I’ve been out weeding all morning before it gets too hot out. Got a lot done, so feel glad about it. I’m sure my neighbors are too. Still coughing my head off, and sinuses are still congested, but I feel somewhat better.
In my current book, I’m writing about neighbors. I have really good ones. But in my story, I’m writing about neighbor trouble. Of course, it’s not your typical neighbor story. They’re all wolves. I had thought in spring it would have been easier to write, but this has to be the Christmas story, so…
And they have a castle, she has a manor house out in the country, which makes it not exactly typical neighbor trouble.
But you can still have some of the same issues. When I lived in Poteau, the original owner of the land ran cattle on the acreage, stating that he was allowed to and we had to fence his cattle off our property. No. That wasn’t the case. He was selling the land in parcels. His cows no longer were allowed free range. His cows pulled up a whole row of my freshly planted shrubs, despite that I had a fence. And they got onto the property and left giant deep footprints where they sank on the muddy ground. I love animals. The cattle just didn’t belong in the neighborhood. We were the 2nd owners and the original owners had a rustic fence, kind of like this but with room for cows to poke their heads through.
And of course there are the dogs left to roam and dump on your property. Some get out and accidentally run loose, so it’s no one’s fault. Repeated rain does not wash it away. Most dog owners are good about picking up after their dogs, but some are not.
Then there are the roaming cats. Now, again, I love animals, and so when I see a cat stalking my birds, I grab my camera and shoot pictures until the cat sees me and takes off.
Living in apartments–it was the neighbors fighting all the time.
In Florida, it was the horrible people next door whose kids terrorized everyone else’s. He had a gun and threatened my dad. They sprayed water onto my mother’s laundry drying in the sun and with well water, that meant red specks of stains all over the clothes. They shot BB gun pellets through our windows. They threw people’s dogs into the canal, stole kids’ toys and bikes–throwing them into the canal. My dad had to call the police on them over the gun and BB gun incidents. I was older than their kids so never had anything to do with them. And then the police were looking for them. The creditors were looking for them. Everyone was pounding on our door. My dad had done everything he could to deal with them, even building a “castle wall” around our house on their side and the front of the home, trying to protect our windows and home from their repeated shooting at it. Anything, to fight against the tyrants that no one would do anything about.
And then the neighbors from hell had slipped away in the middle of the night, never to be heard of from again. But maybe they had been. Maybe they’d all ended up in prison at some time or another in their lives. I wouldn’t be surprised. People like that don’t stop being people like that overnight.
I try to think of problems I’ve seen in movies, my own over the years, and ones I’ve read about, and then convert them to–Highland wolf neighbor issues. lol
Anyway, so that’s where I’m at. Just doing some world building for now. And pulling weeds. I’ll tell about our wild turtle adventure tomorrow or the next day.
Okay, little one is here and keeping me busy. I had about 5 hours of sleep because of coughing. I’m going to walk her to the ponds to feed the turtles after she has her 2nd breakfast. I think she’s a Hobbit. And then we’re returning home, hopefully having lunch, reading some stories, and taking a nap. I desperately need one. lol
Yesterday, I was feeling so crummy, I ended up making a couple of book video trailers, announcing Wolf to the Rescue’s release and then just watched movies until I went to bed. I always feel like I’ve wasted a day doing something like that. But with this head cold, I’ve just felt wiped out.
I ended up taking an extra strength cough suppressant last night and that helped me to sleep better. Today, I’m back to coughing my head off, which is good. I need to get this out of my system and my sinuses are draining again, which is also good. Despite sleeping better, I still feel tired and groggy–no brain cells working to develop the story. Maybe I can weed a little, though that thought wears me out. lol
I think I’ll just vegetate for another day because I’ll have little one back tomorrow, so I need more rest and relaxation. Maybe by Friday, I’ll be feeling more my energizer bunny self and off to tackle the world!
Short on time? This brand-new wolf shifter novella from USA Today bestseller Terry Spear will hit the spot!
The intriguing worlds of Terry Spear’s Arctic wolves and gray wolves collide with mystery, action, and thrilling suspense you can rely on!
An Arctic wolf FBI agent who won’t stop until he finds his mark
The gray wolf FWS officer who stands in his way
Undeniable attraction that can only mean these wolves have met their mate
Sparks fly when Arctic wolf and FBI agent Andrew White encounters U.S. Fish and Wildlife officer Stacey Grayson tracking the same criminal he’s after, and the beautiful she-wolf won’t back down. Both are determined to get their target, but when their hearts get in the way, anything can happen. With danger at every turn, they’ll have to work together.
