Last weekend I went camping for the first time in... at least a decade. In my youth I slept in tents frequently for both school expeditions and family camping trips, but I think the last time was when I hiked Tasmania's Overland Track in early 2000. Gosh. Can't believe it's been that long. Anyway, I … Continue reading Thunder in the night
A fascination with carnivorous plants
One day long ago, when walking in a Victorian State Forest or National Park somewhere, my late uncle beckoned me over and showed me a tiny little plant nestled amongst the leaves. It was green and had sticky leaves the insects stuck to, and he told me it was called drosera, more commonly known as … Continue reading A fascination with carnivorous plants
Apples for birds and butterflies
Every now and then I give in to the hankering to grow something edible -- knowing full well I'll abandon it to its own devices. No watering. No fertilisation. I'm shocking. Several years ago I succumbed to the purchase of two columnar apple trees. They're supposed to grow directly up and stay compact for small … Continue reading Apples for birds and butterflies
The clatter-scramble of puppy feet
All is quiet, calm. And then the clatter-scramble of little puppy feet comes as Buddy tears across the living room floor in chase of a ball, or a rag-toy. The sound makes me smile. Puppies are well known to be adorable and Buddy is no exception. He's a miniature Schnauzer, currently about three months old, … Continue reading The clatter-scramble of puppy feet
Remembering song
I remembered something this week. Something significant. It happened on Christmas Eve, when I unexpectedly found myself singing Christmas carols in church. I love singing Christmas carols at any time -- possibly because they're among the few songs for which I can remember the lyrics. But when I found myself in the midst of a … Continue reading Remembering song
What’s tall, bright and measures temperature?
As a one-time engineer, I am particularly interested in how things work -- especially pre-industrial objects that I can weave into the cultures I create for the fantastical worlds I write about. I have, for instance, two Galilean thermometers standing on my bookshelf. These are elegant cylinders filled with a clear liquid in which float … Continue reading What’s tall, bright and measures temperature?
Journeying through Middle Earth again
The imminent arrival of the new Hobbit movie (part 1) to our cinemas has me indulging in yet another viewing of the movies that started it all: Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I love these movies. I'll never forget the first time I saw Fellowship of the Ring. I went a couple … Continue reading Journeying through Middle Earth again
Imagine wide, dream big
I like to surround myself with reminders of why I'm here, what I'm doing, and give myself the occasional pep talk while I'm at it. It's so easy to let life get in the way of dreams, so easy to get all caught up in the mechanics that you forget how to unleash creativity and … Continue reading Imagine wide, dream big
NaNoWriMo sanity check
This is just going to be a quick update of where I'm at with stuff (aka NaNoWriMo sanity check). The most excellent news is that I'm still on schedule to complete the 50K in 30 days and sailed past 35K this evening. There was a mini meltdown on Monday evening, when the pressure of producing … Continue reading NaNoWriMo sanity check
Enjoying Of Monsters and Men
This is not what I thought I was going to be citing as my inspiration of the week, but by chance last night I downloaded (legally) the album 'My Head is an Animal' from the Icelandic band, Of Monsters and Men, and I LOVE IT. I saw the clip of their hit single 'Little Talks' … Continue reading Enjoying Of Monsters and Men
Ellen Gregory 