Into the workspace

It's been a month since I started using the new office in earnest.  I must say, I'm pleased with the results.  Since the kids went back to school I've written two longish short stories, plunged ahead with about six thousand words on Herne, a Heritage Matters article for the local paper and  have been revisiting Loremaster with an edit.

The office is slowly growing into an ideal work space.   The shelves are filling with reference material and some favorite novels.  The table by the window currently holds a stack of library books and papers from the County  Archives - research for a story on local haunted houses for the Heritage column.  And the couch - now called my "Thinking Couch" has been used a couple times for thinking and only, I'm glad to say, for two actual naps (but what naps they were...).

All things considered it has been a very good month.

Let's catch up

With the end of summer looming, let's see what's been going on...

My cousin from Britain came to visit and brought her bunch across the Atlantic.  That's here and her gang with my wife and kids.  

If the view behind everyone looks pretty fine, it should.  The photo was taken in the bulgy part of this building behind them:

We decided that this was about the most Canadian/ Toronto picture we could get.  There were a beaver, a moose and a bear standing next to them but they moved before I could get the camera out.

We went on a bit of a nature hike and came across these fungis.

And we discovered a field full of these fun guys, too.

The office in the garage is a heartbeat from being done:

Here's how it looks to someone stalking me from the backyard:

All in all, it's a wonderful space.  The office gnomes seem right at home:

Yesterday, the boy and I went golfing.  The highlight of the day was his amazing 30-40 foot putt.

He put it in the hole from there!  And we met this little guy:

That little snapping turtle is just a little bigger than a two dollar coin.

Posts on this blog have been few and far between this summer.  As the kids head back to school I'll be checking in a little more frequently but most of my writing needs to be fiction.

I need to make this grand new office pay for itself.

The great evaporating summer

I looked at the calendar today and was shock to see that it's August.  Summer dashes by at a breakneck pace, doubly so when you're busy.

We spent a week up north just in time for War of 1812 celebrations at Fort St Joseph.  This fancy American tall ship stopped by to exchange cannon fire with the for while we were there.  Unfortunately the Fort was behind schedule, did not fire its cannon at the appointed time and the ship tacked back across the bay without firing a shot.

We spent some time on two lakes.  Lake Huron and Big Basswood Lake.  Here the kids are enjoying a cool dip on a very hot day.

The lovely Willow was content to spend her day looking beautiful on the dock.

The boy decided it was time for his first round of golf.

He did quite well and now it looks like the most economical plan for next year might be a membership at a nearby club.

The building project nears completion.

The upstairs, now insulated and drywalled, was a beautiful exercise in builder's geometry.  Look at those angles.

The exterior is almost done...

And the office now has a floor.

Good thing, too.  My office gnomes are getting a little antsy for the move...