Ripening

Earlier this month we went down to South Georgia to visit family.  
Cousin Tina lives on a little slice of heaven with a cotton field in back.

 

 

Today while taking a break from my computer, I got to thinking about the photos I took of the cotton.  So many stages to go from flower to boll... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't know how long it takes for cotton from start to finish -- soft, pretty flower to strong, useful fiber.  I don't know how long it will be from start to finish on my book project either.  I've been at it for seven years already.  
Now is the home stretch for the text, due to my editor in four days.

I can't quite imagine that this will soon be out of my hands.  No more tweaking.  No more adding or subtracting.  No more combing over it and second-guessing what a reader might want, what a reviewer might say.

Today I finally stopped and thought, "It is what it is."

Here's to hoping what I harvest is strong and useful too.