Productivity is grand!

A most interesting day.
We had quite a storm raging over our mountain, awakening me and dogs alike with an unappreciated leak in the passage that connects my two room apartment, and covering the wooden floor with a sheen of water that made me jump when I stepped into it unwittingly, staggering my way to the front door.

I didn't wake in the best of moods, but no matter; the day ahead promised to be one with many challenges, and thus any disgruntlement I felt was rapidly put aside as I let the dogs out of the cabin and started to clean up the mess which the storm had caused and was causing still.
Seeing that it was pouring outside, the cleaning up part wasn't all that easy. The dogs took a single step off my porch and did an about-face almost instantly, getting in my way as I attacked the flooding with mop and towel, trying to keep clothes and furniture from further damage.

A good thirty minutes were spent dealing with the majority of the abundance of water, after which I hurried through the morning rituals and took the dogs down to the house where I found more emergencies to deal with in just minutes.
As is normal in this part of Spain, where no house is truly capable of being completely impervious to the occasional deluge, small puddles were in evidence all around, demanding immediate attention before I was able to get my dose of caffeine and the day's nourishment.

With the dogs alternating between annoyance and downright grumpiness over the overall wetness of their favorite resting places, I managed to get in half a page for the latest W.I. project, after which more pressing matters, such as the continuing downpour, demanded the attention of myself and big brother, who had by that time joined me in the living-room/kitchen.
Together we bravely faced the elements, clothes getting plastered to our rapidly chilling skins as we went from clogged mud gutter to roof and back again, in a valiant attempt to keep the water at bay.
What with damage control already well underway, and the rain having soaked and dirtied us up thoroughly, we decided we might as well tackle the mess inside the house. With mops already in hand, dealing with wet tiles we went from floor to walls and shelves alike, until a semblance of order allowed for some comfort on this dreary day. Clouds swirled threateningly around the house, pressing against the windows and making everything damp.

It is peculiar how simple gray mist can appear like some entity, moving, breathing all around, feeling like an actual presence as thin tendrils try to penetrate through the barriers that separate inside from the outside. It's oppressive, persistent, and water is it's loyal ally.

What with the damp furniture, wet clothes and furs, today was the first this year that the gas stoves were necessarily lit. After a quick inspection of the two that have served us for the past two years, it became clear that one had not survived this summer's storage. The one remaining did allow for some heat to overcome the chill of this final day in October, though, and the dogs were more than appreciative as they crowded around the pounding source of warmth, like young kids would gather around an interesting game.

It is quite beautiful to see the occasional dog sit down there, literally soaking up the heat, by turning this way and that, as if feeling an actual caress that is simply too good to give up on. Yamah, one of our crossbreeds, was a perfect example of this. While the other dogs restlessly followed us from one area of the house to the next, she had stretched out in front of the stove; her head raise in visible pleasure as she allowed each side of it to absorb the warmth for minutes at a time. I would have been more than happy to join her on this day. The cold and wetness were most unpleasant.

Later, while the younger siblings and I set out to make hotpockets (pastries) of yesterday's left overs, mom and big brother set out for a quick trip to town to get a new stove -two are a necessity these past few years when winter arrives in full- and extra butane kegs since tomorrow all stores will be closed due to the holidays.

Upon their return and the sharing of the meal, which was nourishing as much as tasteful -and with no proper horror movie on the TV to celebrate the holiday- I decided to write some of my own in W.I. Investigations' latest, and eighth case: Alive. What better than to spend this particular evening working out a story involving murder and mayhem of a presumed to be dead mad scientist.

With pleasant heat forcing the chill away, I managed a productive total of four pages of the story, bringing the conclusion of the second volume of the W.I.'s within reach. It always thrills me when I see a story fully developing. The idea that started with just a few key plot lines, forming a cohesive whole with characters that I have come to love during the first cases of this particular series.

The W.I. Investigations have been a project that is close to my heart. To me they are meant as relaxation from when I don't feel like delving into a full length novel that requires months of intense and mind-blurring sessions behind the computer.
They are relatively short, fun, all of them following a grander story line of the enigmatic Roger Walsh -the founder of the extraordinary agency- which specializes in the world of the paranormal, which makes it all interesting enough to keep me computer-bound.

When I first started with W.I.'s Shape Shifter, I had no idea that the agency would become as versatile as it is now turning out to be. I had meant for just a simple story, solely as a distraction while I was in-between novels and waited for inspiration to strike.
Now, as the tenth story, or case, is almost complete, I'm realizing that this series might very well be the biggest challenge I have set for myself as of yet.
Yes, the stories are short, each individual title describing a single case on an average of a hundred pages, but as I learn more about the eight leading detectives and their boss, I find that, like in real life, there are so many complex paths to follow that when (or if) I ever finish the tales of these detectives they'll be more real, more intense than anything I have written so far.

I love the characters, and I do so more with every case in which they are involved.
Their dedication, their ability to love and their sense of adventure, whether they are kind, cynical, humorous, grumpy or sweet. Each and every one of them has a particular charm that sometimes makes me wish that I could meet these people for real.

While I started to write the W.I.'s for my own entertainment and pass time, I found that for a reader they had a certain appeal as well. What with the world being as time-consuming as it is, I realized that a quick fun read was just what was missing in the huge market out there. And while the stories are short, they still allow for long reads as well since they all follow up.

They're perfect for that short break at work. A night shift with uneventful hours to spent. It is so easy to dive into the cases of the W.I. Investigations. Or a spare hour during a busy day. Lugging around a heavy book all the time isn't all that easy, or so experience has taught me, so perhaps this is something that a reader could be looking for. Only time will tell, I suppose. And whether people will read them or not, is an added bonus more than anything.
Most of all I consider them a new niche, really. Characters and cases that give glimpses into personal lives that develop throughout the creation of what will be a journey of discovery for a reader and myself.

I often think that the W.I.'s are lot like a TV show that a reader can enjoy on the fly once a week, or whenever is handy, while still being able to follow the grander storyline leading towards a destination that is a mystery even to me. The greatest thrill of all would be to actually see them on the screen some day, I think... if for no other reason than to see if the characters I described have come across in just the right way.

Hmmm. How easily the mind wanders. But that's what I'm writing for, I suppose. It organizes my thoughts and allows me to see what I'm thinking in the end result.
Where was I until I started to go off track? Ah yes, the day with the pleasant number of four pages bringing the story near completion.

After midnight I made my way up the mountain as usual, pleased that for a short time at least the rain had stopped, allowing a dry passage to a room that had suffered no more flooding due to our efforts to clear the debris from the gutter earlier today.

I feel content at the moment. Pleasantly tired from a good day's work, with dogs more than eager to retire for the night. They are gathered around me even now, a good portion of them on the bed, warming me when I am reluctant to waste electricity on the heater this early in the year, and cuddled together on the multitude of thick cushions that are placed on the floor throughout the room for their comfort.

It feels good to have been productive during a day that could very well have been described as disastrous if we had been inclined to name it such.
Though playing couch potato every once a while has its own particular charm, I much prefer getting things done.

So, with this blog I conclude my thoughts of the day, wondering what tomorrow will bring, and more than ready to turn in for the night.