Spring is SPRING-Y

I know we are not the only ones who are sick of winter. It's been colder than cold. Even when it warms up for a while, it dips back down. This hasn't been easy on me, since I drive a bus for a living, and the building where we have always been able to park has been closed down for the whole effing year, doing major upgrading. Not that it will make any difference to anyone. 
So, where I and eighteen other people who drive buses park, it's a looooong frigging walk just to pee.
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I've been waiting to see snow melt. And I don't mean a few inches. I mean FEET! Snow drifts, and snow piles all around our yard has taken up until this week to actually diminish. We stayed in 50's last night and finally, any snow that snuggled up to the house is gone, save for a few bravely clinging ice patches on the sidewalks.



Our resident deer have come to the backyard to rest and chew their cud. They stay out there because it's away from the park, and we're not in the yard. But, one visitor came along. A hungry 'possum. I watched as it roamed the yard, heading straight for a large female. The deer, who didn't git up, but bent it's head as if to say, "Hey! Jerk, stay out of my personal space!"
The 'possum suddenly saw what was in front of her, and she made a quick detour, only to nearly head into two more deer laying on the ground under the white pines. I had to laugh. Animal drama is funny, some times.


Well, this has been "spring break" for NIU, that's why I'm home. Thank you!!!
I'm working on writing, which is normal for me, and why I'm avoiding a lot of other stuff. Although, I'll stop and watch "House" on Tuesdays, and "Monk" on Thursdays, which is today, so, we'll see what Monk is up to. While "House" is intriguing, one who doesn't know when to look away from the screen at the right moments, would do well not to watch that show while eating. EVER!

There was no Spring...

This was the view out our door on Thursday morning. 

We're talking APRIL 19th, 

Not March or February.

We should be getting warm temps in the 60's & 70's.

We had temps as low as 26 on the above date.

And then, that day it warmed up...

to 53

Here are my miniature daffodils boldly showing they don't care what happens, damn it!

It was only last Wednesday and Thursday we saw a 60+ and 71 degree day. I remember raking and getting some sun, thinking about getting a hammock (if only I had one), and lying out in the calm, warm air.

Well, yesterday we did see 62 degrees, and I got into my flower beds and pulled out dead stuff, preparing it for the eventual Spring.

But it probably will go from this to  80's in a matter of days, once Mr. Deadbeat (Winter) wakes up and moves along.

Meandering Thoughts

Hello, my pretties. Since last time, as you all know, the weather was harsh to us. But now it has turned a slight corner, and we've enjoyed brief moments of 40's one day, and 20's the next.

But I'm not here to talk about the weather. I've had these various thoughts touring my brain for days, and just had to get them down, so here it goes.

Promise this isn't "Fake News", but it should be enjoyable.

The Logic Behind it?

Let's say for a lark you and a friend went to a psychic for a reading. She tells you a lot of stuff about yourself you have to wonder how she knew. At the end she tells you you'll meet a tall, dark and handsome stranger--like that's original, right?
Then, as a bonus, she gives you numbers for a winning lottery. You are more than a little dubious, wondering why she'd give you a winning number at no extra cost.
You smile and say, "Thanks, but give me the numbers you're going to play, instead."




It's Inevitable

The weather has turned for the worse. You can't even get down the street on foot, let alone drive anywhere. The mayor, the sheriff's police and various other important public people get on TV and tell people to pleast stay home if they don't need to go out.
Naturally, a half hour later, there's an hundred car pile-up on a major highway, because everybody decided they had to go some place.




How's That?

David and Louise Turpin (the couple who are accused of keeping their children chained to beds, starved, and tortured them), have plead "Not guilty".

If I were the prosecuting attorney I might say something like, "So let me get this straight. Your thirteen children chained themselves to beds, refused to eat, go to school, and you just went on with every day life?"

Well, this is all I've got for now. I could say something about Trump, but I figure everyone else is probably on that.

Next time, I'll tell you, and show you, what I've been up to to keep myself amused during this cold weather stuck indoors.

Due to Circumstances Beyond Our Control...

I was without Internet for a few days, and so, I wasn't around... in case anyone wondered, asked, or even missed me?

It actually made it easy for me to get something done for a change.

Edits on Vampire Caprice is still in progress. I will be sending a section of chapters to my second beta reader to go over them. Meanwhile I have been using the saved PDF's from Grammarly. I'm finding that in some cases it's not fool proof, and it doesn't know French at all. But when it catches something, it's a good thing I had it. I will go through it using these various editing devices, and then my last editing will be me doing a find & replace, or whatever, when I'm ready. After that, I read through it TWICE. So, that being said, it might be April when I've got this bad boy out. It is a long book. 343 pages, as a matter of fact.

