Dobson Trail - a path from Riverview NB to Fundy National Park

 I really enjoy the area where my wife and I live for many reasons. Lack of traffic, lots of outdoor recreational opportunities, dozens of golf courses, several excellent coffee shops and so far, a real lack of COVID-19.

The three local communities, Town of Riverview, City of Moncton and the City of Dieppe have done a good job of developing parks to give people green space in the urban and have established a great network of walking and biking trailsas well. 

The Riverfront trail, which is part of the Trans-Canada Trail system, starts on the north side of the Petitcodiac River in Dieppe, works its way westward along the river, passing through Moncton. It then crosses the river and proceeds along the south side of the river on the Riverview side to cover a total of over 30 km in length. Since it is relatively flat along the river it is an excellent biking trail as well.

From Riverview you can cross the river again, and catch more trails along the river or go north through Moncton out to the Northerly boundries of the city. A very large majority of this route is on trails with only a few bits and pieces on actual roads.

Now Riverview has nearly completed an connection to the south which links the Riverfront Trail to the Dobson Trail. The Dobson trail is a beautiful, well marked trail that is approximately 58 kilometers in length and terminates on the northerly boundry of Fundy National Trail.

Last week my wife and I, accompanied by our old Belgian Shepherd Quest, walked a section of the trail starting in Riverview. One of the many nice things about the Dobon Trail is the number of access points making it easy to do portions of the trail as a day trip. 

As always take some pictures along the way. The sun on some ferns by Mill Creek caught my eye and here are my hiking companions; my wife Gail and our old dog Quest. The sun was in my face and an iphone can only do so much. We hadn't hiked on the trail for a few summers and we had forgotten how pretty the trail is.

If you are in the area, or looking for a new trail to try I highly recommend the Dobson Trail. Maps and booklets describing the trail in detail are available at several local stores in Riverview.

Mind mapping a story

I recently completed a writing course by C.S. Lakin called, "The 12 Pillars of Novel Construction - Your Blueprint for Building a Strong Story". It was excellent and I recommend it to anyone who is putting a book together.

I have mentioned in the past that I'm still in the learning stages of being a writer. If it takes 10,000 hours of doing something to be an expert, I figure I'm half way there. So I found this course to be great since I had written enough to understand where she was going,  but still learned a ton of  new information along the way.

One concept she introduced to me is the idea of "Mind Mapping". She described how she does it and it's one of those processes that everyone does a little different and there really isn't a wrong way to do it. I'll tell you how I did it, but you will work out your own way I'm sure.

I bought a piece of Coraplast about 24" x 18". Any business store sells them for making light weight signs. A piece if bristol board would work too. I used Coraplast so I could reuse it.

Now, either by drawing directly on the board, or using coloured sticky notes as I did, map out your story. Create a spot,, near the center, for each of your primary characters and put your ideas for your story on the board in a way you can move them around. Draw connecting lines between characters and plot points. As you go along, you will begin to see patterns form and linkages come together. You can add little character traits (or flaws) and connect them to the character.

I'm very much a pantser, not a plotter. However, my current WIP is more complicated than any of my previous projects and I find my Mind Map helpful with keeping the story moving forward. All those ideas that coming floating from The Muse at inconvenient times can be jotted down and placed on your Mind Map and then moved to the correct place later.

Each time I sit down to write, I start by looking over my Mind Map to orient myself in the story. I'm just doing the first draft now, so when I beging to edit, I'll keep my Mind Map handy to ensure I can keep the story flowing in the way as I want it and that I don't forget any of the tidbits The Muse sends me. Also, I'm finding it is keeping me on track as I work through the middle of the story. As many of you know, this is where writers go to die.

Hopefully this is something you find helpful.

Happy writing.

Writing during a pandemic ...

I'm sure, like many  of you, I'm spending more time on social media than I should. My socil media "flavour of choice" is Twitter. I have been tweeting since 2008, back when dinosaurs still ruled the earth. I started during the Arab Spring movement since I found it interesting what the journalists on the ground had to say versus what was published in the news. I also find there are more writers on Twitter.

I need to share a tweet I saw a couple of days ago. "This is a leap year, so Feb has 29 days, Mar has 300 and April is 5 years." I know how they feel and I bet you do too. Staying at home is necessary but it isn't a whole pile of fun.

As I mentioned before, I live in a small town where getting out for a walk, and maintaining social distancing is quite easy. If you can doo this, please do. It's good for you. However, as my wife and I finish up our 5th week of working at home, I'm finding I'm getting a little shack wacky.

