I finally got back on my bicycle, looking for some fresh air and exercise. It feels great, but have you ever noticed that having a break from activity for a few months means you lose ground? It has been too cold and wet and has only been seasonably warm in the past few weeks. That was enough to encourage me to go out. I know it will take some weeks to get back on track. But for the moment I’m timing my ride, taking fewer breaks each day, and feeling grateful for the chance to be out in the open. Luckily we live in a rural area where we can get out to bike or walk without being met by lockdown problems.
The daffodils are out in full force (above) and I came across a tulip tree (below). The blooms are gorgeous. I know that bush has another name.
What’s blooming in your neck of the woods? (Do people even say that anymore?) Drop me a note and let me know.
Nineteenth began his customary tour around the Banderos territory. Regular workers made their rounds, leaving from the various border stations to patrol the boundaries, but he liked to have a look himself to see what was working, what wasn’t, what had changed since his last tour. He was the nineteenth son of Gerwal Banderos, who had taken control of this unclaimed territory near the end of The Last War, when things were still in an uproar as the Old Empire disintegrated.
Although there had originally been twenty-six Banderos sons, the number was much less now. Each one of them had a job—Scribe, vegetable gardens, patrols, border station duty, bakery, militia. It was a well-organized system that had benefited the whole family.
As Nineteenth Banderos emerged from the forest on his way to the northern border station, he immediately reined his horse to a walk at the alarming sight that appeared in the valley below. His young brothers, Rascal and Runt, were riding behind, accompanying him on his rounds, and he heard the hooves of their mounts slow on the trail. “The Shafoneurs have done it again,” he said, as the herd dogs circled around him.
My book Lies He Told Me is being recommended in the Read Freely newsletter going out in a couple of days. You can sign up here to receive the newsletter – http://www.readfree.ly/newsletter.
Why happy? Because it’s not 2020 anymore, and we can all be glad of that!
Dear Reader, Dean Koontz, the writer, once said, "In a world that encompasses so much pain, it is noble to provide a few hours of escape, moments of delight and forgetfulness." As an author, that’s what our stories provide and I’m thrilled to announce—
Khandarken Rising, The Last War, Book One is still FREE, for a limited time.
Son of the Emperor, The Last War, Book Two is still 99 Cents
Weapon of Tyrants, The Last War, Book Three is still 99 Cents.
These deals won’t last, they will be coming off sale price very soon.
Looking back on the year 2020 has been amazing.
We had snow at the beginning of the year, which is always difficult to deal with in this climate. It is wet and soon freezes to ice on the roads. I caused a rear-ender at a stop light, put on my brakes but the car just slid down the hill to hit the bumper of the truck in front of me. No damage to his truck, thank heaven.
We managed a getaway to Tofino and Long Beach for a few days. It is always lovely there, rewarding to walk the beach and listen to the waves. We came home refreshed.
Then spring arrived. The blossoms on my crabapple tree are so lovely, each year. Almost as rewarding as the crabapples themselves ?.
The azaleas outdid themselves. But the dahlias did nothing, some managed to bloom by October when I dug them up.
We couldn’t socialize, so did a lot of walking and bicycling. This is Rithet’s Bog where the ducks gather. (What we noticed was the people we passed—at the correct social distance—seemed afraid to make eye contact or greet others, as if you could catch Covid19 by glancing at someone.)
We took the boat out all of three times during the summer. The weather didn’t cooperate. During one trip, the forest fires on the mainland were so vicious, and the smoke in the air so thick, we used our radar to safely find our way back to the harbour without running into any other boats.
During the year, I released two books in The Lies He Told series, Rain Man, and Don’t Move. It was fantastic to finally get them out to the public and the response has been wonderful. Thank you, Dear Readers.
The harvest wasn’t as plentiful as in former years. The spring and summer weather had been cooler than usual so many of the plants were slow to grow. The tomatoes did fine. Cucumbers not so much. Squash not at all.
Blackberries were a bit sparse. I usually make blackberry cordial but the ripe berries were a bit harder to find. Did a few jars of jelly.
Fall arrived. Still out on walks and bike rides, careful of who we encountered and managing to keep our distance.
Guess what? Winter came and so did the snow. Our power lines were down along our long driveway, ripped off by two trees falling across them. We couldn’t leave the premises, either to walk out because of the lines on the drive, or drive out because of the trees. We were without power for four days, but luckily we have a generator. Not much gas though, just enough to run it for a few hours in the morning and evening to keep the fridge and freezers cold, and plug in our phones. Luckily we had a lot of candles, and still managed to get some reading done. ?
So the year ended the way it had begun, with snow.
But this New Year will be different, won’t it? Let's all play to be kind, to be safe, to be the best we can be, in 2021!
Wishing you the finest in all things, Sylvie
What happened in your 2020? Send me a note and let me know.
