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Bruce Parry meets some llamas on his latest adventure Yesterday I mentioned how Bruce Parry is my hero - he is also partly the inspiration behind Dr Midas who is a TV adventurer. You may also remember that my second book is set in Peru and the Amazon - well my best friend has just told me that Bruce is currently filming there for a new BBC series. I loved his Tribe programmes especially as they give you a true look at the places he visits not a 'holiday-show' version - so I'll definitely be tuning in. In the meantime I can follow his journey on the BBC's website including blogs, interactive map and pictures. There's a great picture of him with some llamas wearing traditional dress (above) and another one where he's learning to be a cowboy. Hopefully I might also pick up some more tips to keep my writing authentic until I'm lucky enough to visit South America myself (I'm saving up for Madagascar first!) As I've mentioned before the original Dr Midas was a traditional crazy professor type - like this ... (Fantastic drawing by one of my animation heroes Lou Romano - check out more of his superb pictures at www.louromano.blogspot.com) He was definitely the stereotypical old-fashioned explorer - well as Bruce Parry, Ray Mears and Bear Grylls have shown that style is definitely gone - and there's definitely more effort made to dress appropriately to local custom. (I love that line in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade - "Brody's got friends in every town and village from here to the Sudan, he speaks a dozen languages, knows every local custom, he'll blend in, disappear, you'll never see him again. With any luck, he's got the grail already." Cut to Marcus Brody in Middle East bazaar wearing white suit and hat: "Uhhh, does anyone here speak English?") * If you're a Bruce fan too check out www.bbc.co.uk/amazon. The new Amazon six-part series is due to be broadcast on the BBC in the Autumn.

Bruce Parry meets some llamas on his latest adventure Yesterday I mentioned how Bruce Parry is my hero - he is also partly the inspiration behind Dr Midas who is a TV adventurer. You may also remember that my second book is set in Peru and the Amazon - well my best friend has just told me that Bruce is currently filming there for a new BBC series. I loved his Tribe programmes especially as they give you a true look at the places he visits not a 'holiday-show' version - so I'll definitely be tuning in. In the meantime I can follow his journey on the BBC's website including blogs, interactive map and pictures. There's a great picture of him with some llamas wearing traditional dress (above) and another one where he's learning to be a cowboy. Hopefully I might also pick up some more tips to keep my writing authentic until I'm lucky enough to visit South America myself (I'm saving up for Madagascar first!) As I've mentioned before the original Dr Midas was a traditional crazy professor type - like this ... (Fantastic drawing by one of my animation heroes Lou Romano - check out more of his superb pictures at www.louromano.blogspot.com) He was definitely the stereotypical old-fashioned explorer - well as Bruce Parry, Ray Mears and Bear Grylls have shown that style is definitely gone - and there's definitely more effort made to dress appropriately to local custom. (I love that line in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade - "Brody's got friends in every town and village from here to the Sudan, he speaks a dozen languages, knows every local custom, he'll blend in, disappear, you'll never see him again. With any luck, he's got the grail already." Cut to Marcus Brody in Middle East bazaar wearing white suit and hat: "Uhhh, does anyone here speak English?") * If you're a Bruce fan too check out www.bbc.co.uk/amazon. The new Amazon six-part series is due to be broadcast on the BBC in the Autumn.

I'm off to the SCBWI conference tomorrow with my little red portfolio. I'll be sure to come back with all the details!

Sending some love to Mike R. Baker and Holly DeWolf who gave me the You Make My Day Award, too! I'm so honored. Thanks, guys! I need to update my blogroll with some great blog friends, stay tuned!

Learning Flash update: thank you for those who left me some great links to look through. Video tutorials are a gzillion times better than learning from the book. I haven't touched it much this week, but I am keeping up with the reading and watching the tutorials. Yeah!

You make my day!


I got "You make my day awards" from Francesca, Mike R.Baker and the folks over at Picture Book Junkies. Thanks so much!

I haven't had as much time to blog these days, so it is nice to know that people still visit. Mike has re-designed the make my day logo and it is too cute not to use.

To pass it on, here are the details:
1. Write a post with links to 5 blogs that make me think and/or make my day.
2. Acknowledge the post of the award giver.
3. Display the “You Make my Day Award” logo4. Tell the award winners that they have won by commenting on their blogs with the news.

If you look at my links on the right, you can see that there are a lot of people that make my days and weeks, but I can only pick five:

1. Happy Doodle Land - I want to live in Happy Doodle Land while wearing a happy tree hat :)

2. Cosy Little Whimsy Nook - Marjorie creates a magical world, always a joy to visit.

3. Sarah McIntyre - I check in every day to look at her illustrations, they are so quirky and fun.

4. Paula's Place - Paula does such lovely illustrations and she is illustrating Anne of Green Gables!

5. Black Carrot Secret Diaries - Joel is an incredibly talented children's book illustrator. He also plays a mean saw.

Thank you so much, Rachelle, for awarding me with the You Make My Day Award! You just made my day too!

To pass it on, here are the details:

1. Write a post with links to 5 blogs that make me think and/or make my day.
2. Acknowledge the post of the award giver.
3. Display the “You Make my Day Award” logo
4. Tell the award winners that they have won by commenting on their blogs with the news.

Here are some fine folks that make my day. There are too many to list just 5!