Connecting Life with my Stories

Wallowa Whitman Forest

The other day, I thought of a great rant to put on my blog and today, when I need a blog post, I can't think what it was....

I'm currently working away to get the next Tumbling Creek Ranch book done to go in another box set. I like writing these novellas for the sets. It gives me a chance to spend time at a dude ranch.

Many years ago, one weekend, one summer, I worked as a prep cook at a secluded ranch in the Wallowa Mountains. They had people stay there, ride in on horses, hikers used it as a base camp, and as a base camp for hunting trips. There were only two ways to get there: by horseback or to fly. The plane was a tiny single prop  that held two people. The pilot and the cook. I had to sit in the back with the supplies. Which considering how precarious the landing was, finding a strip of dirt between towering pine trees and the side of the mountain, I was glad I couldn't see where we were going.

Wallowa Mountains

The ranch was private land in the middle of BLM land.

That weekend, I helped prepare meals, learned how to knead bread dough, and washed dishes. I didn't care for the plane ride. I hate the smell of airplane fuel and this small plane reeked. The scenery to and while at the ranch was amazing. But I worked from sun up to sun down and didn't get a whole lot of time to really enjoy the seclusion and explore.  I think that's why I enjoy making up my own ranch. 

But that experience stuck with me and I use it in the Tumbling Creek Ranch books, and I'm trying to figure out how to make it work for my next mystery series.

Have you ever been to a Dude Ranch? Do you want to go to one?

Photos: Taken by Paty Jager

Oops! Mondays post on Tuesday!

I had uploaded a guest post for later in the month and thought I'd posted for this week. There goes the brain again!

Had a great weekend with oldest daughter and her family. They came over hunting and she bagged her buck. Hubby missed his, but we prefer elk over venison anyway.  He just wanted to hunt with his daughter.

Our son-in-law  is staying with us this week and helping hubby get his shop up. All last winter he kept saying if I had my shop I could be doing this and that.  This winter he will have his shop and can dink around in there to his heart's content!

Looking forward to this month. I'll have the next Shandra Higheagle mystery, Haunting Corpse, out by this time next week. It was a lot of fun to write and went quickly because I have been thinking about this story for some time.  Here is the blurb:

Desertion…Wrath…Murder

A runaway bride, murder, and arson has Shandra Higheagle sleuthing again. Sorting through the debris of her best friend’s childhood, Shandra believes she must solve the murder before her friend becomes the next victim. 

Stumbling upon a dead body, Detective Ryan Greer is determined to bring the killer to justice before Shandra becomes too entangled in her friend’s dysfunctional past. He hopes he’s not too late. Shandra’s deceased grandmother has already visited her dreams, putting Shandra in the middle of his investigation and danger. 

Now I'm working on the next Tumbling Creek novella for another box set with 5 other authors. This novella will be about Brett Wallis the owner of the Tumbling Creek Dude Ranch Resort and his cook/ housekeeper, Melanie.  I've been gathering all the info on the families connected to the ranch and Melanie's background. I've worked on the conflict grid and am figuring out the best starting point for the story.  I know it will be Lacey and Jared's wedding day but trying to decide whether to start it before or after the wedding. I'm leaning toward after, when they are cleaning up. The title of this story will be, Love Me Anyway.  

This weekend will be filled with more company. It is that time of year! What are your weekend plans? 

photo source: Canstock

Friday Five- Yes!!!

My Friday Five this week is why I love hunting season!

Now, I don't actually hunt. Tried it as a twelve-year-old. After all I had to out-do my older brother and the surrogate brothers that my dad took hunting. I went to Hunter's Safety classes and scored higher on my test than my oldest brother. (Did I gloat? Not much. LOL) Then I went out and sighted in my gun. Those dang rifles hurt when they slam into your shoulder. The impact and deafening noise almost made me quit right then, but I was determined to be a better hunter than the boys.

Then opening day of hunting season arrived. My dad took myself and one of the surrogate brothers out. I was wandering along behind him, enjoying the scenery. He kept turning around and putting a fhinger to his lips. What? I hadn't said a word! He looked down at my feet. Guess I wasn't a very quiet deer stalker. Then he spotted the deer. It wasn't a large one and didn't have an impressive set of antlers, but when I set the butt of the rifle against my shoulder, leveled the barrel and looked down the sight- the sleek, svelte, animal looked at me with huge, brown, innocent eyes... and I couldn't shoot it. I lowered the gun, hung me head, and turned around. Of course that didn't keep the surrogate brother from shooting it!

Anyway, my dh headed off to elk camp this morning. And these are my Friday Five:

1) I have the house to myself (well except for Tink) for eight days.

2) I only have to feed me and that's when I feel like it- not on a schedule.

3) I can sleep in or I can stay up and write as long as I want.

4) If I want to play Christmas music loud and all day and night- I can.

5) I can scatter my writing notes, computer, research books all over the house and no one will mess things up.

What would you do if you had the house to yourself for a week and didn't have to follow a set schedule?