WIND, CHILLY, FIRE DANGER, TO CATCH A DREAM

It has been windy here in Colorado Springs for the last three days. Last night a cold front moved in and dropped the temperatures into the 20s. Our forecast for today is not very high, mid 40s. With the wind chill, it feels like it’s below freezing outside. And my sinuses are having a field day with all the dust and everything the wind is kicking up. For some reason I can’t seem to get the house warm, or it could just be me. But it feels like a steady breeze blowing through the rooms today. The wind chimes on the back porch are dancing a merry tune, and the wind keeps blowing garbage in the yard. So far I have all the trash picked up out of the yard. But I do wish that the wind would stop. My sinuses would dearly love it.

Yesterday they had a fire at Fort Carson, and from the news report, part of the residential area was evacuated. I believe they have it under control now. We have several fires burning around the area, keeping the firefighters extremely busy. Needless to say this wind does not help one bit. My forecast for the next couple of days is chilly until Thursday when the temperatures will return to the 60s for Thursday and Friday. Then we drop again back into the 40s for a few days. I can handle the cold, snow or rain. But, I hate it when it’s windy.

Well I have decided since the novel TO CATCH A DREAM has close to 65,000 words in it, and it is not that far from being done, I will focus on completing it. ALL FOR THE LOVE OF HANNAH only has 32,000 words. So it makes sense to me, to finish the book that is furthest is along. Plus, I have a nice book cover already created for it.

Sister and I are still in the process of editing THE HANGMAN. The next book in the series, THE SNATCHER, is in the beginning stages, and the storyline is cooking in my brain. I know who, what, when, where, why, and how, all I have to do is get it down on paper. I have all my characters, know who they are, and what their lives have been like. Getting it down on paper is the big job. That takes the biggest time in writing a novel. Even though I use this Dragon Naturally Speaking program, I still have to stop and insert the proper grammar, and periods. It does make it go a little faster, but it also throws your focus off. I will keep using it until I am quite proficient at dictating the story.

Until we talk again, everyone have a great week, and please stay safe.

Always remember, NEVER GIVE UP, NEVER SURRENDER

Dreamah

WRITING VERSUS OIL PAINTING, CHILLY WEATHER, CLOUDS, A NEED FOR SUNSHINE

Downtown Colorado Springs, Colorado. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Pikes Peak (Photo credit: Markusnl)

Yesterday was bright and sunny for most of the day.  It did rain a little in the late afternoon.  But, It is a chilly here in Colorado Springs today.  The high is supposed to reach the mid fifties.  Clouds cover most of the sky with a patch of blue here and there.  The wind is whipping the tree branches back and forth and adding to the chill.   I haven’t seen the sun as yet and Pikes Peak is socked in, thus hidden from my view.  Maybe farther up Ute Pass, they could have a touch of snow.  In town, winter is nipping at the foliage and trees along the streets vary in color from gold to rust and then red.  It is all so beautiful which creates a dilemma for me.  I need to be working on ‘The Stone Killer’, but also need to finish setting up my art studio, and I want to be outside photographing the fall foliage.  I do all types of oil paintings which I sell.  It is part of my income.

My schedule dictates that I write a minimum of a page a day, more if I am on a roll and the story is flowing.   In the afternoon, I would like to put at least three to four hours on a painting, but that does not always happen.  Sometimes this schedule works and sometimes it doesn’t.  Life interrupts all schedules.  There are times I need to paint for therapy.  Today feels that way.  As it is so chilly, going out to take photos for any reason can wait until tomorrow.

As you probably know, I’m a nut case, as most writers or artist have to be in order for us to have the wild and crazy imagination we have to create the stories we write.  The words we put on paper or a computer screen comes from the depths of us, our life’s experiences, the good and the bad and outside events.  We are exaggerators and elaborators.  We take a simple act and expound on it, stretching that incident to the limits and then ask, what if?  And so we create a story.

Boy, did I get off the subject.  A canvas is calling to me to finish a painting of flowers.  It is 12:36 here so I will write my page and then work on the studio.  I need to buy a carpet remnant as I have a problem with paint loaded brushes flying out of my hand at times and hitting the floor.  I don’t think my landlord would appreciate me staining his new wood floors.  So thank you all for listening,  I have solved my dilemma, I can do both today.

Oh, by the way, Bandit the cat is sleeping soundly in her bed next to my desk and near the heat vent.  My little girl is tired after chasing Stanley through the house this morning.  She is such a baby.

It’s lunch time, so everyone take care and stay safe.