Butterfly Mysteries

The mystery of the butterflies started out as a simple photograph of butterflies as one afternoon we finally had the camera with us as we sat on the lawn chairs in the garden. There were such big beautiful butterflies flitting around. Like so many people, I find them to be beautiful insects, and their life is interesting with the change from caterpillar to pupae to finally the flying insect we admire so much.

Lots of lovely photos later, I decided to look them up to be sure of the names of these. They looked like swallowtails but what kind? That's where the mystery comes in because Oregon Swallowtails (which I had rather thought them to be), do not migrate and live a year in Oregon, but only in Eastern Oregon, mostly in the rivers that enter into the Columbia. Looking closely at the photos, these are not Oregon Swallowtails; so then what are they?

I am not an insect person generally. I see pretty yellow butterfly and other than monarchs, I just think pretty yellow butterfly with no urge to know exactly what the name is. That is right up until I have these gorgeous photos, wings looking battered, and a blog to write on the topic. And that's when it gets complicated as many photos that look exactly like these are not in my part of Oregon.

As part of this, I went looking for photos of the caterpillars which I felt would be smart as if we want these butterflies (whatever type of swallowtail they might be), we better not be destroying the caterpillar that is them. It looks to me like, no matter which of the many varieties of swallowtails, the caterpillars look a lot alike.

photo from http://mark.rehorst.com/Bug_Photos/

From what I read, the swallowtail caterpillar is drawn to parsley plants, which we do grow here, as well as other herbs, which they might take as second choice. They are about 3" long. 

It kind of looks like the photos below are of tiger swallowtails (although I have yet to confirm that those are in my part of Oregon)... It wasn't the end of the mystery though as it turned out we had two types of butterflies that day which we hadn't noticed until studying the photos.

This next one is different and looks much more like the Oregon Swallowtail, the butterfly that lives in sagebrush country and not here.  It turned out the answer didn't require a climate change to draw a new butterfly to us.

Anise Swallowtails, which also look like Old World Swallowtails, look like the Oregon Swallowtails. Although the Oregon Swallowtail does not migrate, the Anise does. This one though looked less like it had been traveling than the other butterflies that afternoon where their wings had clearly been attacked or worn out.

Monarchs fascinate anyone who understands their story where they migrate but die in a southern climate where they will have laid their eggs. The new butterfly, once it emerges knows to head north to from where the parents had come. 

One time we were up the Clackamas River, hiking into a stream that saw few people. What it did see were thousands of Monarchs having a congregation. We ran into something similar in Montana one June where not thousands but a lot of butterflies had come to one grassy glade. 

Wherever they are seen, I never see a butterfly that it does not attract my eye. Mostly I am content to say--pretty yellow butterfly but we did plant that butterfly bush for them and knowing they like parsley as much as we do, we'll be planting more of it too because the caterpillar, not the beauty of the flying insect, is what has to be nurtured, rather like our own less beautiful parts need to be nurtured to bring out the butterfly in us. Maybe knowing that is why most of us do value the butterfly.

summertime and the living isn't necessarily easy but is gorgeous

When considering what a summer should be, this has been the perfect one for us here at the farm. Hot days but most of the time not too hot. We have not had to bring out the room a/c unit which is an indicator of it being too hot. We don't have central air conditioning here because with the creek, it's only a few days a summer where we might need it.

Sunday we had an exciting thunderstorm with just enough rain to lessen the risks of fires from lightning strikes. It was the kind of storm I have seen more frequently in Arizona with squalls of hail, and thunder rumbling around for about four hours. The main Willamette Valley, to the east of us, got most of the wind, lightning and damage. 

Our vegetable garden is starting to really produce, and we are enjoying thinking up creative ways to use all the tomatoes, zucchini, string beans, corn, and cucumbers we have and soon will have. I think we might make pickles this year. The variety of cucumber we planted has been surprisingly sweet even when bigger (when they usually get a little bitter).

For pickles I am looking for a recipe for spicy, peppery dill pickles as I like that better than a straight dill. We have been considering getting a food dryer as the apple trees are loaded too. There is a lot of bounty to process in some way for the winter.

In the meantime it's good to sit out on the patio and talk, to enjoy the family when we can get together, to dream dreams (I have had some interesting ones), to mix the work that is part of this season with the joy, and to savor these long, warm and lush days. This is Oregon's season to shine.

