Author: Karen GoatKeeper

Karen GoatKeeper loves to write. Her books include picture books, novels and nonfiction for science activity books and nature books. A recent inclusion are science teaching units.
The coming year has goals for two new novels, a picture book and some books of personal essays. This is ambitious and ignores time constraints.
She lives in the Missouri Ozarks with her small herd of Nubian dairy goats. The Ozarks provides the inspiration and setting for most of her books.

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GKP Writing News

Writing Demons

No, I haven’t decided to try writing a horror story. My writing demons aren’t part of a story. Instead, they do their best to destroy my stories.

Most writers have these naysayers lying in wait in their heads. They wait until the writer is tired or having plot problems or is trying to rewrite a draft. Then they pounce.

Writing Demons

Your story is lame. It’s rubbish. No one in their right mind would want to read this garbage.

This story is boring. Writing is a waste of time. The methods are endless, but all have the goal of making a writer give up.

Coping With Demons

Nothing gets rid of these naysayers. Their roots go back too far.

Coping begins with taking care to get enough sleep as these demons feed on fatigue. Not forgetting to eat healthy foods on time so the stomach doesn’t invite them in helps too.

Having a good friend or two to admire a story helps. This is true even if you know the friend would say the story is good regardless.

Another method is to tell the naysayers to go away. You know they are lying to you and choose to ignore them.

cover for "Capri Capers" by Karen GoatKeeper
I think this is the only book I’ve written free from my writing demons. Perhaps they got fooled as I wrote this book just for fun, not taking it seriously until after it was done.

The Final Strategy

The writing demons will visit whenever they think your defenses are down. Beating them can be hard.

Stubbornness and persistence are the last and most effective strategies. The writer must just ignore the demons, sit down and write.

If the words that day aren’t that great, so what? Rewriting and editing will fix that.

The book is aching to get finished. There is only one way to finish it: keep writing.

Life’s Rules

I’ve started rewriting this novel. The demons are lurking.

So far the lines include: the novel is too long; there isn’t enough action; there is too much backstory put into the first chapter.

The first is true and rewrite should trim several thousand words. Maybe there isn’t enough action, but this isn’t an action novel. This is a novel about a woman getting old, being dissatisfied with her life and trying to change.

And that’s another way to cope with the writing demons. Listen to and evaluate what they are saying. Some of it may improve the story.

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Latest From High Reaches

Winter Hikes

The hills are covered with bare branches. They don’t look very inviting for winter hikes, but there are interesting things out there.

Birds

Most of the year birds say hidden behind leaves. I hear them singing or scolding, but rarely catch more than a glimpse.

Winter is different. There are few leaves to hide behind. Fewer kinds of birds are out there, but they can be seen.

Cardinals are the most visible. The males have put on their mating finery so their red glows.

Woodpeckers are beginning to nest so the sound of wood being chiseled is everywhere. The males are drumming to advertise their latest nesting holes.

Carolina Wren on Bird Feeder
I put out fresh sunflower seeds to lure in a couple of cardinals. They went elsewhere. Chickadees came to enjoy the bounty. Carolina wrens don’t normally stop at the feeder, but this one decided to inspect it.

Plants

The trees and shrubs may be bare, the ground isn’t. Mosses and lichens coat the ground with greens and grays. Christmas and ebony spleenwort ferns add green spikes.

A number of plants do sprout in the late summer into fall and overwinter as small sets of leaves. Trying to identify them is a fun challenge on winter hikes.

Trees and I have an uneasy relationship. I like trees. However, photographing them is difficult as they are so tall.

Still, on winter hikes, I take photographs of winter buds on branches I pull down. Then I go in to stumble my way through the “Missoui Trees in Winter” keys trying to identify them.

