See how blurred this pic is?
That’s how my eyes felt after reading the books. I’m learning about Byzantium in the pursuit of Tobias’s journey to find the rare dye, Tyrian purple in 1194 AD.
So today, I spent the day outside at the farm – you know how I get cabin fever.
Took a day off this week from the book and the farm to have a picnic in the Derwent Valley which we had heard always looks beautiful in the autumn. But we’d never managed to get there before leaf fall. I love amber and topaz, garnet and shiraz, pinot noir and chartreuse. (Colours I mean, not alcohol!) And was determined we’d catch the colour before it dropped…
At last.
After the worst December and early January in my memory with our weather (not to mention Mum’s accident!), we have finally hit pay-dirt. Yesterday was lovely but the water was very cool for swimming as we’ve not had many sunny days. I emerged with skin burning and bones aching.
On this 23rd day of August, one thinks on truths…
One of the things I love about being a writer and engaging with people online, is that one meets others and hears about their lives. I’m in awe about many who write wonderful novels whilst caring for little children, or for loved ones who might be housebound, or who work fulltime in another job, or who live in the country, the mountains, by the sea. In America, Canada, the UK, Italy, Germany, Scandinavia, Africa. Even Australia.
What does a writer do when she’s finished the book she’s writing and is waiting for the edits to begin?
Firstly she celebrates by walking on the beach.
And thinks about the man who inspired the saga.
Wake up and get straight into swimsuit. Sky is pale blue, maybe smoke haze from Victoria.
Down to the beach to favourite pozzie in front of pine trees. Smells resinous in the warmth.
In water by 10AM. Glorious. Walk through waist deep shallows in boat channel, moving out of way of incomers and outgoers. Then just dive in and swim a few lengths between the marker poles. Float on back like a star. Hair drifting out, rocking with the odd tiny wave, can hear the odd tic-tic-tic sound of ‘under the sea’.
