Alarms Needed: Writing Takes Over Life

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 8 Comments

I don’t know if this happens to others, but when I’m writing my entire brain focuses on what I’m doing, and it tunes out ‘real life.’

This can be a problem while writing and living on a sailboat.

It’s shocking, I know, but sometimes I have responsibilities on the sailboat. My husband, Matt, could be off windsurfing, playing volleyball, or spear fishing, and I’m on the boat writing.

I might need to turn off the water maker when the tanks are full, turn of the generator when the batteries are charged, or re-angle the solar panels when the sun moves – which it has a tendency to do during the day.

Matt learned that when I’m writing, there is a slight chance I could forget my duties. And yes, he learned from experience. His solution: he sets an alarm.

Now you’d thing that would be enough, but it’s not. He leaves me a note for what the alarm means.

I’ve learned to read the note as soon as the alarm goes off and attend to the task right away. If I sit back and start writing without doing what I was supposed to do, there’s a good chance I forget.

Sometimes the boat needs take precedence over writing, but I still love to write while I’m on my catamaran.

Thanks for reading . . .

No More Death By Collar

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 3 Comments

No More Death By Collar.  Written by Dog Leader Mysteries, reblogged by me.

 

No More Death By Collar

Do not risk dogs’ lives.

Do not put pressure or force on their throats.

Three ways dog collars pose risks to dogs’ lives.

  1. Collars catch on crates, fence wires, wooden decks and other dogs’ teeth, strangling any dog that wears a collar.
  2. Some dogs have pre-existing problems, like chronic bronchitis or collapsing trachea. Yanking on a collar jeopardizes these dogs’ lives. Dogs suffocate and die from lack of oxygen.
  3. Small dogs and toy breeds are most likely to suffer from a collapsing trachea, but they are not the only dogs that do.

Four things to avoid when a dog is wearing a collar.

  1. Never yank on the collar.
  2. Never chain or tie out a dog by a collar.
  3. Never leave a dog’s collar on when he is alone.
  4. Do not let a dog pull against his collar.

Other Health Risks From Collars

  • Injury to a dog’s neck
  • Injury to a dog’s spine

Anatomy and physiology of animals Section through head of a dog

Dog Training And The Use Of Collars

Visit Yankee Golden Retriever Rescue

They advocate the use of quick release collars vs. buckle collars. They urge you to prevent choking and accidents to dogs with quick release collars and remind you, “Always remove your dog’s collar before you leave.”

Need help choosing collar options for your dog?

Visit Boxer World on Different Types Of Collars. This webpage displays good photos and explanations of different collars and harnesses “The best type of collar is no collar. Many trainers feel that the best training collar is no collar at all. If you start training on a collar, the dog may learn that it has to obey *only* when the collar is on. Collars are, at best, training tools – and at worst, crutches.” Julie Michaels  http://www.boxerworld.com/forums/view_different-types-of-collars.htm

Dog Training And The Use Of Collars

Kirsten Frisch is a dog trainer in Northern Carolina. She dubs her work with dogs as falling into the category of being hands off or force free.  She is an Alaskan Husky lover and a sled dog trainer.“Collars: No matter how strong or thick-headed your dog is, don’t let him pull you by his collar. He needs a harness. He can really hurt his neck and spine by pulling you and your bike via his collar.” Find Kirsten’s blog The Gentle Canine at http://www.gentlecanine.com/

Dog Sport Enthusiasts Beware When Biking Or Sledding With Your Dog

Visit Kirsten Frisch’s Alaskan Husky blog to view a proper pulling harness.http://www.alaskan-husky-behavior.com/bikejoring.html

I strongly suggest that you protect your dog’s health by using a harness or head leaders while walking your dog on a leash. And yes, we trained our dog Sydney not to pull on a leash, to heel, and to walk easily with us. For his safety and health, we never hook a leash to his collar.

For ID purposes, Microchips are best because if your dog gets lost without his collar and dog tags, you will get a call from the nearest animal shelter. My dog came alreadyMicrochipped to the shelter that rescued him. I know if Sydney ever gets lost and is turned into animal control or a shelter, I will get a phone call indicating where I can pick him up.

PETLVR COMMUNITY Alog and Forum Dog Collar Dangers http://petlvr.com/blog/2009/05/19/dog-collar-dangers and http://petlvr.com/blog/2009/05/19/dog-collar-dangers/http://www.ygrr.org/doginfo/safety-collars.html

What do I use? A collar or harness on my dog?

I use a harness on my dog, Sydney. He gets excited, so a harness is the safest way I found to keep him from impulsively jerking on a collar.