Once the trees leaf out, I will go back and use leaves to identify these trees. And I can look up to the branches far overhead on some trees I can’t include in my Flora project unless I learn to climb trees.

green mosses light up winter hikes
Mosses are among the very earlies plants. They need moist places and thrive even in frigid temperatures. Over the winter, with the trees bare, mosses green up absorbing the winter sun adding color to the Ozark hills during winter hikes.

Weather

The biggest drawback to winter hikes is the weather. Many days I stand at the windows looking out at the hills. Cold, rain, snow, ice are good reasons to stay inside.

One nice thing about the Ozarks weather are the warmer spells mixed into the cold ones. Going out walking is possible then.

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Gardens Need Seeds

As I try to finish putting my garden to bed for the winter, the seed catalogs lure me with their gorgeous pictures. After all, gardens need seeds to grow all those crops next season.

The Fun Part

Seed catalogs are the fun part of gardening. Each kind and variety looks so enticing. Each page is pored over, drooled over and finally flipped over to expose the next list of possible plants.

As I look through the catalogs, I start a list of seeds I would like to order. The list gets longer and longer. Window shopping is fun.

gardens need seeds and transplants like Broccoli
This fall I planted broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts transplants. With the arrival of cold weather, the two beds were put under plastic ‘tents’ to keep them warmer overnight and during the day. Cauliflower is much more cold sensitive and was cheerfully consumed by my Nubian buck. The broccoli is making florets. The sprouts have sprouts on them. Big tomato cages provide supports under the plastic draped over wires strung around posts. Rain does pool in the plastic in places, but these temporary shelters do work.

Reality Sets In

There are vegetables we don’t like to eat. There are vegetables I can’t grow for one reason or another.

Corn is one of these. We love sweet corn. Raccoons do too. Unless I want to spend my nights out in the garden, gun in hand, the raccoons eat all of the corn.

My garden is finite. The wish list is not. Unfortunately, the garden wins, mostly.

Time is also finite. The Ozarks does have a long growing season, but I don’t want to wait until September for those first tomatoes. Since I can’t set tomatoes and peppers out until mid to late May, those plants with long growing times won’t produce in time.

gardens need seeds and transplants like Brussels sprouts
Buying Brussels sprouts is much more convenient than growing them. The plants take up a lot of room yielding not that many sprouts. However, the leaves are good to eat too. They can be shredded for stir fry or dropped into soups and stews. Of course, my Nubian goats (especially Augustus) think I grow these just for them, a welcome winter treat.

Gardens Need Seeds

Once the wish list is done and reality sets in, the seed list gets trimmed. What will get planted where? How many plants can I fit into the space allotted? Can I use succession planting? If I grow it, will we et it? If we can’t eat it all, can I sell it?

By mid January, the seed lists need to become seed orders. Gardening season begins in late January for my garden. That’s when the leek and Savoy cabbage seeds are started. The transplants move to the garden in March.

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GKP Writing News

Setting Writing Deadlines

This year has been very disappointing for my writing. No new books were finished. This isn’t because I didn’t have books to work on – there are six of them. Perhaps setting writing deadlines will get some of these finished.

Word Counts Won’t Work

Out of the six books, three have rough drafts mostly done, two are picture books with the text done leaving only one needing a draft written. Rewriting isn’t new writing with word counts. Setting writing deadlines will entail chapters, not words.

Even more, setting writing deadlines can be publishing times. I want to finish Life’s Rules by mid March for personal reasons. It needs rewriting, translations, ruthless cutting as it is far too long. It will be the primary focus now.

Once this book is done, I will return to “The Carduan Chronicles”. March is a good time to get back to Ship Nineteen as all the spring plants will be growing. Which are edible? Which would be easy for the crew to find and use? The draft may be written, but it needs a lot of setting work included in the rewrite.

“The Carduan Chronicles: Ship Eighteen” only needs the rewrite done. Even the current draft is close to final. The rewrite will be mostly an edit.

doing digital and print versions requires a title page
Several more chemistry teaching units are written. Some of the investigations need redoing. The stories aren’t written yet. Writing takes so much time.

