20150228 Running and Herpetologist etc

Unedited word dump:

20150228 Running 45 minutes.  Well, jogging anyway, slowly this AM, before breakfast

              NOTE:  K wishes to be reminded to call Graham re: the mercury and Sallie Mae

                             NOTE download file on Harry Potter. the previous Psion file).             

              Monday, March 2, 2015, 11:54 AM well, may as well eat lunch here, because I still have not left.

              1:34 PM I am out jogging again.  My goal is to jog to R'dale and then jog home again.  It takes me 35 minutes to walk to R'dale with good conditions, and the conditions are not good, it's icy and snowy.

              When I get to R'dale, I hope to work on the first 2250 words of Death Angel.

              I have come to the section of Canyon (most of it) where the sidewalk is buried in snow, so I am running in the road.  I am wearing an ornage nest, but I am alsow earing a backpack, so that the vest is probably invisible from the back.

              It is 31 degrees, but VERY windy. Windchill 23.  But it feels colder than it did the other day when itw as 13 degrees and still.  My fingers are freezing. 

              The speedlimit here is 25 mph, but people are roaring by at 50.  I am running facing traffic, but a guy coming up behind me, who should be on the other sie of the road, came on my side and skimmed by about a foot away.  There was  bo reason for it, either, other than terrorizing me. 

              Past Balducks sledding hill, ball fields and the first half of the picnic area, I run in the street.  Then, there is a stretch of shoevled sidewalk.  Then more snow.

              I make it to R'dale in 28:42.  It takes me generally, in good weather with clean dry sidewalks, 35 minutes to walk it, so I beat that time by more than 6 minutes and that's with snow, ice, big puddles, etc.

              I am sitting on an up-ended cement block on the back porch at R'dale.  The sun feels so pleasant I don't really want to go in, but I have stff to do.  Maybe I will shovle briefly.  As it is now, with the driveway covered with uninterrupted snow, the house looks abandoned.

              I run the shovel around a little, the sun fels warm, the wind cold, and I am anxious to get to work, now that I have finally arrived.  I had intneded to pack a lunch and come in the monring, but I had some phone calls and other distractions.

              4:30  I worked on Death Angel until was too cold to work any more, and now I am going to jog to CVS and then Village market and walk home from there.  I'll have too much stuff to carry to jog.

              4:52 the traffic was so heavy on Canyon I had to try to run in the deep snow.  Then the melty stuff was freezing into ice slicks and I had to run though slush and puddles deeper than my sneakers.

              Saturday, March 7, 2015, 1:01 PM I am in the car with Keith headed up to visit ML and then walk, probably at Metrobeach.  Tonight we're having dinner with Sam and Joan at their house.  Earlier today, Keith Sam, Joan and I went to Utrech/Blick art supplies looking for supplies for the Japanese Woodblock Printing class we both signed up for that starts tomorrow.

              But they didn't have what we needed.

              It's a sunny day, 31 degrees, warmer than it mostly has been.

              I would like to do something useful with this travle time.  Maybe nothing would be the most useful thing. 

              I am feeling angry for some reason.  A pile of crap cascaded down the stairs and set me off.  I can't think of any other reaon why Imight feel angry, but I do, and sad/tearful, too.  My chest feels tight and heavy.

              I am feeling a little agitated because I am overwhelmed by various commitments.  We have to get our DSS hobbies entries ready and submitted by Sunday or Monday night (or bring them on a thumb on Wednesday.  I need to get an image and supplies for the woodcarving and printing that starts Monday.  I need to work on the Moleskine, Mike's and get it done and mailed out.  I need to work on Frankie goes to France 2014 and Welcome Home Alden.  I need to make a birthday present for Gail and finsih her Christmas present.  I have gifts I need to make for other people.  I have novels to work on.  Dawn is teaching a poetry class, I am sure she'll want me to take it.  The house is a disaster and both houses are full of stuff from ML's that needs to be dealt with.

