On this cloudy summer night, the green trees from my window set the scene, with the flickering flame of a vanilla rose candle like a campfire in the dark.  Alaska summer lightens all hours of the evening with a twilight dusk.  Rain lightly showers through the billowing winds, calming my writer’s soul.  Today starts my staycation, half home and half with a long ago friend.  Bills paid and minimal cleaning done, so that I could enjoy a much needed rest beside a firelight and waving colored keyboard lights.  Even my office light is a pinkish hue.  I’ve waited what seems like forever for this week to come.  The mental burnout and consistent challenges have pushed me to an edge.  My post grunge music playlist speaks volumes to my latest moods.  At first, I wasn’t sure where to begin my vacation or what I should write.  It’s funny how hard it was to describe relaxation versus the dark moments that flow so easily.  I want to practice writing the wonderful and mesmerizing scenes of breathtaking beauty that surround me every day.  Alaska is such an experience.  Winter may be too long, but summer more than makes up for it.  I confess, I like the subtle darkness of fall and the winter hoarfrost, but I will embrace the last dregs of the gorgeous sunshine and teal lakes.  The wonders of this world are so close by, that we tend to miss them.  If you can, take a moment to really see what’s out there and call someone you miss.  Though I may not finish a novel in nine days, I will definitely breathe and make the most of my break.