And Off We Go - We are off and running now - it's already the second week of January. For us, that means cold, and it's coming. Nighttime lows down to -20 this weekend, and right now, we are waiting for the furnace man to show up. We have good space heaters and a gas fireplace, so we are not in any danger, but that makes for some hot and some cold rooms. Oh, how I like my creature comforts. Edits Never End - have been spending about two hours a day editing, for the final time, my third book for older readers. This one follows On Turning 70 and Elderly. Titled Morning Walk, it ..read more

I hope everyone is off to a great start in the new year. My 2023 was a bit of a loss, so I am happy to put it behind me.  Starting Over - again I have started and stopped so many projects in the past two years that I could not, even if I wanted to, count them. Now feeling much better, maybe, just maybe, this will be the year I will publish one or two, or all three of my finished first drafts. Last year, after having a neck fusion in mid-December, I was determined to walk an extra 1,000 miles in 2023. I kept track and made it with three weeks to spare. This was an accomplishment I was ..read more

 Elmore Leonard once said, “I never open a book with weather. If it’s only to create atmosphere and not a character’s reaction to the weather, you don’t want to go on too long. The reader is apt to leaf ahead looking for people.”  So What About the Weather? -  July has been pleasant here in our little part of the world. We have had some warm days, mostly offset by cool nights. Overall, the summer has been a bit cooler than the 30-year average. The fine weather has allowed for more flowers and more vegetables than last year. Two small hail storms were the only downside of this ..read more

 This has been a busy week of writing - Here is what kept me busy, edits on two finished books and two new essays in my soon-to-be-finished fourth book for seniors. Interesting that I’m working on a fourth, and one of the two books I am still editing is the third. Oh Boy!   Let’s See – I believe those three books will put me at 16. At my age (rather advanced), I still see 20 or so.   Hey Mr. Older Adult - Speaking of advanced years, Grammarly did not like me using the term old man as I edited my latest Blade Holmes western mystery. It suggested I use older adult or older man ..read more

To say it has been a while since I last posted on this site would be quite an understatement. But, yes, it has been a while – nearly eight months and that is a long time for a blog I consider active. Excuses – Excuses - Poor health and surgery behind me and yes, I am getting better and once again feeling nearly like my old self. And, I am writing again, quite a bit – several hundred words each day. Working away - I am also doing my final edit on the third of my Blade Holmes western mysteries. This one has been in the works for years. At last, I may soon, or someday, get this one published ..read more

Last week we took some friends up to show them the famous Trail Ruts south of Guernsey. We have been up there dozens of times over the years, and each time I am struck by how difficult those traveling days along the Oregon Trail must have been.   The trail itself was remarkable as it tied together the east and the west of the United States. Travel along the trail was mostly peaceful. Most tribes along the way simply allowed people to pass along what they sometimes called the Great Medicine Road. Life for the people of the plains and foothills was difficult enough without starting b ..read more

 Writing I spent a fair amount of time writing this week – pretty good for me. I no longer set daily or weekly word count goals, but 3,000+ words is a decent week. Mostly I am cleaning up two finished yet unpublished books. I also found the time to work on a newer project I started a couple of months ago. That project stands at about 7,000 words, getting close to halfway. All of my Senior books fall between 18,000 and 25,000 words. All my senior books are nonfiction life lessons and lessons learned, filled with humor and ideas to make growing old easier. I like to keep these books short e ..read more

 I am back to taking my morning walks. They are shorter than last year, but, hey, for an old duffer like me, a couple of miles each morning is pretty good. It is nice to watch nature again as I walk in the country. Also nice to be able to take some photos from places other than through the open window of my Jeep. My writing is starting to look up. By that, I mean pick up. I am back to working/rewriting mostly two projects I last worked on in February. This blog might start looking like my old writing site again if that happens. Hopefully, I will post more next time with lots of good new ..read more

It has been four months since I last posted on this site. Long-Covid is not something I want to go through again, and I don’t wish it on anyone else. Actually, I am still suffering from fatigue and tingling numbness in my hands and feet. I started my morning walks again this week – the first since February. The walks feel good but are about half the distance I was accustomed to. I need much more rest afterward than pre-covid and have to take off a day out of every four or five.   My writing has been mostly nonexistent. Along with writing, my photography has been put on a hiatus. I do ..read more

 GOAT – Writers & Books I often see lists, lots of lists. Most are a top ten or bottom ten of something. America's ten best or ten worst fast food items or places. The best football or basketball player of all time. The greatest writer or book of all time. Fortunately, all of these lists are fantasy. Can we compare Mickey Mantle to Babe Ruth or players in modern-day – different times and circumstances? One of my favorites (favorites to be irritated by) is the ranking of Presidents of the United States by IQ. These are often drawn up by someone pushing a particular political party. And ..read more