Oh, What a November to Remember!
“Oh, what a night
Late December back in sixty three
What a very special time for me
As I remember, what a night”
Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons had a #1 hit in 1975 with those reflective song lyrics of first love set in 1963, or sixty years ago. I still sway to the tune whenever I hear it, as disco memories fill my head.
Now here we are. December 2023, and for me, celebrating a most remarkable November. It hasn’t been a night. Over the span of a five week sabbatical from mid-October to late November, it has been an adventure, a reckoning, and a realization of my journey as a content creator. A slower-that-slow one, thanks to life’s issues, but a content creator none the less.
For my sabbatical, I roamed areas of South Australia and the southern island of New Zealand to revisit familiarity and discover newness. It started in the Adelaide area, reconnecting with friends and celebrating one’s wedding.
I revisited one of my favorite hiking places, Morialta Conservation Park, and savoring the beaches of Robe and fresh crayfish. I started my first travel blog, clumsily, before gaining a rhythm. I also dealt with a not-so-stellar internet provider that indirectly helped me remember that this trip was meant to be mostly introspective, and not so much for active public consumption.
Then it was a dash of to the southern island of New Zealand for two weeks of adventure. My route was a series of two-night stays in five very different locations. Christchurch & Akaroa included a day with a seventh generation native and environmentalist. Dunedin, a lively college town to the south, where I went at dusk to watch tiny blue penguins return from the sea while dodging aggressive albatross.
From there, it was off to Te Anau in the Fiordlands. It was a convenient launch point for a day of hiking and boating in Milford Sound. Between there and the Southern Alps, I found locations that appear in the Lord of the Rings movies. The hiking was spectacular, although I didn’t make it up all 2200 steps to the hut I was headed for. Two nights there in a glass house under the Milky Way led to creative inspirations and little sleep.
Hokitika was made special by a serene beachfront cabin, and a five hour visit with a Maori elder as we shared life stories and made jewelry. Then it was back to Christchurch, where I experienced an Antarctic blizzard (simulated, of course) at the Antarctic Centre before flying to Melbourne. That Aussie destination was chosen so that I could drive the Great Ocean Road to Adelaide and experience life on the edge. As in driving on the other side of the road on cliff-hugging roadways.
Meanwhile, back in the states, I was rewarded with three publications. eLust Issue 166 selected my October blog post for inclusion, while eLust Issue 167 has a story I enjoyed writing about teasing fantasy to the point of submission, Red Panties and Purple Passions. November also included the eBook release of Erotica For Men: And the Women Who Love Them, V2, by Rose & Dayv Caraway. My story, Sated Yearning, made the cut, and I’m still walking on clouds over that one.
Oh, and don’t forget Tender Domination! I posted that story on an erotica story web site, where it’s received a steady rating of 4.5 out of 5.
My plans for 2024 include continued story creation, and release of my first compilation book. There is far more than that in store, and you’ll see all of it by following my web page. I’m also on X, Instagram, BlueSky, and MON. Honestly, I feel like I’ve already got my feet on two separate treadmills that I’m trying to synchronize without killing myself. But if I do, you should know me well enough to know I’ll laugh it off and jump right back on.
Happy Holiday season, everyone.