From Here to There

This summer started with a month-long visit to Japan. My favorite spot was Itsukushima Jinja near Hiroshima, where I had a wonderful guide to show me around and take beautiful photos. I can’t believe it was a rainy, overcast day, but it was and the photos turned out fantastic. The island was accessed by ferry boat, then a short walk to the temple, from which this shot of the torii gate was taken. We also explored the shops, found some great gifts to take home, and found a hidden shop up a narrow set of stairs for a cup of coffee and a piece of cake on a deck overlooking the harbor. Magical!

Back home in Colorado I had a week to get my inner clock reset before a road trip with my daughter and her two young sons to Yellowstone. After an early morning start, we got into the Lamar valley and saw so much wildlife, including this gorgeous guy who posed perfectly for us. We watched Old Faithful blow her top several times a day, hiked the boardwalks, trails, and visited the ranger station for talks, which allowed one of our party to earn his junior ranger badge, complete with a pledge to protect nature. We were treated to a once in a lifetime event as well. Both the Beehive and Old Faithful geysers erupted at the same time!

All that served as a mental reset for me and my writing. 

In Japan I learned about two famous manga artists whose hometowns celebrate them with statues of their characters displayed all over town. Before Yellowstone I read a wonderful book of Nathanial Langford’s diary. He was the man who put together the first expedition into the Yellowstone area, which his fellow travelers then went on to convince Washington to turn into the first U.S. national park. Ah, the power of words!

I am ready to return to my fantasy world set in the wilderness areas of Colorado. I’m about 2/3 of the way through the story of Josh’s time at the Netah’s summer games. It’s not all just sports like the Olympics, although there is that. It also culminates with a festival, and there are plenty of opportunities for him to meet with the Netah females who were oddly absent from his previous experiences among the Netahs. There’s a reason for that, and for the games, and for the festivals. 

Have I grabbed your interest? That’s wonderful! Stay tuned.