Meanwhile work on Dhampir Legacy is suspended until I have finished with Caprice, or, I'm letting the manuscript sit a while between readings.

Work on my large afghan (granny square), is coming along. I have placed a number of the squares out on a sheet on the floor to see how I want it, and where I want the colors. It also lets me see what colors I still need to make before I go ahead with stitching them together. And a friend is having a June baby, and I want to crochet a baby blanket for the bundle for her shower. So, I'm busy.

Despite the fact that it is March, we still have snow--piles that have been here since January, in fact--and are expecting more. But the weather prediction is for 40's coming in soon. Could we actually see some melting and thawing soon? We were discussing that perhaps we should bet on our last snow event, or the last day we see snow on the ground. I'm going with April 8th--on the snow sticking around. March 25th for the last snow flying.

So, there you have my updates. I'll be posting irregularly until further notice.

COME ON SPRING!

Monday Updates

Well, my pretties, I am enjoying my day off, and posting to bring you all up to date. Nothing huge to talk about, but I post up-dates for those who follow me (yes, all ten of you *waves*).

This past week had me working on my 7th book in series and I got the brainstorm of an ending for it. I worked on a bedroom scene and posted about the differences between urban fantasy and paranormal romance here. If you don't know what the difference is, this will help. The word "romance" should give a big clue, however. Anyone who knows me/my writing knows I am not a romance writer or fan. I'm also not a a fan of erotica. If you want an entertaining read about my view point on this, go head on over to my other blog, but come on back and read the rest of my ramblings.

"Cat Whisperer" is needing a bit of a fluffing. I have to work on some little "side journeys" I call them. This book isn't just about the cats/kittens, it's about my husband. I'm often amazed at how he can control animals. Only this week he had to get Half Pint down from a tree. He had chased Tango up there after the usual loud cat-brawl. He got Half Pint down and brought him back over to the house. Eventually he got the two males to calm down and he petted them while talking to them. I don't know what is is about him, but the cats mind him. Just like he trained dogs--which were not much easier, but he trained them to obey.

It hasn't rained since Friday, I believe. And so I went for a nice walk out in our park. You can check that out here.

I've turned my attention on another back burner. My mystery I was working on, I put down to work on other things, and to let it rest. I was having trouble with the plot. Decided that if I just let it chill a while, I'd come up with a solution, and I did. Not quite ready to work on it. I want to get a few things done first, and maybe I'll work on that one this fall or winter, when I have time. If I do, that is.

The other day (I guess it was Friday), I came home and found that my husband had moved furniture around. Okay. He hasn't done that in a while. He called it our "summer" look. Whatever. I told him no wonder he was complaining of his back having a twinge. But at least he took most of the weekend off. He did have to get on the big mower and do the yard, as it was long. The grass has had lots of rain, and is keeping him busy in the park, which is super good. But he needs a day off. He and I are going to go out tomorrow, browse a nursery, go to lunch and brouse a local antiques place. It's on a farm, and antiques are in their 1839 barn. I got the idea of using the barn (at least mentioning), in a section of my WIP. I can't wait to go and see it again. We have not been there in over a decade, I'm sure.

I haven't heard from my publisher about my books as yet, but I should be hearing from him soon. Surely? I will become an Indie soon, because he is quitting the publishing business of other authors. He was the first one to publish my books, but now it would seem that I should be able to do this myself and make a little better royalties. I'm not going to get rich. I'm not even going to be comfortable. I'll be happy to get a $100 check every once in a while from Amazon.

Speaking of Indies, my good friend Shelly Arkon is giving away free copies for Kindle only of her short story "Partner's Progeny" You'll want to check this out. I'm sure everyone who can download to Kindle will want to check out my friend's book, and you can do that at her site, "Two Fur-Peeps and A Writer"

Well that's all the news and updates I've got. Have a good week and see you in the usual places, if not here!

Introducing Justin Pletsch ~ Storm Chaser!

I have always had a fascination with weather. If I'd been a little better at my studies I probably would have done something with that, as well as all the other things I wanted to be. At any rate I enjoy watching weather clouds, and the formations during a storm.

Today I want to introduce to you a colleague and friend, Justin Pletsch, who had an interesting summer chasing storms. He sent me pictures and his story of the chase one day, but I told him I think an introduction is in order. Because aside from being a crazy bus driver (as am I), he does something even more crazier than driving around NIU avoiding students who seem to want to walk out in front of a 12 ton bus. He chases storms, and does so for a company. Well, I'll let the introductions begin and get out of the way aside from my questions.

ME: First of all, Justin, where are you from?