Setting Writing Deadlines

I would like the first two books of “The Carduan Chronicles” ready to publish this fall. They do have one problem: the third book. It is little more than a list of bullet points right now.

There are other writing projects to slip into any free moment. There are two website posts to write every week. Goodreads gets at least four picture book reviews every week. There should be three book reviews every two weeks to reach my goal of 70 books read over the year. And there is a book review for my local public library every month.

If I want to stress out, I can add illustrations for the two picture books and chemistry teaching units. There is the picture book writing workshop planned for the summer.

The New Year will be busy.

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GKP Writing News

Laundromat 101 Hints

Although “At the Laundromat” is a picture book, many adults would benefit reading it too. This slender volume is a short course in Laundromat 101 or laundromat basics.

Laundromat 101 reminder to check pockets
It’s amazing what people leave in their pockets when they toss the clothes into the washing machine. Many times these are left behind in the laundromat machines.

Hint 1: Empty Your Pockets

One of the first things I do when I clean the machines in the laundromat is to check inside them. Since all of the washing machines are front loaders, this means turning the drums so anything left behind falls down making them easy to find.

This doesn’t always work as carpenters of DIY builders sometimes leave nails and screws in their pockets. These get caught in the holes in the drum and must be pulled out.

More commonly pocket contents such as keys, rings, earrings, money, lighters fall down. Then there are the socks. The machines really do eat your missing socks, but only because you didn’t look for them.

cover for "At the Laundromat" by Karen GoatKeeper
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Writing Character Motivations

When I look at these various lost items, I reflect about what their loss can mean. Most items are things the owner would find annoying, but not a problem. What about house keys? Car keys? Engagement rings? The week’s budget money?

Would the character panic? How did the character drive home without their car keys? Maybe the character never locks the front door so losing the front door key isn’t important? Perhaps the character makes enough money so losing shat to others is a lot of money isn’t to them.

It’s so easy writing to write as though every character reacts the way we do. For a good writer, that is not true. Every character has their own motivation, their own reaction to events in the novel.

This is one of the big challenges in writing. The author must set aside their own reactions and become, in a small measure, the character so their reactions and actions ring true. They are not clones, but independent characters.

Laundromat 101 Hints

First, check your pockets before tossing those clothes into the washer. Second, turn the drum after you take the clothes out. That last goes for the dryer too. You never know what might show up.

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Latest From High Reaches

Black Spots on Nubian Kid

I’ve seen a lot of spots on Nubian kids over the years. This is the first time I’ve seen black spots on Nubian kid. They are striking against a soft brown.

White and Brown Spots

Usually, kids have white spots like one or both of their parents. Sometimes they have hazy edges. This is usually when the background color is a bit frosty.

The deep black with white spots coloring is the one people love. For a time goat owners would breed just to get this combination. The problem was that the color didn’t necessarily keep good milk production and conformation with it.

Brown spots on kids are sometimes called liver spots. Generally, these start turning white in a few months. Sometimes the main spot will be white with a brown edge.

American Nubian buck kid
At a week old this Nubian buck kid is practicing looking impressive. He is also starting to chew on everything, not for teething, but to get bacteria in his rumen and start his cud. Yes, he will be for sale in a few months.

Black Spots Are New

Nubian doe High Reaches Spring is a red brown with brown ears. Her color goes back to some red bucks like Goat Town USA Gaius. She has no spots nor any spots in her background.

Nubian buck High Reaches Silk’s Augustus is gray with frosted or white ears and nose. He has lots of white spots. Red is in his background. He is the only buck in my herd.

Both of these buck kids are definitely Augustus’ kids. He passed on his frosted ears and nose to them.

One is red brown with black dorsal stripe. He is big and bold. His stance is often that of a proud buck.

Then there is the other one. Black spots on Nubian kid surprise. These spots are jet black. His coat is brown so the spots really show up.

Will These Black Spots Turn White?

