It seems the older I get, the more I treasure the chance to travel around this province. Even when I visit a Newfoundland community I’ve been in before, it’s as if I see it with new and more appreciative eyes.
Earlier this week, I accompanied Paul on one of his little road trips for work, this time on the Burin Peninsula Heritage Run. Our destination was the vibrant town of Grand Bank. I hadn’t been there in over a decade.
It was a rainy trip. But Good Fortune smiled down, the sun came out as soon as we got there, and so did my trusty camera.
The authentic old buildings and heritage architecture I found especially charming. I’ll let the pictures tell the story of what I loved about historic Grand Bank.
The Inn by the Sea Bed and BreakfastThe Thorndyke – Registered Heritage B & B
Harris House…and another Widow’s Walk, a popular feature of long ago fishing communities.
Hi, everyone. I thought I’d pass along a quick update today about my novel and what has happened lately in my life as an author.
I am encouraged by the reception Calmer Girls has gotten in the publishing world. In particular, I am now patiently waiting on those who have expressed interest in my query, synopsis and sample chapters, and who subsequently requested the full manuscript for review. (Yay!)
Of course, my optimism is tempered with caution and awareness of the reality that these are only first steps. The road to getting traditionally published is a long, slow and arduous one for many new authors, and I am no exception. I read yesterday of a successful novelist who endured TWENTY-NINE rejections before his first book was picked up. And it ultimately made it to the New York Times best-seller list!
So now while my manuscript is out of my hands, I continue on with the sequel. In that area I have made progress, but not as much as I would like due to life getting in the way (Funny how that always seems to happen!).
designed by Elizabeth Doyle
For this reason, I am considering taking part in National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo as it is called. This is a yearly internet event that takes place in November, not only nationally but all over the world. The object is to write 50,000 words of a first draft in 30 days, which means participants write an average of 1667 words a day.
Awesome? Terrifying? Doable? Impossible? You tell me.
Will this be you?…or this?
If I do indeed sign up, some of my activities will no doubt have to be curtailed or relegated to the back burner. My Friday Bouquet will be suspended for the time being, and my other blog posts will be brief. I won’t be able to read others’ blogs as much as I am used to. But I shall return, my lovelies!
What do you think of such a project?Are you taking part in NaNoWriMo this year? If you are, tell me all about it below. We can give each other moral support. 🙂
Good day, my friends and fellow felines. Vivian K. Perry here, returning as guest host on Jennifer’s Journal.
Jennifer caught me unawares one morning last week, indulging in a wonderfully delicious cat nap. These pics she took make me wonder: do humans dream the same as I do?
Jennifer says I get twitchy at times when I sleep, where my paws seem to act out the dream-movie playing in my head. In the dream-movie, I might be chasing a shrew or a mouse, or I could be trying to catch up to Paul on a walk.
I wonder, is it the cat version of REM sleep? Except it’s RPM sleep – short for “Rapid Paw Movement”?
I think the camera captured me here resting up for another night of fun and frolic. While the weather is still mild, Maisie and I enjoy napping for most of the day, so we can return to our wild, nocturnal adventures as the moon rises and darkness descends…
…then we pad back home at the break of dawn to stir the house with urgent meows and vibrating purrs. Time to get up and fill our bowls, humans!
“How nice it is to think that feline dreams, like our own, are painted with creative brush strokes from time to time. Perhaps my cats and I even share the same dream…where every cat has a safe, warm place to sleep.” ~ Barbara L. Diamond
“I think we dream so we don’t have to be apart so long. If we’re in each other’s dreams, we can play together all night.” ~ Bill Watterson (Calvin & Hobbes)
Before I sign off of course, Jennifer insists I include a sleeping Maisie in my post:
Baby MaisieGrown-up Maisie
Wishing you all – and my dear sister – the sweetest of dreams! ♥
I love writing–always have–so this blog will cover writing topics, with brief forays into other things. If you know writers, we’re intrigued by everything around us. Life is full of characters, plot lines, unique settings, and we want to experience it all.
Here’s a recent post that I found valuable and you might too:
Michael Lai from RetireeDiary is a travel photographer in Hong Kong, whose blog I’ve been following for years.
His skill with the camera and his captures of people and places is always a treat.
Now he shares with us The Dog Who Lives On A Fishing Raft*, a collection of engaging shots featuring Dor Dor, a gorgeous LabradorRetriever who belongs to a friend.