              3:10 PM we are in Ml's room on the other side of the cutain while she's attending to private business.  Ben and Chuck Persig were here, briefly.  They are very funny and good at entertaining ML and waking her up. We were going to leave but ML said, "don't go" 

              We need to walk and get baack to Sam and Joan's by 6.

              3:24 well, we just left, and driving away after saying goodbye to ML.

              Report on ML:  When we got there , she was sleeping and when she woke up, she was kind of dopey.  W!hen we finally got some help to get her up and sitting in her chair, she was muc more alert, and looked more cheerful.  She said no one ad gotten her up all day, that she'd been bed all day, but the nurse said she'd been sitting in her chair i the morning and had gone down to the cafeteria for lunch.  She had mentioned going to the cafeteria for lunch, but didn't rmemeber what she'd eaten.  She still seems physically very weak.  Ahe complained about being cold.  Cuck and Ben Persig were there and were funny and entertaining and helped heer her up.

              There's some horrid depressing music on the radio.

              We're planning to walk at St. Clair Metropark (metrobeach). 

              4:08 PM, we are walking at St Clair Metropark--there is a huge plethora of English sparrows chattering which I thoight at first were redwings, but no.  A rabbit killed and eaten and only a few hunks of fur and the large ntestines left.  I am wearing my crampons (abber ones from Heidi).  I didn't add a strap, so I need to keep an eye on them.

              Sunday, March 8, 2015, Probably 7:08 )PM (?).  The time changed last night, but we didn't change any of the clocks.  We lost an hour and since the Psion says 6:09 PM,it's probably 7:09, since we have to spring forward.

              We didn't accomplish much today, depending on how yoy define accomplishment.  I am currently walking home from R'dale after watering the plants for the first time in 8 days.  They seem mostly okay, a little wilted, but alive.  I also saved some of my book, "A Good Day to say Home" to my pocket thumb drive in hopes of printing one to work on tomorrow as a test.

              I am by Marquette School and approaching Balduck Park. 

              Our day began by sleeping in.  We didn't get to bed until very late last night because we hung out at Sam and Joan's until around midnight and I didn't get to bed until 2 AM standard time, which was 3 AM DST. 

              When we got up, Keith made Sunday Breakfast and I started on my exerciss, but only got about halfway through before he called me to breakfast. 

              After a yummy breakfast, I washed the dishes and checked me email and then K came down for our usual Sunday morning shared shower but I reminded him that we'd scheduled sex, since we didn't any last night due to being with Sam and Joan.  And that logically, it would make sense to have sex first and then shower, so we did.  That was excellent, but afterwards, we dozed a little, then showered, and by then, it was already getting late and we packed up and dashed over to Edsel Ford on the motorcycles, BUT we got there too late and they were closed already (It was like 4:58 when we got there.)  So, we went to Pier Park and Keith wanted to photograph me riding the motorcycle for DSS hobbies so I rode around in cicles for half an hour and then I said, "We don't have naything to eat."  Normall, I shop on F4ridays, but our schedule had gotten goofed up, I forget why, and then I planned to shop Saturday but in the AM, we went to Utrech with Sam and Joan and then to see ML and then to Metrobeach (where K tried to phtograph the owls).    We went straight from there to Sam and Joan's for dinner so again, I didn't shopm

              I thout Village Market closed at 6 on Sundays, so we dashed off to VM on the bikes without walking.  Turns out they closed at 7 and we could have walked, but after we shopped and went home and put the groceries away and peed, It seemed too late to go back to Pier Park, and the plants at R'dale had gone so long without watering.  So K dropped me off to water the plants and get my exercise by walking home, which I am now doing.

              He said it would take about an hour and I agreed without thinking, but of it will take longer for several reasons:  1)if you add 25 and 45, you do not get 60.  (25 minutes to water the plants, 45 to walk home in good conditions.   2)the conditions are shitty.  The sidewalks, more that half of them, are covered with snwo and are2 icy and slippery.  There are lots of huge puddles. 

