A photograph from the inspirational bin – 58

What story does it inspire?

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…

As we all know from folklore, there’s a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

But…

Here’s the thing – you cannot get to the end of the rainbow.

I know, I’ve tried. A few years back in New Zealand, we were coming down the mountain road and at the turn, that’s where the rainbow ended. It was quite clear, there, before us, but by the time we reached it, a few seconds later, it was gone.

So, what do rainbows represent?

The technical reality is that it is just light refracting on raindrops. Boring, huh?

How about something more positive, that it is a symbol of hope.

In Greek and Roman mythology, Iris the goddess of the rainbow was one of the messengers of the gods.

In other mythology, a leprechaun buries a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

However…

If we are going to consider the possibilities of using a rainbow in a story, whether it is the catalyst for an event, either good or bad, since I prefer the glass-half-full version, let’s just say our protagonist, at a very low point after some devastating news, just happens t look out and see a rainbow.

What happens after that is up to your imagination…

“Trouble in Store” – Short stories my way: Adding some back story for clarity

I have reworked the first part of the story with a few new elements about the characters and changed a few of the details of how the characters finish up in the shop before the policewoman makes her entrance.

This is part of the new first section is the one that involves the shopkeeper`:

This wasn’t the shopkeeper’s first hold up. In fact, over the years there had been a dozen. But only one got reported to the police, and that was only because the robber was shot and killed.

He’d taken a bullet that night, too, which, from the police point of view, made him a concerned citizen simply defending himself.

The rest had been scared off by the double-barrel shotgun he kept under the counter for just such emergencies.

The young punk who came into the shop with his girlfriend had pulled out the pistol and told him if he reached for the shotgun he’d shoot him. The kid looked unstable and he’d backed away.

When the kid collapsed, he should have gone for the shotgun, but instead, he thought he could get to the gun before the girl realized what was happened. She wasn’t an addict and clearly looked like she was only along for the ride. Her expression, when the kid pulled out the gun told him she’d known nothing about her partner’s true intentions.

But, he wasn’t fast enough, and she had the gun pointing at him before he’d got past the counter.

From one pair of unpredictable hands to another.

Like the girl, he was just as surprised when the customer burst in the door, just before closing time.

The situation might have been salvageable before the customer came in the door, getting the girl to go along with the robbery being about money, but there was no denying what the kid on the floor’s problem was.

Damn.

He had to try and salvage the situation simply because there was a lot of money involved, and other people depending on him. He looked at the boy, on the floor, then the girl.

“Listen to me, young lady, you would be well advised to let this man go as he suggests. And, please put the gun down before someone gets hurt. Your friend needs medical help and I can call an ambulance.”

The girl switched her attention back to him. “No one’s going anywhere, so just shut the hell up and let me think.”

The storekeeper glanced over at the customer.

He’d seen him come into the shop once or twice, probably lived in the neighborhood, the sort who’d make a reliable witness, either a lawyer or an accountant. Not like most of the residents just beyond the fringe of respectability.

If only he hadn’t burst into the shop when he did.

365 Days of writing, 2026 – 72

Day 72 – Focus, concentration – and the cat!

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Focus and Concentration in a Distracted World

(And Why Your Cat Might Be the Secret Weapon – or the Worst Saboteur)

1. Why Focus Matters More Than Ever

In 2024‑2025 the average knowledge‑worker juggles seven digital tools, nine instant‑messaging channels, and a relentless stream of notifications. The result? A mental‑energy drain that feels like trying to read a novel while the TV is playing the soundtrack of a busy airport.

When you can focus—that state of deep, uninterrupted attention—your brain operates in its most efficient mode:

Benefit	What It Looks Like
Higher quality output	Fewer errors, richer ideas
Speedier completion	Tasks that once took 2 h now finish in 1 h
Reduced stress	Less “I’m behind” anxiety
Better memory retention	Information sticks after a single deep‑work session

But achieving that sweet spot isn’t a given. It’s a skill that must be deliberately cultivated, and like any skill it runs into obstacles.

