Posted in Uncategorized

Do You Ever See Wild Animals?

Posted on by jennrae

Yes, I do see wild animals. Mostly deer, raccoons, possums and coyotes.

Also, a lot of wild birds. We have a nearby park, a couple of them actually where you can see a lot of wild birds. We get Canadian Geese that come through part of the year although they are gone in the winter. We have wild ducks as well, and I have even seen blue heron. I also see Bald Eagles and Red Tailed Hawks on a regular basis. Basically, everyday.

I have mixed feelings about Bald Eagles because they kill a lot of chickens and people’s pets around here. People have lost dogs and cats, and the aforementioned chickens. My parents lost their rooster, he was a cute mille fleur bantam. He kept the hens safe, but didn’t really stand a chance against such a big bird of prey. They had to put a mesh roof over it to stop it from coming back.

Deer will often just jump out into traffic too so you have to be careful driving around here. And, there is a local herd of elk here that can wander occasionally and block traffic. I’m lucky there are a lot of interesting animals.

There is a game farm around here, but I have mixed feelings about that too. I don’t really enjoy watching animals pace in enclosures. Although, it is like a drive thru zoo and the buffalo will go right up to the car which is cool. Originally it was filled with retired Disney animals from Charlie the Lonesome Cougar days. So, 70’s and 80’s. They have a lot of bears and such. But, I prefer to see native wildlife that are free and in their own habitat.

Daily writing prompt
Do you ever see wild animals?
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Posted in Life, Writing

Share Five Things You’re Good At.

Posted on by jennrae

Five things I am good at. I guess I am good at pretending to be more social or happy than I am. I work in customer service, and so it is kind of second nature for me to act like I am happy to see people, when in reality I’d rather be home typing on a keyboard. I’ve been doing it so long though that I don’t even have to think about it.

I am good at being on time, I plan ahead and take into account things like traffic and try to plan for the unexpected. I guess in a way I am good at planning things, making sure I have things taken care of should I need it.

I am a great reader. I used to not be when I was little because I had an overactive imagination and would just make up what I thought things said, but once I got it, I got it pretty good. I actually read faster than anyone I know. I used to think I was average, but every time I show an article to someone and we read it at the same time, I am always waiting forever for them to catch up.

I am good at drawing quick sketches, I can even do caricatures of people I know well, but I am not a professional by any means, and mostly I just do impulsive scribbles of dragons and horses and faces. But I am good at that.

I like to think writing, but honestly, I am not sure anymore. I try and I think I have improved. I do think I have some talent with ideas and presenting them in writing. And I have the imagination for it, but it is a matter of presenting it in a way that makes sense, is entertaining and is paced well. I seem to struggle with pacing, and too much information. Or I am just trying to do way too much all at once. But, I still think I am good at writing, just maybe not as good as I would like to be. Got to have goals though. I’ll get there.

Daily writing prompt
Share five things you’re good at.
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Posted in Life, Writing

What Is One Thing You Would Change About Yourself?

Posted on by jennrae

Mentally, I would like to be more disciplined. It is a struggle to keep motivated sometimes. I try to not to procrastinate, but there are days where I struggle. I wish it was easier to stay focused and on task.

Physically, I’m working on it. Basically get in better shape, financially also a work in progress, but working on it. Trying to create healthy habits all around so that I feel better about where I am going and that I am getting there. So far so good. I can’t complain about too much right now. Just gotta keep it up which is the key to success. I admit to not getting much if any writing done today. And, I slipped up on the social networking on X as well.

I’ll be honest, this is going to be difficult because this is the busy season for my day job, and I can be downright exhausted at the end of the day, plus sometimes I do not get the long lunch hour I normally get. I can’t even go home for lunch. It is just starting to ramp up, but I can feel it arriving very soon. It has definitely begun. I work for a large employer who has to do with mailing packages and such. That is as specific as I am going to get because they are weird about social media and I am not representing work on here in any way, shape, or form. End of that disclaimer.

Just saying I may have quiet days coming up because it will be a challenge and a possible roadblock. I guess If I was independently wealthy and could just focus on writing that would be awesome. At least on paper.

I have found when I take a vacation with the intent of getting a bunch of writing done, that I waste a lot more time and I am a lot less productive. So, me being in charge of my schedule doesn’t seem like it would be a winner. I may be the type of person that requires a deadline or a limitation of some sort to thrive. I always did best when I turned that final paper in for college at the last minute and pulled an all-nighter to get it done. It is like the pressure is good for me, even though it can be anxiety inducing.

Daily writing prompt
What is one thing you would change about yourself?
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Posted in Fiction, Writing

Time to Write — The Big Bad Bird

Posted on by jennrae

The crunch of brittle bones underneath her feet reminded her of where she was. The cave entrance was clammy and dark. The beam from her flashlight only traveled so far, illuminating one part of the massive wall. She could hear little skittering noises of some unknown critter running away from her obvious human footsteps. Her assistant cowered behind her slightly. She could hear his breathing and hear his steps.

“Just a little further, Wally. I know we are getting close.”

