Hot Time in the City

Heat has settled like a Hudson's Bay blanket over the Ottawa Valley and most of Ontario. Tomorrow, Canada Day, is expected to hit 47 degrees C with the humidex factored in. We're about to experience the tropics in the Canadian North. (I will not be attempting to straighten my hair.

This has been another quiet week on the publicity front so I've been able to write every day. My goal was to reach 40,000 words by the end of June and I'm now heading up to 43,000 words - a good thing as July is going to be busy. I started filling in information Dundurn requested for the publication of Turning Secrets (book 6 in the Stonechild series) next year and have to focus on this soon. It's due back July 6 and I have a ways to go. So, another week at the computer ahead.

Speaking of which, the City of Ottawa is 'revitalizing' our street. This involves replacing sewers and water lines. The truck noise, which includes continual beeping, diesel trucks idling, and pounding that shakes the house, begins at 7 a.m. and goes on until 5 p.m. or so every week day. The dust blows and settles around and in our house and yard so that I have to keep the windows closed - and we're told to expect this for the entire summer. I've been typing at my computer and it's vibrating from the pounding going on metres away. Makes concentration difficult, sometimes impossible. I feel for the construction workers who have to live with this day in and day out, slaving away out there in the heat and humidity and dirt. We have it easy by comparison. Still, everyone on the street is eagerly anticipating the autumn silence.

I went downtown to Tim Wynne-Jones book launch on Tuesday evening and picked up a signed copy of The Ruinous Sweep. It was great to see Tim and to hear him read from his latest book - he's also the voice on the audiobook version. The protagonists in this book are two older teens but Tim says the book crosses into adult and is a mystery/thriller. I'm excited to give it a read.

And that's it for my book news.

So plans for Canada Day? I went strawberry picking yesterday morning before the heat settled in and will be baking my annual strawberry shortcake to bring to our friends' house for supper. We've been getting together with them most Canada Days since the kids were little. This year as always, it's worth stopping and appreciating this vibrant, inclusive and free country that we call home. Now more than ever. we cannot take all that we have for granted.

Cheers Canada! You're looking mighty good for your 151 years.