2. The Biggest Obstacles to Deep Focus

#	Obstacle	How It Sabotages You	Quick Fix
1	Digital Overload	Pop‑ups, email pings, Slack threads, and endless scrolling hijack the prefrontal cortex, forcing it into task‑switching mode.	Turn off non‑essential notifications, batch‑check email 2‑3× per day, use “focus‑mode” extensions (e.g., Freedom, LeechBlock).
2	Multitasking Myth	Switching costs ~23 seconds per switch and erodes memory. The brain never truly “does” two things at once.	Adopt single‑tasking: block 90‑minute “focus windows” and commit to one deliverable per block.
3	Physical Environment	Clutter, poor lighting, uncomfortable seating, and temperature fluctuations raise cortisol, making it hard to settle into concentration.	Declutter the desk, invest in ergonomic furniture, use a 6000 K “focus” light, and keep the room at 20‑22 °C.
4	Internal Noise	Stress, rumination, and low‑grade anxiety flood the mind with “background chatter.”	Practice a 2‑minute mindful breathing reset before each work block; keep a “worry journal” to offload intrusive thoughts.
5	Biological Rhythms	Working against your circadian peaks (e.g., tackling analytical work at 3 a.m.) lowers cognitive bandwidth.	Map your personal “chronotype” and schedule high‑cognition tasks during your natural peak (usually mid‑morning for most).
6	The “Cat Effect”	A sudden, adorable interruption that pulls you away from the screen.	(See the next section – it can be both a curse and a cure.)

While many of these obstacles can be mitigated with tools and habits, the Cat Effect is a special case because it blends the emotional with the environmental in a way few other distractions do.

3. The “Cat Effect”: Remedy or Curse?

3.1 What Exactly Is the Cat Effect?

In productivity circles, the Cat Effect describes the phenomenon where a feline (or any beloved pet) jumps onto your keyboard, sits on your paperwork, or simply meows for attention at the moment you’re deep in concentration. It’s a classic meme: a cat perched on a laptop with the caption “I’m working, don’t disturb.”

But beyond the humour, the Cat Effect raises a genuine question: Can an unpredictable, affectionate animal actually improve focus, or does it merely sabotage it?

3.2 The Science Behind “Cute Interruption”

Research Insight	Takeaway
Oxytocin boost – Petting a cat releases oxytocin, a hormone linked to reduced stress and heightened focus. (Study: Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 2023)	A brief cuddle can reset the nervous system, making it easier to return to work refreshed.
Micro‑break theory – Short, intentional breaks improve cognitive performance. The Pomodoro Technique (25 min work + 5 min break) is backed by neuroscience.	A cat’s “interruption” can act as a natural micro‑break, provided it’s timed right.
Attention residue – Switching tasks leaves “residue” that can linger up to 20 minutes, impairing subsequent performance. (Lleras et al., 2022)	If the cat’s demand leads to an unplanned, longer break, you incur the cost of attention residue.
Positive affect – Positive emotions broaden thinking and foster creativity (Fredrickson, 2021).	The joy a cat brings can expand your creative bandwidth after the interaction.

Bottom line: The Cat Effect can be both a remedy and a curse—it hinges on how and when the interruption happens.

3.3 When It Becomes a Remedy

Scheduled “Pet Pomodoros” – Set a timer for 45 minutes of deep work, then allocate a 5‑minute “cat cuddle” break. The cat learns the pattern, and you get a stress‑busting oxytocin hit.
Pre‑work Warm‑up – Spend 2‑3 minutes playing with your cat before you begin a focus block. This releases built‑up tension and signals to your brain that you’re entering a calm state.
Mindful Observation – Instead of shooing the cat away, observe its behaviour for a breath‑count (inhale 4, hold 4, exhale 4). You turn the distraction into a mini‑meditation.

3.4 When It Turns Into a Curse

Unplanned, Prolonged Attention – If your cat decides to nap on your keyboard for 10 minutes, you lose momentum and may need to restart a task.
Emotional Over‑Attachment – Guilt or anxiety about leaving the cat alone can cause you to pre‑emptively check on it, fracturing the focus block.
Multiple Pets – Two or more cats (or a cat + dog) amplify the probability of chaotic interruptions, making the environment too volatile for deep work.

3.5 A Practical Decision Tree

               Is the cat demanding attention?
                       /          \
                 Yes (short)   Yes (long)
                  /                \
   Is it < 2 min & 5‑min break?  Is it >5 min?
          |                         |
    Allow micro‑break    Gently redirect cat
          |                         |
   Resume work (oxytocin)   Use “cat‑free” zone

If the cat’s request is brief (under 2 minutes) and you’re already scheduled for a short break, embrace it. Anything longer? Redirect—a separate cat‑play area, a treat puzzle, or a scheduled “cat time” later in the day.

