The actual room where I write is far to disorganized and messy to post pictures of. My wife woud kill me if I did. She won't even step foot in the door yet she often tells me how bad I need to organize and straighten. Instead of bringing you my normal writing environment, I thought I'd share wiht you my idea of the perfect climate to create. And I actually got to try it out last week as you'll see in the pictures.
Here it is, my idea of writing paradise ...
The shot is of my buddies dock at his waterside cabin at Lake Buchanan west of Austin. Here was the routine while I was there and I wish I could do this everyday.5:30 A.M. -- Pop out of bed(okay, pop might be an exaggeration) get dressed and be out on the lake as the sun rose.
9:30ish -- Head back to home base for a bit of vittles consisting of the triumvirate of breakfast meats sausage bacon, ham.
10:30ish -- Gather my laptop, fishing poles, bait and beer and head out on the end of the dock, where I would fish and work on Plundered Booty while doing a bit of catfishing. My buddy chose this time to take a nap, but I'm of the opinion I'll get all the sleep I need once I'm dead.
4 P.M. ish -- My buddy would stagger out into the sunlight and suggest we fire up the grill. Steaks, burgers, and grilled chicken for fajitas made up out afternoon menu.
6 ish -- Time to head back out on the lake to chase the Stripers and White Bass. We stayed out until the sun dipped down in the west and then headed back to the cabin for a nightcap. Him Crown and Seven, me rum.
10:30 or so -- Go to bed and get ready to do it again.
A great routine while it lasted.
The striper fishing wasn't all that great due to the fact it rained every night I was there and a constnat north wind, but I did manage to catch a fair number of White Bass and on topwater lures no less which is always exciting. I also managed to nab a few of my whiskered brethren while hanging out on the dock writing.
Few things are tastier than a channel cat fried to a delicious golden brown. Someday i hope to afford a place like this of my own where I can live out my days with my family -- writing and fishing, and enjoying life.
21 comments:
Now that is a view I wouldn't mind seeing every day. Lovely!
Beautiful.
I can understand the wanting to fish everyday but why so EARLY? Are fish more stupid first thing in the morning that fishermen/women always seem to get so darn early? :D
I never thought of combining fishing and writing, but now I see how it could work. What a peaceful spot. No wonder you enjoy it.
Linda
Wow! I'm relaxed just looking at the pics and reading your routine!
Gorgeous environment. I bet you wrote some great words while you were at the cabin.
Terrie
You catch, clean and cook the catfish and I am there. It looks beautiful and serene.
The only fishing that I've enjoyed is the kind where you wade into the ocean up to your knees, at night, under the moon, and just feel the tug of the lure in the water. Who cares if you actually catch a fish?
That said, sitting by water is incredibly inspirational in itself. I'd love to have a vacation home on the water (any sort of water) where I could go when I'm feeling blocked.
Scary though. In that pic, you look like my brother. Who wanted to move to Texas. Hm....
I can identify with this. I especially like the part about chasing strippers.
Oh, wait a minute, you said "stripers." Sorry.
That place looks absolutely perfect. I wouldn't mind sitting out on the dock, but I probably wouldn't be fishing. ;-)
Oh, and I'd also not get up at 5 a.m.!
mmmmmmmmm fried catfish! yummy! Sounds like a great time!
sounds like a kind of Hemingway writing experience. Sounds like heaven. My summer writing will have some elements of this.
oh man...this is spectacularly good.
Ahhhh....
Now *that* is the life!!!
:-)
What a way to write! That's just lovely!
Our pier at the bay house is currently on disrepair because the county had to fix the sea wall. My husband is very cranky about it. The largest striper I have ever caught was 32 inches and that was fun. But my husband raves about the huge stripers caught on the charter boats. Honestly, I don't think I could wrestle anything that big, you know? It took my husband 28 minutes to reel in a large stingray, but it was on his 10 lb line and he was trying desperately not to break his line. He was sweating so hard. I love fishing, but not that much.
What an awesome view
That makes me so jealous. Replace that lake with an oceanside, and I'd be in heaven. House up on Cape Cod... sigh.
Also, now I'm hungry for fried fish. Thanks. :P
Plundered Booty is a beautiful title.
TRavis, you have a large readership and I hope you won't mind helping me promote a guest I have coming to my blog this WEdnesday. The details are on my blog but the short of it is as follows:
Dr. Gigi Durham, the author of the Lolita Effect, the media sexualization of young girls and what we can do about it, is guest appearing on my blog this coming WEdnesday to answer questions on this very important topic. It would be wonderful if you could help spread the word or at the very least stop by and be part of our Q&A discussions.
Hope to see you then!
Thanks so much for helping out if you can!
Count me in, Travis! Sounds like a good life.
Damn you Stephen, you beat me to my punch line.
TE: I'm such a dropsie klutz, were I to bring a laptop near the water, the laptop woulnd wind up in the water.
What about glare? Don't you get glare when you write outside like that?
I just ordered a new digital camera and will back post (to make it look like I posted it before my hiatus) my own writing space next week.
I hate to use the cliche, but great minds do think alike. Maybe I'll edit it a bit to say writer's minds think alike. As you saw, I posted about finding inspiration at the lake, and recently I also posted about that special place each writer has - be it a room or whatever. It's so crucial, I think, to set ourselves up with favorite spaces.
Oh, come on now! Your wife would get over it.;) It is very interesting to think where people like to write. I do most of my writing while watching television with J. Some day I really want a room all for me. But, I bet you anything I would be back on the couch with my lap top.
On a deck would be great. I love being by the water.
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