The only concern will be fire danger. Eastern and Central Oregon got hit hard by the recent lightning storm, and fires are everywhere with enough to have the governor declare a national emergency to enable the National Guard to help. So it's been tough on some regions for the danger and fear. I totally relate to it and we could end up with the same problems as we have in previous years. 

Photos all from July on the farm. I find myself not wanting to leave here because this is the place I'd most want to be if I didn't already live here. I spent some time where dragonflies hang out trying to get some good photos but so far no luck. Just blue blurs. I haven't given up yet. I do though have some wonderful photos of swallowtail butterflies on our butterfly bush, but will save those for next Saturday.

ain't life great-- or not

Without a doubt, my life is a kaleidoscope of physical reality, which I see out my window or when I walk to the barn, along with the fantasy world I create in my mind, along with the craft of getting that world from me to someone else, along with the marketing world that goes along with that fantasy world. Some of these things are more enjoyable than the other. Bet you can guess which ones...

With the recent one-thing-after-another set of experiences where it comes to my writing and actually my physical world, I have decided-- a person can be writing too much. It seems I am in a kind of whirlwind of constantly needing to do something else. Yes, Virginia, there can be too much on a person's plate!

1. bring out Comes the Dawn
2. get the word out Comes the Dawn is out
3. try to not be depressed when the book does not sell *wink*
4. promote my short, short story in Alison Bruce's blog
5. prepare a first kiss feature for Lily Graison's blog-- out Aug. 11
6. edit Sky Daughter after a writer friend gave suggestions
7. put together Diablo Canyon after deciding that it will come out, all 3 novellas in one eBook probably end of July
8. surprise of surprises, find a great cover for Diablo Canyon-- first I have gotten from a graphic artist. she offered it free. If book sold, I'd be happy to pay but...
9. do not ask why I'd want to bring this book out given the three novellas sold virtually nada.
10. get back to writing Love Waits as the fourth Oregon historical, a book I may never publish
11. write blogs and meditate on whether I should keep doing blogs as breaks can be healthy for anybody
12. Find room for a life in there somewhere-- oh and a root canal, abscess and one more dental root canal/crown, that should be done, plus time with grandkids.

I could set those all into a big circular swirl because they are how I feel right now-- not separate but mixed together along with quiet times of sitting out in the yard and talking to Farm Boss about his chaotic project world which makes mine look like it's nothing. Add to it the importance to me of putting meaningful time into friendships and maybe finding some new inspiration with mini-vacations. And gratitude. I am oh so grateful I was not in Yellowstone when my tooth abscess blew up.

In terms of personal improvement, I have a project there too-- trying not to clench my teeth. I have to constantly remind myself, all day, especially when editing-- keep those teeth apart!

Recently I have bought quite a few books from other writers but haven't taken the time to read any. I am in the mood now to think maybe August needs to be-- read other authors month. Maybe August should be time out from blogging too. This would be ironic as both blogs are building up numbers quite a bit now-- good time to cut them back-- not lol But maybe a good time for me emotionally.

We have one week of grandkids here, of which I look forward to, but other than that, a lot of reading under the golden chain trees is in order.

Oh and has anybody had a cat that climbs chain link fences on her paws? We do. The first time we saw our one-year old, Raven do it, we thought she used her claws. No, she uses her paws like a clever little fox. So the fences have all been extended until our yards look like big bird enclosures :). That's okay, we do not want a cat out beyond those fences as beyond lie things like automobiles that kill little cats like her who have no idea what risks the world holds.

Finally I won't mention names but a couple I have come to think highly of just faced the death of one of them due to congestive heart failure. They are so loving and such an interesting couple, and it made me incredibly sad, to the point that I cried when I heard it. That might seem nutty for people I haven't met, but it's the empathy of  relating to what other people go through. I wanted their story to go on longer! 

On the other hand, another person I also have come to like, also through the world of the internet, is going to be married next month and is starting a brand new life. That makes me so happy that I feel a glow when I think about the wonder of new love. Their story is just beginning.

So life goes with a mix of good and bad, happy and sad. I don't know if it'd be better if it was always up but definitely know it would not be better to always be down. 

