Hello, Posse!
I hope you had a wonderful weekend. Ours was a split between annoying mishaps and actually getting some things accomplished. First, I was stressed about getting my edits finished for Part 5, Into the West: To Save Them All. Which is normal when you are trying to hurry and do a good job at the same time. Unfortunately for me, stress brings on neurological issues.
I started dropping things and had trouble controlling my hands. I ended up knocking over a full glass of tea on my desk and ruining a lot of notes and hand-drawn layouts. Then I went to get an ice pack to put in our new air cooler, since we do not have air-conditioning, and discovered that our freezer had overheated and shut off. Everything was melting.
We managed to cram most of the things in our small freezer compartment in the refrigerator (but I had to take my ice tray out), the fridge, and a styrofoam cooler. Having to lose me ice tray made me realize just how spoiled (and so lucky) I am when my day was ruined because I could not have an iced tea for 24 hours. I realize just how blessed my life really is.
The few things in the fridge had to be used over the weekend, but the things in the styrofoam box with all the ice packs we have survived the ordeal. We put the little freezer out on our balcony with the door open so it could completely defrost and the next day we plugged it back in. Thankfully, it started working again. We only ended up losing our popsicles, which were not that great anyway.
Funny thing, the literal meltdown with the freezer and having the realization of just how blessed my life really is, killed a lot of my stress about finishing up the books, silver lining. I was able to refocus and finished my second round of edits on Part 5. I sent it off to some beta readers last night.
When they are done with their read through, I will make some corrections and then send it off to the professional editor. While I wait for the others to get their notes back to me, I will finish up the formatting and get everything ready to publish. It is looking like there is a good chance I will be able to get Part 5 out by the end of the month. Fingers crossed!!!
But now, it's time to continue our month long John Wayne birthday celebration with the movie: Hatari!
Hatari is Swahili for "Danger!" and is also the title for John Wayne's 1962 romantic comedy/adventure movie directed by Howard Hawks. Wayne is joined in the cast by,
Hardy Krüger, Elsa Martinelli, Red Buttons, Gérard Blain, Bruce Cabot, Michèle Girardon, and Valentin de Vargas. The movie is about a group of professional game catchers in Africa. It was filmed on location in what is now Tanzania (formerly Tanganyka). It features many dramatic chases and captures of African wildlife.
Being an animal lover, I really hate some of the live animal footage, but I think this is important to see. This was the standard practice for big game trappers at that time and helps to illustrate why the world should never ever accept these practices again. Once you get passed this (if you are bothered by such things), the interpersonal relationships between the men in camp, the locals, and the animals is the heart of this movie. The comedy comes in when one of their biggest clients, Basel zoo, sends out a photographer, "Dallas" (Martinelli), to document the capture of their animals.
When it turns out that Dallas is in fact a gorgeous, Italian woman, it tests the friendships of the men in camp (Krüger, Buttons, and Blain) and the temper of their fearless leader Sean Mercer (Wayne). Even some of the animals in camp fall in love with Dallas, which ends up being her downfall, or saving grace, depending on your point of view. Either way it makes for some great comedy.
Hatari is still one of my favorite John Wayne movies. The interactions between Wayne, Buttons, and Martinelli make it a film worth watching again and again.
Movie Snack Recipe
Today's movie snack recipe is definitely not one of my healthier suggestions, but is a tasty treat when eaten in moderation. The bonus is this recipe is quick and simple to whip up at a moments notice.
Just check out Farm Wife Cooks, Animal Cracker Dip (<--- click here for recipe) Who wouldn't want to munch on crunchy rhinos as you watch them on TV. I'll admit, I love rhinos! They were always portrayed as aggressive animals in movies (like Hatari), but can in fact be quite docile and friendly. They are also very intelligent animals and affectionate with their offspring.
If you want a snack with a bit less sugar, why not make Animal Cracker canoes? You just need some celery, your favorite nut butter, some fruit such as raisins, dried cranberries, or chopped apple or banana, and Animal Crackers. Just fill your celery with your nut butter and top with fruit and one Animal Cracker passenger. Nothing is better than a healthy snack that is tasty, quick to make, and fun to eat!
Keep watching my social media for release dates coming soon for Part 5, Into the West: To Save Them All. We are getting so close to having this out to you!
I am getting excited!
Some more good news is that Part 6, Into the West: Last Showdown is almost finished being written. I just have a few more chapters to go. I stopped writing that one so I could focus finishing up Part 5 to get it to you ASAP. Once this book goes off to the professional editor, I will focus back on Part 6 to get that finished as well. I have never had two books come out back to back.
This will be great!
Once part 6 is released, there will only be one more novella to go to finish up the saga, Into the West: Family Ties. It will be so strange to be done with this saga. I have been working on this story since 2014. The first novella was published in 2015. That is a large chunk of my life learning how to be a self-published author. It has been amazing and I am thankful for the experience and for everyone of you who have read my work and supported me as I find my way.
Thank you!
But now it is time to grab your snacks and settle in for another great western movie!