Dog House

I watched “Hugo” the other day and had such pangs of my long lost youth and the days when I could imagine everything under the sun had the potential for magic.  I have such admiration for writers like J.R. Rowlings who can imagine a whole world of adventure for her characters and keep them going into 7 volumes.  These days I struggle to write a couple of paragraphs simply to keep my juices flowing.

       It’s not all excuses that stop the creativity; it’s not just the outdoors beckoning me; I have all these frightful doubts; but most of all, I fear the imagination isn’t what it used to be.

       My friends and family will gasp in amazement because there is no one quicker to come up with a dubious scenario when an odd event occurs.  Who can forget the drama I created in my head as I stood outside a building waiting for the bus and decided that I was observing a crime “go down” when a poor innocent police officer went into the building putting on his plastic gloves (in the July heat, let it be noted)?  Yes, I had a whole plot unfold in my mind to such an extent that I had to move out of the certain line of fire as he would come out of the building, guns ablazing!  I’m very adept at coming up with scenes like that in my head, but try putting that on paper and keeping the story going.  That’s a different kettle of fish.

       Currently I have created a story involving my incredible critters when they go out each morning to their Hunting Lodge (also known as the great woodpile “a fire waiting to happen” as someone rudely described it).  While Thumper heads into the inner chamber to beat the bushes, Cherie mans the fort to ensure that no little mouse, mole or varmint escapes into the field beyond.  The leftovers are brought home to Mama and I for special admiration (and to ensure that they can come back inside for dessert).  These inventive little fellows have come up with the ultimate in good cop/bad cop and my mother is falling for it hook, line and sinker.  First she takes Thumper’s side and then she quickly rescues Cherie while Thumper hides under the bed.  They have her charmed. 

Pretty soon I will be completely out of the limelight – I see it all now.  I’m going to have to do something about that.

Oh, did I forget to start the story with the truth – I’m in the dog house because I forgot to give Mom the key when she went out.  Ooops.