              He probably didn't start cooking, but if we did, I will be late.

              The reason he MIGHT start cooking is that we had no lunch.  And we are both hungry.

              At 7:36, I am appraching McDinald's and Mack.

              Monday, March 9, 20915, 4:24 PM I am out walking.  It is sunny and "warmish" for winter, maybe in the 40s.  Maybe even 50.  Never checked.  I need to remember   DUH

              I forgot what I need to remember. 

              I need to remember to charge my cell phone. 

              I finally changed the time to an hour ahead on this Psion, whose name is Psion Valentine Valentine, or Val for short. 

              I can't walk very fast because there are fairly deep puddles on the sidewalks and if I walked fast, I'd splash myself and get my clothes all wet and it is NOT that warm out. 

              I am wearing the same clothes outside that I've been wearing in the house, but it is windy and cool  the sun is very warm, but as it gets later, it gets lower.

              I'd like a project to work on, one of my novels or Cowbird story, but I've had no time to get organized.  Planning takes time.  I haven't had any to spare.  Whoever invented the expression, "spare time," lived in some alternate universe.

              5 PM I went in Staples and got all sweatified getting tape, 2032 batteries, etc.  I tied the (small) bag to my belt in the back so I would have to carry it.  Now I am headed home with both the sun and the wind at my back. 

              Splish splash, splish splash through the puddles I go.  If it gets cold at mght, they will freeze.  Then the sidewalks will be a glaze of ice.

              5:21 I am home.  Didn't write anything, had a senior moment, had an idea of something I wanted to write about and then forgot what it was.  It's so nice out that I have a touch of spring fever and didn't want to go right in.  I came out in the back and the whole back yard is ull of snow, 2 to 3 FEET of snow, but I had the inspiration to sit on the bark chips I bought for the garden last year and never got them spread.  They are in a plastic bag folded in half wit the two ends down and the middle up, and have provided me with a sun-warmed seat.  Soon I will go in and cut vegetables, but first I just want to sit here a while.  Not too, 'cause I have too much to do.

              I should go look at the thermometer.  But I just want to sit here in the sun for  moment.  It feels delightful, warm sun, cool breeze.  I'm in a sheltered spot behind the house.  So the breeze is diminished enough to be pleasant.  The snow is soft.  There is a lot of talk about spring, but it is still winter and I am sure the nice weather won't last yet.  Pretty sure.  I remember one winter when it did, but that's unusual.

              Some squirrel is angrily complaining, not sure if at me, or Sammy the dog next door.

              So that's a good reason to enjoy it.  It won't last forever.  I ust say though, that I intentionally walked by the garden store instead of cutting through the alley, the one on our side wasn't open yet.  I'm feeling a little eager for spring.

              Our thermometer, in the shade, says 45.5 degrees F.

              Tuesday, March 10, 2015, 5:54 PM I am finally out walk8ing!  ;-(  TThis day did not go at all as Planned.  ;-(  (More sidewalk lakes, sheesh!)

              Sigh!

              I don't even know if I want to go into it.

              Heidi's father died March 7, but since I don't hang out on facebook, I didn't know, and she didn't tell me until this morningm  I slept really late for some reason, partly because we've been UP late ebery night for the last 5 nights.  Last night, we were up late preparing DSS Hobbies entries. 

              When I got up this morning, I wanted to finish the design for the Japanese woodcutting class and work on the getting the moleskine done so I could get it off my plate and mail it back to Mike. 

              But when I saw that Heidi's father had died and I didn't even know, I felt really bad and spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon preparing cards for her, three of them, one for facebook, one for email and one for snailmail.   also got into a long conversation via Facebook IM with Jane Billing toward whom I am feeling grateful because she wanted the yellow ladyslipper painting that I had made for Pam (when no one else seemed to want it). 

              I had a late breakfast, a late lunch, and a shower.  Graham called while I was in the shower --twice, so I thought it might be an emergency.

