Month: March 2019

Hello all,

Here in the Flint Hills region, it is finally sprint. The grass is emerging.Birds are singing. Flowers are blooming. AND the farmers and ranchers are burning.
yes. burning.
The fires stimulate the grasses and stop the growth of invasive plant species. It looks like the whole area is one big brush fire. This is done on a rotational basis.
It’s not easy for me. Growing up, if you burned the grass, you didn’t have any grazing for the year. I fight the momentary panic, my allergies, and my asthma every spring. Thankfully, the season only lasts a few weeks before it’s over for another year.
I love to have my windows open to enjoy the fresh and warm air. The soft breeze changes and BAM! My house is filled with smoke. I am hoping that since most of my neighbors burned last year, I will get a reprieve.
Enough of my whining. PLEASE be safe. DO NOT drive into the smoke. You can’t see where the fire is and you might get caught in it if you drive into the smoke. If there are barricades or personnel that tell you to stop and wait, or to take a detour, DO IT. They know the area and the management plan. If you have to wait, know that it won’t take very long before it will be safe to travel.
If the worst does happen, remember black and blue. Black for the already burned areas. Blue for water. Should you find yourself in the fire’s path, move into an already burned area- the black. If you can’t do that, find some water- the blue.
The sight of the fires moving over the hillsides is dramatic to watch. Please make sure when you do observe, you do so safely.
This early morning, I am granted a reprieve. There’s too much wind for a burn right now as the sun creeps up over the horizon. So I will enjoy my coffee and a peaceful sunrise.
Be safe all
angel

Hello all!

IsystheVampire’s blog site is still experiencing difficulties. (As you can guess, she’s not happy about it but she’s being patient.) We are grateful for the team working to get it back up, BUG FREE, and running.
We’ve finally broken out of the Polar Vortex to have a cyclone bomb be dropped on Denver. How does this affect Kansas? Specifically, central and eastern Kansas? It means we had rain all day yesterday, after rain and snow and a brief dry out, to be slammed today with high winds bringing sustained wind gusts. We are actually in a wind warning.
For those of you who don’t understand, Kansas has winds. 10-15 mph for us is a light, normal breeze. We don’t bat an eye at much less than 25 mph. Today, we have 30-50+ gusts and sustained winds around 30-40 mph.
Kansans did secure lawn furniture, trash cans, small children and pets, and anything else light enough to get tossed by strong winds.
I am avoiding road travel until late today. I’m not a fan of the car in the other lane suddenly being thrown into yours, and possibly ONTO you.
I am grateful for shelter. I am grateful for the mud drying out. I am grateful for the peeks of sunshine I am getting today.
Please, all of you stay safe out there.
until next time,
angel

Hello all!
I spent my weekend among some very interesting people. Every year, a bunch of us get together for a weekend. This year was no exception.
I do love this gathering. I forget how important it is for me to be with different groups of writers, fans, and other artists. The connections recharge me and revitalize my creativity.

Make sure you do something for yourself to give your creativity a boost. Don’t dismiss the value of getting a recharge for your artistic side.

stay warm and well

angel

Hello all.
Lately the weather here in Kansas has been mercurial to say the least. Add to that some gray days when my Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is acting up, stress over loss of hours due to no clients, and I tend to be blah. To combat the SAD, I have to sit beneath a special light that mimics sunlight, exercise regularly, and make sure to get my vitamin D. I am sitting under my light right now, looking at the darkening sky, watching the cold wind blow, and waiting to thaw out.
Tomorrow, we are supposed to warm up for the day before plummeting back into the freezer. It’s been a colder than normal first two months of the year. I am hoping that the next couple of months will be a bit more favorable to us.

I have been doing some beta reading for a chap named James K Burk. He has written several books in different genres and a book of short stories. The one I’m reading as a beta is a post-apocalyptic western and it is GOOD. Sci-fi, fantasy, and short stories- he is a man of many genres.
Stay warm. Be good to each other.

Angel