Uncategorized

Friday Five: The Spawn Edition

/ Tracy Abell

It’s been a while since I shared anything about Wildebeest and Zebu
so I dedicate this Friday’s post to the boys.

1) Wildebeest opted to not attend college and is living in a duplex
with a bunch of guys, some of them students and others co-workers
from Casa Bonita. He’s quite content with his life, and he and I have
lots of phone conversations. Now that we no longer live together
we’re free to like each other again.

Face 002
Self-portrait from years ago.

2) Wildebeest has a new friend he calls Bernice. He adopted her
from a cat rescue place and they love each other very much.  I
bought her some cat toys and only felt slightly grandma-esque.

3)  Zebu is a junior this year and last night I went to his teacher
conferences. He’s doing very well and I was an especially proud
mother when two teachers in a row told me they appreciated
his sarcastic sense of humor.

passport Harlan 002
Old passport photo we just updated this week.

4)  We’re easing into basketball season and Zebu is looking
forward to being a taller, stronger player this year. He lifts weights
at school and the club but is kind enough to help me with my form
as I lift at home. (Turns out I was rocking my body during hammer curls).

5)  Wildebeest is coming over on Monday night to watch the Broncos-
Chargers game and while I usually take those opportunities to disappear,
I think I’ll stick around and watch the game with the menfolk.

Wishing everyone a beautiful, autumnal weekend!

Thankful Thursday: Feathered Friends

/ Tracy Abell

Every single day                                                                                                                       I am grateful for                                                                                                                    the birds on this planet.

Squirrels + birds peanut feeder 043
© Tracy Abell 2012

Words are a heavy thing,
they weigh you down.
If birds talked,
they couldn’t fly.
~ Northern Exposure (On Your Own, 1992)
                  

Kestrel on a Wire

/ Tracy Abell

Kestrel 024
© Tracy Abell 2012

It seems only fitting I would interrupt today’s revisions of BIRD BRAIN
to photograph this American Kestrel hanging out behind my house.

The feeder birds probably weren’t too thrilled when the predator flew into the
neighborhood, but I feel as if this little falcon brought me some good revision karma.

There’s a certain clarity of vision that accompanies hooked beaks.

Feet On the Ground

/ Tracy Abell

Out on the trails at 6:45 this morning,
concentrating on where I place my feet
as I run along the rocky, rutted paths.

Lifting my knees that are scarred from various falls,
repeating my internal mantra that keeps me focused and upright:
Feet on the ground, feet on the ground.
Head down and pumping arms as I push against the wind.
Feet on the ground, feet on the ground.

Running down into a ravine and up the other side,
calling out to the young rabbits I see there most days.
No bunnies.
I run past, slightly deflated by the missed interaction.
Slightly puzzled.

Then movement to my left and I think
Ah, they’re over on that side today.
I turn.
Two coyotes startled by my voice, leaping sideways
from where they’d been lying alongside the trail.
Just feet from me and my brain that’s focused on bunnies.
I lift my head and look around, spotting a third coyote farther away.

The four of us watch each other, uncertainty heavy in the air.
What’s the next move?

I offer a quiet apology and continue running,
my grin wide as I watch where I place my feet.

I’m still smiling fiifteen minutes farther along the trail
when a full-grown bunny jumps out in front of me and
races ahead, leaving me in her dust.

Feet on the ground, feet on the ground.

Feathered Greetings

/ Tracy Abell

         

I've been feeling disconnected from the online community.
I haven't been posting much and the longer I stay away,
the harder it is to jump back in.
This morning I was pondering how to get going again when I looked out the window.

Of course.
A Grackle.

Feathered Greetings

/ Tracy Abell

I’ve been feeling disconnected from the online community. I haven’t been posting much and the longer I stay away, the harder it is to jump back in. This morning I was pondering how to get going again when I looked out the window.

Of course.
A Grackle.



My Anniversary Gift

/ Tracy Abell

Zippy and I went to the Botanic Gardens yesterday evening
and as I came around a hedge, a wonderful seed-pod-like-thing
was blowing along the ground.

Tumbling and bouncing.

I held it for a few moments before setting it free again.

Botanic Gardens 012 CROPPED

Maybe I’ll see its offspring the next time I’m there . . .

It was 20 years ago today

/ Tracy Abell

Today marks 20 years of marriage for Zippy and me
and I wanted to share photos of that day on Hatcher Pass in Alaska.

It was an intimate ceremony: Zippy and me, Witnesses Bob and Liz,
Photographer Anne, and Marriage Commissioner Scott.

T and K wedding polaroid
Polaroid shot of preparations in the chilly weather (rain coats necessary).