JUSTIN: I was born in Sterling, IL, and grew up in Prophetstonw, IL, which is about 50 miles east of the Quad Cities. My family and I eventually moved to Gridley, IL, when I was in 5th grade, and then we moved to Normal, IL, when I was a freshman in high school.

ME: Tell us when you became interested in weather, or what one weather event made you excited and want to study it?

JUSTIN: I was always fascinated with weather, but the event that really kick-started my interest happened when I was 6 years old. It was a perfectly clear day, and then everything took a turn for the worse one summer evening. We saw a tornado a few miles away from our house in the country, and my dad was able to film it. While he was filming, our neighbor's tree across the street was struck by lightning. Of course, I thought this was SO cool! But we all ended up retreating to the basement.

ME: Smart move. Okay, everyone knows what a storm chaser is, or I hope they do, but why are they important? What do they do to help us study weather?

JUSTIN: Storm chasers are important because they are sometimes the only way people know of impending danger. Take my personal experience form April 9, 2011. I went chasing with three other people, and we ended up in Mapleton, IA, to seek shelter under a gas station awning from ping-pong sized hail. Even though it was really dark and the sirens were blaring, the lady attendant at the gas station didn't know what was happening. We explained that she needed to take shelter immediately. Sure enough, the gas station power went out, and a tornado formed 200 yards from our location!!! Luckily, no one was killed in that town (which was demolished in this storm), and the worst injury was a broken leg.

In addition, storm chaser can provide information that Doppler Radar is unable to pick up (i.e. size of hail, rainfall rates, whether or not a tornado is on the ground, etc.). Keep in mind, the radar can only detect rotation and/or hail within a storm, but it can't actually detect if a tornado is on the ground, or the size of the hail.

Also, storm chasers are usually the first people on the scene after a devastating storm plows through. Any storm chaser worth his salt will provide first aid to people who need it until help arrives. Plus, we might be the only ones able to pick up a phone and dial 9-1-1, because storms that leave a path of destruction behind often leave people in shock.

ME: So true. Okay, now tell us a little bit about the people/group who hired you to go out and do such a crazy, dangerous job over the summer, and where are they based, and anything else you wish to tell us about them.

JUSTIN: I went on my first storm chasing trip in 2009 with a company called Tempest Tours (TT). This company was founded in 2000 by Martin Lisius, who is also the president of TT. It is based out of Arlington, TX, and they lead tours from the middle of April to the middle of August. The tours leave from Dallas, Oklahoma City, Denver, and Phoenix.

Anyway, I was completely enthralled with my first chase/trip that I knew I wanted to go back again. My next opportunity to go again came in 2011, when my parents decided to send me on another storm chasing adventure as my graduation gift.

My third trip came this past summer, but this one was different. After much persistence, I was able to score a driving position for my trip this year, and I was paid to do so.

ME: Tell us, do you recommend this to anyone?

JUSTIN: Please keep in mind that storm chasing is EXTREMELY dangerous, and it should not be attempted unless you have the experience or go with someone who is experienced. Also be aware that you will need to do quite a bit of driving, which is the primary hazard with this activity. In fact, it isn't uncommon to be on the road from 9 AM until 1 AM--just to give you an idea.

In addition, you will have to deal with other chasers who may not be following the rules of the road when on the scent of a massive storm. This can post problems, especially if you get caught in torrential rain, very large hail, hurricane force winds, or worse--the tornado itself! Wildlife also poses a threat, such as fire ants, snakes, cows,, and other creatures. Also, a storm chaser's diet is quite unhealthy, considering breakfast is the only good meal you might get the entire day. Otherwise, you will have to settle for fast food, or a questionable sandwich from a gas station in the middle of nowhere.

In the end, you need to have a health respect for Mother Nature, if you want to live to tell your tale. The best way for someone to experience storm chasing, no matter how much experience you have/don't have, is to go with a company like TT. They are professionals, and they will never intentionally put you in harm's way. For those who want to shop around, I would also suggest looking at Silver Lining Tours, as they are the only other reputable company out there.

ME: Well, thank you Justin for this interview!

And just to reinforce the warning, I wanted to share a photo from one of his companions who was happy to also share his picture and story about it:

"This is a picture of the vehicle I was in on June 20th, 2012 while chasing a storm near Chugwater, WY. We were filming our 3rd tornado of the day from about 2-3 miles away when the storm unexpectedly started heaving bowling balls at us. We got out of there fast, but not before the vehicle took some major hits, including 2 windshield impacts, one baseball-sized and the other 5 inches or more in diameter (we couldn't stick around for exact measurements...lol). Needless to say, this was one of my greatest chases to date. Can't get much better than 3 tornadoes and 5-inch hail in one day!"

