FinnsForest – Author D.L. Finn

From Finn’s Forest #31 #updates #authorlife #forestliving #writingcommunity #nature #writer

Hi!

I had a wonderful Beatle Birthday. It was a nice celebration with family, plus we made a quick trip to Portland to see our son. It has been 19 months since I last got a hug from him. It was a ten-hour drive, and we only had one day to visit, since I had to get back for an appointment. It was worth it, though, and we packed a lot into that one day. We had a nice lunch, swam in the river, and enjoyed a tasty shrimp-and-steak dinner his girlfriend and friends prepared for us. It was nice to see where he lives, works, and just visit!

After that end-of-July vacation, I was getting back into my routine when a busy period came up. We got in lots of family time. Started with taking the younger grands to the fair and watching them dance with their dance school, and then watching them do more rides.

The younger ones stayed with us a couple of times, and that meant back-to-school shopping and, of course, ice cream and finding those squishy toys they all love.

We also attended a party for my sister-in-law’s 70th birthday, and the next day we had a celebration at our house for our grandson, who turned 18.

Things were about to calm down as school started, but one of my grands got sick and couldn’t go to school after the first day. She stayed here, and after a doctor’s visit, we found out it was strep throat. So she hung out here until she was better and could get back to the first week of school.

Then it was quiet. I worked on the poetry I’ve written this year on my computer, then finished my newsletter when I got a message from my youngest daughter, Danielle, that she had to evacuate her home. She works from home, and her husband was at work. So I hung out with her and her kitties. My cats weren’t big on socializing with them. Luckily, they got the fire under control after a few hours, and she was able to return home. She found that the fire line they bulldozed was at the top of her property. They live at the bottom of a slope. That was way too close. My other daughter, Desiree, who runs a preschool, had to shut down as they were in the warning zone.

So that was an eventful day for everyone. They did arrest the person who started it; it sounds like he burned down his own house, and it spread to 13 acres. It is definitely fire season here, but when it’s intentionally set and not from lightning or an accident, then it makes it all the worse.

That is just part of living in the forest and foothills, and more so the last few years. We started a firewise group in our neighborhood, and we have two-way radios to communicate. Everyone has cleared around their houses, and we’ve discussed putting sprinklers on our roof. Plus, we’re lucky to have some of the best firefighters around and the planes nearby. Although I prefer not to test out all the precautions we’ve taken to stay safe.

This week, I’m becoming a dance grandma, picking the younger ones up from school and getting them to dance. I will be brushing up on my ballet bun skills.

Right before this all got started, I got my book to the editor too. Whew!

So that’s where I’ve been. Now I can finish my blurb and set a release date.

I’m hoping to be back on schedule; I’ve missed visiting everyone!

Here are some pictures from the last few weeks:

Someone left this in the Little Library. Cute!

The girls and I at the fair, Grass Valley

Zuzu likes to sit next to me when I write. She is a little big for the basket, though…lol

I took this pic through the screen. This little hummie supervised my writing.

Smoky Oregon skies make for great sunsets.

Yes, we played the Beatles song to go with it.

Embrace your inner child by looking through their eyes. Denise

From Finn’s Forest #30! #writingcommunity #writerslife #nature #forest #payattention #mountainlion

Welcome to the 30th From Finn’s Forest. I’ve been busy working on editing my new book, “When There’s Only a Christmas Wish.” I get super focused on the edits. It needs lots of editing since it started as a short story and grew.

There was a vacation mixed in that we spent mostly at home, catching up in the yard. We also did a day trip for our anniversary to the redwoods, Bodega Bay, and saw Disclosure Day.

Last week, the washing machine was down, and we needed to make a laundry mat visit. It’s a great place to people-watch. Think we have that fixed, fingers crossed. It required taking the drum out and pressure washing it by hubby, while I scrubbed the bottom part. I’m thankful for those YouTube videos! What a job, but better than sludge and smelly clothes. Might start eyeing a new washing machine, but with the old design.

I’m not sure if I’ve ever mentioned that we had an aggressive mountain lion in our neighborhood years ago. I know we have them, but we never see them. This one made itself known. One night, our neighbor’s son couldn’t get out of his car; the lion blocked the car door. This was before cell phones, so he slept there, and the mountain lion didn’t leave. It sided me once from behind the trees while I was walking our two dogs. A neighbor’s dog, which we ended up with later because he was determined to be our dog, came to our assistance. Authorities stepped in, I believe. But as I said, we usually never see them until recently.