              Later, he called back and said he was on his way home.  He wanted too know if we could out to eat.  I said sure, but when Keith got home, they arranged that he would make spaghetti.  so we dashed off to the store to get spaghetti supplies and then I unpacked the groceries while K folded laundry and now here I am out walking and all sweatified because even with just a windbreaker on, I am overly warm.  It's not as warm as yesterday and it's not sunny, and there are po9ols of could air floating abover all the ice and snow, but it is still WARM.

              6:20 PM I am leaving CVS after getting mouthwash, allergy pills, dental floss and double A batteries (For LianaRhianna).  I walk across that crazy intersention beween CVS and the Post Office and almost get mowed down, yikes. 

              Keith us making spaghetti.

              For Graham (and me, but we were going to have pork chops).  I guess I already said that.

              Cars are trying to get me tonight.  I waited for all the cars to pass and started across and blue van pulls out and accelerates toward me, sca4red me again.  Came from no where, from out of sight behind parked cars.

              6:33 I have been walking through puddles and walking through puddles and walking through puddles, but I just went through one deeper than my boots.  ;-(

              Puddles, snow, ice, dogshit. 

              6:41 PM I arrived home and Keith wasn't ready for dinner.  Graham was there, but I didn't see the car (big issue with tire).  I am back out walking again, biefly (7 more more minutes to complete may daily minimum walking commitment. 

              Wednesday, March 11, 2015, 3:24 PM I am out walking, walking to the library.  to return an audiobook, the Culture of Fear, by Barry Glassner.  I liked it at first and then got increasingly disenchanted with it.  I believe his hypothesis is correct, that we are often afraid of the wrong things, and in the wrong ways for the wrong reassons, are some of his examples are excelelnt.  Others, not so mcuh.  I take issue with is "metaphhorical" illnesses, for example.

              It's a love day in latewinter.  The sun is shining, the temperature is 49 degrees F.  I notice how much more eager I am to get out when it's sunny and a little warm than when it is cloudy or rainy.  Or horridly cold, although my idea of horridly cold is many degrees lower than other people's. 

              So here I am out walking, yet another day with no assigment.  AK!

              Tonight we have DSS, Detroit DStereographic society.  Graham is here, visiting in the hospital with Keith.  If I had gone too, the three of us would be there in three different cars.

              There is still a lot of snow cover (and lots of puddles).  I have not yet seen any redwinged blackbird.  They usually return in February, but no sign of them as we approach midmarch. 

              I meet an "older woman" out walking (she may be younger than me) who talks in an old lady voice and says she 's out walking for the first time this year.  We agree ist's lovely day.  She talks to some boys from Brownell after she leaves me.  There are high school kids, too, coming this way, which means the libary may be full.  I've lost my library receipt that tells the sue dates so I have get a new one or go online and get it there.

              I stop to greet the 15-minute tree.  Sap's a- runnin'.  I know it goes up when the temps are above freezing and down when they're below, but at what temperture exacrly do they move each way?

              Let's think about the Herpetologis.

              3:57 PM I'm headed home after retaunring the book to the library.  And Buying Curious George goes to the libary for Frankie (or Alden, if Frankie has it.)

              When I was coming past Richard, parents were madly picking up kids and kids were running every which way.  Now there are a few kids playing on the playground, but no mobs or cars dashing around, pulling in, pulling out. 

              I didn't get much BS (brainstorming) done for the Herpetologist.  I was almost to the library when I started.  Gma and Gpa (that is, Margaret and Joe) would be pleased for Frankie to have Curious George goes to the library). 

              Poops, I just realized that I forgot to put my cellphone in my pocket and left it at home on the charger, so if K or G try to call, or anyone else, I won't know it until I get home.

              The sidewlak is like a frickin' canal.  I'm wading down the street. 

