Rebecca M. Douglass, Author

I had to pull it together at the last minute, but I couldn't pass up this week's #writephoto prompt from KL Caley at New2Writing.com , because the photo is mine!    Through the Portal It was just a walk in the park. Lady Wilhemina Anscott-Bartleby, known to her friends as Willie and to all the old biddies as “that dreadful daughter of Lord Bartleby, poor man,” snuck out of the house as soon as the rain stopped. Three days shut up with the family and her parents’ dreadful friends was more than enough. Fresh air was required. To avoid problems with servants and relations, she dressed in boy’s clothes and snuck out the back door, her outfit crowned by the most disreputable newsboy’s hat. Actually, Willie knew Tommy for a perfectly respectable newsboy with an excellent reputation. What’s more, he had a head for business. He’d driven a hard bargain about that hat. She’d ended up not only paying him full replacement costs but an extra charge for the time he’d spent breaking it in f...

  Title: 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste Author: Katheryn Kellog Publication Info: Countryman Press, 2019 Source: Library digital resources Publisher’s Blurb: We all know how important it is to reduce our environmental footprint, but it can be daunting to know where to begin. Enter Kathryn Kellogg, who can fit all her trash from the past two years into a 16-ounce mason jar. How? She starts by saying “no” to straws and grocery bags, and “yes” to a reusable water bottle and compostable dish scrubbers. In 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste , Kellogg shares these tips and more, along with DIY recipes for beauty and home; advice for responsible consumption and making better choices for home goods, fashion, and the office; and even secrets for how to go waste free at the airport. “It’s not about perfection,” she says. “It’s about making better choices.” This is a practical, friendly blueprint of realistic lifestyle changes for anyone who wants to reduce their waste.   My Review: I foun...

But not zero writing! I have continued to write every day when camped in the front country, and the novel is now nearing 65K. I took a break while backpacking this week, but came up with a vision (I think) for where it goes from here more or less to the end. Since that vision was developed while hiking at over 11,000', I will believe it when it actually works out on paper! For those who are wondering, the new book is a new heroine, new setting, and as yet lacks a title. I'm just calling it Seffi's Book for now. More updates on that when inspiration strikes! We are enjoying three nights of front-country camping, then four more of backpacking, before I head home and try to tie up the loose ends. By the time we end the trip, I expect to be over 70K words and have the end in sight--today is a total rest day, so a good writing day (well, rest, groceries, laundry, and a few other errands, but mostly entertaining ourselves). Here are a few more teaser photos from the cell phone. L...

 We are back in civilization for an hour or two to do laundry. It comes to every camper and hiker! So here's my chance to catch up. Yes, as a writer! Since our hikes have started typically by 7:15 or 7:30 a.m., we've been done and in camp by mid-afternoon. That's enough time to do some writing, and so far I have written every day, I think at least 1000 words. The new novel is up to 59,237  words as of this writing, and keeping the daily momentum means it's kind of coming together. I do think there will be a lot of moving scenes around--I'm envisioning a lot of notecards to rearrange on a big wall. Meanwhile, here is proof I've been writing: Outside when conditions allow. When the mosquitoes are too bad, I move into my BiL/SiL's camper Mornings are spent soaking up the soul-healing beauty of the Sierra Nevada. Little Lakes Valley, Rock Creek The beauty of the ancient trees Table Mountain, above Bishop Creek. Treasure Lake, S. Fork Bishop Creek Three happy hik...

 It's time once again for the Insecure Writer's Support Group monthly post!    The IWSG is a fantastic group of writers and bloggers who share posts the first Wednesday of each  month. Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! The awesome co-hosts for the August 4 posting of the IWSG are PK Hrezo, Cathrina Constantine, PJ Colando, Kim Lajevardi, and Sandra Cox! Every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.  Remember, the question is optional! August 4 question - What is your favorite writing craft book? T...

After studying the pile of plastic waste that I collected in only 10 days (see this post ), I am still at loss how to avoid many of the sources of single-use plastic. I have found that at least one local store still takes some bags, and will recycle what I can, but as I remain skeptical that much will actually get recycled, I have identified a few places where I can make a little extra effort and reduce my use of single-use bags in the first place (note: I do try to re-use whatever I can, as many times as I can. In the end, they are still plastic waste). 1. I will make more fabric produce bags, and shop where I can use them. I made a LOT of these a couple of years ago and gave them out at Christmas. In the end, I didn't have enough left for myself. They're a little fussy to make and I've been lazy, and never got around to making more. Time to fix that! (BTW, the fabric is another case of re-using something that would otherwise be waste, a set of worn-out sheer curtains I kn...

Jemima Pett suggested it, and since there are so many more photos in my Grand Canyon rafting album than I was able to share even in 8 posts on the trip, I'm doing one more, just for some of the pretties that didn't make the cut. Of course, I lost track of the days of the week again, so here's my Photo Friday coming on Saturday again. These are just some random photos from the first half of the trip that didn't make it into the main trip reports, with minimal commentary. Approaching Navajo Bridge, Day 1   First morning on the river Looking for whitewater Some kind of wormish fossil The sandstone and limestone portions of the Canyon are full of fossils. It's not just fossils. The Canyon is full of life.  Humans, too, sometimes being strange. The apex of river fashion Creekside boulder reveals the radical variations in water level in the Little Colorado Keep an eye on the sky. Morning haze. Water color The beautiful green or clear water we had all the way isn't nat...