Doggone fun on a trail

This is my safety car seatbelt, my other harness is in the wash.

Sydney is also an escape artist, flexible and foxy. Here is a fun post on another dog escape artist. He kept getting out of his collars, so his parents got him a harness.

Farley’s Friday: Sharks Go Bump On The Sea

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 4 Comments

Farley here.

Man, I’m a brave dog. The shark came at us, and I got aggressive.  Got to protect Kristina. That’s my job! I could’ve taken it if Kristina had let me. But let me back up a bit.

I like kayaking with Kristina. She likes to paddle me around, and let’s face it, I like to sit and watch the scene slide by.

We paddle (and by we, I mean Kristina) from deep water to shallow water. I know this to be true because the water changes from dark blue to light blue and I see the sandy bottom.

I see a ray and get distracted for second, but not for long. Another shape is to our left.

Shark

The shark aims for the ray but then sees us at the same time I see it. It hunches its back and turns on us. Here is where we get lucky. Going from deep to shallow water causes the water to bunch up and create big waves. A wave hit the back of our kayak right when the shark hit the front. The kayak turned sideways and the shark glanced off the bow.

I jump out of the cockpit and onto the bow. It’s a bit slippery up here, but I don’t care. I’m on a mission.

“Get away, get away,” I bark repeatedly and am surprised when the shark doesn’t listen.

Kristina grabs my harness and she yelps – not me. I’m too brave to yelp. I guess I hurt her leg when I jumped forward, and she was yelping at the pain (not in fear – she says).

The shark turns at us and hunches its back again. This time it doesn’t bump us. It swims in a circle and does its dance one more time. I growl to let it know I’m serious. Mr. Grey Suit swims about twenty feet away and stands off. I scared him! Ha!

Kristina is holding my harness and having trouble paddling. She keeps telling me to sit. Eventually, I get the message and settle down. She paddles us to safety and away from the beast.

What type of shark? I don’t have a clue. Big and grey.

Happy New Year.

Woof Woof.

Thanks for reading . . .

 

Cruising and Keeping Fit

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 4 Comments

Like most things in life, keeping fit is more fun if you have friends to keep fit with. I’m not going to talk about New Year’s resolutions, because I don’t make any, but I often get asked how do you keep fit while sailing. It depends on where we are. I run on the beach, swim laps, windsurf, kayak, walk, and with so many choices, I find yoga is an easy one to add in.

 

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

 

The cost of equipment is low. If you don’t have a yoga mat, a towel is fine.

Yoga can be done almost anywhere, but a shady spot to hide from direct sunlight  is best.

It doesn’t matter what skill level you are at, everyone is welcome to work at their own pace.

Having fun is the most important part.

Thank for reading . . .

Writing while Sailing: Retyping a novel

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 4 Comments

I love to read books and blogs on how to write and remember reading a tip I’ve never followed before.

The tip: When you’ve finished a good quality draft of your novel, put in a drawer for a least two weeks, longer if you have the patience. I’ve done this part. What I haven’t done is the next part of the tip. Retype your entire novel.

What? I thought, who has the time? And is it worth it?

Now that I’m back on Mattina, and we are in the Exumas, I’ve found the time.

I’ve typed in the first 8 chapters and am amazed at what I’m discovering.

First, typos appear fresh. I’ve seen some that I was sure I’d edited out.

Second, dropping clues too early jumped out at me. By letting time go by, I can see the novel with fresh eyes and have been able to hold back information. I think this will make the novel more tense.

Third, I had a few names that didn’t suit the character I’d assigned them to. Yup – changed those too.

Fourth, and the best result, when I read a sentence and it’s not the best it could be, I don’t want to type it back in. It’s easier to let go of writing and rewrite a sentence when it’s not on the page yet.

I’m amazed at how well this technique works. Yes, it’s a lot of work, but I think Look The Other Way will be a better novel because of it. Too bad my typing sucks.

If you have any editing techniques you’ve tried that worked for you, let me know.

Happy New Year!

Thanks for reading . . .

Farley’s Friday: Iguanas Bite Dogs?

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 5 Comments

Farley here.

My title was a little dramatic, but I got scared by a big old iguana. I think he was a grandpa protecting his gang.

Let me set the scene.

I’m in the dinghy leaning my head out into the wind, my paws are getting wet, and I’m excited about getting to shore.

I can see it, smell it, almost feel the sand on my feet when . . .

“Oh, there’s a sign posted,” Kristina says. “Maybe the island is private.”

My heart sinks.

“Let’s land and go read it,” Matt says.

Yay. As soon as the bottom of the dinghy hits the shoreline, I jump over Kristina’s legs and get to shore (just in case they decide we’re not going).