Liver spots turn white. Augustus has white spots. Spotted Nubian goats usually have white spots.

Over the next few months, I will watch and see if these spots change color. They probably will. However, it would be nice for them to stay like they are now.

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GKP Writing News

Laundromat Repairs

Many people come into the laundromat because their home washer or dryer broke down. But the washers in the laundromat break down too needing laundromat repairs.

Simple Repairs

The easiest laundromat repairs aren’t really break downs. Sometimes people put in quarters too fast and they get stuck. Once these are taken out, the washer is fine.

Screws and nails caught in the drum or inside of the washer are another problem. Once these are pulled out, the washers are fine.

cover for "At the Laundromat" by Karen GoatKeeper
Get your free eBook version from Smashwords using coupon code 4XU7N.

Drain Problems

When a washer won’t drain, clothes are wet, really wet, drippy wet. Most of the time the problem is an underwire bra wire caught across the drain and covered with lint. This requires opening up the drain and removing the wire.

One washer stopped draining. It wasn’t a wire. A repairman had to come. He found someone had washed a rubber backed rug in the machine. The rug must have been old so the rubber came apart into little balls.

The balls formed a big, solid clog in the drain. It required breaking the clog up and removing it piece by piece.

Old dog beds with broken seams will do much the same thing as the stuffing comes out in the wash. One time it stopped the biggest washer completely as the space between the washer drum and the drain drum filled completely up. It took a long time to pull all of the stuffing out.

Washers need laundromat repairs
Lots of people use the washers at the laundromat. As the machines get older, parts wear out and need repair. This is from “At the Laundromat”.

Wearing Out

Even the expensive laundromat washers wear out. The repairman checked out a washer that wouldn’t work and found it needed new parts.

When the washer drums spin, they move. Just like in a car, these drums have shock absorbers. There are four attached to the washer drum and two had worn out.

The washer must be taken out, opened up and the absorbers replaced. Then the washer is put back into place. Once the drain is reattached, the washer is ready for the next customer.

Laundromat repairs are needed often to keep all of the washers and dryers working properly. Usually the repairs are simple. The more complex ones are interesting to watch as the machine is opened up showing how the machine works.

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Thoughts About Gardening

The wish books have arrived filled with gorgeous pictures of produce. Even a bit of snow can’t stop the thoughts about gardening.

Looking Back

Considering the heat, sun and drought this last summer, my garden did very well. My freezers are full. The fall garden is producing. It was a successful gardening year.

There were problems. The heat and sun kept me inside too much so the weeds got out of control.

These also made the tubs too hot for the plants growing in them. The dirt was bath water warm! Shade is an important item to plan for next year.

Rabbit Food?
My Savoy cabbages looked great until the rabbits found them. However my Nubian buck Augustus didn’t mind rabbit nibbled cabbage snacks. My garden fence needs improvements.

Looking Forward

I grew a number of new plants last summer. Some were a success. Others were not.

Chinese eggplant is a better tub plant than traditional eggplant. Carrots need more water and more shade.

Sunflowers will not be in the garden again. Better planning for succession planting will be in the garden.

My seed list is growing as I add more plants. Most are old friends like Napa cabbage, bok choi, Zephyr squash, butternut squash, long beans, tomatoes, sweet peppers, Chinese celery, potatoes, beets. Newer ones include more kinds of snow peas, leeks and Savoy cabbage.

Planning ahead for Chinese cabbage
Napa cabbage and bok choi grow well in the tubs as long as I cover to deter cabbage worms and add shade to keep the tubs from getting too hot.

Thoughts about Gardening

It occurred to me that I write about my garden a lot over the course of the year. I spend a lot of time in it doing and trying different aspects of gardening.

Although I am a serious amateur gardener and read gardening books about other gardeners, I never considered writing about gardening. My garden is not neat, rarely orderly and my methods adapt each year.

Last year I kept a monthly planner about my garden. It told me a lot about how successful my garden turned out to be. Other people find my methods interesting.

