Hmmm... a little long between posts? Apologies! The hum of summer and unexpected visits from Mother Nature have interrupted my schedule.
We've been playing host to some unwelcome guests in our fenced-in back yard - copperheads! All three dogs have had encounters, but only one had the sense to stay out of strike range. I'm happy to report the other two are doing fine after overnight stays (just over a week apart) at the after-hours emergency animal clinic.
We've clipped and cleared brush, etc. etc. - but we're walking the dogs on leashes until we can rid the yard of the decaying 30-plus-year-old railroad ties (chipmunks love 'em) holding up a little hillside. Sigh.
Mother Nature also paid a visit Sunday night with a lightning strike to a tree at the top of our driveway. Another tree caught a huge limb that came down and would have hit the roof. The top of the struck tree just exploded! Wish I could have seen on video. There were three- and four-foot naked tree shards dozens of yards away - on the roof, in fences, stuck in the ground like Excalibur, etc. Zapped the phone line and cable and tripped one fusebox switch inside, but all is fixed now. I'm thankful it wasn't anything more serious!
Well, peeking out from these crises I'm looking forward to the Decatur Book Festival Labor Day Weekend. http://www.decaturbookfestival.com/2009/index.php
I'll be presenting in the children's area Sunday afternoon, Sept. 6, with Donna Bowman (BIG CATS) http://donnahbowman.com and hanging out with my SCBWI Southern Breeze author/illustrator friends at our booth. Mark your calendar and come say hello if you're at the festival! It's always a terrific weekend.
We've been playing host to some unwelcome guests in our fenced-in back yard - copperheads! All three dogs have had encounters, but only one had the sense to stay out of strike range. I'm happy to report the other two are doing fine after overnight stays (just over a week apart) at the after-hours emergency animal clinic.
We've clipped and cleared brush, etc. etc. - but we're walking the dogs on leashes until we can rid the yard of the decaying 30-plus-year-old railroad ties (chipmunks love 'em) holding up a little hillside. Sigh.
Mother Nature also paid a visit Sunday night with a lightning strike to a tree at the top of our driveway. Another tree caught a huge limb that came down and would have hit the roof. The top of the struck tree just exploded! Wish I could have seen on video. There were three- and four-foot naked tree shards dozens of yards away - on the roof, in fences, stuck in the ground like Excalibur, etc. Zapped the phone line and cable and tripped one fusebox switch inside, but all is fixed now. I'm thankful it wasn't anything more serious!
Well, peeking out from these crises I'm looking forward to the Decatur Book Festival Labor Day Weekend. http://www.decaturbookfestival.com/2009/index.php
I'll be presenting in the children's area Sunday afternoon, Sept. 6, with Donna Bowman (BIG CATS) http://donnahbowman.com and hanging out with my SCBWI Southern Breeze author/illustrator friends at our booth. Mark your calendar and come say hello if you're at the festival! It's always a terrific weekend.