I spent the last five minutes trying to figure out which cloud this afternoon sprinkle is coming from. The sky’s been blue all day, the sun shining. For the last ten minutes we’ve had a steady sprinkle, and there’s no cloud directly above us. Rain slants down from a clear patch of blue, with no discernible source. I’m sure it’s blowing down from one of the clouds that hover at the fringes of the sky.

UPDATE 2 Hrs Later
Found the clouds, thunder, lightning, and a lot more rain!

As yet another storm front heads toward the Southern California coast, I can’t help some skepticism that rain can possibly arrive soon, because the sky here has turned blue and the air balmy. But I’m assured we’re in for a few days of rain. I plan to focus on fiction for the duration. To make up for sounding like a spoiled Californian who has no idea what winter is, I leave you with links to two stellar blog posts on writing and books, from Eric Mayer and Vikk Simmons.
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Is it possible we fiction writers are nothing more than escape artists who manage to write journals of our inner travels-hopefully in such a way that others willingly share our adventures? Fiction can be more enticing than reality. I would, after all, much rather imagine having a flat tire on a rainy night out in the middle of nowhere-with a complete story woven around it, full of interesting characters-than actually experience that flat tire and that wet, cold rain.
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A frequent visitor to our yard. (Click for larger views.)

Scrub Jay in Tree
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Leave it to Margaret Atwood. Her books lead us into unique situations, so why not her book signings? (more…)

A couple of days ago my husband pointed out a flock of birds that had lighted in our front yard, with crests on their heads and crimson dots on their backs (when perched—the dots are actually on the tips of secondary wing feathers). We’d never seen these before. (more…)

I usually knit in the evening, but this morning I woke up with only 7 rows left to knit on the center square of my lace shawl. (more…)

The death toll from the tsunamis has now reached 125,000. When we hear of people suffering so much elsewhere, it makes our comfort at home seem somehow indecent or self-absorbed in contrast, and the everyday troubles we complain of mere trifles. (more…)

If you’re in the mood to read a classic story, here’s a link to my favorite online version of that 1843 tale of humbug, ghosts, and merriment, A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens. This edition was published by Chapman and Hall, Ltd. of London in 1897 and illustrated by John Leech. Be sure to click on each picture for a complete view of the artwork. (more…)

Today we have rain in a slow, steady drizzle. The sky is steel gray, the trees wet and shining, and the blue jay acts nervous about a small hawk or kestrel hanging out nearby. Our heater is on and the cat has camped out in front of it. This is the time of year I contemplate what calendars to purchase for the new year.

Last time around we waited until January, and in desperation picked up a free calendar at our local feed store. (more…)