Thursday, February 29th, 2024

 I haven't written a Ramble or a blog post for a little while. The truth is that it still feels to me like I'm repeating myself over and over again, and not adding anything new.

     I'm almost done with the first full draft of my new novel, "The Missionary," to be published through Amazon KDP when completed. Inspired by the Fallout RPG series by Bethesda, it follows the journey of Jeremiah Smith, a pastor and former missionary, in the year 2254, over two hundred years after multiple apocalypses (nuclear, viral, civil war, and climate) have decimated and changed the earth, and America in particular. Jeremiah is the descendant of those sealed within Cheyenne Mountain's complex "when the bombs fell." In his journey across western America and back, Jeremiah must confront his perceived failure as a missionary, and become an involuntary ambassador to the newly contacted Republic of California to determine if they're on the level about why they want Cheyenne Mountain's help. Suffering catastrophe at the outset, all he wants to do is to return home to his family and keep his promise to his eldest daughter when he is caught up in post-apocalyptic politics, espionage, and the remnants of a civil war which refuses to end.

     Things are going well on the farm here in Kentucky. We've all pretty much survived the winter, and we're expecting our pregnant does to kid in April. Egg production is back up to about two dozen eggs a day on average. Heidi and Cindy are preparing the front gardens for planting. Tressa has completed her purchase of her tiny house, and the builder, an Amish man, has finished it. All that remains is for us to find a contractor who will lay the foundation for it in the east pasture. This is proving to be more challenging that it should be. Aidan and Arcadia, my son and new daughter-in-law will be visiting next week. Phoenix is making good progress on his YouTube channel, something he's been agonizing over for two years now. Aside from my new novel, I've reactivated my Facebook group, "Wounded Sheep, Wounded Shepherds," and am trying to do a better job with being its admin. I may collect all of my more recent Rambles into another book after my novel is finished.

     That's pretty much it for now.