Becoming a Real Writer Means You Must Write

A while back, I started a quest to read more books.  I saw an infographic that said less than two percent  of American adults will read 50 or more books in a year.  So I challenged myself to meet that goal.  As part of that, I picked up a copy of "The True Secret of Writing," by Natalie Goldberg.  I've been working on a novel for the last few years, but can't seem to get motivated enough to work on it seriously.  Mostly, because I'm convinced I'm not a "real" writer and that only "real" writers write novels.  So there my manuscripts sits, floating in the digital ether of my comptuer's hard drive, 18,000 words among all those 0s and 1s and tiny electrical connections while my brain searches for ways to connect the thoughts in my head to the paper under my hand.

I'm halfway through "True Secrets."  One of the biggest takeaways I've gotten from the book is simply that if I ever want to be a writer, I need to write.  Pen on paper, strokes on keyboard, it doesn't matter.  I need to take letters, form words and sentences and write.  And I need to practice.  Goldberg's theory is not to start with the novel but to practice writing and all that practice will get your creative juices flowing and maybe a novel will pop out.

So I accepted her challenge of writing for 10 minutes a day.  I've signed up with a few services to send me random writing prompts, and will use those to log my 10 minute writing practice.  These aren't meant to be graded or critiqued, only to practice writing.

I had every intention of doing this as blog posts, but after trying one topic for about three minutes today, I realize that is never going to work.  I can't do this on the computer because I can't control my compunction to edit and redraft as I go along.  And that is so not the point of this exercise.  So I will revert to old school methods of paper and pen and other tools of the troglodytes.

Wish me luck in 10...9...8...

Cheers for another mother

We have a huge pine tree just off our front porch.  Each spring, a robin builds her nest in the tree, diligently layering bits of sticks and grass to make a cozy little home for her impending family.  In the morning and evenings when the shades are up, we can sit on our couch and watch the industrious little birds as they go about their construction.  But the first two summers we lived in Boulder failed to produce any live chicks.  Each time, a magpie would find the nest and eat the eggs.  Dastardly devils.

Now I understand the circle of life and all that.  I know magpies have to eat too, but it bothered me that their meal came at the expense of the poor little robins.

So this year, I was skeptical when yet another robin built her nest in the tree.  Every afternoon when we played in the front yard, Wyokiddo would have to check on the mama bird in her nest.  Soon, though, she wasn't sitting in her nest.  I wondered if the mama bird had fallen victim to one of the many predators in the area.

I shouldn't have worried.  Soon enough, we saw the robin sneak into the nest and deliver a worm to her new brood.

 Now four little beaks peak out above the rim of the nest.  This year at least, motherhood triumphed over Mother Nature.  Well done, mama and papa robin.  Well done, indeed.

Venison Taco Pie

Tacos are one of our go-to meals, especially in the summer.  Tacos are easy and quick to make, and I don't have to heat up the house turning on the oven.  But for a change of pace, I love this version of Taco Pie.  Taco meat in a soft and warm biscuit crust topped with gooey cheese.  Yes, please!

The original recipe came to me from a friend.  It calls for using deer burger, but I've found it works equally as well with ground elk, antelope and beef.  My two adult nephews, some of the choosiest eaters on the planet, asked for seconds! 

You could also change this up and use the biscuits in a pizza pan for taco pizza!

My food photography definitely needs some work, but you get the idea.  

Venison Taco Pie
1 pound ground venison

• 1 can (11 ounces) Mexicorn, drained
• 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
• 1 envelope taco seasoning
• 1 can diced green chilies (optional)
• 1 tube (7-1/2 ounces) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

• 
  In a large skillet, cook venison over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the corn, tomato sauce and taco seasoning; keep warm.

 For crust, press biscuits onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9-in. pie plate.

• 
  Bake at 350° for 5 minutes. Spoon venison mixture into crust. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until filling is bubbly and biscuits are golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.  

• 
  
• Serve with traditional taco fixings, like sour cream, lettuce or tomatoes.  

Original recipe from Taste of Home.  Yields 6 servings

What You Talkin' About, Willet?

I love the variety of birds we get around here.  A few weeks ago, I caught sight of this guy, a willet.  I'd never seen one before, and had to take a few minutes with the bird book to distinguish it from some other more common birds.  It reminded me of a snipe, but with longer legs and a shorter beak.

These long-legged, straight-billed shorebirds feed along beaches, mudflats, and rocky shores. Willets are common on most of our coastlines, but Wyoming is a long way from any coast.  During breeding season the western population moves far inland to nest in grasslands and prairies near freshwater, I'm guessing that' how this beautiful bird ended up in a cow pasture in western Wyoming.

The Stars and Stripes and awesome clouds

Let's G.O. - First Time Fishing

I met my husband, Outdoor Guy, during my tenure at the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, our state's agency responsible for conserving and managing wildlife.  We live at a fish hatchery where Outdoor Guy works as the assistant manager.  So as you can imagine, wildlife and the outdoors are a big part of our lives. We both hunt and fish, and I love outdoor photography.  But while we want Wyokiddo to spend time outside, we didn't want to force our interests on her.  Especially too soon.  We both know parents who drag their kids along hunting, fishing, hiking, etc., regardless if it's an age appropriate activity or something the child is actually interested in.  In my opinion, this is setting yourself up for a frustrating day and a good way to inadvertently discourage your child from enjoying the same things you do.

