Michael Perry once said that “exotic is what’s in someone else’s backyard.” I think about that as someone who grew up in Wisconsin but now lives in in Texas. I imagine a Garrison Keillor type would begin the narration with:
“It’s springtime in Texas, and the drab browns and grays of the winter landscape have given way to various shades of green: emerald, sage, lime, mint, and jade. In the fields, the egrets have arrived coinciding with the calving season and in every field a cow, bull, or calf can expect a pair or more of the skinny white birds trailing along behind them for the next two to three months.
On hillsides and vacant lots around town the bluebonnets are in bloom, an event that brings about a flurry of girls in spring dresses and their entourage of parents, grandparents, and professional photographers. The season lasts about three weeks until the flowers, tired of getting ground into the dirt by squirming toddlers and tread by thousands of wagon wheels will turn the job over to the Evening Primroses—and good riddance. The primroses, little pink flowers with yellow centers, might be the smartest of the spring blooms, letting the bonnets take the initial surge of spring-starved Texans and survive largely unmolested in the ditches along the highway. The exception are the primroses with the unfortunate luck to sprout up in city parks where latecomers sigh at the fading bluebonnets and decide the primroses are good enough for a quick snap featuring the family dog.”
I’m not so talented. My first impression: Spring has gone full-frontal in Texas. Enjoy it while she’s feeling generous because her bitchy sister Summer will soon drive you back inside.
Writing Stuff
The latest book, Badlands Cursed, is past the half-way point and gaining momentum. I expect the second half to be finished quickly, since most of the heavy lifting and plot puzzling was laid down in the book’s first half and now it’s just a matter of pulling the triggers of all those guns I placed. Stay tuned.
Reading Stuff
If you’re looking for books to read until Badlands Cursed comes out, I recommend Lexicon by Max Barry. It’s a fast read and has a great “what if?” question that might forever change the way you look at social media, especially if you’re the kind of person who loves filling out those Facebook polls to see which character you are from your favorite book, movie, or tv series.
Funny Found Things on the Internet:
This looks like a lot of fun, but I’d probably kill myself doing it: Torpedo watercraft
