Well, this is embarassing

This blog has become rather mordant...is that the word I want?  I seem to spend a lot of time on Facebook.  Twitter?  Not so much.  I've been writing, and editing and gardening and recovering from 10 weeks of company.  Trying to get everything re-organized as it were.

My 1928 Southern California book now has over 65  thousand words, and is coming along, very slowly, but the word count is encouraging and I think I see the incidents that will occur before the end of the book.  Even if one plans ahead somewhat, it is still a hard row to hoe, as they used to say, and I don't do a complete outline, as that would take all the fun out of it. 

The Twenties were a fascinating decade and Southern California was one of the most corrupt places on earth.  For a writer, bad things are good things.  One must do a skidload of research.  For example, I was researching Tijuana Bibles for the book.  Not going to tell you what they were.  Look it up.  The stuff I've learned. 

We have two pair of the sweetest hummingbirds.  They are feisty and there are always aerial dogfights that are truly stunning.  One of them comes and perches on the tomato trellis, and we have conversations.  I talk; he listens and sometimes he scratches himself.  So funny.  After ten minutes of so, it's hard to think of stuff to say, so I talk about his migration and how I hope it won't be too hard, knowing that it will be and that I am looking forward to seeing them next spring, and is the nectar to their liking and is it changed often enough.  Where is your nest?  I planted the nicotania just for you.  Glad you like the other flowers, too, especially those tall purple things that bloom in August whose name I have forgotten.

Yes, one-way bird conversations can be kind of awkward, but he listens so intelligently, three feet away, and not a bit anxious.  The clematic are in view on the photo, and those are NOT the tall purple flowers I was taking about.  Sometimes he (or she) is so close I see all the markings of the feathers and it's such a treat to be friends with this little bird.  I think he REALLY KNOWS who puts out the fresh nectar and keeps the feeder clean. 

They'll be gone soon, and I'll worry a bit until I seem them again in the spring.  They are truly a wonder of nature.