March 30, 2010
Longtime readers of this blog will recall the frog eggs I found in the mountain stream last spring, and how I ultimately had to undergo a Tadpole Rescue Mission to relocate the tadpoles to a big pond when their little stream dried up in the summertime.
I hadn’t been on this particular hill in a couple of weeks. And on today’s hike, guess what I found. Yup, frog eggs. But a different kind from last year’s. These are a different species of frog — larger eggs, and the tadpoles inside the eggs have already lengthened from little black dots to develop the beginnings of tails.
Here’s the tadpole stream:
And here are pictures of the eggs. I’d say each egg is about 3/4″ — much bigger than last year’s eggs, which were 1/2″.
We’re dealing with a different species of frog. Goodness knows how many species of frog live in these mountains.
The tadpoles should be hatching soon. I wonder how long it will take them to frog out?
It’s highly likely that another Tadpole Rescue Mission will be in order. This stream almost always dries up come summertime. Of course, Momma Frog couldn’t know that. All this water, as it appears now, looked quite promising to her. But she needn’t fear — if her little ones need relocating, I’m happy to oblige.
Other signs of Spring include buttercups poking out of the leaf litter…
…and pink buds against a blue sky.
March 28, 2010
The daffodils are still spiffy…
The rhubarb has grown…
The garden is ready to be planted…
The periwinkle is blooming on the mountain…
Buds are forming high in the trees…
And waterfalls are flowing…
Flowing…
And flowing…
And (you guessed it) flowing.
Writing update:
- Check out Grace Notes for more of my flash fiction (I’ve been writing stories which are based in the world of my novel-in-progress Heart’s Chalice and peopled by its characters, though in the fullness of time, Grace Notes will encompass stand-alone flash fiction as well as flash fiction based on my other novels).
- Deep-edits of Heart’s Chalice are going well. I figure I’m close to halfway through. It’s a painstaking task. I wrote the rough draft so quickly for NaNoWriMo — pumped out 135,000 words in a month and a half. The heavy revisions (which involve much cutting) are proving to be NaNo’s Revenge. The story is there, but I’m working hard to excavate, clarify, and amp it up. I love the story and its characters, and I intend to do my very best job by them.
- As ever, I’m the Queen of Rewriting. I have several stories which I hope to rework and get out there. My long-term readers might remember House on Bear Branch, a novel I wrote for NaNo in 2007. It’s had two and a half years to bake, and now, I’m planning to rewrite it, change the title to Deirdre of the Sorrows and turn it into a spooky love story. I’ll work on Deirdre of the Sorrows while Heart’s Chalice bakes for its next pass of revisions.
- And there’s Patchwork Stained Glass. Which was known back in 2006 as Occam’s Razors. Guess what. I want to rewrite it yet again. Yes, I can hear the groans. But what’s the famous quote by James Michener — “I’m not a very good writer, but I’m an excellent rewriter.” Ha! Rewriting can make all the difference between a story that’s “pretty good” and one that’s WOWIE KAZOWIE. In Patchwork Stained Glass, two young people fall in love who have different — and opposing — ideas about spirituality. Will love triumph over ideology? Well… you’ll have to see. Heck, I’ll have to see, given the fact that I plan to rewrite the thing.
- Last but not least: there’s Thy Eternal Summer, a novella I wrote back in 2005. A love story featuring an older couple, it was published in 2006 by a little e-pub which went belly-up the following year. I’ve thought about revisiting the story, spiffing it up, and offering it as a serialized tale on my blog.
Posted in: Appalachian Mountains, Appalachian fiction, Deirdre of the Sorrows, Gardening, Grace Notes, Heart's Chalice, Hiking, Patchwork Stained Glass, Southern fiction, Writing, flash fiction, short stories –
March 15, 2010
My friend Debbie Mumford tagged me for the Creative Writer Blogger Award. Thanks, Debbie! This is a fun one. I am to tell six outrageous lies about myself, and one truth. Can you figure out which statement is true? Guess, guess! I dare you. 
- My great-grandfather was John Dillinger.
- I was an award-winning saxophonist in elementary school.
- In college, I majored in math and considered becoming a cryptanalyst.
- For some years, I had a pet tarantula named Ellie Mae.
- I’m right-handed.
- I can play piano with my toes.
- I enjoy bungee-jumping.
EDIT: I’ve revealed the truth in the comment section. Were you right?
March 13, 2010
arch of laurel leaves
pass through to patchwork sky
and soar to greet the sun
dwarfed by last year’s leaves
frosted yellow filaments
harbinger of spring
trees left standing tall
after heavy snow and cold
soon will bud and bloom
March 5, 2010
Could this be the last snow of the season? I don’t know, but it’s likely. Today’s hike was sunny and warmer, and over the next ten days, high temperatures are supposed to climb to near sixty. Spring is nigh, and in the meantime, I’m nibbling on what might be my last snowball for a while.
I’m wondering when I’ll spot my first wildflower of the season. Last year, it happened on March 9.
But today, I’ll share snow on branches…
Snow on the trail…
Snow off-trail…
And snow on the bank.
In a month, it’ll be planting time. Looking forward to more garden goodness! Tomatoes, potatoes, green beans, zucchini, and squash taste even better than snowballs, and are much more nutritious.
