Standing at the Trailhead of Winter

Took a nice, leisurely ride this evening. Since the day was sunny and warm, lots of people were out, using the trail. I passed a young couple running together, and each of them had earbuds in, I presume listening to music. I found it kind of funny they were running along silently, not talking to one another. Hopefully they chatted some as they jogged, or it could be they didn't need to speak. I passed a dad with his two very young daughters, one on a trike and the other on a scooter. He walked a few steps behind them, holding his arms out at times as if he was herding them, trying to keep them going in one direction. The girl on the scooter wanted to go one way while the girl on the trike wanted to go the other. Dad coaxed scooter girl to turn around and go with her sister. I passed a couple, she pushing a stroller, he keeping their rather larger German Shepard reined in as a woman walking her very small Dachshund took a wide berth, watching the Shepard out of the corner of h...

Is it bad that while my students worked on their papers today I sketched out the second half of the book I'm working on? Every so often I walked around the room, checking over shoulders to make sure students were heading in the right direction, answering questions of students trying to juggle the three different aspects of this paper project, and just chatting with students about whatever was on their mind. They worked, I worked, and we all got quite a bit completed. Having the book sketched out, actually seeing a plan in place for where I can go with the characters is exciting. I feel like the book is truly possible now. For awhile I let it sit, unsure of where to go with the the characters, the storyline. It was overwhelming to think about anything related to writing the book, so I acted like it really wasn't there. I turned my attention to other pieces, and I'm glad I did as I think creating some space between me and my 16 year old girl caught up in a military gaming plo...