Sparks and Mild Danger

I finished the CEs on Ghost Squad #2 late yesterday evening…just in time for other CEs (for The Dead God’s Heart) to come ramblin’ round the mountain. I’m not even thinking about that last bit, though, since there’s revisions on Cold North to get done and I plan on pushing for at least the bulk of the serial loaded into the cannon as well. Too much work for any mortal, but that’s how I like it.

Left to my own devices, I might get a trifle edgy.

It was a reasonable temperature last night and looks set to continue being so, despite the red-flag warning. A bit of a breeze and low relative humidity means we’re all now holding our breath and hoping nobody does anything stupid to cause sparks. I am extremely glad to see summer fading; this last one has been awful not just temperature-wise. My soul (and the rest of me) could really use some rain.

There have also been more than a few dead squirrels lately–mostly young ones, found on our daily walks or in the backyard. Of the former, one seems to have been a roadkill casualty, and watching it degrade as I haul Boxnoggin past (because he would very much like to investigate something that smells so pungent, Mum, oh please) is…interesting, even if heartbreaking. The backyard ones are buried in what used to be the rose garden, poor things. It seems there’s always a certain amount of die-off at this point in the season, misadventure pruning the ranks before autumn’s bounty sets in.

Considering that Boxnoggin almost caught two separate young arboreal rodents this past week, too–neither seemed very worried about him until his jaws almost closed, while I was inhaling to yell oh no you stupid squirrel, RUN–I can’t help but think the entire thing a function of natural selection. If they’re that unwary, they won’t last long; Boxnoggin is loving, and sometimes quick, but he is an exceedingly mild danger compared to the smarter predators tree-rats must face.

Yesterday’s Read with Lili was all about Sheridan le Fanu’s Carmilla; it’ll be up on YouTube this afternoon. Due to popular demand, I suppose the next one will be reading another few chapters, since we haven’t really even seen the titular character yet. And I’m getting nervous over the ebook release of That Damn Werelion Book, though doing the paperback one first was supposed to help ameliorate the nerves as well as cut down on piracy.

Time is still unglued. I can’t believe it’s only a Thursday. Of course, with the way my schedule’s going to be for the next couple months, the days are going to blur together even more. Thank goodness for personal electronics; I wouldn’t even know what damn month it was without checking my phone.

I suppose we stagger onward toward Friday, then. Courage, my beloveds, the weekend is almost here. Even though I’ll work straight through, it’ll be nice to know it’s happening.

See you around.