Today I have more photos from my cross-country trip. These images are from Badlands National Park in South Dakota.
Out of nowhere, massive monolithic rock formations appear in the grasslands that cover the central part of this state. They look like giant sand castles that have dripped down onto the plains. As you enter the park, the earth opens up its cavernous jaws to welcome you. What a sight.
It’s been quite some time since I posted images from a trip that I took with my husband Sam across the US. We drove our Subaru Forester, and spent seven weeks camping, visiting friends and family, and exploring natural areas as well as some historical sites.
It was the best trip we have even taken. I think about it often, especially this time of year, when inclement weather keeps me inside, and my garden is giving up for the season. One thing that I always enjoy, no matter what the season, is the colors of the sunrise and sunset.
Today’s image is a sunset over Lake Erie. This was my first visit to the Great Lakes area, and it made me miss the ocean less. I am a coastal person, and get nervous when I become land-locked for extended periods of time.
We camped nearby, and I walked down to the shore to take some photos. It was spectacular. This will always be how I remember the area.
I often hear a red-tailed hawk screaming and circling above our cabin in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Northern California. A thick ground fog moved into the area this week, and when it cleared the birds went wild.
A pair of red-tails joined in the fun, circling overhead lest they be forgotten in the feeding frenzy that occurred at midday on Friday.
It’s been a week since I posted, due to Internet connection problems following a series of storms. My post a day commitment has seen some turbulent times this year. A major relocation and technical problems have taken their toll.
Now I am faced with the prospect of trying to “catch up” by the end of this month. I need 39 posts in 22 days. If the technician shows up on Monday and gets my signal back on track, I think I can do it!
On a photographic note, here is a recent sunset from our cabin in the foothills, before the ground fog arrived.
A gaggle of geese has been hanging out with the cows down the road from our cabin for weeks. I caught them on a cloudy afternoon, snacking before the next storm hits.
According to Wikipedia, a gaggle of geese is a flock of at least five, at rest. When they are in flight, they may be referred to as a skein.
Last November, I participated in National Novel Writing Month for the first time. I wrote 50,000+ words in 30 days, bought a NaNo t-shirt to celebrate my success, and then edited my novel and published it as an e-book. It was a learning experience, and it got me hooked.
This month, I participated again. I got off to a slower start, had more distractions than last year, but came up with an idea that I am excited about. The problem: tomorrow is the last day, and I am only at 27,161 words.
My story is in the conclusion phase. I am wrapping it up, and only have slightly more than half of the required word count for NaNoWriMo victory. I could just keep writing, and tell what happens next in my hero’s life plot. That’s what I did last year.
But I have run out of time. I know what I need to do to finish my book. I need to add more sensory detail. I need to name some of my characters. But my writing process didn’t meet the challenge of this contest.
So, was this a good idea? Did I need to frustrate myself by trying to write 50,000 words in a month and failing? The answers are yes and yes.
This was a good idea, because it got me started. NaNoWriMo was the catalyst in my writing process. I needed to try to write as many words as I could, but more importantly, I needed to write enough to tell my story.
I did get frustrated, but I didn’t fail. After winning my first year, I thought that I had set a precedent for a successful writing marathon. What I did was begin a creative habit that won’t let go of me.
This little vireo represents my writing process. It is full of branches, and the branches contain food. All it needs to do is glean.
On a gloomy day like today, it’s great to see flowers blooming in the flower box.
This mushroom appeared after the last series of storms. Now there are more headed our way. We do need the rain, but not all at once.
There are four days left of November, and I am running out of words. National Novel Writing Month ends on the thirtieth, and I am not even halfway to the fifty thousand words I need to compose by then. I may throw in the towel, but not without a valiant effort first. In the spirit of NaNoWriMo, here is a fuzzy spot of color.
After the Thanksgiving holiday, we drove through the Sacramento Valley, and enjoyed a view of the Sutter Buttes as the moon rose and sunset approached.
We were fortunate to be in an area with light highway traffic and air so clear we could see Mt. Lassen in the distance.
When You're Bored 