              I am home sitting in the sun in the backyard.  Keith does not appear to be home yet, but I'd better start cutting veggies for dinner, unless there is a message to the contrary on the home or cell phone, or we'll be late to DSS.

              begin cooking;  4:38 begin cooking (45 minutes of cooking ?

              begin eating:  5:23 (45 minutes eating?)

              leave home, drive away, 6:12 PM (41-minuteodrive)

              arrive DSS 6:53 PM

              6:30 PM we are driving toward Livornia on I94 west at the moment. 

              Graham never showed up to visit ML.  Keith said ML will have to be moved elsewhere but told me nothing else.  He never seems to want to talk about it when he first comes home.

              The sun is shining directly in my face so I put on Keith's baseball cap to block the sun.

              I HATE riding on the highway in traffic, moving too fast, too close.

              Thursday, March 12, 2015, 12:58 PM

              I am in Brian Powers' waiting

              4:26 PM, I have had an absurdly busy day.  I did morning meditation, then called one of the rehab places, then talked to K, then made breakfast, cut meat for Keith's dinner, showered, dressed and drove up to the rehab place (which took longer than the predicted time 9on yahoo maps)  (and I got turned aorundd trying to find my way in and wasted a lot of time driving around the block  a big block) and had a tour of the rhab facility and dri0ove directly from there to Brian Powers, exceeding te speed limit and from there to Sydney's and froom Sydney's to Pier Park (after calling K) and I am walking at Pier Park.  However, it is too cold, and I did not bring coat or hate when I dashed off because I was hoping to go home and hlunch, which I never had, and get a coat.

              I've walked 8;48 and will try to stick it out for 15 minutes, but I'm already cold, so I will go home and walk there.

              with a coat on.

              I left in a huge this AM.

              Had a very nice talk with Brian Powers and a very nice talk with Sydney.  called K and he was over R'dale burying compost.

              The sun is out and it's above frezin, but more like high 30s low 40s than like 50 that we had for several days.  But it's March and doesn't need to be that warm, better for the snow to melt slowly. 

              Some young cute frckly curl with a bay, Carson, Rose, a little girl, dressed in Green, stopped and had a conversation with me.  She was very plseasnt and nice and the baby was cute.  Carson.  Hmmm.  I might neeed to use that name.  Must be for a protaginist and positive charsacter. 

              Mists are drifting off the puddles.

              5:11 PM, I started the barley and am out walking in the "hood" with a windbrewaker and scarf.  Keith is in the garage making bench hooks. 

              I may return to brainstorming (below, the Herpetologist).  Working with Sydney inspires me to get to work, but I have too many projects and not enough time.

              Friday the 13 of March, 2014, 4:35 PM, thin sun, coolish.  I am walking to Villafge Market to shop for the weekend.

              Keith is in the process of transferring his mother to rehab at Shirepointe.  Sam and Joan say Uncle Su was there.

              I'm a little depressed.  I had a scary tachyarrthumia even last night that lasted several hours.  I didn't get to sleep until well after 3 and didn't sleep well when I did.  Plus, I'd had a series not good nights before that.  So, I am worrued and scared and also annoyed because it's one more "excuse" to not have time to so what I need to do.

              And if I do not do what I need to do, I cannot do what I WANT to do.

              Thin sun in a grey sky doesn't lift my spirits much. 

              Hardly anyone emails me any more. 

              The snow is slowly melting and the sidewalks are lakes, some of them deep.  But I cannot walk in the road because there is tii much traffic.  Incessant stupid traffic, maybe because it's latish. 

              So, as I was approach8ing VM, I thought of something I wanted write about, but . . .

              5:10 PM now, as I am leaving there with a  backpack full of food, I have forgotten what it was.

              ANd I have bag so it's difficult to write anyway.

              However, after smiling and chatting with the butchers and so on, and chashiers, I am considerably cheered.

              6:03 PM I am out walking at R'dale after watering the African viloets.  I Keep ex0pecting K ti call and say he is home and anxious to eat.  Like I said, He's moving ML to rehab today.  I am walking by the hospital,  These are my goals for this trip if I don't get "recalled", that us called and asked to come home: 1) get the African violets watered and dumped. 2) complete a half-hour walk which I can add to the walk to Village earlier to complete my walking requirement for the day6, 3) download the Psion with it's Herpetologist Brainstorming etc, 4) put the most recent version of the Herpetologist that I can find on my thumb drive and 4, maybe write a   note to Jane, a Herstory of the Yellow Ladyslipper.

