Sophie is well. She did stop eating grass and—aside from being unwilling to take evening walks in this heat—is doing okay. She’s none the worse for the spider (or whatever) bite she suffered, and eager for her morning walks in the coolest part of the day.
The ground squirrel strikes again. My hopeful Armenian cucumber vines have been stripped of leaves. Currently, my only crop are some very thirsty cherry tomatoes, suffering from the heat and lack of consistent watering. Squirrels don’t eat tomato leaves, nor any other night shades that I’m aware of.
Vegetables are heart-breakers. Maybe next year, I’ll only grow flowers. Though I’m sure flowers demand as much water as any vegetables.
And, news flash: the petunias the squirrel ignored on its first pass, got consumed on its second.
Note to self: Discover what flowers squirrels won’t eat. I wonder about marigolds? Cosmos? Anybody have any ideas?
On the writing front
I’ve mentioned several times my intention to have a complete first draft of the last book in my science fiction trilogy by the end of the year. Here’s what I’m doing to re-immerse myself in that neglected world:
In the evening, I identify a problem such as Where do we go from here? Or What are the adult concerns while the teens follow their own tangents?
I’m looking at next steps, not the big solutions. When (not if) I wake in the night, I steer my thoughts into my characters’ heads. This is my way of worming back into this neglected world.
In the morning, I scribble down whatever comes to mind. There’s always some forward momentum. Consistency will win out in the end. Right?
Stay cool, folks!
Kate Harrington 