Now, I’ve never seen an iguana before and this one was pretty big.

Iguana

As Kristina read the sign, I heard her say, “No pets allowed. We better go.”

Too bad. I’m already out of reach. I’m going to have some fun.

The iguana charges me and tries to bite my nose. What’s up with that? Lucky for me, I am stellar quick and got out of the way. But does that stop me from chasing the iguana into the bushes. Nope. I’m off.

I can hear Kristina and Matt yelling for me, but my brain has turned off. I swear I’m not ignoring them, but I’m too excited to listen.

I stop abruptly in my tracks. “Wait.” I hear the dinghy engine start then fade away. “They’re leaving me?”

I bolt to the beach, my heart is pounding. “Don’t leave me,” I bark.

Too late, I realize it’s a trick. Kristina is in the dinghy, but where is Matt? I turn, and there he is standing behind me, leash in hand. I run to the left, then the right, but darn, he gets me. On goes my leash and Kristina comes back for us.

I should have known they wouldn’t leave me. I watch longingly as we drive away. I can see Grandpa iguana laughing at me.

Woof Woof.

Thanks for reading.

Farley’s Friday: A Kayaking Dog

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 8 Comments

Farley here.

So . . . I’m on a beach walk with Kristina when my friends Sue and Debi kayak nearby.

“Over here, over here, over here,” I bark at them.

Humans are too easy to train. The both kayak right to me. I go to Debi first for the mandatory head pet (my head, not hers), and then over to Sue.

I don’t like to go in water above my belly. I bounce and wag my tail, and Sue understands. She kayaks right into a foot of water. Now the opening of Sue’s kayak is big enough for me, so a lower onto my haunches and take one big leap.

“I’m in,” I bark. “Let’s get going.”

Everybody knows I love to kayak, so what are they laughing about? Like it’s a big surprise I jumped in. Maybe I got water and sand all over Sue, but really, it’s not that funny.

Farley Sue Kayaking

 

We take off, leaving Kristina alone on the beach.

“Wait, I didn’t mean to leave my human,” I whine, but Sue says, ”You’re okay,” and keeps paddling away. I rest my head on the top of the kayak looking moon-eyed back at Kristina. How can Sue ignore my cutest expression?

They take me to the mangroves and let me run free. What a blast! When Kristina finally arrives, I run and jump and show her how happy I am to see her. She needs to feel loved, and it’s my duty to make sure she does, even if I was having fun without her.

Woof. Woof.

Thanks for reading . . .

Communications while sailing in the Bahamas

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 12 Comments

Every year we add to our communication system. This year we bought an unlocked Samsung tablet, a cell signal booster, and a SIM card from Batelco.

Why?

Check out the anchorage below.  This is Bonds Cay. It’s 10 nautical miles from the nearest cell tower. We turned on our booster, voila, internet access. I chose this photo to show you how crowded (ha ha) the anchorage is. We’re the only boat here.

Mattina at BOnds Cay

Below, as we watched the sun rise, we drank our morning coffee and read the latest Windfinder we downloaded onto our tablet. It’s much easier to make plans based on the weather when we have regular weather reports. Without the tablet, we’d get up at 6:30 to listen to the weather over the single side band (okay we still do that too), but if we wanted to, we could sleep in.

Sunrise At Bonds Cay

We’ve come a long way from hiking to the nearest payphone to call home.

Thanks for reading . . .

Early Drafts: Having Your Novel Reviewed

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 9 Comments

Last year at this time I was working with Garry Ryan (2011 CWC President) through the CWC mentorship program on my 3rd novel Burnt. Burnt is now with my literary agent, Margaret Hart, awaiting comment.

I sent Garry about 10 pages at a time, he commented, I updated and sent the next 10 pages. I learned something new with each section. If you get the chance to be part of this program, it’s certainly worth it.

Many of you know my brother, Michael Conn, is also an author. I’ve convinced him that the process I went through with Garry improved my novel and that he, Michael, should do this with me for my next novel.

I’ve finished the first draft of my fourth novel, Look the Other Way, and Michael is reviewing it chapter by chapter. I send him one chapter, he comments, I update and on it goes.

At this early stage, Michael gives me his thoughts on story line, whether he likes a character or not, whether he thinks a sentence is foreshadowing something, and if the writing is good enough.

This helps me see the novel through his eyes and understand what impression I’m giving a reader.

It takes time and effort, but if you can find someone willing to do this for you, I recommend it. My only caution is that you must find someone you trust. It’s hard to put writing out there when it’s not in its most polished state.

Thanks for reading . . .