 Couldn't resist this snapping a photo of this right at the beginning of the trail to the Laurel Falls in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Most of the time I'm tripping over roots like these as I gaze up into the canopy, but these were so stunning I had to pause and appreciate them for the strength and perseverance of this majestic tree. Don't you just want to drive up with a dump truck of good soil and compost to feed and protect this tree? Long may she prosper!
2 Comments
 August 1 is Colorado Day. Colorado is famous for its beautiful vistas, where you can breathe hard at 14,000 feet altitude, or go down to the front range where you are only a mile high! And yes, we were among the first to legalize marijuana. Still need another reason to celebrate? How about this: for 14,000 years it was home to Ancestral Puebloans, Apache, Arapaho, Cheyenne, Comanche, Shoshone, and the Ute nations. That’s a lot of history! I am constantly reminded of their stewardship, in articles about how they used fire to keep our forests healthy, or why they honored bison for their role in keeping the prairies and their communities healthy and fed. Or, when I’m out walking among the aspens on a day like this one and the scent of wild roses follows me everywhere, knowing they would have experienced that too. That’s worth celebrating. I’m also going to celebrate because it's my birthday month (yes, I get a whole month), and if I didn’t live here, I would never have written my fantasy book series, The Netahs. So, thanks, Colorado. What are you celebrating? #nativeamericans, #celebrate  The publishing industry has changed a lot over the years. There are fewer publishers and more writers. Paper manuscripts are now digital submissions. Computers reign supreme. Competition is fierce. However, the writing community is more supportive than ever, with editors, marketing experts, web designers, and writing groups offering advice freely across the internet, while booksellers tirelessly promote their favorite authors and books, like Barnes & Noble store #2554 on Colorado Blvd., Denver will be doing for me on June 25, 2022! stores.barnesandnoble.com/store/2554 How does this writer keep going? My dirty little secret is I love to travel. This year I recharged in this beautiful place where I snorkeled with enormous fish, large schools of smaller fish, some turtles, lots of peeps, and liberal amounts of reef safe sunscreen! I brought my computer, and we lived in a condo on the north shore of ****, where it tends to rain, briefly, some days. Perfect writing days! Who can identify where this photo was taken? And where do you go to recharge?  April Fool's! Actually, that really is what April looks like in Breckenridge. It's going to take a long time for all that snow to melt! I live in Breckenridge as many weeks of the year as possible. When I consider ways to give back to my town, I focus on protecting nature. Since April is National Keep America Beautiful Month, I researched volunteer clean up days here. Funny thing is, it’s scheduled for May 21, because there’s too much snow on the ground until then! Plus April and May are called the mud season for a reason.
Does your town have volunteer cleanup days? Have you discovered DoSomething.org? It is a global organization for young people who want to volunteer for loads of causes. Check out their environmental actions section. Or join the 3.5 million Sierra Club members fighting for the Earth! They have a youth-specific Sierra Student Coalition that empowers teens and young adults volunteering for climate justice. Tell me if you’ve found other great ways for teens to volunteer in your communities. #environment, #cleanup, #giveback, #studentvolunteers |
RSS Feed