T and K wedding ceremony
Scott performing the ceremony in his role as Marriage Commissioner.
(He and I were forever-friends, next to each other in our kindergarten class photo).

T and K wedding seed beads
Scott surprised us with a gift of seed beads and additional words of love.

T and K wedding b&w
We were blissfully unaware of the tourists in the background watching and photographing us.

T and K wedding with S and A
Photographer Anne took a break from her camera and joined us for some pics.

It was a wonderful day and I thank our friends again for being there for us,
especially Scott who died of AIDS complications four months later. He traveled
all that way in poor health to perform our ceremony (and despite his threats to
the contrary, did not pronounce us “man and wife,” but “husband and wife.” Thank
you, Scotty!)

T and K wedding kiss

It’s hard to believe so many years have already flown past.
Happy Anniversary, Zippy.
May there always be love.

Wordful Wednesday: The Automotive Edition

/ Tracy Abell

I’m sure all sorts of other stuff has been going on but it feels as if it’s been CARS – 24/7.

  • First it was warning lights in 2004 Prius.
  • Then a new water pump.
  • Followed a few days later by more warning lights and brake failure (while Zebu approached intersection and had to stomp on parking brake).
  • Then minutes later me driving with passenger Zebu back to the mechanic when at the bottom of our street we got hit by an SUV while waiting at the stop sign.
  • Followed by 45 minutes of other driver crying and apologizing while police officer who happened to be sitting there waiting to catch people running the stop sign wrote out a full report.
  • Including a ticket for me because my proof of insurance had expired and Zippy lost the new one but thought putting the bill from our insurance company in the glove compartment would be proof enough we have insurance.
  • Guess what?
  • It isn’t.

file0001404885086
image from morguefile.com (by Gracey)

Oy.
The front left fender is smashed in but no one got hurt so it’s all okay.
I haven’t started in on the insurance issue yet because I need a little more rest before I’m ready to tackle all that.
Oh, and the brakes?
There’s nothing wrong with them.
We found out, however, that there was a recall on another pump which was replaced at the dealer yesterday
and we’re hoping the ensuing electrical failure was what caused the brakes to go out.

For some reason Zebu only wants to drive the Subaru.

Friday Five: The Kathleen Duey Edition

/ Tracy Abell

ONE:
So what do you do when you’re more than a year into a project yet
still confused regarding the viability of said project?
Hire Kathleen Duey – Writing Consultant Extraordinaire.

Kathleen Duey pic

TWO:
And how does that consultation take place?
Via Skype in which you’re face-to-face across the miles,
looking into Kathleen’s friendly face below those flaming tresses,
as she shares her reaction to your opening pages and synopsis.

THREE:
Will she automatically like what you’ve written and advise you to
continue in that vein?
Not in my case. But that’s good because the reason
I contacted Kathleen was to jar myself from the space I was in with
that project, and to get me thinking in new and different directions. If she’d
told me I was on the right track I would’ve wanted my money back.

FOUR:
Did she share brilliant insights and suggestions?
Yes and yes! Kathleen offered a plot device I hadn’t considered which
will make the storytelling easier while adding complexity to the plot. She also
had oodles of general insights and if I had to choose a money quote from our
session it would be “I don’t really know this kid yet and I’m thinking you
don’t know him much better.” That was painful to hear but not unexpected;
it was the wake-up I needed. (She then shared techniques for
getting to know him, getting to know all about him…).

FIVE:
Well, it kinda sounds as if your project needs a major overhaul so aren’t
you a little overwhelmed?
Absolutely. But I also finally, finally feel as if I might be able to do this concept
justice (a concept Kathleen very much loved) and so am trying not to look
too far ahead as I begin at the beginning (again). This project is my Grow
and Learn and Mature as a Writer project, and I want to embrace the
experience.

BONUS:
If you get the chance to hear Kathleen speak at a conference, do it.
I heard her years ago when my energy and drive were flagging and
she made me not only want to write again, but to write well. She’s smart
and passionate and incredibly supportive of other writers.

Thank you again, Kathleen!

Cat Scratch Fever

/ Tracy Abell

         

mullets, goldfinches, etc 018

Cats seem to go on the principle that it never does any harm to ask for what you want.
                                                                           ~ Joseph Wood Krutch

                       

New Running and Writing Perspectives

/ Tracy Abell

           

I'm developing new perspectives 
regarding running and writing,
perspectives I hope will sustain me.

I am a creature of habit
and while there's no harm in my many years 
of ordering aloo gobi at Indian restaurants
or my drawer filled with black shirts,
black shirt   black shirt   black shirt

I'm realizing I do myself a disservice when I,
for example, get so focused on how fast I can run a certain
trail that I get locked into that one workout.

