My dad raised my brother and I to do everything ourselves because we could never afford to hire contractors and such. It took a long time for me to get comfortable hiring people to do work around the house but if you hire the right contractor it makes all the sense in the world—they can do it faster and, oftentimes better. I remember all those 3-4 trips to the hardware store a day when I was younger and working on projects! It's nice not to have to do that anymore.

I'm so glad to hear you're into the new novel! It's not getting nearly as much engagement Alarm Clock Dawn did back in 2016 but these are very different times. I just have to keep reminding myself of that. I'm having so much fun writing it and that makes it worth the effort. Ideas about the story are running in the background of my imagination all the time. The middle parts of fiction are always the toughest for me. It's almost like I have a 10,000ft view of the story arc in the very beginning and I just need to zoom in and drill down into the details. I have it now though. I might even extend it beyond 12 chapters.

We never saw hummingbirds in the city but they're abundant out here during the warm months. They'll be migrating to South America in about a month. It's hard to believe they can fly all those thousands of miles. This is the first one that's come so close. They're such curious creatures! I remember one in Sedona, AZ when we were staying there in 2023. It would come visit me every day when I sat in the hot tub in the afternoon and just hover about 6ft away. I like the sound of positive things to come! I can always use more good energy! Thank you Nancy! I hope you're enjoying your days off and having a few beers by the sea.