              I will attempt that now, I guess.  Then it will be on here when I download it, IF I download it.  If I can do all that before I get recalled.  I am about 9 minutes into a 30-minute walk. 

              *            *            *            EJ end journal *                *            *

              *            *            * Herstory of the Yellow Lady Slipper Painting  *     *              *

              The story of the gouache Yellow Ladyslipper Painting, which I painted for Pam Perkins Frederick in 2011, begins in about 1970, when I was a student at ESF, the college environmental Sciences and Forestry, where I was an undergrad and briefly, a grad student, before I went on to Idaho State. 

              One of my favorite professors, Dr. John Morrison, and his wife Florence, lived in the outskirts of Cazenovia, an upscale village about x miles from Syracuse. I went there often, alone, with friends and with family, to hike, to camp, to party, to have meals there with professors and friends.

              I'm thinking it was June.  For some reason, I was there at John's place with my mother (can't remember why), it was pouring rain and the rare yellow ladyslippers were in flower. (It was not in garden, but way out in his woods.) We went out to see them.  Of course, I wanted to photograph them, so my mother stood in the pouring rain holding her umbrella over my camera and me while I attempted some photos in the dark, murky and rainy woods.

              Fast forward about 35 years, and I am moving in with Keith, not without some misgivings, because I have come to distrust men after many bad experiences.    One of the first boxes we unpacked contained some of my artwork and photography.  Keith valiantly volunteered to take some of his paintings in the TV room down and put up some of mine.  (First and last time, maybe?)

              The pictures that were put up were not my best, nor were they chosen with care, they just happened to be the first ones out of the box.  One of them was the long-ago and faded photograph of John Morrison's wild yellow ladyslipper. 

              Fast forward another 5 years and I was playing with several new art programs for my shiny new iPad and decided to make a digital painting of the photograph of the rainy yellow ladyslipper.  I did this from scratch, not by modifying a photograph.  I did it stroke by stroke, starting with a blank digital canvas.  (I say this because many people make "paintings" these days by modifying a photograph, which is significantly easier.)  When I finished it, I emailed it to my friend Pam and complained to her that there was No ORIGINAL with a digital painting.

              Pam wrote back challenging me to make four paintings of the yellow slipper in four different media, which I did.  I sent them to Pam, except one to Aya Rosen, in her Moleskine. 

              After Pam died, her daughter, D (Deirdre), kindly returned the painting (I would have loved for her to have it, but I believe she lives on a boat—not much wall space.  Since I cannot hang the painting here, I wanted it to have a good home, because I really like it.  None of the first four people I offered it to wanted it, and I felt sad, so I am very grateful to you for giving it a loving home.  Thank you.

              Be aware that this is not a print, but an original and gouache is water media, so it will run (wash away) if it gets wet.  Frame it under glass or place it at a distance from any threat of water.  (Not in bathroom, kitchen or near open windows.

              *            *            * end letter to Jane Billings             *            *            *

              *            *            *            * The Herpetologist. begin BS *

              BS = brainstorming (etc)

              It seems to me that if I am going to give myself assignments from or for The Herpelologist, I have to revisit it.  Same with any other novel.  I need a list of characters and segments to work on.  MY usual assignments.  I can't just pulls assignments out of thin air.

              Protagonist (girl character)

              Antagonists   Monsterro, Bad cop, head honcho mafioso type  Also stink and grease.  (not!) (Can't think of their "real" nicknames.  Nicolas? Shelly. 

              Protagonist witnesses a murder and escapes from the murder herself and is given high doses of forgetfulness drugs ((??))  and monitored.  (Why do they not just do away with her, then?)(Because Antag is in love with her, or obsessed with her?)