“Why does it have to stink so bad?” She shook her head and chuckled. She knew he would rather be in cozy office building or even a lab building. Anyplace with heat and light and less scurrying noises.

“Don’t worry. The blonde girl in front of you will protect you from the big bad bird.”

“Oh, whatever.” She heard him say under his breath, annoyed. He was such a child.

“Are you getting any of this? We should try to record as much as possible. Who knows when we will be allowed back.”

“The lighting is less than ideal, but I am trying.”

They ventured further in and the space got tighter. Hopefully there would be some eggshells or feather samples. A loud squawk could be heard outside suddenly. She stopped and waited. “Did you hear that, Wally?”

“Yeah. I don’t like it.”

She went against the wall slowly, motioning him to follow. She placed her fingers to her mouth in a quiet gesture. Wally followed her against the wall. She turned the flashlight off. He gasped, and she could feel his eyes on her. They held still and heard loud scratching and squawking as the bird creature entered the cave.

It seemed large, from the talon scratching although they had no light to see it. She gripped Wally’s hand, giving him a reassuring squeeze. Luckily, most birds don’t have a keen sense of smell. Although, vultures can smell decay. This creature was unknown. It was hard to say what its skills were. She made a silent prayer to God, even though it had been a while. It was an instinct to reach out to something somewhere.

She heard it scrape by its talons and heard it scrape the ground with its beak like a large chicken. Wally’s foot slipped slightly and skidded a rock which made a not so subtle noise. She heard the bird stop, and come back around slowly.

She tried to regulate her breathing to be quiet, but it was getting more difficult by the minute. It approached their wall slowly, she could hear the click clack of its talons. Her legs began to go numb from being in the same position and suddenly she dropped the flashlight.

She heard Wally scream and heard him go down. In a panic she found herself running to the cave entrance, and then felt a searing pain in her ankle, and she crashed into the bones. Then it was upon her, and she could feel the pain from the gouges until her mind completely shut down and spared her the additional pain.

Posted in Life

What Are Your Feelings About Eating Meat?

Posted on by jennrae

I have mixed feelings about eating meat. For a very long time I wouldn’t eat beef, or lamb. I still don’t eat lamb or veal. Avoiding red meat wasn’t hard, I did it as a kid. I wish I could say it was about the animals, but at the time it wasn’t. I just didn’t like steak and hamburger, and it would make me gag. Something about the gristle and fatty bits would make me retch. So, I wasn’t a fan of most meat.

The only meat I would eat consistently was turkey or chicken. We raised birds, but we didn’t usually butcher and eat our chickens. I think my mom got attached and it would’ve been like eating a pet, better to get the ones we didn’t know from the store.

But I didn’t have any ethical concerns at that age. I could easily divorce the product from the animal, especially because I didn’t do much, if any, of the cooking. Now, I can eat hamburger without retching, and so I now occasionally eat beef. I still don’t eat it everyday. But now that I am older I also hear and learn more about how the animals used for slaughter are treated.

So, now I have ethical concerns, especially with chicken. The idea of living your whole life in a small box. That is actually what inspired the Alice In Chains song “Man in the Box.” It is kind of horrific. Nowadays, I still eat mostly poultry, occasional beef. But rarely pork. But it is hard, I have to cook the chicken, and I can see what it used to be. I applaud those that can not eat meat.

I don’t eat it everyday, I like a lot of vegetarian style meals, but sometimes it is less expensive to have chicken and rice if I am feeling less than adventurous. I always say a sort of internal prayer to the meat like “I’m sorry, and I’m thankful that you gave up your life so I can eat. I hope you didn’t suffer too much.”

At least I get the eggs from my mom’s chickens which are spoiled rotten. They eat better and have more enrichment than some people. And, they die peacefully of old age when their time comes. I do think the eggs taste better for it. There isn’t any fear, there is a richer flavor, and the yolk is more orange than yellow suggesting they are getting a better diet.

If I didn’t live in the middle of town I would have chickens in a heart beat, bantams, just because they are smaller. I don’t know if I could butcher and eat them. I am a bit soft hearted like my mom. Maybe if civilization comes crashing down and I have to live like the old days I could find the inner strength to do that to survive. But, until then I will just do the best I can and be grateful for the food I do have. I try not to waste any food, because I know it can be hard to come by, and I know the animal made the ultimate sacrifice. I don’t want it to be in vain.

Daily writing prompt
What are your feelings about eating meat?
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Posted in Writing

What Technology Would You Be Better Off Without, Why?

Posted on by jennrae

Smart appliances and smart devices. I feel like the more app focused things in a house or a car, or anything really, the more dependent we are on technology doing things and thinking for us. A good example would be something like Google Maps.

I have noticed a decline in navigation skills in a lot of younger people, and even myself. I have gotten used to the app, and no longer pay as much attention to the actual roads or try to investigate alternate routes. And then the app gets confused in an alley and I can’t figure out my own way out of it.

I guess I feel any technology that can cause dependence or less cognitive function can be bad in the long run. We need to foster critical thinking and problem solving and increasingly this app based tech encourages less thinking and less problem solving which if it were to continue to get integrated into our lives may eventually make us unable or unwilling to figure out solutions.

