The most important thing happening in my world right now is that we’re having our backyard landscaped.

And by ‘landscaped’ I mean we now have no grass, are down two trees, and by this time tomorrow the concrete patio that’s almost as old as I am will be ripped out. It’s both cool and alarming.

Writing-wise, I’ve been so busy that I haven’t had time to do much, but here’s a sample. Just keep in mind it’s a first draft. 🙂

Selina sat down on one of the wrought-iron benches that were scattered around the little city park. The temperature was in the 80s even though it was almost October. Her grandmother would have called it Indian Summer, but that was only partly true. The world was getting warmer, just a little bit, year after year. Selina knew this because she researched climate change at the university, and the data backed it up.

But she also knew this because the wind had told her so.

She shrugged off her hoodie and jammed it into the bag that was slung around her left shoulder. She lifted her sneakered feet on to the bench and turned sideways, staring up at the brownish-red leaves that clung stubbornly to the mostly bare branches of the tree the bench sat under, as if they refused to accept the fact that winter was indeed on its way. If she looked up in just the right spot, she could see all the way to the top of the tree and see its branches reaching up to the sky, as if they were seeking a way up to the ether so that they could escape the city.

A tiny breeze rustled her hair, bringing with it a hint of the coolness that would come soon. Selina smiled and reached a hand out. The wind was full of secrets today, sharing tantalizing glimpses of far-off mountain peaks where the snow never melted, remembering being part of a storm out in the ocean – it was unclear which ocean.