Vacation Farewell
Being Sunday, it is safe to say that my vacation time in nearly over. It was a short one, three days off from work plus the weekend. Yet it feels like it was the most successful of all. I think I accomplished most of what I set out to do, something that I did not do on the other two weeks I took off over the summer.
The majority of the yard work is done. My Suziki Sidekick is back from the shop and in better shape than I had imagined. I took it in to have a lot of the stuff checked, replaced, or repaired that I never get to. Everything checked good so their wasn't that much to actually be done. Nice in that the final bill wasn't nearly as high as I'd been imagining.
Early last week, before I went on vacation, we had a quy come by and look at out seriously delapidated garage door. They have a special on new ones, and we've decided to replace it. Now, with the cost of the automotive work less than I was expecting, I'll have to send it a deposit for half the cost of the new door. Hopefully we will get it installed in the next few weeks, ideally before weather gets really cold, and I'll be able to get some stuff done in said garage. We do have a side door, but it is so inconvenient to not be able to open the main one that I just can't bring myself to do anything more than what I absolutely have to do.
Fired up the Corvair Rampside yesterday and drove north of Spokane to Cider Fest, held at one of the Corvair Club member's place. Besides him and his family, four other members showed up. There were also a lot of other folks, friends and acquaintances of his, so there was a good crowd. There was plenty of good food, good conversation, and even a sprint boat. It was on a trailer, but still darned interesting to view. And yes, they did make cider. Our host's son and his friends kept at the presses and squeezed out gallon after gallon of fresh cider. This year I remembered to take a container and came home with some for the whole family. Sure is good! So much better than what you buy in the stores. Maybe it is the texture, the minute particles that find their way through the filtration/straining process.
On my way home, I left early in order to get back and pick up my other vehicle, I got to thinking. Wouldn't a gathering like that be a great venue for an author or several authors to hold a low key book sale and signing? If Mark goes ahead with the event next year, I might suggest it to him. Naturally it would be nice if I should have something published by then, but such an event might also appeal to other writers in the local area.
Speaking of writing, I have managed to get a little work done on DARNAHSIAN PIRATES over the past few days. I've gotten a page or so added, so progress is on going. It may be slow going, but hopefully I'll not have months of no progress as I've had in the past.
Right now it looks like the little writers group I belong to will be getting back into regular meetings. At least one other member has mentioned being able to meet today. That being the case I'll head down to our usual spot on a while.
For history buffs, this coming Thursday marks two notable events in Naval History. 21 October 1797, USS Constitution was launched in Boston. 21 October 1805, the British Fleet under Lord Nelson defeated the combined French and Spanish Fleet at Trafalgar. I feel most fortunate to have been aboard both USS Constitution and HMS Victory (Nelson's flagship at Trafalgar). Even relatively short visits such as I experienced do wonders for someone engaged in writing stories set in the same era. I remember reading Patrick O'Brian's Fortune of War not long after being aboard "Old Ironsides." Even though Jack Aubrey is a fictional character, there was something unique in reading of his time spent aboard the American frigate, even if he did so as a prisoner, and to realize that I had recently walked the same decks as he had.
Dave