Update #2 - August 2026

 More beastly hot weather, but a little progress on chapter 7. I've put the jigsaw pieces together and edited them enough to tell the story from Gwion's point of view, but they'll need more editing. I've had computer problems as well, and am currently working on my new desktop rather than my aging laptop. This is why I have two computers, tied together with Dropbox.

I have dozens of ripe small tomatoes now, and some Romas, but no large ones - one of the Cherokees died abruptly and the other and the Brandywines keep developing blossom end rot. I guess this is why having several varieties is good! The beans are not doing well at all - maybe they will set a few when the weather gets cooler. To be honest I grow them mostly for beauty, but it would be good to get some fresh seed. 

Three more days in the 90s, then hopefully some cooler weather with thunderstorms. May it be so!

Update #1 - August 2026

 Again, very little writing progress. The weather has mostly been too hot for my brain to work. Or maybe I'm just being lazy. At least we've made it to August.

Lots and lots of small ripe tomatoes and occasional Romas but no big ones. Partly blossom end rot, alas. And only 6 or 7 purple podded beans. I might get a few more when rose beetle season is over. Not going to check, but the temperature is probably 101+ out there today.

Update #4 - July 2026

 Only a little progress on chapter 7 - I've got the jigsaw pieces in the document and am slowly editing them. The weather has been so hot that my brain is only working slowly, never mind the rest of my body. I hate July, and I'm not too fond of August. 

The tomatoes at least are doing well, although the nocturnal visitor, probably a raccoon, has discovered them. So far there are plenty of small ones for both of us. The beans, however, are not doing great this year - a few purple podded ones, which I will probably save for fresh seed, but no scarlet runners so far. The blasted rose beetles keep eating the flowers. I'll need some fertilizer in those pots next year. Yesterday I watched most of the suet cake I'd put out that morning melt - the flickers and squirrels can do some ground feeding. I think this is the hottest and dryest summer I've seen in Denver in 30 years, but I think it was worse in the 1930s - these things run in cycles. 

Update #3 - July 2026

 I finished chapter 6 and started chapter 7, but haven't made much progress due to the hot weather. At this point, Gwion is 16, and goes to Ireland for the first time with Talhaearn. This will involve his meeting Fráechán mac Tenusán for the first time, and also his meeting with Mael's father Kieran. Jigsaw puzzle territory again, with material from The King's Druid and The Fallen Stones. 

I hate this hot dry weather, but the tomatoes don't mind as long as they get lots of water. I'm getting plenty of the cherries and sweet 100s now, and the earliest Roma is almost ripe. I lost some off of one of the Cherokee purples to blossom end rot, but the other one seems to be healthy. And there are lots of green Romas, which are good for cooking and canning. The scarlet runner beans are not setting, partly because the rose beetles keep eating the flowers, but the purple flowered beans have started to set. I'll give the bean pots some fertilizer before next year.

Wildlife encounter - I saw a group of 3 smallish rabbits in my front yard at sunrise - presumably siblings.  

Update #2 - July 2026

 Bar a little more tinkering, chapter 6 is finished. The next few chapters will take me back to jigsaw puzzle territory again. In the meantime, in chapter 6 fourteen-year-old Gwion has been accepted by King Arthur as one of his bards, and Emrys has told us a story about his possible origins. In the next chapter he'll go to Ireland for the first time with Talhaearn.

Hot weather continues - hot days and not-cool-enough nights. Mid to upper 90s, and overnight lows in the 60s. After all, it's mid-July. Makes it hard to concentrate on writing or other mental things, but the tomatoes love it. Six ripe cherry tomatoes so far, and possibly some sweet 100s next.

Update #1 - July 2026

 Chapter 6 is growing slowly, a little more each day. Gwion is fourteen now, which was manhood in the Welsh laws, and is planning to sing again in King Arthur's court in hopes of becoming one of Arthur's bards. This, he hopes, will give him a way to be revenged on the people who abused him as a child. Emrys is also going to tell us a story explaining Gwion's origins, using what Gwion has told him about his beginnings and material from Hanes Gwion Bach. I am at the point now of needing to compose Gwion's song to Arthur.

After a few mild days and nights, we are back in the 90s again, with next weekend forecast to reach 100 (shudder). The tomatoes, however, are flourishing, creating a sort of vertical tomato jungle mixed with morning glories in their tomato cages, and covered with scores of little green tomatoes. The earliest cherry tomatoes are already getting ripe. In wildlife action, I saw a hummingbird yesterday which followed me around while I was watering, and Ruay caught two more small rabbits this week. I put the first one in another yard, but the second one got away from both of us, going through the chain link fence and finding safety between that fence and the neighbors' wooden one. I'm thinking it left during the night; neither Ruay or I have seen it again.

Update #4 - June 2026

 I finally finished chapter 5 (The Druids' Island), which takes Gwion to Ynys Mon to watch a bardic initiation. The main reason this chapter took so long is because it is a sort of jigsaw puzzle using material from four of the Storyteller books. Linking the pieces together, editing them, and filling in between them took considerable work. The next chapter, when Gwion turns fourteen and becomes one of King Arthur's bards, should actually be easier because I have no pieces to fit together; it will just be straightforward writing! 

After a couple of delicious days of thunderstorms and rain, we are back with highs in the 90s again. Now we have to endure July. My tomatoes are flourishing, with lots of little green tomatoes now. Once they start getting ripe (usually by Lammas) I should have all I need for the rest of the summer. I have seen the first couple of morning glory blossoms, the scarlet runner beans are blooming, and I was visited yesterday morning by three juvenile blue jays and their mother, all squawking loudly! It's summer.

Update #3 - June 2026

 The last few days, rather than proceeding with chapter 5, I've gone back to chapters 1 through 4 to do some editing. I'll get back to chapter 5 soon; it's almost done but needs editing. Then forward to chapter 6, which will have some new material. This should be interesting. It will be Gwion's coming of age at 14 and becoming one of Arthur's bards.

Weather has been going up and down between warm and too hot. Still no rain, although it sprinkled for about 5 minutes today. Some of the tomatoes are setting, but most are still just blooming. However, most of them are growing like crazy.

Update #2 - June 2026

 Still working on chapter 5 bit by bit. I hope to get it finished, more or less, this week. This book will take as long as it takes.

The weather is jumping back and forth from cool to warm to hot and back again. I have to water things daily. The tomatoes are flourishing, with some setting tomatoes; the cherry type called Sakura has about a dozen already. The marigolds and basil are also doing well. I still need to move most of the geraniums out of the garage; maybe Tuesday morning as I have a vet appointment for Mulberry tomorrow. It's definitely summer weather, but still very dry. No lawn mowing anyway.

Update #1 - June 2026

 Once more, only a little slow progress on chapter 5, once more folding in bits from Neirin's Dark Path in The Ash Spear. Slow progress is better than none at all. The latter part of the chapter will include a story Taliesin told Gwernin in The Well of Wisdom.

Hot weather the last couple of days - 90s. I don't care for July weather in early June, but next week should be a bit cooler. The tomato plants are blooming, and most of the beans have sprouted. Tomorrow should be cooler, and I can pot up the basil plants and the last of the marigolds, then start the geranium migration to the cold frame.

A little wildlife excitement earlier in the week - on two early mornings, Ruay caught two small half-grown rabbits. They didn't seem to be hurt, so I relocated them to other yards. May they be well!