Monthly Archives: May 2014

A Whale of a Tale

Every day we write. Day in and day out, week after week, month after month, we write.
For some of us our thoughts come easy. For others, maybe not so much.
 

Some of us write or hope to write for a living, whereas many of us write because we just love to write. We love the rush we get when our characters come to life. We love when they expose their inner flaws and personalities that will lead us through the labyrinth of a wonderful story.
 

And sometimes it’s quite a narrative. Not your everyday fish story. Yet, perhaps a whale of a tale. Or so we hope, since that’s what keeps us writing, right?
 

Well, here’s a cool story, a phenomena really, or should I say Whale of a Tale though it wasn’t an animated film by Disney, nor did it involve a Bible character by the name of Jonah, or an epic yarn in the hunt for Moby Dick.
 

Every year, roughly 24,000 Pacific gray whales migrate between Baja California to their Arctic home, an annual round trip journey of nearly 10,000 miles. For that reason, Dana Point, which lies on the most southern tip of Orange County along the California coastline, has their yearly Festival of the Whales in early March.
 

Most of the whales have already passed by, except for a few stragglers, the mothers and babies that hold up the rear. Gray whales are not the largest, fastest or deepest diving whales, but they have the ability to adapt to life at sea and take advantage of the many niches along the coast that other whale species cannot.
 

Normally, during this part of the year, the weather is cool, so there’s not many people along the shore. But because of the unseasonal warmth that the west coast has experienced, a large pod was spotted in a cove in Laguna Beach recently.
 

Grey whale migration
 

And this…
 

Laguna Beach Whales
 

And this…
 

whalebeach
 

As you can imagine, because this wasn’t Maui, this caused quite a lot of excitement and the perfect fish story.
 

Yes, a whale of a tale. Now if I can only write this into my narrative. Now that would be a story!
 
 
So what do you think? Have you ever been to Maui or whale watching? Have you ever snorkeled or had the opportunity to swim with big fish? What’s the biggest fish story you’ve ever heard?
 

And if you’re ever in the neighborhood, take advantage of the whale watching skills of Dana Warf. You will have the time of your life! 🙂
 

Here’s the song “Whale of a Tale” sung by Kirk Douglas from the Disney movie “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.” The link was provided by Patricia/Jansen Schmidt in the comment section below. Thanks Patricia!


 
Cheers everyone! Thank you so much for all your support and wonderful comments!
Karen

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The Long and Winding Road

Long and Winding Road

(Photo provided by Ireland of the Welcomes)
 

Ah, Ireland. Look how green you are. The clear blue sky brightens the spring-green grass after a recent rain. Makes me want to jump right into one of those puddles. How about you?

Yet, while I allow my eyes to peruse over the picture, I wonder where that long and winding road will take me. It may be clear and sunny now, however if you’re familiar with the Emerald Isle, you’re aware of the reason why it’s so green. It could very well rain by the time I reach my destination.

The good news is I see a measure of shelter in the background. It’s always a good thing to have an alternative option should something divert our plans. Yet, in order for me to get there, it looks like I will have to dodge the many potholes and bumps on the road along the way.

That sounds like too much of a hassle, doesn’t it?

I mean, who of us wants to walk through a bunch of puddles and pebbles?

I know. Maybe I should take a short cut. Yes, that’s it. If I leap over the stone wall and cut off some time, I’d alleviate a lot of aggravation that comes with a long walk on a bumpy, winding road. After all, it would get me to the same destination in quicker fashion, right?

Well yes. And no.

By taking the short cut, I might arrive at my destination faster than taking the long road. Sure, that might work. I could hop over the fence, run like the wind and get there in record time. I’ll admit there could be a few hills and valleys. Then again, I may just be ahead of the curve. It could be a whole lot easier. At least it looks that way.

But looks can be deceiving.

What if I missed something along the way? Indeed, from the appearance of things, the scenery may look the same. Yet, by taking the short route, I very well may rob myself of vital knowledge and experience that would help me during the course of my journey. And by doing so, I could miss an important step that would have a bearing on my progress as I strive to reach my ultimate goal, which is at the end of the long and winding road.

Do you see the dilemma?

Life is like that. There are so many peaks and valleys, bumps and potholes; our path may not always be straight. And the longer we live, the worse it can get. Unless we take a more positive approach, that would require we learn from past experience, which may or may not include any short cuts during our journey.

This is also true with writing. In my case, I have chosen not to leap over the fence and take the shorter route. And not unlike that road above, my path has included every bump, pebble and pothole you can imagine. There are times when all I want to do is give up and cry. I feel like I’m in a foreign country and do not yet fully understand the language of its people. I, like Ireland, am an island, yet the only green we have in common exists behind my two ears.

Yes, it’s a long and winding road.

Nevertheless, I am determined not to give up, not to cave in when I hit the proverbial stone wall. I am going to stay on that long, winding road, keep jumping into puddles, and make a splash no matter how big or small. Because it’s the end goal that matters, not the bumps in my way while still on the road.
 

So what do you think? What has been your experience while on the Long and Winding Road? Does it ever get better? Or do you still struggle? What has helped you to keep your enthusiasm during your personal path to publication? Have any sage advice you’d like to bestow upon a newbie novelist? I’m all eyes and ears!
 

Cheers everyone! Thank you so much for all your support and wonderful comments!
Karen

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