Writing and Other Fun Things

Golly, a lot has gone on in the last few days.  Firstly, we attended another fire. This time I got the plum job driving the sector commander around, which is lucky because it was the longest shift I'd done at a bushfire yet and was very hot.  The air con wasn't working in the Light Tanker though, so it was hot hot hot!

As the sun began to go down the light through the smoke became just amazing.  Fellow SVBFB member Elton got this shot of Nikki.

What a brilliant photo!  I just love all the colours in the water and the light. I was seeing lots of photos myself but had to stay on my toes with the driving and radio, so I missed most of them.  It is an ironic thing that such destruction can bring about an odd kind of beauty at times.

As the night came in and the air cooled and got wetter, some unburned areas on the edges of the fire, between the black area and the nearest firebreak, were lit up so that they wouldn't catch fire later when there was no-one to watch them and cause a jump over.   It was quite a sight, with flames, flashing lights, vehicles everywhere, and people appearing out of the dark in their reflective gear.  Hi Warren! Lookin' good!   

Hi Nikki!

It was past my bedtime by the time we left the fireground, but I'd held up well, especially thanks to the lovely roast dinner the Salvos fed us!  It really gave me a second wind!

Elton got this shot of me too.  Man was I clean at that point compared to the guys and gals who'd been actually fighting the fire!

I did get grubbier later.  I had an interesting Druidy experience later in the night.  I was in the dark, up in the bush, putting out a big, tall, old Jarrah that had been smouldering away at the base.  I felt the gratitude of this vast tree, which had been helpless to stop the fire that would have burnt it out to its death.  It's the first time I've connected to a tree on the fire-ground like that.  It made it feel worth while. I hate that trees have to be knocked over to make new fire breaks to stop the fire in its tracks, and I hate that we at times have to knock over burning stags (big old hollow trees) so that they won't keep casting their sparks far and wide, but in the end, it stops the fire going further and destroying many more trees and creatures, and must be done.

Barring the odd lightning strike, none of it would need to happen at all if people didn't start fires deliberately or through stupidity. I hate most of all when all that destruction is due to someone wanting some excitement in their life... or... something. I can't even comprehend why anyone would do that.  Go sky diving or walk through the arctic circle, or even better, jump off a building onto your head instead.  Save us all a lot of grief.  Save the bush from this: 

Ah well.   On a lighter note, Heroic Plans has gone out to my first readers.  My sister, Jen, has already read it up to Chapter Eleven and is loving it.  Weeeee!  I'm especially glad that she is enjoying it because she helped me work through some of my ideas before I began writing it, so she could be expected to be less excited by some of the twists and turns than someone coming new to the story.  I hope I kept enough secret so that she is still having a new experience, though!

She gave me the best idea for a name for that series too: Galloping Plans!  Two books doesn't make a series, but Amazon likes it when you label books that go together in some way.  I do when I'm trying to find books to read too! I certainly have at least one or two more in me in that line of books, if not more, so, "The Galloping Plans Series," it is!  It picks up on the liveliness and horsiness of the books really well!

Now I really do need to get working on the cover art, or I'll be holding up the publishing of the book.  

In more writing news, a Druidy story I wrote, a kind of teaching tale to help people connect to the environment where they find themselves living, has been published in the OBOD newsletter, Touchstone.  Am rather chuffed about that!  Perhaps I'll post it here in its entirety on Friday, since it's only short.

Musically, I've been working on adapting Damh the Bard's pagan anthem song, The Cauldron Born, to play on my lyre.  I think I've nearly got it, so will hopefully be able to record it soon.  It works really well!  Now, for my next song and a complete change of pace, can I, dare I, should I try... Gay Bar by Electric Six?  :D

Heh heh, I think I might!  These days, I'm starting to think I can do anything I put my mind to!