Not too old to tent...

Don't forget -- coming in September!

While fireworks fill the sky on the last night of The Greatest Show on Earth, also known as The Calgary Stampede, a man with a past is shot on his front doorstep. Detectives Janice Maidstone and Scott Amble are called to the quiet suburban neighbourhood. Love has many forms, but which one led to an innocent man’s death?

As far as police work goes, Janice can’t imagine working with a better partner than Scott. The problem is, it’s a race against time, as one or both of them may soon follow their hearts and seek new lives outside of the city.

The book will be available: https://www.bookswelove.com/shop, www.bonnybeswick.com, www.amazon.ca/books, and independent bookstores near you!

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Am I Too Old for Tenting?

Back in the day, I enjoyed long-weekend tent camping (likely a large factor in this enjoyment was my boyfriend at the time, Randall). We car-camped, where the only limiting factor in what could be taken was how much room there was in his vehicle (a boxy little Toyota Corolla). Occasionally, though, I went backcountry camping with other friends, where comfort was sacrificed for a lighter backpack, miles and hours away from roads.

Then, for many reasons, I became one of the fluffy-towel crowd—vacationing in hotels with soft beds, clean towels, flush toilets, and hot and cold running water. Worries about bears and shaking out clothes and shoes before putting them on to check for unwelcome insects (think scorpions and spiders) evaporated with air conditioning, central heating, and beds that didn’t require getting up off the ground.  

After (many) decades, the camping bug has again bitten me. I’ve fallen down the Google hole researching tents, sleeping pads, camp stoves, campgrounds, and gadgets (usually outrageously expensive) to enhance the outdoor experience.

But even before I made my first purchase, I reserved spots in two campgrounds: Beauvais Lake Provincial Park and Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park, both in southern Alberta. What fun, I thought! Falling asleep to the sounds of night birds and waking up to their morning twitters. Sitting at my little campfire, maybe even pulling a foil-wrapped package of potatoes, carrots, onions, and a chicken breast, roasted in a liberal bath of sage butter, for my dinner. And maybe for dessert, another small package of puff pastry encasing sliced apples with cinnamon and sugar.

After only a few internet searches looking for reviews on tents, camp stoves, etc., my social media feeds filled with advertisements and videos on everything I don’t need, from portable outdoor toilets (the five-gallon bucket with a toilet seat sounds like an easy, inexpensive, and workable solution, a few steps up from squatting over a hole or the aromatic outhouse) to knot-tying videos, to camp food preparation. A visit to Bridens, www.bridensolutions.ca, located just off Highway #1 at the Calaway Park turnoff is on my schedule.

Time that I should have spent editing the second book in my Lady Mary series, set in Argentina, was hijacked to making lists and researching suitable campgrounds.

But as the mountain of gear piled in my living room, and the credit card charges began to appear, I lay awake at night worrying.

What about bears and cougars? At Beauvais Lake Provincial Park, not only are bears ubiquitous, but there’s also a healthy population of mountain-sized kitty cats. I’ve always been a little afraid of the dark, so how am I going to manage trekking to the outhouse in the middle of the night, cursing the after-dinner hot cup of tea I enjoyed around the “romantic” campfire?

I’m attuned to bear safety, but how do I dispose of my dishwater? I plan to store my food and toiletries in my vehicle, but what about the person who camped in the spot before me? Did they drain their bacon grease in the forest behind the tent platform? Will the zippers on my tent seal tightly enough so that creepy crawlies can’t crawl in?

My first reservation was for July 8; the second is August 24.

I haven’t been this excited for a long time. Every night, I count the number of sleeps left before I’ll be in my tent under the stars.

My first trip in early July, went wonderfully. Beauvais Lake Provincial Park is a gem -- well treed and quiet. It has the added bonus of my twin sister and her husband have a cabin there. In case things went to hell-in-a-handbasket, they were my failsafe.

I'll do a play-by-play next month, but here's me having my first coffee.

Stay tuned for updates on my camping adventures. Should you wish to make predictions on the longevity of my questionable holiday decision making, let me know.

WHEN WORDS COLLIDE UPDATE

I’m writing this in mid July, and there are only 18 sleeps until When Words Collide, August 14—17 at the Calgary Hyatt Regency Hotel, kicks off. Responsible for wrangling volunteers, I’m thrilled to have almost everyone in place for the weekend.

Right up until the festival starts, you can still register at www.whenwordscollide.org. I hope you do—it promises to be an absolutely wonderful weekend. The energy of almost 900 published and working-towards-publication authors fills the panels, workshops, seminars and keynote addresses. It’s not just for writers, of course. For readers, there are behind-the-scenes looks at the world of writing, from how to find your creative muse, doing your research, how to write scintillating prose (and poetry), and how to publish.

PUBLICATION UPDATE

As you saw at the beginning of this blog, “What Love Made Us Do” will be out on bookshelves in September. I am putting together a schedule of book signings—I’ll post them on Facebook, Instagram, and my webpage as soon as things are finalized. I hope to see you at one of them!

In the meantime, enjoy all the summer activities—relaxing on your patio, getting garden dirt under your fingernails, taking road trips, and experiencing new adventures!