It’s been a while. It wasn’t my intention to have such a long gap between posts, sorry about that. We have been dealing with some health issues here at Chateau Mullane and it’s been taking up a lot of time and, more specifically, energy. Nothing has really been resolved yet, but it’s time to forge on ahead and stop just treading water. Speaking of which, yesterday I enjoyed my weekly kayaking with the old guys and afterward, as we usually do, took a dip in Lake Placid. For mid-September the water temperature isn’t too bad. Your breath leaves your body when you first jump in, but pretty soon you’re okay. My heart kept on beating so I guess all is well. We’re about two to three weeks from peak foliage time up here. There’s a hint in the trees right now, but the real show is just around the corner. Autumn in the Adirondacks is an amazing experience. It’s one of the many reasons I love living here. The only drawback is it ‘s so damn brief. The beauty takes your breath away and then two days later you detect it’s on the wane. It’s like Christmas when you were a kid. The build up, the all-top-brief day itself, then the slow wind down until you’re past New Year’s and then it’s the long wait until next year. BUT, right now, it’s still all anticipation.

I have recently begun a first draft of a new book. I hesitate to mention it here because it’s in such a primary stage. God only knows if it will eventually come to fruition. I hope so. For some time I have been wanting to write a book set in the Adirondacks. I have had a few people state that it would be fun to see the names of local places and attractions pop up in a story. I realize that seeing a scene set at the Olympic Ski Jumps may not do much for someone living in Phoenix, but this area I call home certainly boasts unique qualities that I believe can offer some entertainment value.

I live in the middle of a six million acre state park consisting of mountains, forests, lakes, and rivers. The largest “city” inside the park is probably Saranac Lake whose year-round residents number well under five thousand. Yes, with tourists and summer people, winter people, leaf peepers, etc., numbers rise, but really, we’re a handful of people living in a huge region of sparsely-populated natural beauty. If you don’t appreciate the outdoors, the area probably will not hold a lot of appeal for you, but if you enjoy being out in all four seasons, yeah, this is the place. Not only is the location unique, but the people who call it home are, as well. For one thing, the poverty rate is very high. There certainly are wealthy people: hotel and restaurant owners, year-round retirees from New York or Boston, doctors and attorneys, but a lot of the population struggles to make ends meet. I bring this up because much of a person’s identity is connected to their job. “He’s a teacher,” “She’s an accountant”. Right or wrong, you create a picture in your mind of what the person may be like. But up here, because of the economics, many people hold down two or three jobs to survive and raise a family. You have mental picture of an accountant. But what’s your mental picture of a taxidermist-waitress-blues bass player? It gets a bit more complicated and, in my opinion, more interesting. I have been told that my writing is very character-driven. If that’s true then I’m living in the right place because I’m surrounded by real characters. Drop some of them into a (hopefully) suspenseful story set in a distinctive location, and you’ve got something worth turning a couple pages for.

So, that’s what’s going on. After I wrap this entry up I plan to head out and stack some firewood. After all, winter IS coming. And then it’s back to the first draft. Wish me luck; I really want it to come together. I hope you enjoy the photo of a couple old guys giving thumbs up while freezing in Lake Placid.