Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Refuge in the woods


Andi, is this your photo or Jim's? It's one of my favs.

30 comments:

Nancy P said...

Thank goodness you guys are self-sufficient, because I do disappear some days!

Today I disappeared into "Twilight." And I do not mean my own book by the same name. :)

Do you have a certain special refuge in nature? I don't have one place; I think I just go for a walk and that does it for me most of the time. I tend to want to be moving, not sitting, since I sit so much of the rest of the time.

You writers--do any of your characters have a nature refuge?

Anonymous said...

I've been feeling the need for nature since this whole mess started, but have yet to drag myself out to the woods for a healing walk. I'll be on the beach next week, and that is my true healing place.

One of the protags in my new book (B3, thank you, Ghostie) loves a small park by a river in Pagosa Springs, CO - guess my love of water oozes into my writing. Now all I have to do is visit Pagosa Springs, and make sure I'm writing it accurately. (Darn, a road trip!)

Although andi's woods do have a certain peace to them - even in the early spring, before the flowers are out. :-)

JimF said...

That's one of Andi's. There are so many things about that photo I love, but my favorite thing is the old broken bench. It's twisted shape gives the photo a strange geometry.

I wish it was my photo.

AndiF said...

I hope you get what you need at the beach, Beth. I have to admit that if I were in Idaho, I'd be heading straight for the mountains. And you're welcome to come back and visit the woods any time (but I hope it's May when the woods are so wonderfully, softly yet insistently green).

Nancy, I'm endlessly amazed at my great good fortune in living in a place where I can just step out my door and find refuge anywhere I look (well, maybe not at the Pack's stash of deer bones).

Thanks for photo credit, Jim. Just for that, I'll try to keep the dogs quiet so you don't wake up early. :)

Morning all.

Anonymous said...

I like the carpet of leaves, and the splashes of different colors.

Beth, water is a salve to my soul. The burbling riffles of creek or river as well as the rhythmic movement of the waves on the beach. The beach is my mental getaway.
Drag your butt out and you'll find the calm healing nature has to give you.

Andi--the wonderful thing is you realize how great a situation you have. I appreciate the pile of deer bones. I know that sounds strange. One of our resident red tail hawks got killed the other day by some other critter. Probably coyote or bobcat. Only some feathers, the wings and a leg were left. The talons absolutely fascinated me. The science teacher in me just jumps out at such times. I took the foot with these inch long curved talons to school. The kids were fascinated. They don't get to see much of nature in the city. I'm sad to lose one of the hawks but understand the cycle of life. Dogs and bones, another element of cycle of life.

The refuge of my main character is a park that becomes the scene of a life changing death. The end of the book takes her back outdoors where she has to create her own new refuge as she recreates herself. Thank you so much, Nancy. That's another piece of my ending I didn't clearly see until I wrote this this morning.

Waves to Jim.

Thrilling Thursday to All.

Maria Lima said...

Morning, all! Today, there is sunshine, yippee!!

I'm not a nature person, much, as the lovely outdoors will often bring on an allergy attack. My protagonist, Keira, is much like me (sans allergies). She'd much prefer curling up with a good book--although, due to the events in Blood Bargain, that may change. ;-)

Her brother, Tucker, OTOH, adores the outdoors. Being inside too long makes him quite antsy. (attributed to his shapeshifter nature, no doubt). Tucker would be right at home in your woods, Andi...and likely to frolic with Bebo and the boys.

AndiF said...

Maria,

The Pack is always ready to go. So if Tucker ever leaves the paper world, he's welcome to join them. Though Giddy just stopped in mid-frolic to point out that only Sniff is a boy [LINK]. ;)

Lisa, with the vast number of bones (and not just deer; if it's died out there, the dogs will find it and bring it home) around our place, I love to imagine the conclusions reached by some far-future archeologist exploring our "midden".

Anonymous said...

Andi--The story starter--you go out and find a human leg or foot bones on the top of the animal bone heap.

Family Man said...

Good morning Nancy and everyone.

Andi that is a beautiful picture. Reminds me of when I lived up north and the changing leaves.

Beth I'm happy to hear you're heading toward a beach. Hopefully that will bring a little peace.

Nancy I'd have to say my refuge is on my patio looking out onto the pond. I haven't picked up a camera in months, but I'll try to get some new pictures to show you.

I hope everyone is doing good and take care.

FM

dina said...

Good morning, all. I love fall but have trouble with the outdoors because of allergies. I lose myself in stories, be it books or TV. The real comfort is having the cats around me, losing myself in a story and every now and again enjoying the spectacular fall foliage.

Conda Douglas said...

Gorgeous pic, Andi. And we've been fortunate this fall in Boise--the weather's co-operated to produce glorious color this year. I so love living where there are seasons (not always true in my life). Of course I might not say that in the midst of an ice storm...

Kelly McCullough said...

Lovely shot of my favorite season.

Echoing Lisa: Or dragon foot bones. I might even take a shot at the one once I'm head up again.

Tea and crumpets today though only virtually.

