Update #4 - December 2024

 Despite the holiday interruptions, I got about a third of chapter 20 written in the last week. In this part, Taliesin and Fráechán tell the others a story about a series of fidchell games Fráechán once played against an adversary. Most of this episode is lifted from The King's Druid, but repurposed into a discussion of strategy and tactics. Fráechán tells part of it from his point of view, including something Taliesin, who was traveling with him then, didn't know. With luck I might finish this chapter in the next week. :)

Mostly dry weather, 50s and 20s, although we got a little rain last night. I went around yesterday morning and this morning giving Christmas cards and jam to a few of my neighbors. Fortunately this was Royal Crest Dairy's delivery day, because when I went out first thing to collect the milk, I found that my neighbors on the north side had reciprocated (presumably yesterday afternoon when I was at Rowen's house) with a card and cookies - happily I found the cookies before a squirrel did!

Season's greetings to everyone, and best wishes
for good fortune in the next year!

Update #3 - December 2024

 I finally finished chapter 19, which took an unexpected turn at its end. As a result, the visit to Oweynagat has been pushed down a chapter. Chapter 20 is now called "Strategy and Tactics", and Fráechán is  going to play some games of fidchell (a board game similar to chess which was important in several episodes of The King's Druid) with Mac Tire, the leader of King Suibne's bodyguard whom we met in The Fallen Stones and under a different name in Flight of the Hawk. After that Gwernin et al will eventually be going to Cruachan for Oweynagat. Unexpected developments make writing more fun <grin>.

More writing means less yard work, but there's no urgency with that this time of year. The weather has been mild and dry for the last couple of weeks, and almost all of the snow has left my back yard except for some tattered remains of the November blizzard in shadowed spots. It doesn't look like we'll get a white Christmas this year, which is all the better for travelers. We'll be celebrating Midwinter on Saturday, outside for a change. It will be nice to celebrate with a real fire!

Update #2 - December 2024

 Slow progress again - still plodding intermittently through chapter 19. Not a busy weekend ahead, so I hope to finish it soon, before I get bogged down again with holidays and Oak Leaves. The weather looks better too - no snow in the forecast for a while. It will probably wait for Christmas / New Year's. The last snow storm was very cold, but we only got an inch or two, most of which disappeared after a couple of sunny days.

Happy winter holidays to anyone who reads this. At least I'm getting my Thursday posts done on Thursday this week! :)

Update #1 - December 2024

 Slow progress, but that's better than none. I spent one morning rereading part of Flight of the Hawk, the second Storyteller book, which takes Gwernin and Neirin to Scotland. This was because Fráechán was asking Neirin about Druidic ceremonies he had seen among the Picts. This chapter (# 19) is called "A Little Teaching", and Fráechán is preparing Neirin and Mael for a visit to Oweynagat. 

The weather has been mild this week for December; most of the previous snow which isn't in shaded places has melted, although we may get a little more Sunday night. I spent yesterday taking Ruay to the vet for his annual exam and booster shots -- important because he spends part of the day outside, and sometimes, er, interacts with one of the neighborhood cats (not in a friendly fashion, let's say!). Then I spent most of the rest of the day doing assorted errands. I'm hoping
today will be more productive, writing-wise.