves. Here's what they look like. They are rough and ferny. I brought home a handful, and they are now drying. I'll let you know what I think of the tea.

The conference has been great. It was for all writers, not just mystery writers. But almost all the sessions had information I could use. I need more time to process it all.

And it's always great to meet new authors and network. I realized that one of the faculty was an author I met a couple of months ago in the Pages Promtion event, and then promptly forgot her name. That won't happen again. We are side by side in this Zoom window, so I took a screenshot. This is Angela Jackson-Brown, an author and professor at Ball State University. I've ordered her most recent book through the library, When Stars Rained Down, and can't wait to read it.

In other news: I'm trying to keep to my writing schedule and am about half done with chapter 54 in Dead Mule Swamp Singer. Chapter 53 was one of the really short ones, so it almost doesn't count. I'll try to finish that before bed.

I also reviewed my shelved children's book project, Moose in Boots, in light of the workshop on picture books. It's not a bad thing to let something like that sit for a while. It's not as wonderful as I thought when I wrote it. Needs some serious editing. But I'm starting to think about it again.

See Revert

Rescued by Cathy

  There were seven sessions of the conference today! SEVEN! Five down and two yet ahead. But Cathy caught me in the only time slot between meetings that was two hours long, and we hoofed it for a fast 3.25 mile road walk. It revived me wonderfully! I'm loving the conference, but it's way over my limit of sitting time.

Meanwhile, I have some pattern pictures to share. Things that look like something else. I'll let you guess what they are. I love this one.

And this one- the picture wasn't as interesting as what my eye saw, but oh well.

I have to post quick to be done before the next session. The Midwest Writers' Workshop is ALL the other news, but the first session was a "working" one, and I got chapter 52 done in Dead Mule Swamp Singer.

See True Blue Gumby II

Still Babies

  I hadn't seen the twins for quite a few days. I hoped that meant they might have joined up with some other deer. But they showed up in my yard again today. I got a picture with the two of them. The larger one is farther away so they don't look too different in size, but they are even more different than a week ago now.

Here is the small one. She (I am assuming) is very thin, and her coat doesn't look too healthy. I don't think she's grown since last week.

Here is the larger one. It (he?- not sure) is quite healthy and frisky. They don't mind me coming out on the deck and talking to them.

In other news: This was day two of the Midwest Writer's Workshop. There have been four sessions already. I skipped one about creating comic books, but have two more this evening. I couldn't sleep last night, so the good news is that I wrote a chapter. The bad news is that I'm really tired already. But the sessions have been really great.

See How Are the Twins?

Sunrise # 26758

  A spreadsheet can easily calculate that today was the 26758th sunrise I've had the potential to see. We know I haven't actually seen anywhere near that many. I'm trying to be increasingly grateful for each one I'm allowed.

I was sort of hoping the number would be more interesting. A prime number would have been awesome. But it is at least a number where no digit appears more than one time.

The day is all other news: I'm attending a virtual writers' conference- Midwest Writers' Workshop. Today is 4 Zoom meetings. That is about 3 over my daily limit, but I'm trying to be good and absorb the education. This is going to keep me nailed down for the next three days. I did some editing, and I did some analysis of my own writing based on things we learned today. I was pleasantly surprised to quantify that I've been doing some things right by instinct. Now I will know how to do them by design.

The sunrise three years ago, and off by one day, was surprisingly similar. Back to zooming for me.

See Color My World

Even Seeing Water Makes Me Feel Cooler

  Cathy and I hiked familiar trails at the State Park today. The best thing about it was all the views of the water. The humidity was brutal, and seeing all the blue just made us feel cooler. I think it actually was cooler than at my house. Usually is. We walked out to Hamlin Lake. You've seen this view a lot of times now, but it's still refreshing.

We took a short break on a bench at Inspiration Point. An eagle soared right in front of us, but I couldn't get the camera aimed fast enough. Ditto with a blue heron. That would have been a neat picture because we were above it, but that one didn't happen either.

Here's Hamlin Lake just above the dam. This is full summer at Ludington State Park. Lots and lots of people out enjoying the water in so many ways-- motor boats, tubing, paddleboards, kayaks, fishing. I went out of my way to try to exclude them from the pictures.

And the dam.

Just below that the water becomes the Big Sable River again. Now we have green instead of blue. We saw some fairly big fish, but my pictures aren't worth showing you. The reflections were nice, though. We did not walk as far as Lake Michigan.

How hot and muggy was it? Even the deer were hunkered down, resting. Two bucks in velvet sharing a small valley. This one has four points.

This one has eight!

About a five mile hike. Hilly.

In other news: I edited all morning. I fussed with the trailer, still with no results except information gathering. Since I got home I've been writing. About half done with the next chapter.

Ludington State Park, MI. Piney Ridge Road to Hamlin Dam to footbridge over Big Sable River and back. 5 miles.

See Views of Hamlin Lake