Distractions

Writing demands consistency; one is supposed to show up and stay on task. It’s great when the words are flowing and I’m in “the zone” but often (let’s say at the beginning, the middle or the end of a book) it’s plain old work.  Any little thing can become a distraction at that point. My current distraction is an inquisitive Steller’s Jay. He (she?) has been determined to remove the egg shaped rocks from a nest that sits on a shelf by my door. After a few messy episodes, I decided on a solution – provide peanuts. Ha. Apparently, I am now the object of routine surveillance. I need only glance up from the screen to find a hopeful beak face peering through the window, either from the sill or a nearby branch. I think I’ve been played.