A burial in the sun.

Song of the day: “I’m in love” by Maria Mena. A wonderful song I just recently discovered from an artist I really enjoy. Heck, even now she’s playing on my stereo. Hah. I do love songs that are sung to the Waltz.

The day doesn’t start at all well in light of what happened last night. Dreams appear to have been troubled and when it is time to rise, I feel a tad out of sorts. The weather is remarkably pleasant, compared to the past few days. During the night, there was a brisk breeze (26 degrees) and it cooled me down considerably.

After the usual morning rituals, I take the dogs down stairs, already dreading the afternoon when I know we’re going to have to dig Roma’s grave somewhere in the yard. Mortality of dogs definitely sucks big time…especially when the dog is so bloody young.

But anyway, rather than linger on the issue when it isn’t there yet, I focus on the morning chores and then submerge myself into today’s edit. We manage to make some progress at least. Five, or six pages of a solid rewrite that doesn’t get to be difficult by the time the five-hour workday comes to an end.

Time to head out and pick out a spot for Roma’s remains arrives. Though little brother already says, he doesn’t want to be there when we actually put her to rest in a rather nice sunny spot on one of the lower terraces, but is there beside me when we start digging.

The sun pounds down on our heads, and a solid hour passes before the hole is finally deep enough. As soon as it is done, little brother returns to the house, and big brother comes down with the basket that holds Roma. We bury her in a gentle breeze, with the sun still shining brightly overhead. A sad thing for so young a dog…heck, any dog.

But anyway, rather than wallow in what could very well turn into a full depression if I let it, I resume with the pillar we started on yesterday. Rocks get hauled down the mountain, cement gets made and another foot is added on what is already looking like a solid base. There is a slight pause in the middle, since the rocks start to float, but in the end, the wheelbarrow gets emptied and cleaned.

That done, I waste some time hosing down the part of the courtyard where we will be sitting during the evening session of the edit and then have a quick dinner. Poor little brother is really sad, and for a while we consider going for a walk, or something, just so he’ll be able to get his mind of the night’s events. But he thinks it’s too late what with dusk only half an hour away, and goes back inside.

Around this time big brother returns with the car…man am I glad it’s back, even though it’s a day late…which has been fixed during the weekend.
The repairs were minor, all things considered and now we’re going to have to make an appointment for the MOT as soon as possible.

I take a few minutes to look the car over and then it’s back to the courtyard to start on the last few hours of editing. It goes very well this time, especially since this is reading through rather than rewriting. Oh boy, did the scene go smoothly. It was like watching a friggin’ action flick.

Around midnight we head back inside, knowing full well that we still have to prepare the packages that go out on the mail tomorrow, both of them to publishers who have requested a look/see at the first three chapters, after reading the letter we sent them.

Well, we’ll see how that works out in due time as well. I’ve decided I’m going to look forward to hearing back from them, if only to see if they’ll bother with more than a basic yes or no.

It is well past one in the morning when I’m finally on my way to my cabin. I feed the dogs, and discuss the possibilities of a new scene with big brother while trying to get the blog done.
The comfortable cool breeze has picked u again, making sitting on the porch a rather splendid experience for both of us.

I do hope it holds at least until morning…even though my skin feels parched from the dryness. A simple cream thankfully takes care of the particular problem, and soon my cheeks no longer feel as if they’re gonna split up when I attempt a smile at the dogs, all snoozing around me.