REMINDER: my next post up will be Justin's actual storm chasing event from this year. He has some wonderful pictures I want to share with you, so please do watch for it!

You can visit Tempest Tours at http://www.tempesttours.com/

Sizzling Saturday & My Husband's Birthday

The temperatures around here (northern Ill.) have been at 100 degrees or better for the past 4 days. We hope that sometime tomorrow it will cool down. Rain would be nice too.

My husband's birthday is today. He calls himself the "watermellon baby" because that's what his mother craved while carrying him. This is a picture of him on our trip north last year. He's looking out on Lake Superior here.

He also shares his birthday with Kevin Bacon--same age too! So, I'd say he's only one degree away from Kevin Bacon (remember that? I have no idea what the significance of that was).

The pregnant, half-wild cat had her babies in the hollow of an older catalpa tree. She is not a pet. She does not show any affection whatsoever toward us. If she meows at my husband (who feeds her, and doesn't trust me a lick), it's a rarity. But as she was pregnant--and the weather has been very unenjoyable, we knew she was merely going through things. Now her belly is flat, and flabby. It's almost comical to see. I don't know when we will see the kittens, but we respect her privacy and are letting her take care of them. She may move them at some point. I don' t know. Although I wouldn't be surprised if, in a few weeks, some morning we see a bunch of little young'uns out in the yard. That would be cute. Wish I could take pics to share, but I can't. Just have to describe this best I can.

Since it's going to be another scorcher, we are not going out for any birthday celebration. At our age we just aren't all that into it, anyway. I was able to buy a card for him yesterday, and found an old display from his 50th b-day party, and put it up. "I wish I was fifty," he murmured. But he liked that I remembered him.

Hope all of you are safe, dry, cool, and what have you. If you are experiencing this heat wave, please be aware heat exhaustion will take you by surprise. If you jog, or any sort of out-door activities should be done early, get plenty of water, and if you feel nausious, or dizzy, get out of the heat. I've had the symptoms. These are dangerous and may lead to worse conditions if you don't take care. Also, check up on the elderly and make sure that they are getting to cool areas as well.

Have a good weekend!

Hello to my friends and fans . . . here are my updates:

It's been quite an up and down week--weather was up and down, definitely. Went from the 90's down to the 50's, had to drive in the most torrential rain I've ever driven in--along with lightning. Ah, the exciting moments of a bus driver. I had to apologise for not having towels, and welcomed them to Seattle as they got on rather soppy.

And my book's eBook sales went from the basement back up, and sort of hovered there for a few days, momentarily hitting an all-time high at # 31,940--for a brief few hours yesterday, and then dropped off. But that's expected. I just was a bit thrilled that a bunch of people are showing they are very interested in my book. If it gets to #1 I might just pass out, but it's a long ways from that.

As some of you may know, I've sent in my second book to my publisher. I got word back that they are aiming for a late summer release. I told him that's fine with me, but my fans wanted it last week.

Sorry. But you know, if it were one of your big house publishers, you'd all have to wait a full year for the hard-bound copy to come out, and then another year after that for the softbound. I'm guessing you won't mind to wait just a few more months to get your hands on an eBook of my next installment of Sabrina Strong's escapades with the vampires, werewolves and shape shifters.

I've been posting little tidbits to do with the next book, little hints, and helpful background into sibyls, and something called the Dagger of Delphi, over at Vampire Writer's Retreat and there's a bit on the mystic ring, which has something called the Seal of Solomon, and such on it. The above are coins with the Seal of Solomon on them. Sort of a little thing I thought I'd put up here today.

I'm, of course, working on the third book, so I'm only getting out once in a while to post and make comments. Any of the work I am doing on the third book can be viewed over at Lorelei's Writing Journal. I may have portions of chapters, or just notes on what I'm doing. This third book is going to be somewhat different, taking Sabrina into a different world almost right away. This is my "steampunk" novel with all the delicious hunks to drool over, and a couple of mysteries to solve, and danger. Plus, if you have an avad interest in Dracula, you'll be pleased to know I've got him in this as well. You'll want to see how I've done this, I'm sure.

I'm also happy, I want to say, for my longest friend here on blogspot, Heather McCorkle of Heather's Oddessey. She has made a tough, but I think, good decision, after much work, on her book, "Secret of Spruce Knoll" and at trying very, very hard to find an agent to take it, and having to come to a very tough decision over self-publishing, or going with a small publisher.

I have been a follower of Heather's for four years, now, and she mine, and we've been supportive of each other this whole while, and I wouldn't think of stopping my support of her. I think if there were a nice award for friendship, I would give it to her. But being blogging friends is enough. I wish her the best of luck!