The last couple of weeks, one has been seen in people’s yards. I haven’t seen it; others have. So, I’m careful going outside.

This morning, I went out to water and feed the birds and squirrels. The bear had visited the night before and knocked over our garbage cans. I caught him on our security camera and yelled at him to leave through the microphone. He did. But the ravens then take over in the morning and spread it all out. I went out to sweep it into a pile when I felt as if I were being watched. Then I heard a twig snap in the forest. I stopped what I was doing and realized there were no birds or squirrels; it was silent. I abandoned the cleanup for later and headed back into the house. For a good fifteen minutes after that, silence continued.

Then, as if nothing had happened, the birds and squirrels returned. I was done going outside for the day. Neighbors have reported this mountain, and they are supposed to relocate it.

These types of events will usually find a way into my stories, even if just the feeling. It can add that story depth or common ground that readers can relate to. The sudden silence makes a character, and the reader is curious as to what is going on. It doesn’t have to be a silent forest. It can be a room that suddenly goes quiet, or kids can’t be heard playing anymore. It alerts the character to pay attention; something is off.

Here are some photos from vacation, including the redwoods, Bodega Bay, and our oldest grandchild, who graduated from high school 🙂

It was chilly and windy on the ocean and bay side of Bodega Bay

Jeff was eating chips in the car, and the birds gathered. I found it funny since the old Hitchcock movie, The Birds, was filmed there!

The school from the Hitchcock movie, The Birds.

Embrace your inner child in nature and heal your soul, while paying attention! Denise

From Finn’s Forest #29 #writingcommunity #dreams #authorlife

I know I’ve been quiet the last couple of weeks, except for the two posts I had scheduled. Haven’t made it to many blogs or promoted on social media. It all comes down to a dream I had two weeks ago.

I was having one of those vivid dreams where I was in one place and then another. Part of it, I was in downtown Sacramento crossing the Golden or Yellow Bridge. But then it all changed, and I was in a doctor’s office with two female doctors. I was sitting on the paper-lined table in the blue gown when one of the doctors looked at me and burst out laughing. She then pointed to the chart and said, “I can see you haven’t been resting like you are supposed to.” She then went on to point out a couple of issues she saw. It felt so real, I popped awake and couldn’t get it out of my head. I still can’t.

Wherever this message came from, it felt like I needed to listen. Luckily, I had just finished my first draft, and that needs to sit, so a break seemed possible. I let things go with my store as well and slowed down. Of course, for me, that meant exercising more if health is my focus. I was going to see my doctor, not to mention I had a dream, but get things checked out. But, I found out my doctor retired and sold the practise. No notice. The new doctor starts in a month. I thought about moving doctors and still might, but there went that appointment, at least for now.

I thought my family would find my dream amusing, but instead, they told me to listen to it. Dreams about my health aren’t common for me, but giving me ideas to write about are. I once had a dream about a young boy, and there were even credits at the end of it. I did take notes and will be looking for them soon.

I know dreams are where we work out our problems or attempt to make some sense of them. Unless they are just confused and disjointed, like our lives might be. They might be portals for our creativity. I also believe our bodies and perhaps a higher being might pass on a message or two.

During this downtime, I found some good advice last week. Instead of me saying I have to do something, I change it to I get to do something. That sure changed my perspective. I think my writing became I have to instead of I get to. It took a dream to remind me of what is important, in its unique way.

Still, I’m not good at just sitting. Downtime leads me to look around, and ideas for projects bubble up. I did do some painting on the outside trim last weekend, but quit when I got tired, not pushing through like I usually do. And I took a break the next day, which was Mother’s Day. We took a wonderful Harley ride by the river. I appreciated every flower and beautiful sight I saw that day. Other than that, I have taken things slowly.

When will I be back? Not sure, but know when I’m visiting your blog or reading a book, I’m doing it because I get to!

How about you? Had any dreams that got your attention or gave you an idea for a book?

Embrace your inner child by taking good care of yourself! Denise

From Finn’s Forest #26 #indieauthors #writingcommunity #bookstoread #mustreads #payitforward

This is the post I planned on sharing last week. But instead, I was not feeling well and decided to wait until this week. Some little bug or maybe even allergies got a hold of me and hasn’t completely let go. I am doing better, at least the headache and sore throat mostly went away, but that exhaustion won’t let go, and the upset stomach keeps making a comeback.