So yesterday was just as wild as the day before. The baby was throwing up at school and my SIL had to bring him home. They both must have had a 24-hour bug. Both seem to be doing fine the rest of the day.. We’ll see what tomorrow brings.
I’m always glad when I have my camera when I see one. This was at the Wilderness Lodge geyser.
So last night was wild. Little one had been sick the night before and that morning, so she was just lying on the couch, not wanting to eat or anything when my SIL dropped her off. She didn’t want to take a bath. A friend had given me her granddaughter’s rubber duckies that she was too old for and so I brought out 3 she hadn’t seen before and that enticed her to take a bath. Then next was story time, only my son called from Japan and she fell asleep in my arms.
They went to a Japanese restaurant and the menus were all in Japanese, but luckily, he still could read them from having taken Japanese in college. lol So everyone wants him to go with them when they eat out.
So my SIL is coming over for dinner tonight, and I’m keeping my granddaughter for another night. Last night, she joined me in bed at 2:30, and then I couldn’t sleep. Luckily, my coughing didn’t wake her. But I plan for both of us to take a nap.
I made it to 16k on the story yesterday, forget I had thought of the woman having twin boys, which could create more conflict, but it’s a Christmas story, so that might not work, if I had that she lost her mate, or she’s raising her nephews because their parents are gone. Though what about all the children’s stories like that???
With having little one overnight last night, lack of sleep, and my routine was all messed up, totally forgot to blog. lol
So we’re going to have a crazy next few days. My daughter has flown off to a conference and my SIL and are juggling kids. The baby is just 1 and so he doesn’t sleep through most nights, and I have my granddaughter all day tomorrow, so I proposed she stay the night tonight and tomorrow night with me, then he takes her to school on Tuesday, and then he picks them up and I have to take her for her COVID shot. What????
And then I’ll keep her overnight. He’s on his own for the last night until my daughter returns the next night. Unless he can’t manage–lack of sleep, etc. lol I probably won’t get enough sleep!
I’m only at 15k on Lachlan’s story. I went back in and revised my calendar to reflect having my granddaughter here and not getting as much work done. Plus this cold is still making me cough all night, soooo….
Sometimes the best laid plans…are tossed asunder. Especially when I can’t think of where to go on the story.
Have a super fun day!! I have the day to write–for now.
I’ve still got a cold, though I’m glad it’s nothing worse than that. Today we’re having a birthday party for my grandson–Where the Wild Things Are–though he’s like this sunflower, sunny disposition and smiley.
I’m off to try and get a little done on Highland Wolf. I’ve felt so dragged out that I only managed to read through 3 chapters yesterday, of 4 that I’ve written, to remember where I’m at in the story after stopping to do edits on the other book. The two days before the cold hit me, we were taking long walks and I felt great!
Still combing and cutting the dogs’ hair. I thought it was really bad last time because I was doing it with a broken wrist, but it’s just as bad this time.
As wolves, Isobel, her kin, and a Highland slave are on the run from her Icelandic clan and now they must find a way to live in peace in Scotia without anyone discovering they are wolves or Vikings. Wearing traditional Icelandic clothes, sailing a Viking longboat, and speaking Gaelic with a Nordic accent, it won’t be easy.
Alasdair is the wolf pack leader of his Highland clan, in the middle of adding fortifications to his castle when he spies what he thinks is a small Viking longboat—which can mean raiders and a fight. But what he discovers is two adult wolf females, a nearly grown male, and a female and male bairn on their shores. He can’t imagine the family making the treacherous journey to his land all on their own, but he’s captivated by Isobel, the woman who led her people to what she hopes will be safety.
Not everyone in his pack welcomes having Vikings living among them though. And Isobel is a wild and unpredictable woman, which fascinates him all the more.
Yesterday, little one and I fed the turtles at the ponds and she blew bubbles from her Easter bubbles. It was really pleasant out. It will be hot out today. I’m hoping to get her to the store first thing so we can get some things we need for her baby brother’s birthday party on Saturday.
David Davis and his fellow Arctic wolves are seeking a new life in the wilds of Minnesota, away from the controlling pack leader who exploited them. Elizabeth Simpson helped David escape, but the pack leader won’t let her go. It’ll take everything David and Elizabeth have to get out and make a new home…together.
I had written the story for each of 3 of the 4 private investigators in the white wolf pack, but David Davis still needed his story to be told. So this is it!
***
Another busy day ahead of us. Little one is here and it’s already warm so we’re going to the playground to play, feed the turtles in the ponds, do chalk artwork, shop for birthday paper for baby, read books and do crafts. And hopefully tonight I can get some more work done on editing for Wolf Takes the Lead. I’m up to ch 21 of 29 chapters. Yay!
And of course I’m still combing out the matted dogs. lol
