20 Minute Free-Writing Exercise #1 (With Prompt)

 Okay! So I just tried doing the 20 minute writing thingy on my laptop, and am surprised at how little I wrote! Maybe writing by hand is also helpful in filling more pages, like those models who eat Kleenex to feel fuller; it's not REALLY more, but feels better? An awful thing to say, but THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ATE KLEENEX, so I feel justified.

So I'll share my "Free Thought Writing"/ 1st Attempt with Writing Prompt, which, in hindsight, are the antithesis of one another. It's not really "Free Thought" if I'm telling you to write about Prairie Gophers* (a.k.a. Richardson Ground Squirrels) and/or Pandering. Hey! Learning! And really, it's probably just my mom reading this (awwww!) so I think she'll let it go because she's biased and thinks her children are the Bee's Knees. Or the Gopher's Whiskers. (Totally a thing.)



Reminder: There was to be no editing during this exercise, and I set a timer and cut myself off. 

*If you're thinking: isn't the term Prairie Gopher redundant? Read on, Silver Girl!**
** Was just listening to "Bridge Over Troubled Water"***
*** I use these a LOT.

Without Further Adieu/ Delay:

20 minute free-write + prompt

Pandering: Gopher-Style!

This is my first exercise with a prompt, and I’m having trouble focusing! All I want to do is to tell you about the most extraordinary things I saw on YouTube yesterday, but the prompt says “RichardsonGroundSquirrel” and/ or PANDERING and since I feel I need to stick to the ideas of actual writers rather than blather on about my life in a diary format, I will focus. [Ahem.]

Once upon a time there were to people that came to SE Saskatechewan. They proposed a “meet in the middle” so that both couples (they being a Married and we being a Married) could enjoy a horrendous drive for to a lovely spot for a mini-break (as the Brits call it). I took the female literally and found a ranch in Cypress Hills park which is smack on the Alberta/ Sask. border. And let me tell you, it’s amazing. Truly! I’ve never seen such cool hills/ scenery. We even went to a vineyard in Saskatchewan. They made berry wines (delicious delicious berry wines) and Meade and we had the best time! The Reesor Ranch* was also awesome, as it was like staying in Heritage Park** for a weekend! With real cows, horses, and a cowboy who read cowboy poetry during our meals. One of the other couple is of Scottish descent, and I feel like we gave him the REAL prairie experience.

During this time, I don’t know WHY, but I think we (me and my husband) said we saw some gophers, to which the Canadian of the other couple declared that her mother declared that they were actually called Richardson Ground Squirrels. Now, I am a Calgary, Alberta girl, born n’ bred. Which means we like our meat, our oil, and we dislike change in any way shape or form. Or maybe that’s just my family. Or me getting older. At any rate, I fought this idea. Sensing “a moment” the other three in our foursome insisted on pointing out any RGS’s in the area, to my disgruntled dismay.

This was May 2015-ish. Six months later we get this postcard***, with the 2 words: “Remain Vigilant” written on the back. This delighted my husband so much that it is still holding the place of honour on our fridge.

Now. I’ve had a few months/ a year to ponder this discrepancy. I even half-heartedly asked Google: is a RGS a gopher (or vice versa)? Google puked up some info that was too boring to read so I moved on (or did I?)

If you’ve grown up in Calgary you have seen plenty of cute little yellow gophers around, both inside and out, both alive and dead (once in the throws of “in-between” which is still a traumatic memory). While cute, they have the most awful squeal to call to their mates. It’s almost like a long chirp from a baby chick. And they’re SO DUMB and run into the road in front of cars often.

The Richardson Ground Squirrel, I’ve decided, is more of a stoic, rural cousin to the city gopher. Mostly found in the heartland of the prairies amongst real prairie and prairie-folk, these rodents seem to have a heartier disposition, and possess a world-knowledge that their inbred city cousins have bred out of their kind.

Why am I even still thinking about this? Well, over our little weekend I gave in to the torturous treachery…

------------------------------- 20 minutes --------------------------------

[578 words]

So this was a a good baseline, I think! I feel like Free-Thought writing belongs in a spiral notebook, and that Writing Prompt works will be for bloggin'. I don't think you want a time limit for the prompt works, as sometimes you need to think about where you want the prompt to take you/ where you want to take the prompt?... I don't know. Learning!

From my "work":

* We seriously loved staying at this family ranch that has been in the Reesor family for over 100 years!

http://www.reesorranch.com/

http://www.heritagepark.ca/

** This is Calgary's park full of old stuff that's super boring for kids but adults like it. You can ride a train, and appreciate history, n' stuff!

***

This is the anonymous postcard we got in the mail that tickled my husband so.

The other Marrieds are coming back this summer, and literally want to go here:

http://gopherholemuseum.ca/

THE GOPHER HOLE MUSEUM in Torrington, AB, Canada. Of course I can't deny these weary travellers their request! And I feel that my hero, Jenny Lawson (The Bloggess) would definitely approve! So weird.

Okay!
Got some writin' and some pictures to boot!!! Take that low energy/ life apathy!!! It's like a little RGS Kung Fu chop! *Hii-ya!* [I'll try to add some pics from the "museum" in July...]

Hope you enjoyed the first instalment!

~ Spinning Jenny