After my last book release and blog tour, I decided to do something different for my wonderful blog hosts. I bought the physical copy of their book I mentioned on my site. I enjoyed having them on my shelf for a bit, but the plan was to share them in my Little Library and find new readers for them in my area. I’ve already had takers, and I will keep adding more of these books to the shelves.

This has been a great way to help me part with some of my large book collection. Although I’ve found it a bit painful to give up some of my favorite indie authors’ books, other people deserve to be introduced to them.

Neighbors have been helping out and adding some great books, too. Of course, I can’t resist adding some to my reading list.

In the future, I’ll also add other authors from our community. I consider this my small way to pay it forward.

Here are some pictures of the Little Library over a couple of months and the books I got to add to it.

On the weather end, we went from snow to what they are calling an epic record-breaking heatwave this week. March usually offers snow, not sunny weather in the 80s. This good weather, though, has helped in the cleanup from the snowstorm. We were pleasantly surprised to see little damage to the roof after the snow melted. Just a few dings where there was no gutter. Will have the roofer see if we need to repair any of that. Jeff is already putting the fence back together, and I cleaned up the branches on the patio, and we were able to burn some of the debris last weekend. Record-breaking seems to be the norm now.

Watch for this month’s newsletter on the 20th if you are subscribed.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to those who celebrate it 🙂

Embrace your inner child by reading a fantastic book and then sharing it! D. L. Finn (Denise)

From Finn’s Forest #25 #authorlife #writingcommunity #nature #forestliving #snow

Hi! I know I’ve been quiet lately, but between doing taxes and the last storm, it’s kept me busy! I still have some catching up to do.

Last week we got winter here, or cooler temperatures, finally. Along with that came snow, our first for the season. It sounded like we’d get a foot of snow, which is doable, but instead we ended up with 34 inches or almost three feet! This was a lot for not only humans but the trees that began to embrace spring.

In the 36 years living in our house, we’ve never had a tree hit it. This storm changed that. Luckily, we were okay, and the roof seemed to survive it, not sure about the shingles, have to wait until the snow melts to see. But what took the hit was our fence and part of our gutters. My husband was home from work, so he was able to get most of the tree off the house that day. What was on the roof would have to wait, as we had other things to do, like clear the snow off the trailer and get the generator going because the power went out.

The rest of the week left me alone as my husband went back to work, and I managed to keep the wood stove going for heat and shoveled snow where I could. Finally, the weather cleared, and my husband was working, I got a nice surprise. One of my sons-in-law, his father, and his brother-in-law showed up to get the top of the tree off the house. This required a ladder to climb onto our steep roof with a chainsaw. Not a one-person job. I should mention my husband is one of those people who doesn’t usually accept help. I accepted the help for him.

My take on all of this? When bad things happen, people are there to help, like with the tree that no longer sits on our roof. Our neighbors checked in on each other. Getting gas for those who needed it for their generators, food, or to get their driveway plowed. All via our two-radio group.

Even though I felt totally alone in the dark of the morning when my husband went to work. I insisted we shut the generator off until I got up to give it a rest and save gas. But I woke up right as he left and imagined all kinds of things. He made it to work, and I waited until it was light out to restart the generator. With dawn came the realization I wasn’t really as alone as I believed. That two-way radio was there. Still, after that, there was no early morning generator shutdown.

I have a feeling that moment of pure disattachment to the world will creep into a story. Boy, the things one can think of in the dark.

Now we’re going to get rain, and soon the snow will melt away. Then back to the warm and dry weather, winter seems to be fond of this year.

We have our power back now after three days out. Not our worst storm, but it’s up there as the most memorable. I would give it a mini Snowmegdon status. Here are some pictures. We got to snowshow on my husband’s one day off this last weekend.

I think the snowperson tire expresses the piling snow best 🙂

Embrace your inner child by offering to lend a helping hand or just allowing yourself to enjoy what life offers! D. L. Finn (Denise)

From Finn’s Forest #24 #writingcommunity #nature #authorlife

It’s been a while since I’ve done a From Finn’s Forest post—last April. While the rest of the country has gotten hit with that huge icy storm, we are warm and dry. Neither extremes are good. I’m hoping for rain to return here and more normal weather across not only the states but globally. Right now, Mother Nature seems out of sorts.

