Late Bloomers
Searching for the Queen of the Night and More
Since we had the early bloom of the queens of the night a few weeks ago, we’ve been going out every few days to check on the second bloom. Several of the plants that bloomed then also have some buds that we’re hoping will grow up to be big gorgeous Queens soon.
This year I’ve been keeping in touch and occasionally running into two other bloomers. This is thrilling for me because they know so much! They each have over 100 plants they check on. They’ve both indicated that the increase in humidity we’re experiencing and some rainfall might get the second bloom going. Yay!
In the meanwhile, I’ve been off social media and on a writing retreat. For the first time in years, I am writing fiction again and enjoying myself. Mario is writing exactly what he wants to write and how he wants to write it. I decided to think like Mario. If I were to return to fiction writing, what would be fun for me? First, I don’t want to be somewhere alone. I want to be in my house where I can wander to and fro and see Mario and all my old sweethearts outside (wildlife). I miss the Quail House, but we have other writers who have used it this year, so it’s getting used, just not by me.
Secondly, I don’t want to worry about the length of my books. I tend to like writing short books. Writing long books often feels artificial to me. Of course writing novels is artificial. But often to write a long book there has to be other stories besides the main one, and I don’t always want to do that. I want to write short books, so that’s what I’m going to do unless the story wants to be longer organically. I’m editing His Last Drink and I’m about a fifth of the way through No Body: Gracie. I have several more stories that I’m ready to start. I want to get some of them out soon as quick, fun, summer reads, probably only in e-book editions for now.
So that’s that. Now on to the blooms and being outside!
Today we set out in search of second blooms. First we went hiking for about an hour because we could. It’s been such a long time since it wasn’t too hot or too polluted for hiking. I passed the hiking hour plotting new stories. I haven’t done that in a while, so that was fun. No second blooms were forthcoming today, but we’ve been discovering new trails and new places as we search for the queens. Those are the photos I’m sharing with you today. Look at them big if you can. Enjoy! P.S. It rained a little yesterday and today.
This writing and the photographs are wholly artisanal works of creation by Kim Antieau, a sentient being. It was all created with no input or assistance from artificial intelligence. © copyright Kim Antieau 2025.
Looking forward to reading some new Antieau!