Time for a Break

Did you know that I have been writing this blog since 2011? 

That's a long time—and for all of you who have stuck with me, I can't thank you enough. I was scrolling through some of my old posts, and wow, we've sure covered a lot. From book launches, to fun facts about canola and Canada, to tips on writing, and so much more. 

I've participated in seven Blogging from A to Z challenges, launched 16 books, and shared hundreds of pictures, recipes, and craft ideas. It's been a great run.

But, I've decided to take a break. It's not forever, I don't think, but I want to focus on my short stories, taking pictures, practicing for track and field—or maybe even trying something new. Don't worry, I'll still be writing—being an author is one of my BIG DREAMS. 

You should keep writing too. Or doing whatever it is you want to do. The first book in the Superman Duffy series of graphic novels, FIELDS OF HOME, is about canola, yes—but it's also about chasing your dreams. 

The world is a different place right now, and if the past few months has taught me anything, it's that anything can happen. There's no better time than the present to do what your heart tells you to do. For me, that means taking a bit of a break on blogging, and putting that creative energy into something else. I can't imagine all of the things I'll do!

Thank you so much for being part of my journey. May YOU always follow YOUR dreams. 

Gotta jet! 

~ Chase Superman Duffy

Reading: It's Good for Your Health

You probably think that headline is a joke—I mean, sure, reading is a great brain activity, and if you want to be a writer, it's vital. But I'm not kidding—research shows that reading is a more effective stress reliever than listening to music or going for a walk—even more effective than doing yoga. (That fact got me out of following one of Mom's online classes last week.)

It's not that I'm overly stressed—but I admit, this pandemic is weighing on me. I can see it weighing on my parents too. Mom isn't back at work fully, and she's worried about us going back to school in September. Not to mention the weather. Wow, have we had a wet summer!

The weather is also stressful for my grandparents, who could use a little—okay a lot—of sunshine right about now. Flooding could be an issue this year...every time we get a downpour, some of the streets by my house are like rivers.

Sometimes I love running in the rain, but not with these storms! So what better way to spend a rainy day than immersed in a good book? Not only is it good for my brain...but it's good for my overall health. Imagine that!

Gotta jet! Have a good weekend...regardless of how you spend it.

~ Chase Superman Duffy

A New Training Partner?

Yikes! The weather has not been the greatest the past couple of weeks. Between hail in the southern part of the province and heavy heavy rain in the North (did you hear that Rogers Place—the arena where the Edmonton Oilers usually play—flooded?), it's pretty wet outside.

Mom says her gardens are getting too much water, and Grandpa has some concerns about his canola. But the worst part of all is that all this "wet" means that when it stops raining, the mosquitoes come out to play.

And by play, I mean annoy.

Oh sure, I've sprayed myself with repellent. But it's not working—I'm still covered in bites. Grandpa says I need to use it to my "advantage." He thinks I should...

...outrun the mosquitoes.

Even though I don't know what school will look like in the fall, or if there will be a track season, I'm training as if there will be. That means trying to outrun my personal best...and if I'm lucky, being faster than those darn mosquitoes.

At the rate they're out, I should shatter my record. You know what they say—to win, it takes blood, sweat, and tears. I'm fine with that, but I'm going to make those pests work for my blood.

Gotta jet! Grandpa says the ground is dry around his field now—but who knows for how long Better start running!

Have a great weekend!

~ Chase Superman Duffy

It's that time of the year again!

It's that time of year again! No, not Halloween or Christmas or back to school (who knows what that will look like in the fall?!), but CANOLA time. That's right, the fields across the province are starting to bloom with those beautiful yellow flowers.

Canola fields are the perfect backdrop for pictures. No seriously, Google Alberta canola fields and you'll see thousands of images. We have many pictures of canola fields in our house. Some with sunshine. One with a storm. A couple with interesting clouds or sunrises and sunsets. It's a picture we never grow tired of.

And sure, I'm lucky because I have access to a canola field any time I want—my grandparents are canola farmers.  But I realize not everyone has a canola farmer in the family, and so I thought this would be a great time to remind you that as amazing as those fields look...you can't just go IN them to take a picture. At least, not without permission.

Traipsing through those fields can ruin the crop, plus, it's trespassing. You wouldn't want someone rummaging through your bedroom just to take a picture of your prized Star Wars Lego, or something, right? (But if you have a prized Star Wars Lego you should send me a picture.)

Anyway, I can't wait to strap on my camera bag and head out with my dad to take some canola field pictures—we always give Grandpa one that he can frame for the house too. An entire wall in the living room is dedicated to pictures of the canola farm over the years. It's pretty cool to see how much the farm has grown.

Have you taken a good picture of a canola field? Put it on Instagram and tag @SupermanDuffy — or email it to me at chase.superman.duffy@gmail.com. Maybe I’ll publish it on my blog!

Gotta jet! Have a great weekend—and stay safe!

~ Chase Superman Duffy

Help! I need more H2O!

I’ve been having trouble drinking my water, lately. It might be all the rain—who can think of drinking water when there's so much falling from the sky.

But I know it’s super important for everyone to drink water—especially athletes—and normally I don’t have any problem getting in my eight daily glasses over the summer. But the weather has been so strange this season that I’m not hot enough to crave it. Even when I run. (And I haven't been doing as much of that either, because running in the rain isn't my favourite.)

The thing is, I can see a difference in my performance—and not in a good way. I’m a bit sluggish, and I think I may have lost some muscle tone. I know, sounds strange, right? I thought so too, so I did some research—and I learned a LOT more about water than even Coach Taylor told me about.

Like, did you know that your brain is 75% water?

Water actually carries nutrients and oxygen to your brain and throughout your body—which of course, can help with a number of health concerns like making sure your kidneys are working properly, kick-starting your metabolism, and of course, curing dehydration.

Interesting, for sure, but I’m still concerned about how to do it. I mean, it’s summer, so I’m naturally drawn to juice, pop, lemonade and freezies. Mom says those are not good options for water intake (she keeps me on a strict freezie regiment)—not even watermelon counts, and it’s mostly water!

I’m just going to have to work harder at it.  So I've started adding flavour—cucumber slices, strawberry wedges, and lemon—to my cold water and that's a nice change.

Do YOU have any ideas on how to increase my water? How do you get in your eight glasses?
Gotta jet! Have a great weekend.

~ Chase Superman Duffy

P.S. Have your read the Superman Duffy graphic novel TRANSPIRATION? That adventure definitely talks about the importance of water—and what can happen when you have too much, or even too little.

You can order it FREE from the Alberta Canola Producers' Commission.