Hambidge — Day 2

DSC_0001Hambidge Day 2 (Thursday)

Slept pretty late today, for some reason. Woke up early, then just rolled over. It’s a sunny today, too, so there’s no real reason for it. But then I got going, made coffee, ate breakfast, and got started on the day. I decided I’d start by finishing reading the novel manuscript a friend asked me to look at. I did that, wrote up some comments, and then decided I’d head over to the Rock House to make a call I needed to make. Before I left, though, I tried the old laptop and . . . it worked. That was nice, but I figured I should turn it off and hope for the best later, only I couldn’t get it to turn off. That’s a new one. Also, my watchband broke. Grr.  Oh, well, it was inexpensive and actually had lasted a long time.

Walked over to the Rock House and did a few things there—a few other residents were present also using the wifi, and then I walked home, a nice midday excursion.

After a salad for lunch, I did some work and then took a walk on the Cove Trail. It starts near the bottom of my driveway and runs along the creek for a mile or so, ending in a wildflower meadow on private property. Along the way I thought I heard a deer snort above me, but I didn’t see anything. On the way back, I saw the deer running through the woods. I took some nice pictures, although it’s kind of dark in those woods. It’s an easy trail and close by, plus there are some extensions that I’ll have to explore next time. But there are lots of trails, so I have to check those out, too.

We had a big crowd for dinner, so there were conversations going in many directions—our group is very diverse: poets, fiction writers, a composer, dancers, a sculptor, an installation artist, a photographer. And pretty diverse geographically, too: Michigan, Iowa, New York, Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, and, of course, Georgia. After dinner, comically, 8 or so of us gathered in the living room with our laptops to check in with the world.

As we were wrapping that up, I realized I didn’t have my key. I never lock myself out, but I knew exactly where I’d left that key inside my cabin. So embarrassing! So I had to call the office manager, who lives nearby, and she came over to let me in. I trust that will be the last time for that.

About the author

I am the author of three novels--THE LAST BIRD OF PARADISE, OLIVER'S TRAVELS, and THE SHAMAN OF TURTLE VALLEY--and three story collections--IN AN UNCHARTED COUNTRY, HOUSE OF THE ANCIENTS AND OTHER STORIES, and WHAT THE ZHANG BOYS KNOW, winner of the Library of Virginia Literary Award for Fiction. I am also the co-founder and former editor of Prime Number Magazine and the editor of the award-winning anthology series EVERYWHERE STORIES: SHORT FICTION FROM A SMALL PLANET.

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