Comes the Dawn

My third Arizona O'Brian historical came out early. I planned it for the 10th, but it was actually up last night. Better ahead of time than behind. This was a book I really enjoyed writing because I got to travel back through some of my favorite parts of Arizona with my characters. That's the plus of writing or reading something set in places the reader/writer  loves or maybe didn't know much about but learns to love through the words.

I will be back in Arizona this fall but not into the parts in Comes the Dawn-- or at least that's not on the plan. But someday I definitely want to spend more time in central Arizona. I'll be writing more in the blog about that area and what makes it so special. 

In the meantime, this is my newest book out as an eBook. We'll get the paperback up as soon as we can. I like having them out in both forms now that we're finally learning what it takes to get the paperbacks formatted in a way that makes them readable. That took some learning.

Comes the Dawn is a romance first but just as important is what it says about family, about responsibility, and most especially about fatherhood. It's a love story to Arizona and the people there. I've always said it's difficult when some of your greatest loves are over a thousand miles apart. But I can go there whenever I want-- in my imagination. 

Barnes & Noble    
Amazon

Curly Learns a Lesson

Last year I discovered the fun of writing short stories. In fact now, when I write a novel length book, it feels like more work than it used to seem. Of course, I will still do the book length stories, as I can do so much more with them; but once in awhile, it's good to take a new challenge.

The link is to my short story that is part of a series of shorts for summer at Alison Bruce's. When I heard the premise--story had to be under 1000 words, set in summer-- I liked the idea of being part of it. Even more when I realized I could use two of my favorite secondary characters in From Here to There and A Montana Christmas. I brought those two together with my own recent experience of having my granddaughter try to teach me how to use my smart phone. Modern communication has changed a lot, and it's dragging someone with it kicking and screaming.

Curly Learns a Lesson

So give my story a try and then bookmark the site as new free short stories will be showing up this summer.

What do we do?

Just passed another Fourth of July with all the hoopla that means in the United States, vacations, picnics, family gatherings, fireworks, and a commemoration of the day this country declared its independence and did it in a blaze of glory and such violence that eventually Great Britain decided we weren't worth the hassle. 

Our forefathers then had to work out a Constitution and Bill of Rights, which theoretically would govern this new nation of thirteen states and many diverse ethnic groups. Many amendments later, more wars, here we are today and still debating what they were over two hundred years ago, issues like taxation, rules, religious freedom, etc. 

Does religious freedom mean I have a right to push my will onto you because my religion says I must? Christians are often told by their leaders that they are only one generation away from being displaced; of course, their leaders have solutions on how to avoid this fate by hefty donations to the cause... oh and that business of forcing their rules onto others (sounds more like Sharia law than the Gospels but hey it's for a good cause, right).

The irony has become, what is called Christianity today often bears little or no resemblance to what Christ taught; hence has earned a new name-- Christianist. In just our American history, I do believe this has gone back and forth for what freedom of religion or even Christianity should mean. I am not saying that the christianists don't still talk about Jesus but now he's a politician who likes and supports Pharisees...

I bought a book some years ago called Generations which describes how one generation impacts the next and a culture ends up repeating itself in a system of seven identifiable cycles before starting over again. The authors showed how this has worked through US history with names for each generation and descriptions of what they did. I would be willing to bet such a cycle shows up in other countries also. Human nature impacts human nature and hence things change-- except in the end, on the deepest levels, they really don't.

Today we appear to be in a very violent cycle, and this is around the world. If you read more than your local paper, you see how one country after another-- developed or not-- has been experiencing violent solutions to problem solving.

As an example: three Jewish teen-agers are kidnapped and murdered in Israel. In apparent retaliation, a Palestinian teen is kidnapped and murdered. Of course, none of these kids bore any resemblance to the problem the countries face. That's typical of terrorism which really is mindless. Even more typical is how someone can use an event like those killings to trigger a war they want, which means nobody really knows for sure if the 'other' side even did the gory deeds.

In the United States, the immigration problem has escalated with coyotes bringing up people and especially unaccompanied children from Central America where the the countries are experiencing rampant violence and poverty. In 2008, the rule for dealing, with those from Central America, was changed. They must by law be processed, released and asked to report back to the center in a month with no way to enforce that. Americans who are paying attention see the concern since many of these new arrivals are children whose parents were told the Dream Act would give them permanent citizenship. Their parents often paid coyotes big money to get them up here with the hope that would later bring them. 