Eventually all technology and civilizations stumble and fall. If it has a beginning, it inevitably has an end. If it were to end with us unable to problem solve, we would be unable to rebuild and it would be an ugly end. Or perhaps the people who could rediscover these skills would be the only people that could survive.

Daily writing prompt
What technology would you be better off without, why?
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Posted in Fiction

The Crash

Posted on by jennrae

She listened to the waves crash along the beach, powerful water grabbing and releasing material into and out of the ocean in equal measure. The skies were dark, cloudy and the wind was brutal. She got up slowly, turning around to see the cliffs begin to crumble, boulders bounding down onto the beach from the imposing cliffside. The uneven rocks kept her feet on edge while the ground shook and broke apart underneath her. She hunkered down by a picnic table, looking for protection from the angry nature goddess throwing all the elements at her.

Her car had broken down on arrival, and she wasn’t mechanically inclined, and had no idea what was wrong with it. Her phone was nearly dead, and she had no bars in this remote place.

She knew she should have taken the car in; she should have brought a friend or maybe her brother, just anyone, so she wouldn’t have to be here all alone, which was the most frightening thing about all this. Being alone and unable to reach anyone or anything, trapped in loneliness, trapped in helplessness.

 Trapped by her own pride in not being able to ask for help. Why couldn’t she just reach out, once, at least. Look up the weather, look up how a car or even how a phone works. The rain started to come down freezing cold at an angle, chilling her to the bone. She could see a house on top of the cliff. A remote mansion, in that new modern style, suggesting solar panels, and smart features, the kind of house you might see in a movie.

Anything would be better than staying out here in this mess, she thought, trying to find how to get up there. Is there a pathway, or a road? She saw a path, a foot path, that may lead in that direction.

She walked steadily embracing her coat fiercely to keep warm toward the path.

Posted in Life

What’s the Hardest Decision You’ve Ever Had to Make? Why?

Posted on by jennrae

The hardest for me was to admit I needed help and to move back to my hometown when I was pregnant. I have always been very stubborn, and very independent. So, admitting I was out of my depth and needed help was very hard. And, dealing with it all by myself was too much. I needed to be closer to my family and I needed the support. I had left a very ugly domestic violence situation and so was very isolated.

So, I was very alone, and the stakes were very real. It was the best decision I made because sometimes you have to admit you need other people and I really don’t know what would have happened to me had I stayed over there. I’ve made a lot of dumb decisions or at least questionable ones in the past. I kind of learn by stumbling around figuring things out as I go. Someone was looking out for me to give me the wisdom I needed in that moment. I believe that.

Daily writing prompt
What’s the hardest decision you’ve ever had to make? Why?
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Posted in Uncategorized

Do You or Your Family Make Any Special Dishes for the Holidays?

Posted on by jennrae

My mom loves to cook and makes enough food to feed an army. I used to bring a salad on occasion, but there is always too much food. We have all the usual fixings for an American Thanksgiving. Turkey, ham, stuffing and cranberry sauce. We usually also have candied yams, and some kind of fruit salad and a pea salad.

Usually we also have deviled eggs and celery sticks with cheese filling. Olives, and biscuits. Of course a thick gravy with mashed potatoes. Sometimes roasted asparagus or brussels sprouts. Sparkling cider to drink as well and an apple pie, possibly a pumpkin pie.

Basically a pretty normal fare, nothing too different or unusual. But what I like most about Thanksgiving is spending the quality time with my family and joining together around the table. It is like Christmas without all the stuff and expectations. In a lot of ways, I prefer it. I hope everyone has a good day tomorrow, whether you celebrate or not, just good vibes all around.

Jenny Rae

Daily writing prompt
Do you or your family make any special dishes for the holidays?
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Posted in Fiction, Life

Time To Write — Where Is Here?

Posted on by jennrae

What is love? What is a feeling? Does it matter? Do we matter?

I wanted to say resoundingly, “Yes! Of course.” But then tomorrow there would be bills to pay, work to do, and the minutiae of everyday life. The things that can get in the way of the more exciting and wild life that I crave. It is like a slow death walking through the grocery store picking up this and that, deciding yes, I want to try that cocoa cereal, or I need the circular ice cube tray because it is there, and why not?

And then I am home with my circular ice cubes thinking, why did I buy this? Who cares about the shape of ice cubes? Then my mind wanders thinking about people who may not have easy access to water. They would probably love to have ice cubes, no matter the shape. Everything is just so commercial here. Commoditized for consumption. You don’t like that sweater, throw it away and get another. Don’t feel like cooking tonight? Order in.

I feel chained to a job I do not love to pay bills for things I may not need so I can live a life I find dull. I want adventure. To be swept off my feet and taken to an exotic location. Someone that holds me and listens to me complain about nothing. I feel like a train passenger in my own life, only the conductor never stops and I can’t get off.

Please let me off here, I want to enjoy this moment a little longer please. No response. He keeps going and ten years pass, and then another five, and I am wondering, what happened? Where did the time go? Why am I here? Where is here? And, then when I figure it out, it will be too late.