
Last week I was at a rented cabin up at Minnedosa, writin’ words and takin’ photos. I had a bunch of goals for the week, but how’d I do?
Continue reading “Writing Retreat 2021: The week in review”Part-time prevaricator
Last week I was at a rented cabin up at Minnedosa, writin’ words and takin’ photos. I had a bunch of goals for the week, but how’d I do?
Continue reading “Writing Retreat 2021: The week in review”Tuesday, I:
I saw a couple of meteors at Spruces, including one large, slow one that unfortunately wasn’t where my camera was aimed.
I woke up thinking I heard hail. It turned out to be only rain—at times heavy rain—but almost every cabin around here has a metal roof, which amplifies that kind of thing.
No bike ride and no kayak trip. I wisely forgot to pack a raincoat for my retreat here, so that was great planning on my part.
Some of the thunder was pretty exciting—shake-the-cabin exciting—but I couldn’t get a good angle to set up and try to get some lightning photos. Oh well, can’t win every time.
It’s that time of year again: the 2021 edition of my writing retreat has begun. I booked my time at the cabin to coincide with the new moon, to make for some better astrophotography opportunities, and then found out later that, coincidentally, I’d also be up here for the peak of the Perseid meteor shower.
Continue reading “Writing Retreat 2021, Day Zero”Wednesday:
Tuesday’s action:
I wish I’d noticed that there was some flickering northern lights just as I was packing up for the night; I’d have stayed longer, even though I was tired.
It’s supposed to be clear again tonight, and hopefully the solar wind will strike twice.
As always: if you’re interested in prints of any of these photos, let me know. We’ll see what we can work out.
Saturday, I:
Continue reading “Writing Retreat, Day 6″“Can I help you with something?” Headless mannequins wore flimsy cotton dresses in earth tones. Countertop racks displayed neacklaces and bracelets made of beads, pearls, or smooth and polished stones. A sign at the back said RESTROOMS FOR PAYING CUSTOMERS ONLY.
“I need a washroom,” I said.
She motioned at the sign.
“No, I need a washroom.”
She sighed, though I couldn’t tell whether she was exasperated with me or with the situation I was evidently trying to put her in. “Policy,” she said. Then, giving me a good looking-over, she said, much more quietly, “You okay?”
Yes, I wanted to say.
“No.”
From Translations
I:
So far so good.
Top photo: taken about 11:45 PM or so. 12mm, 44 seconds, f/2.8, ISO 3200 (I think).
Last night I arrived at Minnedosa, to start the 2019 edition of my annual week-long writing retreat.
Goals this year:
I’m also due in Winnipeg for my nephew’s birthday party, which means I’ll be able to pick up the copy of Michael Swanwick’s The Iron Dragon’s Mother that I pre-ordered in (checks notes) (…these notes are illegible) February? maybe. And a friend is camping at Clear Lake starting mid-week, so I’ll probably go bother him for an afternoon or something.
As my darling wife is wont to say, “Write faster, Johanneson.”
Header image: last night, reading Provenance on the deck with a glass of Writer’s Tears.