By the way, we are not the only developed nation facing this sticky problem. It's ironic if you think about it how this has gone and is: developed world --> underdeveloped and exploits resources. Underdeveloped --> developed and exploits resources. 

So what is our choice? Stick head in sand or deal with this one? Deal with it how? Do we have enough resources to take on all the world's poor? Only those from some countries? Which ones? Considering our own debt and that we are a borrower nation, is there a point at which we break? 

Currently as a temporary fix, Obama wants more money for processing, more money for Central America but can we solve the problem of other sovereign nations? How would we do that? This may not only involve new arrivals who are children but also gang members (identified by tattoos) and the sick. 

Answers? It's not like I said I had any. I could go on with issue after issue, but you get the idea. 

Maybe you saw the article that said stress is catching. I believe that. On the other hand, how do you go around with a Pollyanna face all the time? How do you pretend what's going on isn't? Remember the Dylan song, Blowin' in the Wind-- 'How many roads must a man walk down before you call him a man?'  and even more devastating-- 'How many times must a man look away pretending he just doesn't see?'

So we talk about it and stress each other out. We ignore it and are responsible for leaders who do nothing (except get their own paydays and payoffs). 

We go me-me-me-me whenever someone tries to tell us something distressing and say it's always been this way even if we don't really know it has. I guess if we think it's always been this way, then we have no responsibility to do anything about it.

It's easy to space ourselves out of the world and it's problems. I do it all the time through writing. Most recently, I've been involved in life problems of families in two different periods in history. One was editing the newest historical romance coming out July 10 where I am back to 1899 and figuring out the problems of young would-be lovers and several families. In the other, I go further back for my work in progress, which takes me to 1867 with again families, love and this time an Indian war not to mention a conspiracy of the sort that crops up time and again including in our own era. 

When I come up for air, I go outside and enjoy my yard, sit and sip some wine, try to forget personal problems, try not to think about the President, Congress, immigration, climate change, war, violence, greed, power, etc. You know it's not real hard to do when it's beautiful outside, when the hummingbirds are darting everywhere. The males are doing their dance to encourage the formation of a second nest this year. It's an exciting time when baby birds get their wings. You can almost feel their new-found joy in movement.

Except my world is not the only world and eventually that other world will impact mine. It's how it works. So what do we do?

Images among those purchased from Deposit Photo as the kinds that sometimes work for me to use in backgrounds, trailers or blogs :)

It's not what you do... or is it?

It's not what you do

it's how you do it,

the place in your consciousness

you are coming from 

as you act. 

Ram Dass

I cannot say I totally agree with this. Sometimes what we do, even when well-intentioned, can be bad and serve ill. But I also can see how it fits the Christian thinking which says what is in your heart is what matters most.

Photo by Farm Boss taken at a small park not far from our home; it is land a family owned and worked to see turned into park with pathways for the community to use. It's a fantastic resource for this rural area, Beazell, and a testament to what one family or person can do toward good when so inclined. A nice reminder at a time where we are seeing so much done by those who could do good, but it's all intended for personal profit or aggrandizement. Sad days sometimes unless you turn around and reground yourself in nature. 

Yes you can

 photo from Tucson in January

One of the things I have learned about getting old is that it wasn't anything like what I expected and having been around a lot of old people in my life, I had seen old age. The biggest thing I can say about what it's like to reach 70+, it's not over until it's over. There are just so many options to learn new things, experience things you haven't, and be open to change or not. It's exciting to be at a point where you can do what you want within the range of your physical and economic capabilities, of course. It's amazing though how much that allows.

Old age doesn't have to be all about crocheting doilies. It can be, of course, but the world is full of other kinds of options. Jim Roberts, a long time friend, illustrates one of those. He sent me the clipping on an interview with him which went into his life, the shifts he has made through the years and something new he began doing at an age many would say you can't do that. Yes, you can.

Old people can find a profession they wanted before but had to earn money; so couldn't. They can start a business or dive into charitable work. They can be photographers, writers, painters, actors, and any of the things they were told weren't practical when they were young. They can travel to new places, take tours, join clubs, or find alone time that their daily life didn't allow before.