Last weekend, hubby and I took a walk that we normally take in April at the river. It was a beautiful day there, and I even saw a couple of people dipping their feet in the icy, dangerous waters. That is a river you don’t want to swim in until June or later. I stayed away from the river’s water edge but enjoyed the views above it.

On my favorite walking trail that I have shared here before, I was surprised to see not only some budding plants but a few flowers blooming. The bigger surprise was the couple of little yellow butterflies. Definitely not the time of year for that. At home, my daffodils are blooming a couple of months early, and my apple tree has some buds. I worry for them if winter visits. We aren’t out of the snow months through spring, but so far it has been a warm winter.

The walk was very healing for my weary soul. Hopefully, it will offer some inspiration to my dormant muse.

Here are some pictures from our pretend spring day.

This leaf floated around for a while. It reminded me of a boat fairies might use to cross the water.

I usually look for hearts in nature. Here’s one.

I’ve been taking pictures of what used to be a clear smiley face on this lichen. The smile and eyes are harder to see, but the new mustache is taking form.

The little creek above the river, we usually stop and hydrate 🙂

Embrace that inner child by reading a good book or enjoying the nature around you. D. L. Finn (Denise)

From Finn’s Forest 23 #writingcommunity #poetry #forest #writing

This year, we’ve seen an unusual number of pinecones dropping. I cleaned them up once already. From what I’ve read, they are more likely to drop in the fall, but some do in spring. We did have a very mild winter with rain that came in large amounts, with dry periods in between. Perhaps the pines are confused, or it’s what they call the mast year, where they overproduce. Either way, there are a lot of pinecones, and I hope it doesn’t mean insects are to blame for it. But it always gets me to think about not only the health of our forest, but how being in it can bring us health too.

So, yes, I’ll be out there raking once again and clearing the area for my fairies’ town to return. I may want to wear a hat, though, so I don’t get hit by one. Wondering about nature and my surroundings not only inspires stories but also poetry. Something I haven’t done in a while is to share some poems or even write them as I wonder…

Memorizing woods

Winds carry ancient wisdom

Planting future seeds

Clear minds, silent woods

In our peaceful surrender

Miracles abound

NOTE: There will be no posts here for the next two weeks as I will be on vacation. Will be back May 13th for my book reviews.

Also on my website there is a button for D. L. Finn’s Gratitude Store. I’d love if you dropped by and shared it. Maybe visit the store and tell me what you think.

Embrace your inner child by reading a good book! D. L. Finn (Denise)

From Finn’s Forest 22! #NevadaCity #smalltown #wherewriterswrite #writingcommunity #goldcountry

Recently our little town was voted top ten in the United States by Country Living Magazine. Very exciting! Here’s the link to their article: LINK

I decided to share a bit of our town from photos I’ve taken over the years. You may recognize a few spots if you watched the Hallmark movie, “A Christmas Card.”

Here we are coming into town from the freeway.

Town:

Victorian Christmas. I’m up on the balcony of the National Hotel overlooking Broad Street.

Nighttime Victorian Christmas. My favorite time to attend!

We were a part of the Nevada County Toy Run. Broad Street.

Fall and Halloween are my favorite time of year!

I love this house! Looks pretty in its Halloween decorations.

Outside Inn. They go all out for Halloween. There’s a whole path to walk behind it.

Deer Creek

Hall in National Hotel. Some people have claimed the hotel to have ghostly visitors…

This house makes me smile. It’s right outside of town so it doesn’t have to follow the historical rules…

This is the church they used in the movie “A Christmas Card.” Nevada City Methodist Church

It’s a cute place in town. I believe you can rent it, or used to be able to rent.

What a great rock to have in your front yard.

Lots of food and music. A great place to go after swimming in the river.

So there is your tour of the Queen City of the Northern Mines or Nevada City via my cell phone pictures. I stuck mainly to Broad Street but there is much more to explore which I might do in another post.

This is a place that not only inspires writing, but painting, dreams, and movies. Maybe all the inspiration we need is right outside our door.

Embrace your inner child by exploring and reading! D. L. Finn

From Finn’s Forest #21! #writingcommunity #cedars #forest #healing #pollen #setting #nature

Hi welcome to the first Finn’s Forest of the year.

I haven’t been walking in the forest much even though the sun has been shining. I still miss my walking partner, our dog Sara. My husband gets home too late or dark for our walk. I don’t mind running into wild animals, but I’d rather not do it alone… Another reason to stay inside is the pollen from the cedars. It’s covered everything like a blanket of snow. So I’ve been making use of my mini trampoline.