4. Building a Focus‑Friendly Ecosystem (Cat‑Friendly Edition)

Create a Dedicated “Focus Zone”
- Use a separate room or a visual barrier (e.g., a bookshelf) that signals “do not disturb.”
- Add a cat perch just outside the zone so your feline can still be near you without hijacking your keyboard.
Leverage Technology
- Noise‑cancelling headphones with a “focus playlist” (Binaural beats, 60 bpm).
- Smart lighting that mimics daylight during peak hours and dims after your scheduled break.
Set Boundaries with Your Pet
- Training cue: Teach your cat a “go to bed” command for when you need uninterrupted time.
- Timed play sessions: 10 minutes of interactive toys (laser pointer, feather wand) right before you start a focus block.
Optimise Physical Health
- Hydration: Keep a water bottle at your desk; dehydration reduces concentration by up to 30 %.
- Movement: A 30‑second stretch every 30 minutes combats the “couch‑potato” effect of sitting too long.
Mind‑Body Reset Ritual
- 2‑minute breathing: Inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4.
- Gratitude snap: Look at something you’re grateful for (often, that’s your cat) for 5 seconds—instant positive affect.

5. A Sample Day That Harnesses the Cat Effect

Time	Activity	Cat Strategy
07:30‑08:00	Morning routine (coffee, stretch)	Play with cat for 5 min, then give a treat in a separate corner.
08:00‑09:45	Deep work block (project planning)	Focus cue: “Do not disturb” sign + headphones. If cat jumps, count to 5, gently guide it to the perch.
09:45‑10:00	Micro‑break	Cat cuddle – 5 min of petting, oxytocin boost.
10:00‑11:30	Focus block (writing)	Same focus cue. If cat stays on the desk, redirect with a puzzle feeder.
11:30‑12:00	Lunch + Playtime	Dedicated 30‑min interactive session with cat; burn energy for the rest of the day.
13:00‑14:30	Focus block (analysis)	Headphones on, “focus zone.” Cat on perch, watching you.
14:30‑14:35	Quick stretch + breathing	No cat interaction; keep the rhythm of work.
14:35‑15:45	Wrap‑up & review	Give cat a final cuddle before shutting down the computer.

Result: You experience two intentional cat‑driven micro‑breaks that enhance focus, while preventing unscheduled, disruptive interruptions.

6. The Takeaway

Focus is a muscle that needs regular, deliberate training.
Digital, physical, and internal distractions are the primary obstacles; each can be managed with clear habits, environment tweaks, and self‑care.
The Cat Effect is a double‑edged sword:
- Remedy when it serves as a short, pleasurable micro‑break that releases oxytocin and resets stress.
- Curse when it leads to prolonged, unplanned interruptions that create attention residue.
The secret lies in predictability: schedule pet time, train boundaries, and design a workspace that welcomes the cat—but only on its terms.

Ready to Test the Cat Effect?

Pick one focus block today (e.g., 90 minutes).
Set a clear cat‑break rule (≤2 minutes, then back to work).
Track the outcome – Did you feel more refreshed? Did productivity improve?

Share your results in the comments! Whether you’re a solo freelancer, a remote team leader, or a cat‑loving student, mastering the balance between focus and feline affection can be the game‑changer you didn’t know you needed.

Happy focusing—and happy cat‑cuddling!

Searching for locations: O’Reilly’s Vineyard, Canungra, Queensland, Australia

O’Reilly’s Canungra Valley Vineyards located on Lamington National Park Road, Canungra, Queensland, is a 15-acre vineyard with the 163-year-old historic homestead ‘Killowen’ set up with dining rooms and long verandahs, and extensive grounds that are next to the Canungra creek where it is possible to find Platypus and turtles while partaking in a picnic.

There are about 6,000 vines of the (white) Semillon, Verdelho and (red) Chambourcin, Shiraz and Petit Vedot varieties.

We visited there in December when the vines were just starting to produce fruit.

That fruit is usually harvested in February and then turned into wine.
The setting for picnics is, on a warm Summer’s day is idyllic, where you can wade in the creek, or go looking for a platypus. We did not see one there the day we visited but did spend some time sitting beside the creek.

What I learned about writing – To plan or not to plan.

Well, it depends.

Most of the time, I fly by the seat of my pants because I like the idea of the story unfolding in the same way it does for the reader.

Until…

Yes, it’s that little thing called painting yourself into a corner.

It happens.

Luckily for me, when I run aground, I just have to walk away from it for a few days, a week, perhaps a month, and suddenly, an idea pops into my head, and we’re off again.

It’s why I write most of my stories in episodic form, and I work on three or four, not just the one.

However, there are pros and cons, and yes, I do actually plan.

When a story gets a good start, the ideas start drying up.

Or…

I find myself having to create a biography for the characters, family trees, and getting the dates correct. Flying high is great, but there comes a time when the timeline gets confused.

Usually, about halfway through, we’re getting down to the serious side of the story. So, on balance, nearly all of my states are a blend of the two methodologies.

Which of the two is best?.

I’d say planning.

