Poetry Train Monday - 144 - American sentence 5

For some time now, the kids who go to and from the elementary school behind our house have been enamoured of the little tree tunnel created when we had our fence put in a few years ago. The original owners had planted a line of spruce trees beside a fence, but over time the fence collapsed and the trees grew over the original fence line.

Before the new fence was installed, I trimmed the branches from the line of spruce closest to the house so the trunks would be flush for the fence. Once it was up, a perfect tunnel appeared between the fence and the trees, and it is now a kid part of the way to school. No kid can resist it.

Which my mom and I think is adorable. But not quite so charming are the kids who bounce against the fence at the entrance to the tree tunnel. Over time this has bent the top bar and ripped the chain link from the bar. Not only that, an intrepid girl has decided that she adores climbing the towering Scotch pine in our yard, which you can see in the picture.














So today my uncle came over and removed the bottom layer of branches from the huge pine, as well as took down the scraggly fir at the beginning of the tunnel, which the girl used as steps to get up to the fence and then into the pine. This opens that area to a bit more sun, because I'll be planting a cutting from the monster rose bush at the foot of that section of fence. No more bouncey-bouncey, because those rose thorns are vicious from that particular rambler.

Meanwhile, for my first official day in the garden this spring, my agoraphobic husband came out in the yard with me and we wired the chain link back to the top bar. It even snowed tiny pellets on us at one point, but we didn't care. Brad was a total trooper. Believe me, he was having lots of anxiety out there in the fresh air. But he knew I could use the muscle to pull the heavy-gauge wire taut, and it's sexy to show off for your honey.

So, for today's Poetry Train, I give you this American sentence:

Misshapen tree sacrificed so that girl can't reach her sylvan goddess.

For more poetry, Ride the Poetry Train!

Stan Ski says Climing trees is part of growing up. I'm sure she'll think of a way to get up there.

Nikita Banerjee say Oh no! I would have loved to do something like the little girl!

Akelamalu says You have to be so careful here these days - some kid climbs your fence or tree and hurts themself then they sue you! :0

Thursday Thirteen - 109 - 13 Things I've Been Doing While My Computer's in The Shop

My computer has needed an overhaul for quite some time. So I had to surrender it into the care of my best friend's husband, who is an IT guy. He already performed heroics on a previous computer when my current WIP was trapped on the hard drive of a tower whose battery went dead.

So what have I been doing in the meantime?

1 - Well, I did try to stay on schedule with my book review for Stella MacLean's Baby in Her Arms. However, that will have to be pushed back to next week. My day job work schedule has been very grinding of late. Over the years, I've gradually learned to put balls down when my juggling act gets too ridiculous. That has been a lifetime lesson, I assure you.

2 - After work, once I've finished my daily visit with my mom upstairs, I generally head downstairs and hop onto the computer. But every evening this week I've headed into the garden instead. Sigh. That's been nice.

3 - I've had way more Pack Time on the couch. Because we are two humans and a dog, we are a Pack. Pack Time is my favorite time of day. We all pile onto the couch, where my dog and I fall asleep curled up together and my husband watches TV. Bliss.

4 - I've headed over for Pack Time much earlier than I do when I'm writing. So I've gotten way more sleep. This morning I woke up at 4:00 because my body is used to waking up with only 5 hours of sleep. But I realized I could go back for two more hours. Mmm.













5 - I watched the hockey game. Stanley Cup play-offs on Tuesday night, game 3. Lots of woo-hooing in our Cole Harbour house for Sidney Crosby!

Normally I would be at the computer with the game on TV to my left, which I would glance at in between writing. What luxury to simply sit down and watch the whole thing.

Photo by Peter Diana

6 - Listening to a whole bunch of CDs that we haven't heard in awhile. We usually use the CD player in the computer to listen to music. With that gone, my husband pulled out the big ghetto blaster and stacks of CDs that have been collecting dust and we've been enjoying some favorites. Like this one:



7 - As often happens, when I'm in the middle of one WIP, I start getting ideas and scenes for another WIP. So instead of thinking about my early Victorian gardener, Robbie (who resembles Ewan McGregor,) I've been doing some heavy-duty thinking about my dark fantasy and the Chamberlain of the Keep, Scorpius (a dead-ringer for Richard Armitage.)

8 - Doing some pre-planning for the mega collage event at my writers' group Book in a Day all-day workshop on June 13th.

9 - Tending to my husband's erupting cyst on his neck. Good times. Three bandage changes a day. Yay.

10 - Mowing my enormous lawn. I actually find it relaxing, in a sweaty sort of way.

11 - Visiting over at my best friend's house when we dropped the computer tower off. Such luxury!

12 - Doing overtime at work to try to get caught up on a huge backlog of scanning. This actually makes me feel like I'm getting somewhere instead of digging a hole in mud, just to watch it immediately fill in again. Added bonus - no one to interrupt.

13 - Taking a tiny chip off the clutter mountain that is our apartment. Yay me!

Janet says You've sure got a lot going on!

Alice Audrey says Even if I'm supposed to be working on one WIP, another keeps cropping up.

Anthony North says I always keep a cheap back-up, so this doesn't happen to me.