Usually, the rains wash away this pollen this time of year. We’ve had a usually dry January. But it made me wonder about what the trees were doing. After some research, I found out they release pollen after a cold front and it’s dry and windy out. It is how they reproduce with the help of the wind. This requires a high amount of pollen to get the job done. This seems to work for them, I find little cedars everywhere. They’re considered weeds here since we need to keep our forest cleaned up for the fire season. The Ashe Juniper tree in Texas is in the cedar family and does the same thing.

Pollen on our skylight — This is our skylight in the bathroom. That is the cedar pollen, along with some pine needles.

Now I know why they do release their pollen in January, but digging deeper I found some interesting information:

Cherokee tradition believes that the cedar holds powerful spirits that protect them. A spiritual leader may carry cedar wood in their medicine bag. It can also be placed above entrances for protection.
Native Americans used the cedar for medicine for things like joint pain, fever, cough, and other issues. Considered one of the four sacred medicines.
Ancient Sumerians believed it was where the divine ones lived.

cedar bark — This is a close-up of the cedar outside my window and the closest one to the house.

Its general spiritual meaning believes the tree connects us to our earthly roots. It is a symbol of nobility, strength, and incorruptibility. It’s been called the Tree of Life protected by the gods and believed to have healing properties.
Can be used for smudging to clear a space and is believed to carry prayers and wishes from the earth into the sky.
Tea can be made from the leaves for respiratory issues. You can also use the leaves in steam for congestion, cedar oil for skin conditions, or in a bath with the essential oil or leaves. Always consult your health provider, there can be side effects and allergies. Not recommended if pregnant, breastfeeding, or have kidney issues.
The tree can detour termites and carpenter ants, along with discouraging mold.

cedar in forest — This is the full shot of the cedar. We had to have someone trim the branches up because they were touching the roof. So far they haven’t made us cut this tree down. We have a squirrel family that lives there and an owl.

The smell can relax you and the trees purify the air.
On the more negative side, I found one superstition that if you plant a cedar, which I haven’t, when it grows tall enough to shade a grave, it’s your time to leave the earth.

Our forest is filled with cedars. We have a huge one right outside our bedroom window protecting us. I won’t complain when they release their pollen anymore but it would be fun to add some of this to a story. What if a character is allergic and drank some tea? Maybe a character needs healing. Cedars can add that extra dimension to a story even if it’s just in the setting.

Embrace your inner child, take a walk in nature, and then read a book. D. L. Finn

From Finn’s Forest #20! #writingcommunity #blogtour #winners #thankyou #acorns #nature #writing

Hi!

Been a while since I’ve done a From Finn’s Forest post. Putting two books out this year kept me busy, along with some needed me-time.

Locally, we’ve been getting abundant and large acorns from the oak trees. Many locals believe that this means we will get a bad winter—or a lot of snow. I decided to do some research on the topic and found out it was called masting. Here are some reasons why it happens.

The trees respond to the weather, insect infestation, or when there are lots of seed eaters, an extra boost gives more chances for new trees. Also, it may be normal for oaks to produce larger and more acorns every 3-5 years or masting. It depends on the trees and their age too.

I do know our squirrels, mice, deer, birds, opossums, and raccoons won’t go hungry this season!

While a boost to most wildlife they can be poisonous to cows, horses, and dogs because of the tannins. Can humans eat them? Yes, if the tannins are leached out in water. How to do this? They can be soaked in water overnight. It is recommended to change the water more than once. Next, heat them in a 400-degree oven for 30 minutes. This helps remove shells and dehydrate.

They are also fun to use in craft projects or offer to zoos or wildlife. And of course, you can always grow another oak tree from one too.

We will see what the winter brings and if the Farmer’s Almanac is right about a bad winter following this event.

The more we understand what is going on around us, the more depth we can add to our writing. I can think of several scenarios focusing on acorns to write about.

WINNERS FROM THE BLOG TOUR!

Day 2 Liz Gauffreau ‘s Blog: Pete Springer

Day 1 Sandra Cox Blog: Lauren Scott

Congrats to the winners and a HUGE thanks to those who followed along or hosted. I love how we are always there for each other in our writing community.

Embrace that inner child by reading a good book or going outside and enjoying nature! D. L. Finn (Denise)