It has been a long time since my last blog post. I have been very busy finalizing things for my latest book release, “Rachel and Sammy Learn About Trees” and starting to market it, as well as my first two, “Rachel and Sammy Visit the Prairie” and “Rachel and Sammy Visit the Forest”.

If you have read my previous blog posts, you know that I usually write about natural things that jump out at me, usually on my long drive to and from work. Sometimes things literally jump out at me, and those instances inspire me. This morning, as I turned south on a county blacktop that I take almost daily, I noticed a large low flying bird that almost touched the railroad bridge that I was ascending. Since this portion of the road requires concentration, if I am to avoid veering off the railroad bridge and landing on the tracks below, I was unable to thoroughly enjoy my look at this majestic bird, but I could see that it was one of my favorite larger birds, the Great Blue Heron. This heron was heading toward the borrow pit lake that was excavated to construct the railroad bridge. At first glance, you would expect this bird to be gangly and awkward, but if you have studied a Great Blue Heron as it flies through the air or perches along the edge of a creek or other water body, this bird is actually quite graceful and enchanting. The unusual bluish-gray color of this heron adds to its beauty, and I always cherish a view of this bird, since I’ve noticed that Great Blue Herons tend to avoid humans.

Just a few miles later, I saw another animal I don’t often see. Coyotes are common to the area, and I sometimes hear them howling during nighttime hours but rarely see them. This blond beauty dashed from the grassy roadside right in front of my car before I had a chance to notice him. Fortunately, the coyote was running quickly, and my car missed hitting him. In a slit second, as I watched the coyote safely run to the opposite side of the road, I realized how graceful this animal was and would never have considered a coyote to be described as graceful before that moment.
Yesterday, on my drive to work, I drove by a farm field, where through my work as a Resource Conservationist, I have worked with the landowner to install conservation practices. Looking out my window at his farm, in a blink of an eye, my next book title came to me as clear as day, “Rachel and Sammy Learn to Conserve”.  Just a few seconds later, all the ideas that have been inside my head for the last several months came together into a rough outline for my next book. It was an amazing experience!

There are many days when I dread driving 40 miles each way to work, especially with the price of gas, the commute time, and winter weather. However, some of my best ideas have come from my daily drive, so I consider myself fortunate to have time alone to really think and let my ideas flow.