It's supposed to go down to 40 degrees tonight! I've been bringing the peppers and eggplant in at night--I only wish I could do the same with the tomatoes, squashes, and cukes. (Yes, Ann's words are haunting me again:"You know, we get frosts in August up here!")

Despite the chilly nights, I'm finding I'm liking August. I've been on numerous hikes and have mistakenly left my bug spray at home. It's been no problem, though I'd never forget it if I were venturing into wetlands, of course.

The business is really percolating these days. A few more clients, yes, but what I'm really referring to are the prospects lining up for the future. Some teaching, some guiding for inns, some workshops--exciting and interesting.

What I find missing, and what I find frustrating, is that I want to write but can't seem to figure out a way to do it. Problem is, when I'm at my desk, I persist in working solely on the business. I can't seem to make my brain switch over to a writing project that I want to work on. Part of what keeps me working only on the business is that the work of it never ends, and there is always more that I can do or should do. By now, I am certain that this is going to be a constant.

So I am stumped at the moment. How do I get myself to take time out for writing? I need to work at my desk because of the computer. So writing somewhere else is not an option. People often recommend that I try the early mornings. But when I'm outdoors so much, I seem to need some extra sleep. In addition, in the early morning my brain is all business and what I do is set goals for the day and I start working on those.

Late afternoons until I start dinner is a great time because I love to write then. That's when I usually write the blogs. So maybe I could finagle a way to get myself to work on a writing project then, not everyday, but a few times a week. ???

What do you think? Please write in and reveal how you've handled squeezing creative work into a busy schedule.

And now that I'm begging for advice, there's another issue I'd like to put out there. Since late winter, I've tentatively explored blogging for a major recreational business concern in the area. The general manager was interested and wanted to see what I could put together. Needless to say, starting a business has made it impossible for me to devote time to putting together a full proposal. Here's the dilemma: One part of me says that I should channel all my energy into growing the business, and any extra writing I do, or blog creating I do, should be for the business. This part also says that if there is extra time it would be better if I write articles and, gosh, maybe even books, related to the business that would build my name and my expertise. This part also points out that I wouldn't earn much for the recreational concern's blog and it would be a lot of work that would sap my energy for my own writing and the business.

Gee, I think I just convinced myself that I shouldn't put time into another company's blog! Thanks for "listening."