Hello to all, and TTFN. Off to bang my head on a synopsis for an hour or two before digging into the copyedits.

AndiF said...

Hiya FM -- I would very much love to see new pictures of the pond but I'm still waiting to see it from the other side. ;)

Hi also Dina, Conda, and Kelly.

Kelly and Lisa, that story is all yours, though if you want to be more realistic, the bones wouldn't be in a heap, they'd be scattered all over because dogs are always stealing away bones from each other and then trying to tuck them away where they won't be noticed. Oh if you want to know what it looks like when they bring back parts of a fresh kill, I can definitely give you some gory descriptions (but since it's lunch time, I won't do it now).

Nancy P said...

Hi, Beth. Maybe you're still in the Hole Up and Hide period of extreme pain. When I've been there, I just want to put the covers over my head and go fetal. I hope the beach will give you some peace.

Nancy P said...

Hi, Jim. Now I know how to lure you out, lol. Either post poetry or give you a chance to give credit to your wife. :)

I agree about the bench. ("Twisted geometry" is nice.) I think it's the bench that provides the "refuge" feeling.

Nancy P said...

Andi, you give writers ideas!

Maria, I hope you're feeling well-er.

Ooo, Lisa, that's nice!!! And I totes get your fascination with the hawk remains.

Nancy P said...

Hey, Dina, Kelly, Conda, and FAMILY MAN!! So good to see you all, and yep, FM, we'd love to see some picksures.

Maria Lima said...

OOh!! Had to share. I just got a case of BLOOD BARGAIN (the 2nd book in my series). It's REAL!

::does the happy dance::

Nancy P said...

I'm joining you in the happy dance, M!! And here, have a glass of champagne!

Anonymous said...

Thanks, Nancy. I am in that phase. I'll be in San Francisco for a few days, so sorta near the water, then San Clemente with dear surfer friends, so def on the beach. Glad I already made the reservations, cuz it's tempting to stay under those covers.

Congrats, maria - how exciting!

Nicola Slade said...

Nature isn't my refuge. When I'm really, really in need of comfort I go shopping. Don't get me wrong, I don't go to spend money, in fact I can spend a whole day out for only the price of a coffee and maybe share a danish pastry with a kindred spirit. But I like to mooch around the shops letting my subconscious sort things out. It really is retail therapy! (Besides my nearest shopping town is the rather nice city of Winchester which has the Round Table hung up on the wall of the Great Hall, so it's a bit special.) But if I can't get out and it's evening I take a book, a glass of wine, a cat and go and soak in the bath. (Cat sits on stool beside me and husband will refill glass if he has noticed it's a crisis. Sigh!) That's why I hate showers - you can't read in them.

Anonymous said...

Hot bath and cold wine sound wonderful, Nicola. I don't have a cat - will my Winnie the Pooh do? :-)

I might try that tonight, until I can get to the ocean. Thanks for the idea!

Nancy P said...

Nicola, whew, you had me worried there for a minute about the cat. :)

Anonymous said...

Wow, out of town company finally left and I had a lot of catching up to do here!

I am so sad! I missed poetry days - the impromtu and scheduled ones. :-(
I'll be ready next time.

Nancy, it sounds like you had a great time on your trip to deepest, darkest Kansas. You make a great tour guide.

Beth, you are such a wonderful person. How kind of you to help your friends with their unpacking after all the packing/unpacking you yourself have been doing of late.

Maryb, so glad the bomb didn't do you any harm! Yikes. Hard to believe things like that happening in this country.

Lisa, I live in Ohio. Let me know when you're doing your blog tour.

Missed you all. Hope to get back to regular visits here.

Anonymous said...

Didn't know you were in Oho-ho, Boran. I'll keep it in mind the next time I'm wandering around the midwest...thanks for the kind words.

Just got back from my favorite sushi bar. Trying to reclaim places that were "ours," and make them "mine" again.

Have a great evening, folks.

boran2 said...

beth, That's bono in Ohio, I'm in New Yawk. ;-)

Anonymous said...

Jeez, I knew you were in NY, boran! Teach me to comment after a couple of bottles of sake. :-)

I went to St Lawrence, and often find myself in NY, so will keep THAT in mind in my travels...

Duh, boran. Thanks for the geography lesson....and waving to bono in Ohio! :-)

Larry Kollar said...

'Evening y'all!

I sure hope I'm going to get a chance to do more than snag a virtual danish by tomorrow.

Maria, I *almost* pre-ordered Blood Bargain from B&N. What stopped me was that Daughter Dearest needed her music book ASAP and they were going to hold up the order until it's released (Nov. 15, right?). That's OK; I can have my favorite indie bookstore order it & I can get it on Release Day.

Kelly, your comments about pacing were what I was looking for, I think. Now to apply them…

OK, maybe I'll get back in the mix tomorrow.

Nancy P said...

Hey, bono, far, and boran2!

Kelly McCullough said...

Glad to help, FarF. Even more glad that it sounded coherent to someone outside my head too. I can never be entirely sure with craft advice.