Hello everyone,
I read an interesting tidbit the other day from one of these life-coach-advisor types: If you have goals in life you really want to accomplish, or if you feel like your time management ability leaves something to be desired, leave the internet alone for the first three hours of each day. This includes cell phone calls and messages.
He claims most people who’ve achieved success in life don’t start their days online. They rather spend those first prime hours reading, meditating, focusing on goals and planning their day. Conversely, people who start their day hopping and skipping around the internet, reading e-mails, and leaving short comments or messages, tend to carry on through the day with the same lack of focus and end up not getting much done and feeling very unsatisfied.
I’ve decided to follow his advice and see how it works, as I’ve been very frustrated at my tendency to be distracted, or lack of self-discipline. So I tried it this morning: I left the computer alone and read some devotional thoughts about Easter — then focused on some needed housework.
The upside: I feel like I accomplished something today. 🙂
The downside: Morning is my prime writing time. If I got busy with other things, I don’t get to my computer until the evening. (Mind you, it dosn’t help that I have a jigsaw puzzle on the go right now. 😉 )
Now, on to the Fire Wind:
Today was warm and the wind gusting high at times — and it’s been extremely dry here this spring. I was outside for a few minutes around 5 pm and thought: a bad day for a fire. As I’ve mentioned, over the last couple of weeks I’ve been trying to burn our “trash pile” of dead and/or pruned branches. I had a little fire last Thursday, but then the municipal Fire Ban went into effect and we can’t burn ANYTHING now. Small wonder, though: last week Saturday our volunteer firemen were called out to three big fires in this area, and we heard there was a bad one near Saskatoon last Saturday.
I came in from outside and puttered around a few minutes, then opened the west side window, since it was so warm — and I got a strong whiff of smoke. Looked out and saw smoke billowing into the sky; it seemed to come from the farm across the field about a mile south of us. We decided to drive out and see what was happening — after all, the wind was blowing the smoke in our direction and that does make one nervous! When we reached the road our farmer-neighbour went by in his tractor and headed across the field toward the fire.
We heard later that our son-in-law, on his way home from work, spotted the flames and called in the alarm, then went back to fight the fire. Volunteer firemen arrived and then the firetrucks, and we saw our neighbour going back and forth across the field next to that farm, plowing a fireguard to keep the fire from spreading this way in the high wind.
It burned for at least an hour and now, several hours later, there are still flashing lights at that farm. The fire was burning in their trees, so I imagine some firemen are watching to see it doesn’t flare up again.
I haven’t posted anything in honor of National Poetry Month for a few days, but thinking of fire makes me think of Aussie poet Frank Prem’s book DEVIL IN THE WIND, about the devastating bush fires he witnessed in 2009. This promises to be a fascinating account in poem form! It’s for sale now on Amazon. Here’s the dazzling cover — and the link (Amazon .com)
![Devil In The Wind: Voices from the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires (Poetry Anthology Book 2) by [Prem, Frank]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51dtsHTxIwL.jpg)
Christine's Collection 
That is some scary business. Goes to show. Here in Quebec there is flooding all over the place and you guys are too dry. Sigh. Hope the fires have all been put out!
By the way, if you mosey on over to my site, you will see I have challenged you 😉 Feel free to play or not. It’s a mere 4 lines 🙂
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I will certainly take a look!
Yes, we are hearing that they’ve called out the army to help with flood control in la belle province. Sigh…
The thing is, this is only April. If we don’t soon get rain, there will be constant fire threats all spring. Trains passing through, sending off sparks from their wheels, balers catching fire, cigs tossed in ditch grass. When things are tinder dry, anything can start a fire. If this particular fire had spread as far as the nearby train tracks, the long, dry grass in the ditches beside would have burned for who knows how far.
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Good!
Yes. I drove out to Vaudreuil on Saturday to watch my niece play volleyball (they won the Quebec championships!) and on my way back I was blown away by how high the water was. They were installing barriers all along the road.
As for you guys, that is a whole ‘nother scary situation.
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Sounds similar to here in Australia, Dale. While one part burns, the other is in flood. It all gets worse, with no respite coming.
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So I hear, Frank. Mother Nature sure does know how to keep fear in our hearts.
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We can only do the small things, I think, that keep our spirit and soul in good shape, and those things within our ability to leave the smallest footprints. Not easy.
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This is so very true. And no, it is not.
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Hi Christine.
Thank you for thinking of me and giving the collection a mention.
Much appreciated.
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You’re welcome.
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Might well try the three hours thing. Thanks for sharing Christine! I am a Creative Life Coach with a poetry blog and here is my poem today in case you have time to look?
https://peacockpoetryblog.wordpress.com/2019/05/03/what-floats-your-boat/
I am also on Instagram as #coachingcreatively, let’s follow each other if you use this medium? You can also find me on Facebook under Sam Allen wearing a bright red and orange hat!
I love connecting with fellow creatives as you can see!
Sunny greetings from Switzerland!
Sam 🙂
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Thanks for your comment. No, I don’t do Instagram or Facebook — have enough trouble keeping up with my blog. And right now I’m digging zelously into my Family Tree roots over at Ancestry.com. Which makes me wonder if you might fit into the tree of my Allen ancestors from Vermont. 😉
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Might well be a link
🙂
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Samuel Russell Allen from Bennington Co Vermont married Sarah Jane Powers of St Lawrence Co, NY. These begat my gr-gr-grandmother Sarah who married Joseph Vance.
Genealogy is much like a jigsaw puzzle and I really get obsessed with those, can’t quit until they are complete!
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