My only problem with that is that it’s not always apparent what is going to happen at the end, though if I sat down and thought about the process I used for the 20 or so books that I have written, the end was not a surprise, so perhaps it was always there in the back of my mind.

For the two sequels I’m working on, they were more planned than pantsed. With one, I knew the end before it started. With the second, nearly done, I didn’t to a certain extent. I know how I want it to end, but writing it is taking it in a different direction.

Perhaps a third book is needed for them to finally realise they should be together.

An excerpt from “Echoes from the Past”

Available on Amazon Kindle here: https://amzn.to/2CYKxu4

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With my attention elsewhere, I walked into a man who was hurrying in the opposite direction. He was a big man with a scar running down the left side of his face from eye socket to mouth, and who was also wearing a black shirt with a red tie.

That was all I remembered as my heart almost stopped.

He apologized as he stepped to one side, the same way I stepped, as I also muttered an apology.

I kept my eyes down. He was not the sort of man I wanted to recognize later in a lineup. I stepped to the other side and so did he. It was one of those situations. Finally getting out of sync, he kept going in his direction, and I towards the bus, which was now pulling away from the curb.

Getting my breath back, I just stood riveted to the spot watching it join the traffic. I looked back over my shoulder, but the man I’d run into had gone. I shrugged and looked at my watch. It would be a few minutes before the next bus arrived.

Wait, or walk? I could also go by subway, but it was a long walk to the station. What the hell, I needed the exercise.

At the first intersection, the ‘Walk’ sign had just flashed to ‘Don’t Walk’. I thought I’d save a few minutes by not waiting for the next green light. As I stepped onto the road, I heard the screeching of tires.

A yellow car stopped inches from me.

It was a high powered sports car, perhaps a Lamborghini. I knew what they looked like because Marcus Bartleby owned one, as did every other junior executive in the city with a rich father.

Everyone stopped to look at me, then the car. It was that sort of car. I could see the driver through the windscreen shaking his fist, and I could see he was yelling too, but I couldn’t hear him. I stepped back onto the sidewalk, and he drove on. The moment had passed and everyone went back to their business.

My heart rate hadn’t come down from the last encounter. Now it was approaching cardiac arrest, so I took a few minutes and several sets of lights to regain composure.

At the next intersection, I waited for the green light, and then a few seconds more, just to be sure. I was no longer in a hurry.

At the next, I heard what sounded like a gunshot. A few people looked around, worried expressions on their faces, but when it happened again, I saw it was an old car backfiring. I also saw another yellow car, much the same as the one before, stopped on the side of the road. I thought nothing of it, other than it was the second yellow car I’d seen.

At the next intersection, I realized I was subconsciously heading towards Harry’s new bar. It was somewhere on 6^th Avenue, so I continued walking in what I thought was the right direction.

I don’t know why I looked behind me at the next intersection, but I did. There was another yellow car on the side of the road, not far from me. It, too, looked the same as the original Lamborghini, and I was starting to think it was not a coincidence.

Moments after crossing the road, I heard the roar of a sports car engine and saw the yellow car accelerate past me. As it passed by, I saw there were two people in it, and the blurry image of the passenger; a large man with a red tie.

Now my imagination was playing tricks.

It could not be the same man. He was going in a different direction.

In the few minutes I’d been standing on the pavement, it had started to snow; early for this time of year, and marking the start of what could be a long cold winter. I shuddered, and it was not necessarily because of the temperature.

I looked up and saw a neon light advertising a bar, coincidentally the one Harry had ‘found’ and, looking once in the direction of the departing yellow car, I decided to go in. I would have a few drinks and then leave by the back door if it had one.

Just in case.

newechocover5rs

Searching for locations: An old country homestead, Canungra, Australia

Or to be more precise, the homestead at what is now O’Reilly’s vineyard, where there is a pleasant lawn out back running down to the river for picnics, an alpaca farm next door, and the homestead plays host to functions and wine tastings

My interest was that we had assumed there was a restaurant, and we were going to have lunch. There might be one, but not the day we visited, it was just cafe food or a picnic available.

I was more interested in the old homestead because it was a fine example of the homesteads built in the ‘outback’.

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Today we are having lunch in the Platypus room, in the O’Reilly’s vineyard farmhouse, which, if you close your eyes and let your imagination run free, could see it as the master bedroom of a homestead.

Certainly, the building is old, made completely of timber, inside and out, with the traditional high ceilings to keep the heat at bay.

At one end, a large bay window, which would be ideal to sit and view the outside, past the sweeping verandah. There is a small lawn and a rotunda, but beyond that what might have been extended gardens, is the vineyard.