              He is her stalker.  at first, then doesn't want to stay stalker.  (Base stalker relationship on relationship with Kevin the Bug?) (Am I using that elsewhere?)  This guy does not look like Kevin, though, he's cuter, in a nerdy sort of way 

              What happens in the Herpetologist? 

              Story opens with protagonist, dripping wet, being questioned by two police officers about what happened.  She remembers nothing.  Then she starts telling the tale of a turtle she picked ip by the tail when she was three years old.  The bad cop scoffs and the good cop listens.  I think the good cop is David Harrison.  (But that may be Frog Haven)

              The next day, as she (the protag) is walking near Beaver Lake Nature Center and Fritz, the dog, bites her.  She remarks to her friend Billy that she has used up all her good luck, good Karma, eight of her nine lives etc.  He suggests that the dog smells fear on her.  Pheromones.  FRitz resembles ANTAG-xyz's dog, herman.  (Herman wears a spiked collar. and does inappropriate things to her?)    Turtle submarine, mini sub?

              ((I hope there wasn't more, because the computer just ate everything below here)) ;-(

              If protag is tortured and fed forgetfulness drugs, when does this happen in the context of the murders???  I think in the earlier versions, she was doped up on LSD by Stink and Grease.  If she was supposed to have been killed, why don't they kill her later like the do BIlly?  Because XYZ is "in love with her?)  (Or in lust with her?  (Could that be?)

              Is there a real turtle?  If there is a turtle submarine, is there a real turtle?  Or do they keep the turtle in an underground cavern and release it to commit murder and then recpture it?  Or should I totally rethink or reject this novel?

              In the novel, Billy, the weirdo guy who loves the protag dies and protag marries the good cop who turns out to be Billy's half brother.  (Is the protag preggars with Billy's baby?  Or is that too soap opera-ish?)

              STINK, the antag guy who gets killed is named named Rudolf Heath, I think.  He also has a "things" for the girl.  Shelly is the girlfriend of one of the "dirts". 

              Is there a Peregrine charcter?  A wise woman?  A teacher, a naturalist?

              Does David Harrison and Billy whisk her away in a witness protection kind of thing and get her a fake ID and a temporary new name?  That maight more sense.  In some ways. 

             

              In the original novel, the wife of the newspaper guy is murdered by being fed botulism and it's made to look as if it was her fault (a canning accident).  She has been fed psychotropic drugs which are also fed to her son, Billy, who is actually not as weird as he appears.  By what mechanism is this achieved?

              The bad goys bump Billy off in a drwning made to look like suicide.

              Why are the bad guys more interesting than the good guys?

              Some of the other characters include Beardsley Beadrsley.

              One of stink and grease characters is Wilson.  (?)  (Wilson Wilson?) 

              The main bad guy is a chemist for Monsterro, for Yvyll Solutions, which is a subsidiary of Monsterro.  He is the one who hires stink and grease to do his dirty work.

              The first Herpetologist is the one I met at PEEC, the old guy with white hair and pink cheeks.  But the real herpetologist is the one the protagonist.

              What are the protagonit's major and minor flaws, especially the flaw she has to overcome to solve the mystery and succeed? 

              1)Amnesia~ Drug annd trauma induced Amnesia--She has to remember what actaully happened, including the personal trauma.  She must overcome her amnesia at the expense of remembering the trauma.  (What events and character traits can assist with this?  Peristence, curiosity, resilience.)

              2)cowardice/courage--she has to overcome her fearfulness of men in order to love again (and Marry David. and bear Billy's child. (?)

              3)Confusion/Clarity, In order to solve the mystery, she must figure out what really happened, above beyond remembering.  What factors help tip her off?  If it's a submarine, she learns something about turtle behavior or morphology that tips her off.  That tips off a recall.

              3)In the current version, she flips out when she sees the ~redneck~ axing the snapping turtle.  And in her rage she attacks him and Billy pulls her off and she wails and then remembers (all, some important detail?)