DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE - February 1, 2025

The fun part of writing fiction is chasing the research White Rabbit down the rabbit hole. Doing research involves following the rabbit in hopes of finding information that will provide authenticity to the fictional world you’re creating. The danger is in enjoying the chase so much that you have difficulty knowing when it’s time to get back to that fictional world and start writing. Research is much more fun than writing first drafts.

When you do manage to force yourself back to the empty page, you’re faced with difficult choices. How many of the sparkling gems you’ve discovered are too many? And how many actually drive the plot rather than become a distraction?

Currently, I’m working on a private investigator crime story set in 1991 in Boston, a hotbed of Mafia activity. Having lived in Boston from the 1970s to the 1990s, I was very familiar with the setting, but I felt that additional research would be useful. A central figure during those years was James “Whitey” Bulger, brother of Billy Bulger, a State Senator who somehow managed to avoid being ruined by his gangster sibling. In my slide down the internet rabbit hole, I came across a story I hadn’t heard before. Alas, it didn’t fit into my fictional world, but I thought I’d share it here.

An episode of “Inside Edition,” a tv news program, popped up on YouTube with an announcement that Whitey Bulger and three friends had won more than $14 million in the July 1991 Massachusetts State Lottery. The story was followed by additional coverage that included raised eyebrows and sarcastic voices. Was the fix in? Several investigations were unable to prove the lottery had been rigged.

The significance of Whitey’s good luck was obvious. He was under investigation by the IRS and desperately needed to launder his illegally obtained funds. With the legitimate fortune the lottery provided, he was going to be able to show the IRS a noncriminal source for his wealth.

It was true that lottery was legitimate, but Whitey wasn’t the one who got lucky. He heard that a South Boston man he knew had bought the winning ticket and “persuaded” him to sign the ticket over to him and Whitey’s friends for a fraction of the value of the winnings.

After he collected four of the twenty annual payments, law enforcement was closing in and Whitey went on the lam. Ultimately the Bulger family was unable to collect the remaining lottery winnings. [https://crimereads.com/boston-true-crime-through-the-decades]

Sometimes, truth really is stranger than fiction.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! - January 1, 2025

My new year is off to a bumpy start, although the fact I remembered to put 2025 in the date above is promising.

I woke early this morning to an inhuman shriek. Either an animal was being harmed or my husband had hurt himself on his way to the kitchen. Staggering out of bed, I found him in the living room having his first cup of coffee of the day. He assured me he was fine, which was a relief. I peered outside into the dark and could see nothing. I shrugged and headed for my own cup of coffee.

After breakfast, I headed to my usual morning destination, my desk with its active bird feeder outside the window. I was puzzled to see there were no birds yet. I had filled the feeder yesterday, so it wasn’t for lack of food. It was unsettling. Dozens of birds are usually fighting for one of the perches once the sun rose. I made my way through my email, glancing up repeatedly to see if the birds had returned.

Suddenly, there was a flash of gray that moved past the window into the trees to the left. I waited a moment and it flew back the other way. I was used to seeing the small birds that the feeder was designed for, but this was a giant compared to them. The bird settled on a bare branch of the Japanese maple in our front yard, and I reached for the bird book. There it was. A Cooper’s Hawk, 14”-20”, up to a 3’ wingspan. I watched him survey the yard from his perch in the tree. Returning to the bird book, I discovered that “they come to feeders, hunting for birds. [They] call a loud clear “cack-cack-cack-cack.” Birds of Washington Field Guide, Stan Tekiela.

I had two reactions. Well, three actually. First, it was fascinating to watch this outsized visitor so near to the house. Second, my mystery cries in the night were now explained. And last but most important, I was outraged that this intruder was stalking “my” little birds. Thanks to google, I learned that it wasn’t unusual to have birds of prey stake out a bird feeder to, what else, feed on birds. (I hate to even type that sentence.) The only solution is to take down the feeder for a few days until the little birds stop showing up. Theoretically, the hawk will realize the cafeteria is closed and move on. With luck, the small birds eventually will return when you go back to feeding them.

Nature is cruel. I know this. It’s why I don’t watch nature shows. They always feature a one creature killing and feeding on another. I didn’t expect that my escape into feeding the birds would turn into a potential crime scene. If that’s what I wanted, I could’ve just gone back to following politics.

The hawk just flew past my window again. I’m off to take down the feeder for now.

May your new year be filled with light, laughter, and good health. And no hawks.

ALOHA! - December 1, 2024

As the cold, gray, rainy winter began its return into our lives, a 10-day trip to The Big Island/Kona became irresistible. I selected Election Day for our Alaska Airways departure. Dealing with crowded airports, TSA, the chaos of travel…all of it seemed preferable to waiting for the returns.

Our trip began at 5:30 a.m. when our daughter-in-law picked us up. She works in Portland, near the airport, and didn’t mind starting her day early. Getting through TSA both in Portland and in Kona was made surprisingly easy with their new equipment. No longer did we have to remove our liquids of under three ounces each or our multiple electronic devices from our suitcases. The screening equipment has been upgraded to see through the baggage. Because we were over 75, we also didn’t have to remove our shoes. It was nice to see our tax dollars working for us.

I’m happy to report that the trip out and the one returning were uneventful. Here are some of the highlights of our vacation. I promise to keep it short.

1.    We spent a lot of time on our lanai, with its view of the water and amazing sunsets. We read, relaxed, and enjoyed the myriad birds who stopped in to see if we had any food for them.

2.    Magic Sands Beach, with crashing surf on giant lava rocks.

3.    Harbor House Restaurant, an outdoor eatery at a marina. Delicious calamari!

4.    National Park Beach with beautiful white sand and tide pools, the scene of my favorite moments of all. While wading in the water as it lapped the sand, I was accompanied by a bale of large turtles (I had to look that up), swimming happily among the pesky visitors and their bare feet.

5.    The Kona Canoe Club, which is a restaurant and not a club. It’s another open air restaurant, on the water where dolphins play just off shore.

6.    A ride along the coast that eventually brought us from the west side of the island to the east side where we stopped at the National Volcano Park. We spent time on an overlook, in awe of a huge blackened volcano that had been active and destructive in the 1950s. Fortunately, it behaved while we were there.

7.    A small shopping center near where we stayed had a grocery where they made the best poke bowls I’ve ever had.

We felt so fortunate to have this chance for a temporary respite from the real world’s horror show. I'm happy to report that the hummingbirds were delighted to see me again with sugar water in my hand as I headed to the feeders.