As encouragement to that end, I wanted to share an interview with Jim that appeared in the Wahkiakum County Eagle. I scanned and then put it onto my Picasa and hope it will prove readable either by hitting the links or reading it below. I think it's an encouragement to look around and see what alternatives you have but hadn't considered. And if you aren't yet old, about what you might want to be thinking of adding to your life when you get there.

Interview with Jim Roberts Part I

Interview with Jim Roberts Part II

KMUN you can listen wherever you have computer access

Summer Solstice

It seems to me that I have written, I don't have anything to write, so many times recently that I could just go ditto. It's not that nothing is happening. It's that it is not earthshaking or even worth repeating long enough to write it down. Pretty much that's not a bad way to live  actually. Life is made of little moments that are not earthshaking but just ongoing. They take us forward; we don't really want fireworks every day-- or at least I do not.

So this week we felt fortunate to have our four grandchildren around quite a bit. Two came in for the week and two came to play one day and later spent one night giving us all four under our roof for that night. That all went quite well which is just how you want it to go. Nobody got more than a few blisters or a skinned knee.

My partner and I (known here as Farm Boss) put out the eBook Storm in the Canyon which was received about as I expected considering the two before it-- as in with a dull thud :). To be totally honest, almost nobody cared to read this paranormal trilogy.

From my viewpoint, I enjoyed writing something different, liked the heroes and heroines, and it was fun figuring out the paranormal aspects which I got a lot of help doing from my chemist husband (also known as Farm Boss). But then my liking them doesn't say much since my normal read is not paranormal. I mostly have no idea what readers of that genre really like. I believe in them enough that they will all three go into a paperback which will be called Diablo Canyon with three parts to it (around 110,000 words, I think) and that will be out by the end of June or first of July-- I hope.

Sometimes as a writer, you simply write what you are given, and it doesn't mean a reader will like it at all. I can't even be sure all the readers who might like one of my books will stumble across it. At least though this trilogy was all a pleasure to write, the trailers were fun to create, and the covers suit the books perfectly. That's all a writer can do. The rest is out of my hands. Onward and upward as a friend of mine used to say.

We had to make a firm decision to postpone our trip to Yellowstone. This has been an odd year for getting hay. We need 40 tons of big round bales to get through our Oregon winter when the grass is there but not growing and with limited nutritional value. Raising cattle and sheep, sufficient hay for winter is not an option.

So instead of going to Montana/Wyoming, we may just take a shorter trip around Oregon (after we get the hay) and maybe a bit of southeastern Idaho where I am told there are interesting ghost towns as it was quite a mining area at one time. 

You know, take a vacation or not, I don't feel anxious about it because I live in a place that feels like a vacation to me. It's a place I would choose to vacation if I didn't live here. The thing is though vacations are meant to give us a break from regular routine. Maybe what we should do is pull the trailer to Portland and do a big city trip. Now that would be really different except when I am there a day is usually enough for me. Anyway, all of that is dicey until the hay is in the barns.

So with grandkids back to their families, I am ready to edit. Comes the Dawn, an Arizona O'Brian historical, will be out July 10. It follows Arizona Sunset and Tucson Moon. I hadn't thought of these titles as fitting from sunset to dawn but turned out that way.

And today is Summer Solstice--

At the very least we know we are still near the exact center point when the ‘stargate’ or ‘portal’ is wide open during the solstices. The Sun acts as a doorway to the incoming energies, illuminating and opening the stargate to other realms and dimensions as it rises, sets and tracks across the sky during the solstice time.

Do Solstices matter for attaining something? Well-- sometimes it can.  If you believe in energy portals (I just wrote a paranormal about such), this could be one. What can you do to make it special for you? 

1. Voice a committed choice for something that will enhance the quality of your life-- big or little thing. 
2. Eliminate something that isn't working in your life.
3. Commit or recommit to something you have always wanted.
4. Litha, this summer solstice Sabbat, honors the longest day of the year and a time to reflect on seasons and cycles.

Any moment can be a special one if we make it so. Every change starts with a commitment to make it so.

