Longer Days...? Or shorter...? by Delsora Lowe

The blog question for this month is whether I like winter or summer best? Do I look forward to the longest day of the year or the shortest day? Both have their positives. The longest day of the year can be sad, as it means the warmth wanes and the daylight dwindles earlier. And yet, I love fall weather and November nights with the stars vivid in clear, dark skies. And fall follows that longest day.

The shortest day means the following days will get longer, to give us more light each day. And flowers, dormant now, will soon blossom.

To choose one season over the other is impossible.

June is the month where my yard comes alive with color. The nights are still cool but the day’s air is warming up.

This year, our April showers bringing May flowers didn’t pan out. It seems the blooming flowers stayed on track, but the grass stayed brownish longer than usual. Who am I kidding? In the Northeast, where we used to get feet of snow with every storm, we had very little, and the grass had a bit of a green-brownish tinge all winter long.

The rain invaded June instead of March and April. Granted, we need the rain, so I can’t complain about cooler weather. Especially since my air conditioner is yet to be installed. The seasons continue to be mixed up these last few years.

But I do have to say, I love the longer days with more light. And I love the colorful landscape, compared to yellowed grass and no leaves, just stark brown trunks and limbs of late fall into early spring,

            

Yes, color is important to me.

Having said that, each season has its own color. In fall the leaves are bright until they are crumpled, dried up, and dull, as they decay on the ground.

But there is still beauty in those muted colors. As we move into November, the sky’s blue is more vivid, and at night, the constellations of Orion and the big and little dippers are easily identified.

In winter daylight, against the stark white snow, we see hints of color from plants now dormant. We also see magnificent sunsets and sunrises that color the sky with neon pinks, magenta, orange, or various shades of purple.

In spring, we anxiously await those first peeks of light green, as trees start to leaf out, and the first sprigs of grass shoot their way toward the sun. The tiny white blossoms of wild strawberries pop up among decaying oak leaves left from fall.

Then there is that first carpet of color as the dandelions show their bright yellow heads. I love dandelions.

My grandmother used to make wine, tea, and jelly from the flowers and sauteed the young greens for dinner. Dandelions have so many vitamins, and yet we neglect them—malign them. I welcome their sunny faces after the grays, browns, and whites of winter.

And spring and summer thunder storms, though scary and sometimes bringing hail with torrential rains, also show off vibrant double rainbows against coal black skies.

 What about you? Can you pick a favorite? Do you love the seasons of longer days? Or shorter days?

June is a month we associate with wedding season, as the weather is warmer, but not hot, and the landscape is lush with green and floral colors. And the early fall months can also be big wedding months when the weather turns cool and crisp.

Check out The Love Left Behind, a smalltown wedding romance set in Rhode Island, in a fictional town near the Atlantic Ocean and Newport.

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Love-Left-Behind-Hartford-Estate-ebook/dp/B08L5N5DS9/

Books2Read   

books2read.com/u/mglVqK

Print Books by Delsora Lowe others available in e-book

~ 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. Her newest novella is The Love Left Behind. Look for both a Christmas novel (The Inn at Gooseneck Lane) and novella (Holiday Hitchhiker) later this fall.

Social Media Links:
Author website: www.delsoralowe.com
Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/delsoraloweauthor/community/
Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Delsora-Lowe/e/B01M61OM39/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
Books2Read Author page: https://www.books2read.com/ap/8GWm98/Delsora-Lowe
BookBub Author Page: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/delsora-lowe-93c6987f-129d-483d-9f5a-abe603876518
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16045986.Delsora_Lowe
Instagram: #delsoralowe / https://www.instagram.com/delsoralowe/

Photo Credits:
Photos taken by the blog author.

A Calming View and Dreams .... by Delsora Lowe

Visiting my son’s house with the wonderful view of a cove that leads out to the Atlantic Ocean, with sailboat’s white sails bobbing on the water beyond the jut of land and a tiny bridge leading to an island, always calms me.

On a very hot day in Maine, I sit under the ceiling fan in the cool living room that lets in the ocean breeze but not the heat of the sun. And I listen and watch and dream about my bucket list, which includes my own house with such a view. A place that inspires me to write.

But alas, even though I love my little landlocked view from my writing desk, these water views inspire me to write. So, with a day off from computers and writing, and with words and images insisting on churning through my mind, I grabbed my phone and wrote a stream of consciousness…

 

The continuous, high chirps emanating from the leaf cover.

 

West bound wind off the ocean furling leaves bright green to dark, depending on how deep the sun penetrates the canopy of the huge oak standing between me and the ocean.

 

The water a constant movement of ripples headed toward beach.

A white gull’s lazy travel, swooping and landing on the barely submerged sandbar.

 

The water morphing from the color of cement gray to a tailored, summer weight, wool-gray to light turquoise to yellow-green and back to a darker turquoise as the ocean laps against the opposite shore of the cove.

 

The barrier of bright pink and deep red blossoms gracing bushes of dark green-leafed, sea-side roses in the yard across the street.

