Shouts From Down Under

Half or Full flush...if you don't submit, you'll never know.

I don't know whether Tupperware scissors should be used to snip the stems when you're harvesting bunches of grapes. But they seemed to do a good job.

I was dodging green-ants that are rife in mum and dad's garden. Yes, you know when you get one of those sneaky security guard-like ants biting you.

Dad had draped some bird netting over the trellis to protect the ripening fruit. I had a plastic bucket to collect the grapes, and lifted the net up and hooked it so I could work.

A few weeks ago, just before dad left for his radiotherapy treatments, I noticed the cat hanging around the grapevines. It was a hot day and I thought the cat was just cooling himself in the shade. He was stretched out on his stomach a bit, like you see cats do if they are really hot.

But then I saw the reason he was there. Trapped on the inside of the netting, up high on top of the vines were a few small birds. I'm not sure what species; they were just brown and small. So to the cat's disgust I raised the net up high, and they flew out and away into the trees.



This morning, mum reminded me to pick some grapes for a friend who likes them. She also noticed a Black Bird hanging around on top of the trellis, scratching at the netting trying to get at the bunches.

I heard the other day that this bird netting traps snakes. They slip through it, and then try to get untangled and go back through, and so on, until they can't get away. I was wary that this may happen, and I should be careful when lifting the netting up.
One lady I know here said if you have a snake on your property, and it slithers under the house or somewhere, put some of this netting down. Each day check to see if the snake is in it. There's a high chance it will be, and once caught you can call a reptile expert or relocation group.
On the farm I remember the fate of any snakes that were seen there. But times change, and a better understanding of snake's part in controlling rodents, and other pests, from reaching plague proportions, now alters people's attitude towards them.

But there were no snakes under the trellis. I noticed that there were quite a few green grapes; unripe, on bunches with dark purple ripe ones. I had to pick the bunches even though they weren't all at the ideal ripe stage.



Our writing is like this. I feel that we have to weight up just how much time we can spend, or how long we'll hang onto that manuscript before we give in, and sent it in to an agent or publisher.
We can't wait forever. Time is moving along.
I think that once we've edited the novel, it should be sent in while it's hot; while we remember the characters and the scenes, remember why we wrote it, why we felt like that. Those feelings and passion may not be the same in a couple of years, especially if major things happen in our life.

I was told by a publisher / editor to "get that novel in to a publisher. It won't do any good sitting there, and you have more novels / stories in you yet. Get it in!"

Do we think if we hold onto the manuscript for longer, that somehow it will grow more popular or absorb more charisma, more magic, more entertainment value?

Is this withholding attitude a bit like this notice I saw the other day? If we press the button for longer, our story will be better.

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Sparky