Geese on the Lake

While walking around the newly cleaned up North Park Lake (Allegheny County, PA) today, I spotted this group of Canadian geese. There were more than 40 of them, sitting along side the shore until one of them decided to go back out on the lake and the others followed.

This lake was closed for a long time while workers scraped silt and muck off the bottom of it. After cleaning it out, they allowed it to fill with water and become an asset again to the county park. The water capacity is not at its peak yet, allowing only small craft to float on it. Today's rain may help the cause.

Twyla Tharp at the Dollar Store

I've always wanted to write a book. I have probably written a thousand times as many words as I would need for one volume over the past 35 years or so, but an actual, physical book I have not done.

So much goes into a book. It is a huge project and takes tons of dedication and care, often with no outlet once you are ready to release it into the universe. But these days, with ebooks and self-publishing, publishing a book is easier than ever.

With most large publishers tied up with with the written words of stars and celebrities, it would be easy to just publish one on my own. I'm not sure that would fulfill the dream, but it would come close.

Today I was at the local dollar store shopping. I don't go often, but when I need a couple of items (toothbrushes: $1! Liquid Soap: $1!) that's where I go to look. I spent a few minutes walking around to see what else I might add to a future shopping list when I came across a book by Twyla Tharp, the famous dancer and choreographer. I own a copy of her book, The Creative Habit, and here was a copy of her sequel: The Collaborative Habit. Amazingly enough, it was on sale for the same price as my toothbrushes and soap (Book: $1!).

All that work she put into the book and it was on sale for a buck. It made me wonder what she would think about that. Would she be upset that her work was being sold so cheaply or would she just be happy that her ideas were out there for anyone to share.

I don't know about Twyla, but I think I still would have wanted to have written that book. On sale at the dollar store? I could live with that.