Rambling Recap

I must confess that my blog has gotten a bit beyond me this year. There are plenty of times when I wish to write about something, but simply cannot carve out the time. It does not help that my own personal writing style requires absolute quiet and isolation. Oh, how I envy those writers who can plug away while children are screaming in the background, several televisions are blaring, and dinner is cooking on the stove.

When it comes to writing, I have to be able to concentrate and the slightest noise interrupts that. During my first year in college, I couldn't study in my dorm room because my roommate would study at her desk and eat potato chips! She wasn't talking to me. She wasn't trying to distract me. She was merely having a snack while studying, but it drove me to insanity.

In my mind, I covet an Annie Dillard location. She obviously craved isolation for writing, spending a year at Tinker Creek before writing her famous book, The Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. Not that I am in any way comparing myself to Annie Dillard. I merely share similar requirements. She even clarifies this herself, on her website.

The funny thing is that, in many ways, I already have an Annie Dillard location. If I am not working full-time when my little boys attend school full-time, then I will have the optimal opportunity for writing. I even have a novel already in the works, which is set here. Alas, for now, I have the beauty, without the quiet; I have the ideas, but not the time.

In fact, several weeks ago, I wanted to share about my experience with our blue heron. I am always thrilled when I see the heron fishing down in the creek. I love to watch the way his bill juts out ahead of him as he walks through the water on his long, stiff legs. The first time I saw the heron, I couldn't believe the wing span on that creature. His wing span is easily as long as my arms (or longer).

As National Geographic puts it, "Great blue herons' size (3.2 to 4.5 feet/1 to 1.4 meters) and wide wingspan (5.5 to 6.6 feet/1.7 to 2 meters) make them a joy to see in flight. They can cruise at some 20 to 30 miles (32 to 48 kilometers) an hour." For a great professional image (didn't think I could legally copy it into my page), go here.

Of course, now my photos will pale by comparison, but here they are anyway:




I was really quite surprised to see the heron, since my son has been back in the woods so much, enjoying and dealing with his fort. At first, he had to deal with the fort because they began to realize that a flat roof isn't helpful during hard rains. Thus, he and his friend, remodelled the roof to give it a slope.

Then, ES mentioned the fort to several others at school and we ended up having kids coming into our woods searching for the thing. This made ES feel quite threatened, so he began a new remodelling project to safeguard his private sanctuary. We are not so much worried about kids coming to see the fort. It is more the concern this brings for their safety, in case a trespassing hunter might be back there at the same time. ES and his friend found two chains and an old door out in the shed. They attached the chains to the entrance trees and put the door against the opening and lock the chains together to seal off the entrance.





Perhaps, next, they will begin begging for the purchase of a watch dog. Ha! At this point, the only watch dog any of these boys will have is a cute little dog YS brought home from Parent's Day Out the other day. This craft was absolutely adorable. As far as I'm concerned, it has all the qualities I'm looking for in a family pet: cuddly, sweet, quiet, and low maintenance.