I have more time to write (and still get my work done) however, I feel I'm getting flat creatively.  I do have a semi-productive solution that I'll share with you. It works for me and it might work for you as well.

Since I've never had the opportunity to write full time, I have a tendency to work on several things at once. I keep a couple of journals just to record random ideas and thoughts so that I don't forget them - I have a good memory but it's short and we all know that ideas can come from anywhere and at anytime.

Sometimes, some of these ideas connect together and then I start a journal for that specific story and all the ideas related to that story go in there. Finally, I have one manuscript that is officially my work in process (WIP).

So with my WIP, I push that along in the journal until the story gets to a rudimentry form, almost a skeleton of the story with a few bones missing. This is draft 0.25. From here, I write with pen and paper to get a first draft in place. I think of this as draft 0.5. Finally I type draft 0.5 into my lapyop to create my first draft.

I'm not the type of writer that can do a completed manuscript in two drafts. Not my talent, might not ever be. I write and polish and add and edit and cut and add again until I'm done - at least as far as I can go, with the talent I have. Manuscript three and four are in that state at the moment. Once I go back and rewrite on more time, I need to find an agent willing to help me go forward to get these published.

So, what I'm saying is that I purposely have several places to work on my writing, depending on how sharp I feel. Sometimes I work on new stuff, sometimes I just type draft 0.5 into the laptop. Each is a necessary part of the writing process for me and it allows me to do something productive regardless how sharp I feel at the time. If you are working at your writing part time, this may give you an option to do some writing regardless.

Be well and stay safe.

Working from home - it's not as easy as it looks!

So we have all been working from home for about 3 weeks to a month - depending when you started to self quarintine - and I think we are all getting a bit shack happy. My wife is working out of her office upstairs and I have set up in the dining room.

Things are going reasonably well, for example she hasn't killed me yet, but I'm finding it surprisingly difficult to stay motivated.

I'm of an age that I grew up "going to the office". Even in my surveying days, I went to the office before going out to do whatever survey job we were doing. Since switching over to real estate about 28 years ago, I have always had an office.

My wife always worked from the office. She is an introvert by nature, but she is missing her friends at the office. I guess everyone is going through this in one way or another.

Work full time at home is a challenge. Sometime in the next few years, I plan on retiring from my current position and becoming a full time writer, so I'm trying to see this as good practise. For example, I have already learned that I will need to find a spot to where the cats can't help (see Luna helping in the above photos). What is it about cats and notebooks or keyboards. Merlin, Luna's brother, likes to help my wife by sprawling across her keyboard, or just walking across it causing all sorts of havoc.

Now before anyone says anything, my recognize that my problems are so very small compared to some people. None of my family are front line workers, their jobs are safe, and they are as safe as any of us are. We have enough money and we can pay for our food and homes. Anything after this, is really just a bonus.

Like my previous blog I reiterate for everyone to try to help out where you can, even if it's just a kind word of thanks to a grocery store clerk or a thumbs up and thank you to a front line worker. If you can, support a local restaurant by getting some take out. Try to down load some music or buy a book on-line. Everything you can do will help.

This pandemic is going to change us all, much the way 9-11 did. This time I hope it changes us all for the better. Be safe, be healthy.

COVID -19 This is for real

How is everyone holding up? I know social distancing and self quarantining are certainly something that makes our days more difficult, but they work!

We are in the early stages of a pandemic like the world hasn't seen since the breakout of the Spanish flu in 1918. In that particular pandemic approximately 50,000,000 people died world wide largely because of soldiers going home and spreading the virus. Granted, at that time the medical knowledge was not like it is now, but there currently isn't a vaccine available yet and the virus is spreading.

Social distancing and self quarantining are excellent for "flattening the curve". The same number of people may still get sick, but it will be stretched over months instead a few weeks. Our medical system is stretched at the best of times, so having thusands get sick in a few weeks would completely engulf the system. It's up to us to try to give our front line workers a chance.

In my part of the world the schools are closed, all sporting events are cancelled, retail storesexcept grocery stores, gas pumps etc, all restaurants except for drive through or home delivery. Bank branches are closing and ones remaining open are reducing their hours.