What we know for certain sure-- energy portals or not, we are at the longest day of the year and now on our way back to the shortest. Another cycle is completing. That alone should be cool for those who believe in cycles ;)

My granddaughter who was teaching me (or trying to teach me) how to use my smart phone, took the first photo of Blackie and Raven on what we are currently calling our old garden for wont of a better word. It seems what is our front yard should be our back based on where the road is; so it's taking some doing to come up with a word to describe both gardens that we will remember...

find a rainbow moment

How do we keep a positive attitude in a time when so much seems to be going wrong? I wish I had better answers to that question, but I think it's one we all need to think about. If we become buried in despondency, we can't help ourselves-- let alone anyone else. If we are looking for some super hero to fix the whole thing, likely we will be angry or disappointed. Those only exist in movies, books and comics.

Some say the answer is love. Love everyone, and it will all be better soon. Nothing wrong with love, but it's a word. Sometimes it's easier to say we love the universe, glowing with good will, than to love the one who just cut in front of us in traffic or passed right into us on a narrow road forcing us to brake and move onto the shoulder as far as we can to avoid a head-on collision. How about the person who just insulted us and walked off? The ones who didn't meet our expectations?

Is love really the solution for those who have already been loaded up to believe it's all about them? Or are surrounded by people who put them at the center of their universe? Those who have filled them with expectations that the world owes them whatever they want? You know when I was a child, which was long, long ago, children never for a moment thought they were the center of the family. That was the era of parents being the controllers and in charge.

Is love the solution when a child is depressed, can't seem to get it together, and he's given a prescription that will magically solve problems-- or at least makes it quieter for the parent?

these shooters have one thing in common and it isn't weapons

Not to say that medications are bad. I took Prozac some years back. I didn't feel like killing myself nor anyone else. But whatever pill there is out there, there will be side effects and sometimes that can be rage or increasing despondency. I am not suggesting prescribed drugs lead to mass killings. Shouldn't we though be looking at the issue very seriously?

You know the media is always onto the next story. They don't generally finish anything. They stir up rage, pathos or joy and on they go to the next hot story. They don't find solutions. They find problems. 

Americans encourage this with their tendency toward attention deficit, and a constant need for excitement to be entertained or stirred in some way.

Clearly with all these violent situations, the first line of defense for a society is not more guns in the hands of ordinary people. It's the family. That the family will recognize a problem and work to solve it or get outside help. But what if the family is either dysfunctional or helpless and unable to figure out what to do? What if they are so wrapped up in other problems that they aren't paying enough attention? Pretty much every shooter out there has fit into one of those family situations.

I know how many want to think the answer is stopping gun sales and collecting all the ones out there. It won't happen. And because it is the clarion call, other more reasonable steps aren't happening either because of the profit motive but also fear that their guns will be taken if anything at all is done.

I don't think the problem is all centered in our entertainment. How do we explain the worldwide spate of violence? All the fault of the US? Some would love to blame us for sure.

So in the midst of this kind of chaos-- and it is happening around the world, the right wing is screaming that they won the battle of Iraq (yes, it's really what they want to claim), and Obama has lost it. Even after all the billions of dollars poured into there, unless the US wanted to have ongoing war forever, with a steady loss of life, it was inevitable that this would eventually happen. That's the truth that we all knew who paid any attention anyway. Once Bush interfered in a stable, sovereign nation,  cruel though it might have been, we either stayed forever with our men being killed, or we had to get out and take the blame for what was to come. The claim of McCain and Graham is we needed to fight forever there. 

Yes, everybody labels McCain a hero, but his main claim to fame in his own war was crashing his planes and finally ending up a POW who refused to be released until the others with him were also. That's not a war hero. That's stubbornness and maybe courage but it's not about being able to fight a war. He didn't. And Graham never left the US during his time in the military; so what they both know about war is reading about it and pushing it onto other people which is what some would have us doing now with Iraq. War forever and ever-- amen.

Some of what the US is seeing in terms of violence is around the world. Think of the girls in India being kidnapped, raped and then hung from trees, the Pakistani women stoned to death often by their own families, the Sudanese government still threatening to hang a woman for renouncing the Muslim faith when she married a Christian except she never was a Muslim but her father was and that made her one.

