Those Lazy, Hazy Days

July 31, 2019 / Eric Thomson / 1 Comment

I just love those lazy, hazy days of summer. And the fact our home has air conditioning! This year, Mrs Thomson went all out with a vegetable garden. And though it’s small we’re enjoying bumper crops of yellow and green beans, beets, tomatoes and of course my favorite: strawberries growing on plants in hanging baskets. It all tastes so much better than store-bought fruit and vegetables.

Funnily enough, the local wildlife hasn’t been going at our garden, even though we seem to have more wild rabbits than usual in the neighbourhood. Not a doggie walk goes by without seeing a few, and most days, I can spot at least one hopping across our front yard. I’m sure the local foxes are enjoying our rabbit population explosion. The one my dog and I saw the other morning certainly seemed well fed. And not a bit shy. The fox and I stared at each other for a few moments, separated by the width of a residential street, before going on our separate ways. One of the few upsides of my dog’s advancing years is his failing eyesight and hearing, otherwise he might see all the critters who live among us humans and try to chase them. For example, the other day, we passed within a few feet of a fairly large rabbit who, as his sort will, froze in place before my dog noticed and nervously eyed us going by.

If you’re wondering whether the lazy days of summer are having an effect on my progress with the sixth Siobhan Dunmoore adventure, the answer is perhaps. I’m not writing as fast as I’d like, but the first draft is 40% done, and that means an October publication date is still quite likely.

Now back to fun in the sun

Wings of Summer

July 11, 2019 / Eric Thomson

I’ve taken a break from writing in the last few days to recharge my batteries and enjoy the summer. But it’s a rather sedentary mini-holiday. Twenty-two years ago, shortly after buying our current residence, we planted a red maple in the back yard. Today, it’s a towering shade tree with enough room beneath its leafy branches for a rustic patio, complete with table and recliners. That is where I’ve spent the last few afternoons, reading, watching birds, small animals and insects enjoy our urban glade. You see, years ago, we decided a standard, sterile, neatly bordered lawn wasn’t for us. Especially not with three small terriers in the family (sadly we’re down to one now).

As a result, we turned the yard into the sort of woodland mini-meadow you might stumble upon deep inside one of our nearby nature parks. Shrubs, bushes and small trees, punctuated with all manner of flowers, vines, and other plants thrive in semi-anarchy along our ancient, gray cedar fence. And since our neighbourhood is over forty years old, adjoining back yards also boast mature trees of every description. Sitting under our red maple I can easily picture myself elsewhere.

What I really like is that it’s the sort of space which attracts small wildlife, bees, butterflies and the like. Birds in particular enjoy the bath and feeders set up at the patio’s edge. In the last few days, I’ve taken countless pictures at close range, though the birds are less shy than the resident chipmunks, squirrels, and rabbits, content to pose while taking a drink or pecking at seeds. I’ll upload a few of them to my Facebook page, so if you’d like to take a peek, the link is in the menu to the right.

At this point, When the Guns Roar (Siobhan Dunmoore #6) is 20% written, but it’ll be a few days yet before I go back to work. We waited so long for summer, I owe myself and Mother Nature some quiet time away from the keyboard. Besides, a writer who doesn’t feel fully motivated to spill words onto the page doesn’t bring forth his best work, and our backyard refuge is so enchanting at this time of year…