NaJoWriMo & Animal Inventory

written: July 1st

 

Today begins the second round of the National Journal Writing Month challenge (or NaJoWriMo for short).  Last time I agreed to do 15,000 words, writing every day, AND chose the topic "spirituality".  And that completely kicked my ass.  This time around I'm just going with the 15,000 words for the month.  That averages out to around 484 words a day, which is more than doable.  I'm not choosing a theme this time.  Just going to go with the flow and see where my Muse takes me.

The coyotes have returned to my wooded area.  I heard two or three singing last Thursday morning and then was lucky enough to spot one Friday morning as I left to go to work at Starbucks in the early morning.  I was hoping this mean the hobo couple in the woods had moved on, but I saw them yesterday while walking Ole Lady Dog (aka Holly).  ::sighs::  I really wish they would move on.  I don't like them or all the litter they leave in the woods.  I swear they haven't thrown one single trash item into any one of the THREE trash cans the city maintains along the wooded trails.  Beyond disgusting.

Cottontail rabbits have been in an abundance everywhere.  I'm spotting them all over the city.  All the rain we've received this year has made the grasses and plant-life BOOM and the rabbits are taking full advantage.

Momma Raccoon has been visiting the dumpster again.  But she no longer has her four kits trailing along behind her.  They must have struck out on their own by now.  She seems less nervous/anxious and leisurely eats now.  I'm sure she's grateful for the break.

My Lil Hawklings have fully fledged now and very rarely come back to the nest.  They will stick around a while longer before completely striking out on their own.  So for now, I enjoy watching all four soaring around my wooded area.

I seriously love the location of my apartment.  Close enough to all the various stores a person needs or wants, but surrounded by awesome little wild patches that keep my heart and soul thrilled and happy.  And my wooded areas are chocked full of a wide array of animal life.  I will sincerely miss my wooded areas when we finally do move.  But hopefully we can get a house with a similar area.

I need to get back to studying for the GRE.  When I start going to my Masters program full time, I will be quitting my Starbucks job.  I am so looking forward to that!  I will certainly miss the various perks (free weekly coffee and the employee discount) and most of my coworkers, but I will certainly not miss the job itself.

Hopefully I can bang the Masters degree out in two to three years and then I can get a full-time, much better paying job with great benefits.  And then my dreams of owning a house, being debt-free, and finally seeing my wild polar bears can finally come true!  ::grins::