Perhaps I will write down my thoughts about gardening in more detail this year. Maybe they will become a book after that. After the six I’m presently working on get finished.

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GKP Writing News

Laundromats

Laundromats are familiar places to me and have been much of my life. I’m surprised, although I shouldn’t be, at how many people come into the laundromat for the first time in their lives.

Remembering

My family went camping a lot. We had a big, canvas tent and went to lots of places in California.

We would pick up food at the grocery store. Then we ate lunch in a laundromat while our clothes washed and dried. If it was raining, we would linger for a time.

Time Savers

Laundromats are great time savers. All the clothes get washed at once, dried and folded, ready to put away.

One place had laundry service. The woman was an expert at getting clothes clean, much better than I will ever be. We were working full time and having her do our laundry was so convenient.

cover for "At the Laundromat" by Karen GoatKeeper
Perhaps you suddenly need to use a laundromat. This little picture book will give you some hints as well as glimpses of behind the scenes.

Practical

With only two of us, the laundry doesn’t pile up that much in a week. When I had a washer, it took longer to put all the items left on top of it all week away than it took to wash the clothes. Laundromats are easier.

There are several sizes of washers for regular clothes or for big items like comforters. The same is true for dryers.

I estimate it would take me over two years to spend as much at the laundromat as to buy a washer. And the laundromat owner fixes any problems, not an expensive repairman.

Work

When the local laundromat opened, I became a regular. I would take a book and relax while the machines cleaned my clothes.

Then I was offered a chance to clean the laundromat when I was there. This paid for my wash.

Cleaning usually isn’t hard. Check inside all the machines, Clean off the lint traps of the dryers. Wash spilled soap off the washers. Sweep the floor. Take out the trash.

The owners are great people. My picture book “At the Laundromat” was written especially for them.

Get a free eBook copy from Smashwords using coupon code 4XU7N.

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Visiting Yellow Shafted Flicker

The workshop roof does keep the rain out, but has open eaves letting others in. This time it was a visiting yellow shafted flicker.

Finding the Visiting Yellow Shafted Flicker

With the arrival of almost nightly frosts, old blankets and towels are in daily evidence in my garden. Each morning these need to be removed for the day.

Orange Cat likes exploring my garden as so many interesting animals live there, interesting to him anyway. He caught a pack or wood rat as I was weeding. It was too big and escaped to continue raiding my garden.

This time Orange leaped up at the workshop window along one edge of the garden. The flicker was hanging on the inside of the window.

yellow shafted flicker
Although a kind of woodpecker, the yellow shafted woodpecker mostly eats ants. The stiff tail, strong feet and chisel beak show it is a woodpecker.

What Are Flickers?

Only the yellow shafted flicker occurs in my part of the Ozarks. It’s a brown backed woodpecker with a white rump patch and yellow under its wings.

These birds are welcome around my garden although they don’t often come. Their favorite food is ants. I don’t mind ants, but they tend to overpopulate the garden.

Ants like a wide variety of produce and dig holes in things like tomatoes. Their colonies appear under every rock, piece of cardboard, bucket and in the raised beds.

Usually visiting yellow shafted flickers are off along the creek banks raiding the ant colonies there. They take off as soon as I come into sight. This means safety for them and disappointment for me as they are beautiful birds I would like to see close up.

flicker looking to escape
The black face stripe and large red stripe on the head mark this as a male yellow shafted flicker. He is upside down at the peak of the rook on the rafters.

My Chance

Although the flicker in the workshop was not trapped, it had forgotten how it got in. It was a bold bird, staying hanging on the window as I went inside with my camera.

The doors at each end of the workshop make inviting exits for most birds visiting in the workshop, usually sparrow and wrens, occasionally hummingbirds.

The flicker ignored the open doors choosing to fly up to the rafters. There it flew to the end of the room and went out the way it came in: under the roof peak.