Rain

While rain is good to be able to get work done on my WIP, it's not good when we're trying to harvest. We've only gotten three days of harvesting done.

I had a birthday last week. My kids sang happy birthday. 4 y.o. wanted to "help" me open my presents - don't think I'm that feeble that I can't open my own presents!

I attended the SCBWI-IA Fall conference this past weekend. Had a great time. I didn't have anything critiqued this time so there's wasn't that type of pressure.

I finished the second version of the first draft of the children's biography. A friend did some research for me in Washington DC at the Library of Congress. Got a couple of good pieces of information. Now, I'm waiting for my mentor to get back to me on the first draft. Today I will work on the next lesson for ICL (Institute of Children's Literature).

More wildlife outside my window this morning. Four tom turkeys. One of them had a pretty long beard.

Four year old practiced writing her letters this morning and now wants to work on a computer-based learning program.

Bookshelf: (What I've been reading) Lighthouses for Kids by Katherine House great book on Lighthouses with activities for kids to do; Stanza by Jill Esbaum 4 y.o. loves this book - great rhyming story; The Adventurous Life of Myles Standish by Cheryl Harness fun way to tell an old story with perhaps some new information; and other National Geographic Books for Kids

1 Peter 4:10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.

Wildlife, Biography for Children, & Harvest

I don't understand Blogger. I have the blog entry formatted the way I want it but when I publish it, Blogger removes my paragraphs and it's all squished together. Then, the next time, there will be too many spaces between paragraphs. Anyone have any advice?

(Second photo) Days before the buzzards (vultures) migrated, they would warm up each morning by spreading their wings while perching on the hay barn or the fence posts. In this picture taken October 4th, there are 8 buzzards in the foreground and 5 turkeys in the background. I think there were a total of 13 buzzards that day, but I couldn't fit them all in one photo.

(First photo) For the past week, there have been 5 does eating (acorns probably) under a tree across the road. One day, three of them crossed over to our side of the road. One brave doe came right up to the basement walk-out. This photo is from this morning. As I write this blog entry, two does just came to eat more acorns.

A couple of weeks ago, I saw a raccoon cross the road. The next thing I know, it was swimming in the pond by our house! I didn't know raccoons liked to swim. The digital camera wasn't in the house so I used my 35mm camera. The film is so old, I'm hoping the pictures come out well when I get it developed.

I've been working diligently on the biography for children. The first draft is close to completion. I keep finding more interesting facts to include and I'm not sure if I can use them all. A friend of mine went to the Library of Congress and researched newspaper articles for me. He found one article from 1919 that I can use and he will be going back to research some more. Yea!

It's been so wet this year - and when it isn't raining, there hasn't been much sun. Hopefully, we can start today.

Proverbs 17:1 Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife.

Proverbs 17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.