Click on the link below to see how photogenic Dor Dor is. If you scroll down on his page to the Related Posts under the Likes you will find more from the series of my new “favourite internet dog”. 🙂
(Yes, I’m a cat person, but who can resist that smile?)
During our trip to Italy and France in 2011, I took hundreds of photos, the majority of which were daytime shots. Here are some favourite captures from two of France’s cities in late evening and night.
I still find them as inviting as ever.
Cannes
Lights wink on as dusk descends.Window-shopping in Cannes; almost as fun as the real thing!Boulevard de la Croisette invites us to explore. Ritz Carlton on the right.The Croisette stretches 2 km long beside the Mediterranean Sea.The entrance to our hotel beckons.Home Sweet Home for three nights.
On to Paris:
The view from our hotel for four nights
On the Seine River Dinner Cruise……which ended at the Eiffel Tower.Bonne nuit, mes amis!
I have been a loyal follower of The Mad Hooligan Chronicles for nearly as long as I’ve been blogging. It went through a metamorphosis last year, and changed its name from the original, The Howling Mad Cat.
HMC
When HMC (Howling Mad Cat) departed for Kitty Cat Heaven at the ripe old age of 21, shortly after Ellie adopted two new cats by the names of Kobi and Bobo, and the Mad Hooligans blog was born.
Along with the adorably candid photos, Ellie treats us with three quotes to ponder, which relate to the topic of each of her posts.
As the last tranquil days of summer disappear, I am drawn to the warmth of the sandy beaches that encircle Perry’s Point.
For a few moments, I can almost forget colder days are approaching…
This stretch of sand is begging for bare feet.
“To see a world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wild flower, hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour.”
~ William Blake
It’s good to see that the beach birds are still around.
The sandpipers and plovers seem to be in no hurry to wing their way south for the winter.
Among the strands and clumps of kelp, there must be lots of yummy tidbits for them to eat.Notice how some like to stand on one leg.The different species get along fairly well, sharing nature’s bounty.Flight!Due to global warming, many species of birds in North America are dwindling in numbers, and the numbers on protected and endangered lists are increasing.I hope you never face extinction, my precious feathered friends.This one appears to have something to say about it all.I love their plump little bodies……and their long beaks!
Vivian doesn’t go down to the beach unless she has company……Good thing for the beach birds!
“The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.” ~ Charles Darwin
Thank you for stopping by to enjoy the beach with me, and Summer’s last hurrah. 🙂
I follow quite a few blogs by writers, and Moon In Gemini: Debbie’s Blog about Writing and Pop Culture is one of my favourites.
On her About Page:
I have very eclectic tastes in fiction, movies and TV. I love genre fiction of all kinds, and am just as likely to have fantasy, horror, YA, historical fiction, sci-fi or romance residing on my Kindle.”
“… Gemini is a sign associated with writing and communication. It’s also a sign associated with people who can’t make up their minds about anything, so don’t be surprised by the variety of subjects that may appear in this blog.”
I am highlighting the following post because I agree with her opinion on strong female characters. For that matter, we think all strong characters are intriguing because of their flaws as well as their strengths. Their faults are what make them human and real.
“If one really loves nature, one can find beauty everywhere.”
~ Vincent van Gogh
There is something about this time of year, before the advent of autumn, that I love about life on Perry’s Point.
Unconventional to say the least, my backyard here in Newfoundland has no fences, save for one side shared with our neighbour.
One day last week I got out early with my camera, hoping to capture the soft morning light.
The grass still glistens with dew.It’s shaping up to be another splendid September day.View of the islands from the back doorNeighbour Ben’s boatVivian joins me, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.
Maisie begs shamelessly for a belly rub.View from our deck of the outermost point of land on Perry’s PointWalking toward the brink. Around here they call it a “beel”, which I believe to be a slang version of “bill”, or small peninsula.This morning the bay is calm and serene.
The Inukshuk my husband made this summerThe “Rock Cove”, where rainwater collectsIt’s an ideal source of fresh drinking water for our feathered friends. We’ve seen a few indulge in bird baths here too.The partridgeberries are ripening, on schedule for picking next month.I don’t know what kind these are. Do you?
Neighbour Ben’s fishing buoys and bobbers
“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” ~ Albert Einstein
Join me next Monday for: My “Backyard”- Part 2: The Beach
Jennifer's Journal 