I also picked up a copy of Blood Cross, the second book in the Jane Yellowrock series, by Faith Hunter.
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The residential neighborhood we moved into at the beginning of December is popular with the local deer population. We're on the edge of town, partly up the hill, and the deer come down at night to feast on the vegetation. Several times I've been outside after dark (or before sun-up) and been startled to hear a clumping noise. Deer make a pretty distinctive sound when they walk, so I knew what it was; it's disconcerting to hear it that close, though.
Spring will be interesting. We have two fruit trees, an apple and a pear according to one of the neighbors, that I hope survive the deer. We also plan to add a lot of landscaping to now-rather-dull exterior of the new house. I'm going to have to consult with some folks to figure out how to keep the deer from eating the new plants. Years ago, when I was growing up, we lived an area with a lot of deer, so I know that they love tulips and hollyhocks (two plants we probably won't be attempting).
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I've decided to make a writing calendar for this year. This year one of my resolutions was to submit more of my writing. There are several regular events that I want to participate in, and they tend to catch me by surprise - "What? the deadline is two days from now?". So I'm going to be more organized, plan ahead, and see how I do by December 31.
