Erratic weather, with the sun shining through the clouds but the clouds spitting rain. I took a chance this evening and went for a ride on Hrimmi – it sprinkled a little bit, but the downpour held off. I wonder what in general this erratic weather means in terms of the hay season.

I suspect that a few weeks of dry, warm weather would bode well for the hay crop. I always fear that there will be no hay crop. Then we will be shit out of luck.

It was a good day on the book project front. I focused on distribution, first going to the pool. There, on the benches, the children were reading books. One father was reading a book entitled, “I Stink” to a rapt four year old. Seeing this, and later in the morning similar scenes, I thought, I am not doing what set out to do. Rather, I am doing something that when I began this project, I could never imagine.

Carole Henry, who works at the VCRS recycling center, once showed me a video of a fellow who lived in New York City and was doing what we do here in that he was getting books into the hands of children. In the video he was awarded a small bookmobile full of books. I then thought, wow, I could never do this.

This morning, I was looking at websites on the subject of writer’s retreats. And then it occurred to me, if the Bright Lights Book Project was able to purchase the hotel, we could have retreats here. We could also have classes – I could in fact teach memoir writing. As I went about the early part of my day, this seemed like a distinct possibility to me.

I’m not sure how this is going to come about. I pause. I am thinking that getting the book published is going to bring a lot of attention and favorable publicity to the BLBP. How could it not?

I am not allowing myself to think that Shelf Life is a substandard work. No, it is good work. I am going to have it ready for my secondary audience – agents and publishers, by September 1.

Yes, the world is right now changing very fast, and I need to take this into consideration. I don’t know if it will be possible to get a book published at this time. Well, I might end up with one copy, which will have to make the rounds.

If gas prices get really high, I will limit my trips to and from town and get around on a trike bike and deliver my books this way. The route is amazingly short. Today it included Bugge Park. I’m going to start doing Story Times there when the weather improves. I feel like Washboard Willy, the one-man band.

I did go swimming today – I made a workout for myself that started and ended with a few moments in the hot tub. Horseback riding and hot tubbing. I am a lucky gal.

Next: 166. 6/18/25: Up and Down