My Paradise

I recently finished stage 1 of draft 17 of my second novel, The Smart One. That means that I got to the last page and typed THE END, and then printed it out so I could edit it in hard copy.

I was so happy to get to this stage. Not just because I'm that much closer to sending it off to my editor, but because I'm no longer tied to my computer. I can take the ms. out into the world and edit wherever I want! (You might argue that I could have done this with my laptop, but you'd be wrong. Every try to reach a computer screen on the beach? Impossible.)

Anyway, for years I've been looking for a lush and solitary outdoor place I could sit and write, and this year I found one in a nearby park. I won't tell you where it is, but I will show you some pictures (click on images to enlarge) ...


Here is the bench where I sit. I put my blue backpack on it so you can see.

Though it looks kind of stagnant here, that water is actually a small running brook, right in front of the bench.

If you look carefully, you can see a wooden covered bridge that crosses over the stream.

My bench from another angle.

Today I went to the beach instead of the park. I got there before the crowds. The sky was very blue, the water was very calm, the air was very clear and I can still smell the clean brine. How I love this beach!

I go to a town beach in the Jones Beach area. Early in the morning, they drives special trucks through to rake the sand. You can see the tire treads.

I love the beach when it's empty.

My closest sand neighbors this morning.