The Tree

Douglas fir

When I moved to Vancouver, Washington in 1994 after graduating college (University of Washington, Go Dawgs!), I bought a house that had a tree in the back yard. But this wasn't just any tree. I have no idea how old it was but I bet at least 100 years. It was the tallest tree in the neighborhood. I would estimate it was about 100 feet tall (one foot per year?). I think it was a Douglas fir. (My uncertainty is memory. At the time I knew what it was. As a forestry major, I should.) It sat in one corner of our yard majestically piercing the blue sky.

Once we had a huge wind storm with 100 mph winds. And the tree stayed up. Other, smaller trees in the area came down. But our tree survived. I remember whenever the wind blew, our neighbor would look out their back window watching the tree. Because if it came down, it would likely hit their house. But it never, ever came down.

Then we sold the house in 1999 and moved to central Washington. The sad thing is, the people who bought the house took that tree down because they were afraid it was going to fall. So after 100 years or so, it was finally taken down by fear. I felt bad about that.

Do you have any memories about trees? Let me know in the comments below.

Onward (and Finished)

End of the Line

Time once again for the 52-week blogging challenge. This is the last one! If you've been counting, I haven't done a whole year because I skipped some of the prompts. I found this challenge here.

The last prompt is: "Onward." Not exactly sure what they mean. (I've always heard that as "onward and upward.")

Onward, I'm going to try to keep writing, keep selling books, keep being read by strangers. Keep trying to do freelance work and keep busy. Try to keep enjoying life. And just keep writing.

And, as always work toward my goal of being read by strangers. And, I hope, make a little money in the process.

What do you plan to do from here on out? Let me know in the comments below.

RadCon

It's time once again for RadCon, the scifi/fantasy convention in Pasco, Washington. This year I have a conflict so I will only be there Saturday and Sunday. And I'm only on two panels this year for the same reason. But I plan to show up early(ish) Saturday.

It is at the Red Lion Hotel in Pasco. You take the same exit as for the airport. You can see the hotel from the freeway.

My two panels are:

I Wrote a Book - Now What?

16 Feb 2019, Saturday 11:30 - 12:30, Room 3125 (Red Lion Hotel Pasco, WA)


You've done it. You've got the book. It's a tome. A masterpiece. A precious jewel you've polished and cut and edited to within an inch of it's life. But what's next? Do I send it to an agent? Directly to a house? Small press? Author collective? Indie Publishing. Our panel of authors will break down the pros, cons, and other particulars of your options, and hopefully help you along with that next step.

And:

Imposter Syndrome


16 Feb 2019, Saturday 16:30 - 17:30, Sage Room (Red Lion Hotel Pasco, WA)

We often hear about it in the fine arts, but people in any career field can experience imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome can also occur in any aspect of life - not just in one's career. What is it, and why does it happen? What are strategies for countering or pushing past it? Come talk to the pros about their strategies for dealing with the traitorous voice inside that says their art isn't good enough, and how they break through to create.

And I'll be in the main Vendor Room from time to time selling books. So look for me. You might snag a free bookmark! And maybe buttons.

Neighbors

Time once again for the 52-week blogging challenge. This is the penultimate prompt. And it is "Neighbors."

I live in a subdivision outside the city limits. My neighbors to the north are named "White" (I know this because they have a big sign in an island in their driveway saying "The Whites"). They also have a flagpole and fly either a U.S. flag or a Seahawks "12" flag from it. I noticed this year they didn't put the "12" flag up. Maybe because the Seahawks did poorly at the beginning of the season. Toward the end they played well enough to earn a "wildcard" slot. And then lose to Dallas.

I don't know much about the Whites. They have an annoying dog who barks a lot. At least no one can sneak up on our front door because that dog barks at them. He drives an old Ford pickup that is puke beige with red markings. It is long and has dualie wheels.

My neighbors to the south are Hispanic. I don't remember their names but they are nice people. Once when there was a fire in the field behind out house that threatened the house and I was out there with a garden hose trying to hold it back, their youngest (who was then in his late 20s) ran over with another garden hose to help me fight it. The the fire department showed up and put it down in about ten seconds with the massive water flow from their truck.

The neighbors directly across the street from us I know almost nothing about. They have kids who look to be about 12 or 13 years old. Next door to them are neighbors we've known since we moved into the neighborhood in 1999. When my sons were in scouts, they were also involved in scouting (and still are). He's a retired Navy doctor and she's a retired nurse. I wrote a story about them for a local magazine.

How do you get along with your neighbors? Let me know in the comments below.