The homestead is in an ideal position midway between the main road and the river, has the traditional surrounding verandah, and shows signs of being extended on almost all sides.

On the other side of the wide corridor that leads you to the bar, and, coincidentally, down the centre of the house, is a smaller bedroom, also used as a dining room, and ubiquitously named the library.

It may be small but it does have a fireplace, which the assumed master bedroom does not, but now I’m thinking that room might have been the morning room.

Behind the room, we’re in is another bedroom, or perhaps this might be the master because it does have a fireplace and is quite large. And a name, the Ambassador room. Now it serves as the pickup place for picnic baskets.

There is another room on the opposite side of the corridor called the Drawing Room but is not open to the public. But, going into the room with the fireplace adjacent to it, you can sell the aroma of pizzas, so it’s probably an extension of the kitchen, and, walking around the outside that side of the house proves it to be the case.

After all, they do catering for weddings and need a very large food preparation area which I discovered runs down the whole of that side of the house.

At the end of the corridor I’d the bar and spare space, and running off that and behind that is where there is a large dining area, perhaps prior to COVID, the restaurant.

It’s not hard to imagine that area as a very large entertaining area, either for very large dinner parties, or dancing.

As for the food, it’s either a picnic basket or pizzas. We chose the latter, not realising the bases were not homemade, but bought in.

The toppings however were both plentiful and tasty. It could have been hotter, because it was a cold day, and it was cold in the room.

As for something to do other than taste the wine, and buy a few bottles, you can get up close to the vines, which, at this time of the year gave been pruned back and look quite dead, look at or walk an alpaca, even feed it, or all of them, or go down to the river and see if you can spot a Platypus.

Perhaps next time we’ll have a picnic down by the river.

Inspiration, maybe – Volume 1

50 photographs, 50 stories, of which there is one of the 50 below.

They all start with –

A picture paints … well, as many words as you like. For instance:

lookingdownfromcoronetpeak

And the story:

It was once said that a desperate man has everything to lose.

The man I was chasing was desperate, but I, on the other hand, was more desperate to catch him.

He’d left a trail of dead people from one end of the island to the other.

The team had put in a lot of effort to locate him, and now his capture was imminent. We were following the car he was in, from a discrete distance, and, at the appropriate time, we would catch up, pull him over, and make the arrest.

There was nowhere for him to go.

The road led to a dead-end, and the only way off the mountain was back down the road were now on. Which was why I was somewhat surprised when we discovered where he was.

Where was he going?

“Damn,” I heard Alan mutter. He was driving, being careful not to get too close, but not far enough away to lose sight of him.

“What?”

“I think he’s made us.”

“How?”

“Dumb bad luck, I’m guessing. Or he expected we’d follow him up the mountain. He’s just sped up.”

“How far away?”

“A half-mile. We should see him higher up when we turn the next corner.”

It took an eternity to get there, and when we did, Alan was right, only he was further on than we thought.”

“Step on it. Let’s catch him up before he gets to the top.”

Easy to say, not so easy to do. The road was treacherous, and in places just gravel, and there were no guard rails to stop a three thousand footfall down the mountainside.

Good thing then I had the foresight to have three agents on the hill for just such a scenario.

Ten minutes later, we were in sight of the car, still moving quickly, but we were going slightly faster. We’d catch up just short of the summit car park.

Or so we thought.

Coming quickly around another corner we almost slammed into the car we’d been chasing.

“What the hell…” Aland muttered.

I was out of the car, and over to see if he was in it, but I knew that it was only a slender possibility. The car was empty, and no indication where he went.

Certainly not up the road. It was relatively straightforward for the next mile, at which we would have reached the summit. Up the mountainside from here, or down.

I looked up. Nothing.

Alan yelled out, “He’s not going down, not that I can see, but if he did, there’s hardly a foothold and that’s a long fall.”

Then where did he go?

Then a man looking very much like our quarry came out from behind a rock embedded just a short distance up the hill.

“Sorry,” he said quite calmly. “Had to go if you know what I mean.”

I’d lost him.

It was as simple as that.

I had been led a merry chase up the hill, and all the time he was getting away in a different direction.

I’d fallen for the oldest trick in the book, letting my desperation blind me to the disguise that anyone else would see through in an instant.

It was a lonely sight, looking down that road, knowing that I had to go all that way down again, only this time, without having to throw caution to the wind.

“Maybe next time,” Alan said.

“We’ll get him. It’s just a matter of time.”

Find this and other stories in “Inspiration, maybe” available soon.

InspirationMaybe1v1

365 Days of writing, 2026 – 72

Day 72 – Focus, concentration – and the cat!

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Focus and Concentration in a Distracted World