April Update #4

 

Still no progress as still not not well - hope to be be be better soon.

April 2024 - Update #3

 

Sigh - no progress this last week because I've been unwell. Better luck next week.

April 2024 - Update #2

 Things go faster some weeks than others, and it helps to know where the story's going next. In the last week, I finished chapter 15, and wrote chapter 16 in 3 days. I finally do have to take a break for taxes, etc., but that's OK, because the next chapter will be mostly a Mac Criomthann tale I haven't written yet, in which "he walked at Samhain on Sliabh na Caillí, and spoke the names of the stars." I have only a vague idea of what will be in it, but I expect he'll tell me about it when I get there, and a mundane break first won't hurt. I also got an idea yesterday about how to solve the problem of his ring -- I knew part of the answer already, but there's a gap.

It's definitely spring here now, with a lot of trees starting to bud out, and grape hyacinths blooming. Next week will be cooler and damper again, with hopefully more rain than snow. I decided to try starting the little current tomatoes from seed, but otherwise buy what I need at the farmer's market which starts early next month. They have a lot of heirloom tomato varieties, and I won't have to house the plants until then.

April 2024 - Update #1

 After finishing chapter 14 ("Sliabh na Calli") last Friday, I initially made rapid progress with chapter 15 ("Beltane Fires"), but due to interruptions this week, I'm only halfway through it. At this point Fraechan is going to teach Gwernin's son Ianto to play a board game, and Taliesin et al are discussing where to go next. I'm going to have to pause again soon though, because I still haven't done my taxes (I meant to do them over the weekend, but the writing was going so well at that point I didn't want to stop). I also need to finish layout for the next issue of Oak Leaves...

It's beginning to feel like spring here - only light frosts, no snow for the last week, and the grape hyacinths are blooming in the nemeton on the warm south side of the yard. However, Denver is capable of heavy snows for at least another month, and my particular frost-free date is usually May 15th or there abouts. And I just realized I haven't started any tomato seedlings yet...