Last summer I ran three or four times a week
on the trails in the open space,
trails that include lots of rocks and inclines.
When it came time for the annual road race 5k to benefit my kids'
high school I was sure I'd kick butt.
Well, I did cut some time but nothing close to what I'd hoped for,
and I didn't know why.

Now I think I do.

Every run was on the same couple loops,
starting from the same place 
and ending at the same point.
My muscles got used to those runs and settled in at that level.

Here's what the trail system looks like where I run:
Hayden Green Mountain trail map
image from BigDaddyMaps.com

While it's true there are many trails, 
not all those trails are great for running.
Many are so steep I'd be faster hiking them than "running."
So I gravitated to the trails that had long sections of tolerable inclines,
wanting a decent-length workout. 

This summer I'm trying something new:
I go off on tangents, even if those trails are short or quickly turn steep.
I'm keeping my muscles on their proverbial toes as I mix up my workouts.
As a result, I'm not obsessed with my time and allow myself the luxury of 
watching coyotes or jumping sideways at the sight of a snake.

Jim Fixx cover
Every step I take is a good step.

So what does this lengthy screed have to do with my writing?
I'm back working on the project I set aside in April in order to focus
on other revisions, the project that's different from any other book I've written.

This project intimidates me and I really have no clue whether I'm hitting the mark.
But I'm using new writing muscles and that can only make me a stronger writer 
(assuming I don't run screaming into the night).

Something else I've learned?
New perspectives are not only good for the muscles but nourish the soul.

                       

Nature Nurtures

/ Tracy Abell

            

It's crazy hot and windy here in Colorado.
Wildfires burning
air quality ever-changing
and frequently poor.

Woke to a smoky house in middle of the night
so shut off swamp cooler and closed windows.

Air was decent on Saturday and Sunday mornings
and I hit the trails early.
Saturday I was treated to coyote sightings – three in all
so stopped to watch them watch me.
I smiled the rest of the run (even on the uphill).

Because I don't run with a camera here's a coyote cousin from somewhere else:
Coyote - Hollingsworth, John and Karen - NCTC
Image by: John and Karen – NCTC

Nature most definitely nurtures my soul.

And on days like today 
when I don't want to pollute my lungs
I stay inside and look out my window.  

Mystery bird 014
© Tracy Abell 2012

What have you seen today?

               

Friday Five: The Catching Up Edition

/ Tracy Abell

1)  Zebu turned 16 this week and got his driver’s license.
Knowing him, that’s what he was dreaming about in this old photo:
passport Harlan 001

2)  Zippy is training for the MS 150 Colorado Bike Ride next weekend
and has been going on looong rides in the 90+ degree temperatures plus
commuting to work via bike which means a return ride of 12+ miles uphill.
(It’s a good cause and he’s low on fundraising so if you have a couple bucks
to toss his way he’d be thrilled).

3)  Wildebeest is living with Casa Bonita workmates and enjoying
the freedom of a home so messy he temporarily lost his phone.

4)  I am waiting to hear back from a critique partner on my revisions
before I can finally, finally send them off. In the meanwhile I’m revisiting the project
I set aside several months ago and tweaking the synopsis with a new perspective.

5)  The nest cam is still running at Cornell University and here’s the youngest
hawk looking quizzical on her return visit to the nest the other day:
Hello #3

I’ve been out of the loop here but hope everyone is doing well.
Wishing you all a great weekend!

Parallel Lives

/ Tracy Abell

Here is a screen grab from today of the third and last hawk that has yet to leave the nest above the Cornell University athletic fields:

#3 contemplating fledge

And here’s today’s Agnes episode as she makes her yearly attempt to go off the high dive at the pool:

AGNES by Tony Cochran

Agnes 6.11.12

The hawk is 70 feet above the athletic field
and Agnes is probably only about 10 feet from the water.
Still.
I very much empathize with both of them
as they summon the energy and courage to take the plunge.

The Agnes Toolbox

/ Tracy Abell

       

Agnes 6.10.12

Okay.
I know I have talent, but I'm for sure also wielding my perseverance
(although I hope not in a bludgeon-esque manner).

                 

Not-Quite Wordless Wednesday: The Fledge Edition

/ Tracy Abell

Yesterday three Red-tailed Hawks on a UW-Madison campus ledge
contemplating the edge
and their first fledge*
WI hawks over the edge

A few minutes later, two Red-tailed Hawks on ledge
peering over the edge
as they ponder the sibling that just fledged
WI h awk spreading wings

Today, the one remaining hawk on that ledge,
not overly close to the edge
yet most probably contemplating fledge
last WI hawk to fledge original

fledge* (from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology): the time at which nestlings that are reared in the nest leave the nest, even though their flight abilities may not yet be well developed.