It’s the middle of May, and the neighborhood has turned from dreary brown and muted green, as the grass moves from its lackluster winter color to bright green. Trees sprout new leaves, buried bulbs of perennials sprout green shoots, that will show floral colors in a few weeks. And as I write, my cardinals have been active in the area. I caught the female sitting on my deck railing.
Yes, spring comes late in Maine, compared to our southern
neighbors. But spring also brings rain. We’ve had plenty in the month of May,
including a few thunderstorms—not as usual at this time of year. But the
climate has changed over the years, and more and more humidity moves into the
northeast.
Remember the old adage…April showers bring May flowers? Well, here in the north it is now more like May showers bring June flowers. Yes, the lawn is littered with wild violets and the yellow of dandelions. Weeds? No! To me, as my grandmother taught me as a child, both “wild flowers” can be eaten and used in other ways. Dandelion wine from the petals, dandelion greens in place of sauteed spinach or arugula, violets sprinkled atop a salad or a special dessert, or as garnish on a nice meal out.
And a slew of acorns…and no, I don’t eat acorns. The squirrels
in the fall certainly recognize a good feast when they see one. They fatten up in
the fall, then they bury many acorns and pack away the rest in their own hiding
places, as they slow down for the winter. Spring in my yard sees the squirrels gain
back energy, as they run up and down the huge oak trunk, sprucing up their nests,
and yes, digging up buried acorns. This always amazes me that they know right
where they buried them the prior fall. Chipmunks also join the race for food in
the spring.
But, alas, as I sit here writing about the new beginnings that the spring season seems to bestow on us, I also bring news about our Romancing the Genres blogposts. Sadly, the month of May marks the end of the RTG blog, and therefore the end of my blogs for RTG. I have been here every month for over six and a half years. I will miss this - writing about my world around me, and making new friends, plus greeting old friends who stopped by to visit.
😔😔😔
On a positive note, it frees up more time to work on my
books. But on the sad side of that coin, I will miss the challenge of trying to
think of “brilliant” commentary, from my point of view, to match the monthly
themes. To me, writing about real life seems to use a slightly different part
of my writer brain.
And, most of all, I’ll miss the interaction with all of you
as I read and answered your comments. But I won’t be far away, as I will have
at least one more book slated for publication this fall, and one most likely
coming out later in 2025 or early in 2026—both in the Cowboys of Mineral
Springs series. And I have other books in the works.
👋
So here is to a fond farewell, as I wave goodbye from RTG. But I’ll see you soon somewhere down the road.
~ cottages to cabins ~ keep the home
fires burning ~
Delsora Lowe writes small town sweet and spicy romances and contemporary
westerns, from the mountains of Colorado to the shores of Maine.
Author of the Starlight Grille
series, Serenity Harbor Maine novellas, and the Cowboys of Mineral Springs series, Lowe has also authored short
romances for Woman’s World magazine
(most recently, an Easter romance in the April 1, 2024 edition and a Thanksgiving story in the December 2 edition.) The Love
Left Behind is a Hartford Estates, R.I. wedding novella with Book 2 on the
way. A Christmas novel (The Inn at Gooseneck Lane) and novella (Holiday
Hitchhiker – the youngest brother of the Mineral Spring’s ranching family)
were the most recent releases. Look for book 4 of the cowboy’s series, the Sheriff’s
story, as well as book 2 of the Hartford Estates series, to be released in 2025-2026.