I tell you if you pay any attention to worldwide news, we are in a very very violent time. What can we do about it? Not a lot. We can get better gun regs but they likely wouldn't stop a lot of what we are seeing. The latest kid got hold of guns his family owned. We can be careful where our kids are. Force our schools to get better doors and metal detectors with someone there to watch what and who come through the door. Most important, we can make better mental health programs available to schools and parents for the situations where the problems are way behind the reach of the parents. And be damned sure that any meds that are given to troubled kids don't make the situation worse.

Otherwise, try to be happy. Smell the roses. Enjoy the coffee or tea. Savor every small moment. Say I love you frequently. Be as healthy and happy as possible because it all starts with us. Sit in the dirt or on the grass, let the energy of nature enter up into you. Sniff the air. Tiny moments where we have joy-- out from that a positive energy flows. 

Also I might recommend finding creative pursuits. They don't have to be big ones but doing things that make you feel good for the doing and the finishing. I think being creative is very good for the spirit.

Rainbow photo is not one of ours but one I bought through CanStock. I have a lot of fun finding photos that sometimes I can use in book trailers or covers but also in the blogs :)
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from another blog

This is a topic I wrote about for Rain Trueax but readers here might also find of interest-- 

What makes a novel considered literary?

If you go there and have an opinion regarding the subject, be sure and comment-- here or there. I think it's a topic that could be debated with opinions other than my own or those I quoted there. :)

I might start posting a link here on Wednesday to what I thought most interesting from there or other places-- along with a photo or two, of course.

(The peacock has been quite noisy along the creek sometimes especially at night where I could swear it's a tropical environment instead of the PNW. He wants the wild turkey hens to come to him but they aren't around. I hope the cougars didn't get them all. Poor lonely guy but getting him a peahen would probably only end up with her dead-- hence he struts his stuff, stays along the creek, runs from us, and has to live out his days a magnificent lone male with no mate-- definitely suitable subject for a 'literary novel' lol.)

Diane Widler Wenzel and a new show

Here is a two posts for one day- Diane Widler Wenzel is in a new show opening Tuesday at the LaSells Center in Corvallis. If you are anywhere near for the opening, be sure you check it out or visit the gallery where the show will be for most of June. 

The show has ten Albany artists each showing ten of their more recent works. It makes it diverse and interesting. Here's what Diane said about it.

An invitation to see Widler Wenzel paintings in a group show

The Albany Artist 10x10 exhibit show cases 10 two-dimensional artists from Albany - all on a different path from one another. Besides myself there will be Michael Linstrom, Marsha Meldfinger, Kurt Norlin, Molly Perry, Rob Robinson, Anna Lee Steed, Irene VanDusen, Michael Moore, Billie Moore at the Giustina Gallery, the LaSells Stewart Center, Oregon State University,  875 SW 26th St. Corvallis , Oregon 97330.  gallery hours Monday-Friday, 9am - 5 pm. The exhibit runs from June 2nd - 26.

Meet Diane and the nine other artists at a reception June 10 at 6:30 - 8:30 pm

 Diane Widler Wenzel's Process

 When I paint my best work, my feelings flow into my work surprising me.  Whether painting with oil, acrylic, watercolor or collage: whether starting with an object in mind or not, one piece flows to the next. Each piece is a record of a facet of my journey. A series of work is a record of my process.  My series include rivers, fishermen and family.  All my work together becomes a visual record of my life. 

When life throws curves or inspiration dries up, I think of my favorite watercolor colors. After painting several similar non-objective color compositions, I ask questions. What if I collaged unpainted, partially folded paper?

Currently I am working on a watercolor collage of some rocks that take on the form similar to an arm in the mouth of a clay cave. Over the wrist floats a well-used, waxed paper envelope with cancelled stamps. The arm reaches for another envelope with a letter and cancelled stamp - Shanghai, July 1, 1900. Symbolism is now again at play.

The painting above is one Diane painted along our creek. She was out Friday starting another one-- a tad smaller :) 

I don't know if the following piece is in this show. She had to narrow it down to ten and she is a very prolific artist, but I am particularly fond of the paintings she does of the ocean and thought I'd include it just as another sample of her work. She really captures the energy of the ocean.

heading toward summer

This has been a week of getting the yard geared up for summer. I am fine with that and enjoying it a lot-- despite concern that if we don't get rain, this may present future problems regarding fire danger. For now, it's just delightful with the climbing roses in full bloom, the new additions to our outdoor lawn furniture which makes sipping a glass of wine outside delightful.

