Update #5 - August 2024

 Milder weather, and I finally got a little writing done. I finished chapter 17 (at last!) and have started chapter 18, which will take Gwernin and company on the road again, heading west on the way to Cruachan and Oweynagat. They are taking Fráechán with them as one of their bardic company, rather as they did in The Fallen Stones, since Druids are becoming less popular but bards are always well received, especially Master Bards such as Taliesin.

No mundane problems this last week, for which I thank the Gods. Looking forward to September and cooler weather. At least the days are getting shorter; Ruay now wakes me up at 6:15 a.m. rather than 5:30!

Update #4 - August 2024

 Once again, not much writing progress due to various distractions plus hot weather. I went out Saturday morning to start the pickup for our weekly farmers market run, and when I turned the key, nothing happened. Not a light, not a crank, nothing. I checked under the hood, and everything looked OK. My local garage is closed on weekends, so I waited till Monday. Talked to them and to my insurance, and after a lot of phone calls and texts, eventually had the pickup towed to the garage. The tow truck guy confirmed the battery was dead, and jump started the pickup to get it out of the driveway and into the alley so he could load it. I didn't want to take a chance of it stalling on the way to the garage, and I knew my insurance should cover it.

It was indeed just the dead battery, although they found and fixed another unrelated minor problem. That took care of most of my week, as I was too stressed to concentrate on writing. I also spent a fair amount of the mornings on yard work to make sure the city inspector who had cited me for tall weeds last month would be happy when he finally got back to take another look. (He was.) So all and all, I hope to finally get back to work. The weather should be cooler this week too, which will help.

Update #3 - August 2024

 Some writing progress for a change - I've finally finished the interior Mac Criomthann story for chapter 17 bar a little tweaking, and should finish the rest of the chapter in the next couple of days. Then Gwernin and friends will be traveling again, taking Fráechán with them. They will be revisiting some of the places in the north which Gwernin visited in The Fallen Stones, but in the opposite direction, starting with Oweynagat. I doubt I will finish the book this year because I have other projects in September and October, but it is what it is. 

In the meantime I'm putting in an hour or so of morning yard work most days. I mowed the back yard this morning, and it now looks quite presentable - a big change from the overgrown hay field of two months ago! Front yard again next week...

Update #2 - August 2024

 Sigh. No writing progress this past week, although the weather is finally cooler after a scorching weekend. Wetter, too - heavy thunderstorms on a couple of days. I did get the front yard mowed before the rains started; the back yard needs it too, but is too wet at the moment. 

Aside from weather and other distractions and errands, including shuttling my and Rowen's cats to the vet for their overdue annual exams, I am stalled at the moment because in this chapter Fráechán is telling us a new Mac Criomthann story, and that takes more creativity and concentration on my part than just straightforward narrative. I have the beginning; I just have to apply myself and get on with it. Well, this morning is cool and so far quiet...

Update #1 - August 2024

 Another hot week with not much writing done. I've been doing some yard work that should have been done earlier in the summer, and have had to work on the main part of it (overgrown veg on the south side of the house) between about 6:30 and 7:30 am, before the sunlight gets to that area. Next week should be cooler, thank the Gods, and I can finally get the lawn mower through to the weeds in the front yard.

We'll be celebrating Lughnasadh here on Saturday, but it's officially today. On the old Celtic calendar, this is the first day of autumn, and the end of the first grain harvest. I always get a little confused by people calling it the middle of summer - that was 6 weeks ago. We are losing almost 2 minutes of daylight every day now, which is pleasant because my orange cat Ruay doesn't start trying to get me up until almost 6 am <grin>.

Hoping to make more writing progress next week...