Here's some things we can do to help our community:
     *  Keep up with social distancing
     *  Reach out to friends and family via social media to see how they are doing
     *  STOP HOARDING THE ESSENTIALS > you don't need 400 rolls of toilet paper. Think of your others in your community who can only afford to buy once a week and can't buy ahead.
     *  Everytime you can, thank the front line workers for their dedication and that the groceries, etc. for staying open so we all can survive.
     *  IF YOU FINANCIALLY CAN:
               *  go to a restaurant offering take out and leave a bigger tip than usual
               *  buy some music on-line, especially from smaller up and coming bands. Like many artists they live day to day and having the bars and other small venues close takes away a major source of income for them. If they have swag, buy a t-shirt.
               *  if you bought a ticket to a concert that has been cancelled, consider not asking for a refund.
               * buy some books on-line

Finally, if you are a young person, you can catch this too. You are not immune just because you are under thirty. So please be smart about social distancing and not going out unless you have too.

If you do catch it, you will probably will be alright. However, if you then give it to your parents or grand parents, they may not be. Be smart for them if you can't for yourself. A day hanging out with your friends is just not worth the risk. Get together virtually. That's not a difficult thing for you.

Be smart and be safe. Let's work together to mnimize the danger to us all.

Wild Lights at the Magnetic Hill Zoo

So, here is my wife and I at the Magnetic Hill Zoo in Moncton, NB. It is mid December and it is as cold as it looks, but we never miss an opportunity to go the the "Wild Lights" event put on each year during the Christmas Season.

With approximately 170,000 visitors per year, the Magnetic Hill Zoo is the largest in Atlantic Canada and the locals are justifiably proud of it. Since the 1970's it has grown from a "Game Farm", where orphaned local wild critters were looked after, to a full fledged award winning zoo.

The Magnetic Hill Zoo is spread over 40 acres in the north-west part of the city, and boasts 70 different indigenous and exotic species divided into four global zones - Americas, Africa, Asia, and Discovery. They host many seasonal events as well as educational summer camps. By the way, it is also an awesome place to just spend a sunny afternoon strolling around.

However, I'm writing specifically to tell you about one event that happens during December called "Wild Lights". It is brilliantly done, well worth the low price of admission. Dozens of volunteers spend thousands of person hours putting up lights and displays throughout the zoo. It is an amazing thing to see. As a bonus, on nicer evenings, some of the animals are out where you can see them as well. When it happens to be very cold, they stay in their nice warm habitats and laugh at those crazy two legged animals wandering around in the cold.

Of course the Siberian Tigers are usually out regardless of the temperature. They are big, beautiful kitties and I'm always thankful for the two tall chain link fences between them and me!

Part way around there is a coffee / hot chocolate station and a couple of large bonfires run by volunteers to help you warm up. When you leave the gift shop is open as well.

It takes about 1 1/2 to 2 hours to walk around and admire the sights. Since it is dark by 5:00 in December, this is definitely an event the younger children can take in as well. Just make sure everyone dresses for the weather. Remember there is no bad weather - just bad clothing! Get out there and take it all in.

Here are just a few of the many displays that have been set up. The blue globe is new this year. They continue to add to their displays so it's a great excuse for you to go every year!

Down Memory Lane

We are in the process of doing something most married people get to experience once in their lifetime - cleaning out the family home we grew up in so that it can be sold.

In my case it is a little easier to do as my daughter and her fiance are buying my parents home so we don't have to clean it out completely and strangers will not be living in my old bedroom! My Dad is still living but old age - he is 92 - has necessitated him going to a nursing home, so my wife and I are cleaning out 52 years of accumulated "stuff" that our daughter doesn't want or need.

We came across a stack of postcards in one of the dresser drawers which caused this trip down Memory Lane. A couple of them, one from Montreal and one from Winnipeg were sent home by my older brother when he was heading for Regina in 1965 to learn how to be a Mountie which he did very successfully for close to 40 years. There was one from my brother-in-law from a hotel in Oshawa when he was just beginning his new career with GM in 1973. He retired from there in 2005 ish.

However, the very best was one Mom had sent to me in 1977, my first year at UNB. They had dropped me off in Fredericton and carried on to do some travelling around Maine and New Hampshire. The card the sent was from Clukey's (pronounced like Clookey's)  Motor Colony established by Mr and Mrs Francis J. Clukey in 1931. This was a collection of small cottages on their property in Bangor, Maine.

The first time I remember staying there I was about 4, so about 1963, and we still lived in Alma. My brother and sister  still lived at home and we went there for a small vacation. I remember being so impressed by everything about this place. Big city stuff for a little guy from Alma. Nearby was a public park which ran along the river and there was this large (at least in my mind) pool with a fountain in the middle. At night there were multi-coloured lights shining up through the water. It was the most amazing thing I had ever seen!

There were things on the little black and white TV that I had never seen either. It was the first and only time I had ever seen a show called The Musketeers". I was very impressed.

I still have some more digging to do and another trip down Memory Lane may be conjured up because of it.