I am so ready for summer but is it ready for me? It better be.

Oh and I need to take some vegetable garden photos. It's looking so good :)

clouds and dreams

It has been a quiet week. There must be something going on-- except I am not sure there is. The weather here has been nice. As I write, out the window it's blue skies, lots of green, the last blossoms of the columbine, which means soon the cats can go into that yard. They have been exiled because of the hummingbirds which for some reason tempt them to hunt more than any other bird.

We were told the next valley over had a marauding cougar which killed two lambs right in the barnyard. The state hunter came out and tracked it down with dogs-- the way cougars always were hunted in Oregon until the law was changed due to a ballot measure-- once again city made choices for country. The result of basically no hunting (you try hunting a cougar without dogs) has led to a lot more cougar, a lot less deer with the possibility of the cougars going after livestock like ours. So far they have not, but we are keeping a wary eye out.

Those who know say that hay will be hard to find this year which is bad news for us as it's essential for us to get through a winter with cattle and sheep. The reason for its short supply isn't our area but California's demand to import hay from other places because with their drought, their normal fields aren't producing. Basically the climate change, whatever its cause, will impact more than those living in the regions hardest hit.

For some reason our little valley has had less rain than many surrounding areas. It seems the rain has been diverted around us. It's not been bad or anything yet. The creek is still running full, but it likely means we will have to irrigate sooner than usual. It's hard to complain when the days are so beautiful, but it does always make me wonder about the future. What changes are yet to come?

May 18th, I took a fall and if you are interested in more about that, I wrote about it in [Rain Trueax]. The only thing I want to say about it here is-- watch out for things that could trip you in your house! I thought I had been aware but not so much.

Recently has been a week for peculiar dreams. Not sure what that's about. Some of them probably speak to some insecurity I am not usually aware of. For instance one dream was about being in a restaurant where my daughter was the waitress. We got there early. We then sat, waited and nothing happened while other customers came in and she served them. Finally she came to our table, looked me directly in the eye and said-- I will not serve you food you cannot afford to pay for. I looked back at her with amazement. Why would you say that-- I have $300 in my wallet and a Visa that is good? Dream ended before I got an answer from her. 

The dream though didn't relate to my daughter at all. She and I have a fine relationship. She knows I don't go out on a limb for things I cannot afford. People are usually just vehicles in my dreams which means they are less significant than how they make me feel and the deeper possible reason in my life.

So I figured it related to other areas. I tried to think where might anybody think I haven't paid my dues or couldn't afford what I was doing. It could be out of my insecurity where it comes to my books and how I think others perceive me there. Some could feel I haven't paid my dues by going through a publisher or by not joining a writing clubs. That does not mean others feel that way because the dream was likely in one way or another something about my own insecurity.

Another night, the dream caused me to wake upset-- this time for something I had done wrong. For no sensible reason, I had shot my rifle across a wide valley into a distant mountain where I had no idea people might be and where the bullet could have dropped shy of the mountain and hit someone in the valley below. Totally foolish behavior, something I'd never do, but I woke feeling stressed. No gun owner with any sense would do such a stupid thing. But in my dream, I did. Reckless behavior without thought. Maybe it came from the fall as it did come after it.

There were more, but the last of the offbeat dreams came with a movie type dream. In these I watch but am never part of the story. The main character was a horrible woman, brutal and abusive who played a role for people pretending she was nice. I woke from it knowing its plot would probably make a good suspense novel, but there is no way that I would consider writing it. I wasn't even willing to relay the whole story here-- let alone spend months writing about the woman, having to live with her. No thanks for something that negative and brutal. I'll leave that kind of writing to tougher souls than mine. I need positive vibes in my writing and life.

So it's been beautiful weather, lots of flowers, birds, fun with the cats, recuperating from the fall, vegetable garden going gangbusters, and for me-- editing, editing, editing with gathering more images. 

More about the books, for those interested in my process, and sometimes guests who are also creative, in Rain Trueax.


One thing about skies with clouds-- they are ever changing and always entertaining if you take time to lie back and watch the subtle changes. All cloud photos are on our place, one May afternoon, and taken by Farm Boss.