But this weekend, the timing seemed right for Wyokiddo's first try at fishing.  She'd shown interest after seeing boys fishing in the community pond.  We've even "fished" here at home with sticks in puddles.  And now that summer seems to have arrived in Wyoming, we loaded up the truck and headed to a local lake for some fishing.

Wyokiddo actually did a little fishing, with help from me or Outdoor Guy.  He set her up with a inexpensive fishing pole we had in the garage, attached a worm and bobber and did the casting.  Wyokiddo watched the line and did her version of fishing, which was dipping her fishing pole in the water over and over again.  We took turns watching her and doing some fishing of our own.  Outdoor Guy caught a few and I mostly caught some rays.

When Wyokiddo was bored of fishing, it was time for some serious sand play.  She built some sandcastles with Outdoor Guy, splashed ino the lake and threw sticks.  The dirtier the better in this little girl's book!

In all, we probably spent more time getting ready to go and driving to the lake than we actually did on the water.  But this trip was all about Wyokiddo and exposing her to something we love to do.  It didn't matter that she was fishing correctly or that we only caught two fish over the course of a few hours.  We enjoyed a beautiful afternoon outside as a family.

So here are a few pointers for sharing your love of the outdoors with your kids, or even exposing them to something new you can all enjoy together!

1. It's About the Kids - Plan your outing around the kids.  This isn't about catching your limit or bagging a state record.  So pick an activity, location and time-frame that is age appropriate.  Fishing was perfect for Wyokiddo, who will turn two in a few weeks.
2. The First Rule is Fun - Don't worry if your child isn't doing your activity correctly - make it fun and the skills will follow.  It doesn't matter if your kiddos are casting correctly or using the binoculars from the wrong end.  Use the opportunity to teach, but don't interrupt their fun unless it's a safety concern.
3. Have some backup activities - Outdoor Guy and I could fish for hours, but Wyokiddo's attention span just isn't that long, even with an activity she really loves.  I packed water and sand toys to go along with the fishing poles to help extend the outing.  She drifted back and forth between fishing and water fun, and Outdoor Guy and I got a few more casts in that we might have otherwise!
4. Give them their own stuff - Kiddos love to imitate!  Make your little one feel special with their own age appropriate gear or equipment.  It's okay if it's not up to your standards, this is about making them part of the activity.  Consider a fishing pole, boots, tackle box or fishing license, like the one I made Wyokiddo for our next trip.  

And, in the end, it's the moments like these that matter...

Owlets!

My favorite story lead of all time belongs to Ray Hageman, voice of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.  "Sometimes, you find the neatest things in trees."

That was Ray's lead into a story about a Wyoming Game Warden caught a wild lynx in a tree outside Cheyenne (lynx are NOT native to the area, this one had traveled across all of Colorado to get there).  I didn't see a lynx, but these great-horned owlets were pretty amazing!

Not the Last Child in the Woods - Let's G.O. (Get Outside!)

When I worked for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, I was involved in many discussions about how to get and keep kids involved in the outdoors.  The Game and Fish is mostly funded by folks buying hunting and fishing licenses, so the future of the agency depended on a society that placed value on outdoor spaces and experiences.  I attended several presentations on a book called Last Child in the Woods, by Richard Louv.  The book does a good job of painting the picture of just how disconnected many of us have become from nature and how that correlates to some of the more disturbing childhood trends.  His theory is that this "nature-deficit disorder" contributes to obesity, attention disorders and even depression in adults and kids alike.  If you haven't read it, it's worth checking out!

As a parent, I can see the difference out play time makes in Wyokiddo's temperament.  Not only does she enjoy the outside time, but it improves her demeanor when we are inside as well.  She sleeps better, eats better and will focus on inside activities for greater lengths of time if she's playing outside in the day.

Our outside play is a little bit of everything.  We have a sandbox, playhouse and swing, as well as a small pool and water table for the summer days.  But one of Louv's points in the book is that kids need unstructured outside play, too.  They need to float sticks down a stream, kick ant piles, dig holes, splash in puddles, etc.  Set the most basic of boundaries and let them go!  Our outside rules are no touching poop and no playing by the slough (it's a mini-canyon).  She can run, yell, throw leaves, break sticks, stomp in puddles in her boots, chase the dogs, chase the birds, eat a pine cone (not so appetizing as it turns out!) and get as dirty as she wants.

Our house sits on about several hundred acres of land, leaving us plenty of room to explore and romp.  We play in the sagebrush, the tree belt and any puddle we can find.  We feed the birds and pick up sticks and try to sneak up on rabbits in the yard for a closer look.  Sometimes I'll point out something to Wyokiddo that I think she might like.  But I consider our time outside her time to explore and experience on her own.

As summer approaches, I'd encourage you to make sure your own kiddo isn't the last child in the woods. For some ideas on getting outside and exploring beyond the playground, visit Louv's Resource Guide.