Choosing Happiness While Writing in Summer

Water under the bridge

I have to admit that I often write less when I am happy.  I feel my satisfaction in the life I am living and try to escape it less, or to understand what is not working less.  When life is good, I relax and enjoy it unless I force myself into anti-procrastination mode and make myself sit at the keyboard or drag a pen nib across the spiral notebook pages while I am at the beach or river.

Soaking in Greyback Creek

This August has been a peaceful, busy, happy time for me, and therefor it has not been very productive.  I have been selling some of my novels and doing a book giveaway on goodreads at 

http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/13266-duffy-barkley-seek-well-tales-of-uhrlin-book-2

but I have mostly been having company, my sister-in-law and her family

a girl I was best friends with 30 years ago in High School and her family

a boy and his Mom who are non-blood family nevertheless

And being with friends who are tourists to our area has given me the excuse to play tourist myself and visit the places which lured me into moving here 22 years ago anyway.

Brookings Harbor

Brown pelican

So I have been enjoying the cool summer weather of the coast and even though I signed up for CampNanoWriMo with every intention of writing another 50,000 words in August, I have failed in that. Most of my writing has been twitter feeds and facebook posts and a couple of blogs.  But my creative well should have enough of beauty filling it now that it will not soon run dry.

I wrote before about the Mother and baby Grey Whale who moved into the Klamath river.  Baby has gone back to sea but the Mama is still here, 54 days later.  She has been fascinating and an amazing chance to see such a creature but she is also becoming a concern because her own health depends on her getting back to Alaska, and because the people here are starting to think they know her and trying to swim with her or kayak up to her has become  re-occurring issue.

 So I am still waiting on my chance to get in to Pottermore as a beta tester for the site, and seeing the school year looming ahead.  I know that the summer is winding down, but I have to say it has been a great one.

Spending time in Fern Canyon always leaves a lingering peace in my soul

Ocean World in Crescent City

Babysitting the grand-puppies

Summer Band Camp Concert

Grey Whale Watching and Klamath Jet Boat Riding

Have to show my books again :)

Love this puppy

Grey Mom Whale in Klamath River

This week I did not write, except I also did not feel guilty.  Publishing a book will ease the guilt for at least a few weeks!  Also, we usually drive 3,000 miles every summer, visiting family.  This time they came to visit us and we did the tourist thing right here on our own coast.  That turned out to be perfect as a mom and calf Grey Whale also came to visit and stayed in the klamath River since June 24.

Lots of youTube videos about Klamath whales

We went on the Klamath Jet boat tour which allowed us to see the whales, but also fawns, seals, river otter, pelicans, and eagles and osprey galore.

People lining bridge to see whale

Bald Eagle

Twins

Spinning the Klamath Jet Boat

Whale spouting

Sea Stack on Cape Sebastion

We also did some beach walking with my sister-in-law while others went fishing, and we do have lovely beaches, usually cold and windy, but the weather was gifting us with one of the rare calm, warm days of the summer.

Tide pool

Harbor seal at Ocean World

We  went to the small, local aquarium, "Ocean World"   It used to be "Undersea World" but the giant "Sea World" sued and made them change their name.  They are small but let you pet their leopard sharks and tide pool creatures and they have some fascinating creatures.  They survived our March Tsunami even though the harbor they draw water from was demolished.

Sea lion

The Husband and I

Just so you know, the writer part of me was only recharging.  I have to remind you that there are two Duffy Barkley novels available, in paperback or for your kindle.



Amazon's Dixie Dawn Miller Goode Page is ready! You can view it at:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B004458ES2

Duffy Barkley is Not a Dog  https://www.createspace.com/3450238

Seek Well   https://www.createspace.com/3649425