Public Service Announcement -- aspiring authors division

"Don't give up the day job" version # 238...

Have just been advised by Nice Agent Lady that the French publisher continues to play "Texas hold-em" with other people's money.  Advance check notable by its absence -- "as they're late with all payments actually".

I'm sure that somewhere, perhaps in an alternate universe, some publisher doesn't include "stiffing the author" as part of their business plan.

Aspiring authors have been warned.

Autumnal

Cool this morning, windy, bright.  Am not sure when bicycle will happen.  If I can get in another 28 miles somewhere, I will reach 1200 for the year.  That's a theoretical 1200, since some miles passed under bike tires unmetered by odometer.  Need another 50 to have that number show on the dial...

Which, as I have kvetched before, lags my annual target by 200-300 miles.

Meanwhile, the squirrels are playing chase on some dried corn stalks the neighbors put up for Hallow'een decorations.  We had a mixed flock of juncos and white-throated sparrows boinking around in the yard while I was getting and eating breakfast, with added chickadees hanging around wondering if the strangers would turn up anything interesting.  Migration time advances -- the flycatchers and most warblers have already left, as have the hummingbirds.

Tuesday roadkill report

Two wounded vehicles out near the bog, with transporter vultures circling around for the carrion.  Location was right at the turn-off for the city forest, good visibility in both directions, so either somebody wasn't looking or somebody didn't give a damn.  Or both...

World warmed up and the wind died down a bit, so I got out on the bike after lunch.  Another lovely fall day, with still more "foliage" to view -- more maples turning,  color in the oaks, blazing red from sumac.

Minor glitch on the return, as the highway department had set up shop between my going forth and my coming in, with a gouge carved in the pavement at the top of a hill and traffic backed up for half a mile.  Don't get me wrong -- I approve of road repairs, I think they're great, that spot had a utility trench across the road that had compacted into a hazard and all.  But these things are supposed to happen when I am not using that pavement.  Magic.

15.27 miles, 1:05:35