I’m a puddle. Rather, I was a minute ago. After coffee on my deck at the campsite, I settled at my table inside the table to write. Two hours later and the heat has turned my RV into a sauna. I’m not complaining! I love our glorious Manitoba summers, especially at the lake.

Plus, I have air conditioning.

In my last entry I mentioned how my plan for this novel-in-progress wobbled after two grant applications were denied. The one thing we can be very sure of in life, is that everything changes. Last week I found out that a jury of my peers found this project worthy, and I have been awarded a Winnipeg Arts Council grant. The cash infusion is welcome (so very welcome!), but the knowledge that fellow writers studied my plan and deemed this book sound wraps my heart in a hug. They have faith, and so mine is fortified.

My rockets are fired, and I’ve been steeped in story ever since. It is a playground, these worlds of thoughts and ideas and characters come to life. There may still be changes to my intended plan, but I am back in it, and having the time of my life.

Back at my camp after a short but happy, loving and soul filling trek to the East Coast with my sisters and mothers to visit my aunt and uncle.

I have hot water! Sort of. I wasn’t able to get a clear answer via phone and text message from George as to whether the new part was installed while I was away. On arrival I inspected, and no new part, however it did look cleaned up a little. I think. I resorted to the old turn it off and on about 200 times trick (I jest) and it finally ignited for the first time this season! This morning it needed another 25ish, but, ahh! Looking forward to a wash in my tiny tub. I suspect my luck won’t hold and I will need to bite the bullet and replace what’s there. As George said, because of the age of this vintage lovely, a new part will be hard to find. I am hoping I can install a tankless water heater, which is what my neighbour, Dave, did. On my way out yesterday, I called Steve (George’s brother, who also does RV work, lives in the area, and installed Dave’s unit). I am hopeful he can do the work, even if we need to get creative about fitting a new part in an old space (size).

I am eager to dive solely and obsessively back into my new novel-in-progress but will have to share time with other projects–besides adding plants to my camp garden, I mean. Two auditions coming up quick, and so I will take much of these next few days to prep.

Life in the city is sometimes so crowded, especially electronically, that I lose my ability to think–to think deeply.

I write this as sun filters through the blinds of my vintage trailer in the heart of New Iceland, and crows and songbirds celebrate the start of this next arc of the sun. It was cool last night, perfect for sleep. This morning’s coffee is hot, and an appreciated boost. My muscles, still not recovered from Wednesday’s leaf gathering (27 bags), ache from moving bricks yesterday afternoon. But it is a good ache. At this campsite I’ve fallen into my summer routine. Thinking through my fingertips at the dawn of the day, then campsite improvements, then a walk. It is all quite solitary, and, except for early in the day, unplugged.

Once upon a time in the days before social media, I would sit down at my keyboard and marvel in my ability to sink into story. The world fell away into a sort of dreamscape–when it was going very well–and I lived my characters, their fears, blunders, melancholy and joy. We can never go back, not that times gone by are ever as rosy as we remember, but we can evaluate and adjust our habits and their influence on self.

I’m lucky to have this space in nature, a chance to unplug, a return to thinking deeply, to that dreamscape of story.

Time to write.

I awoke to glorious swaths of colour glowing through the tree canopy. This is why I love it here so much–one of the reasons. It matters not that George didn’t make it by with that wire yesterday, which meant after a hard day of leaf gathering (27 bags) I had to clean up with a bowl of kettle warmed water, then wash my hair with icy blasts from the tap. I’ve convinced myself it was a beauty treatment. My hair is definitely oh-so-soft this morn! Glad for electricity. Not completely roughing it. I am definitely more of a “glamper,” lol!

Back to my work-in-progress for a few hours of creative work, then off to the city to celebrate a couple of birthdays. I am thankful it is an easy drive. There will be regular draws back to the city, but my plan is to stay planted here as much as possible. Hopefully with a working hot water heater.