The hum of the nearby interstate traffic weaving from one end of the city to the other, broken by sirens racing down the highway and a plane roaring into the summer sky from the nearby airport.

 

Then back to the consistent chirp, chew, chew, chirp, chirp buzz of birds.

 

Saturday afternoon, away from computer and household chores and headline news I want to make disappear. The news that makes me regress to my innocence, fifty years ago when I was first old enough to understood policy and politics, hate and love, kindness and cruelty…

Today, I concentrate on the sounds, and the feel of comforting breezes and hot sun and water rippling from the light puffs of wind and nature living its life in the sheltered trees.

Those thoughts, scribbled to clear my brain, allowed creativity to be unlocked.

The tranquil view and the quiet of the house and neighborhood with only sounds of wind and birds and an occasional meow as Luna wandered into the house and plopped down next to me on the couch, her head gently pushing against my leg as she leaned into my caress, helped to settle me.

Views and pets calmed my anger at the world we live in that can’t treat every human being with respect and love.

Thank goodness for serene scenery, nature’s sounds, and dreams of a room with a view where I can get lost in words that will lead to a story with a happy ending. My escape from a harsh world. And…the reason I write romance.

What is on your bucket list?

Amazon: (also in print) https://www.amazon.com/Starlight-Grille-Serenity-Harbor-Collection-ebook/dp/B07CN8JV2Z/  
Books2Read   books2read.com/u/3yDjWe

~ 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. Her newest novella is The Love Left Behind. Look for both a Christmas novel (The Inn at Gooseneck Lane) and novella (Holiday Hitchhiker) later this fall.

Social Media Links:
Author website: www.delsoralowe.com
Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/delsoraloweauthor/community/
Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Delsora-Lowe/e/B01M61OM39/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
Books2Read Author page: https://www.books2read.com/ap/8GWm98/Delsora-Lowe
BookBub Author Page: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/delsora-lowe-93c6987f-129d-483d-9f5a-abe603876518
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16045986.Delsora_Lowe
Instagram: #delsoralowe / https://www.instagram.com/delsoralowe/

Photo Credits: Delsora Lowe

There's no place like ...

Some writers can work in noisy coffee shops, in front of the TV, or while listening to a curated soundtrack specific to their work-in-progress, but not me. I need quiet and a room of my own. But sitting at my desk for hours at a time isn’t healthy, so, particularly at this time of year, I step outside.

 Warm sun on my face, fresh air in my lungs, and beauty all around refills my creative well.

I draw inspiration from the sights and sounds and smells of the ocean.

           

Woodland hikes, often with a surprise or two, suggest other details to add to a story.

Just ten minutes down the road is inspiration of the urban kind. The heroine in my next release plans to buy the house she has loved for years. 

She especially loves this front door.

After an invigorating hike, or a day of arduous plotting, there’s no better way to unwind than a cool beverage with a relaxing view.

Or I can end the day in my own backyard.

              

Luanna Stewart has been creating adventures for her imaginary friends since childhood. She spends her days writing spicy contemporary romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, and historical romance. When not torturing her heroes and heroines, she’s in her kitchen baking something delicious. She lives in Nova Scotia with her patient husband, a spoiled cat, and five hens. 

  

Website ~ Bookbub ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon Author Page 

Nature is Full of Surprises by Sarah Raplee McDermed

One of the coolest things about the natural world is that it's full of surprises. 

Some are very positive.

Like when an opossum builds a nest in your bushes and you worry about your pets' safety. So you Google "opossums" and learn they eat all kinds of pests, are resistant to rabies and have a live-and-let-live agreement with cats. They are terrified of dogs and will avoid them at all costs. Who knew?

Opossum 
Unsplash

Or when a chipmunk moves into an ornamental birdhouse on your deck railing and cleans up the mess under the birdfeeder for you. 

Or when you gaze out your window on a rainy day and spot a beautiful rainbow.

Some are hilarious.

Like when your family is at a county park playing Frisbee golf and a wild turkey answers with a long gobble every time your thirteen-year-old son hollers. "Dad!"

Or when you and your husband are doing yard work with the garage door open, and you go into said garage to find your old, already-grass-stained sneakers. You spot them in the shadows by the wall just inside the door and reach for them. A slight movement inside one of them makes you hesitate. You peer into the shadow and spot a small reptilian head with two beady little eyes staring at you from inside the heel of your shoe! A baby garter snake no bigger than a pencil has taken shelter there. You call our husband over to see and you both have a good laugh. Then, still smiling, you release the little black reptile with yellow stripes down its sides into the woods at the edge of your yard.

Some are so dangerous they become family lore, cautionary tales told and retold to each new generation.

Like the time you and your brother, Jack, were California preteen city slickers spending the summer on your grandparents' Pennsylvania farm. One day the two of you walked down to the lake to look for frogs. Your grandpa's beagle, Buster, followed you. 

When  you discovered there were no frogs to be found in the heat of the day, the three of you headed back up the path through the reeds. Next thing you knew your brother stopped in front of you and whispered, "Snake. Big snake."

You peered around him at the biggest snake you'd ever seen. The long black creature was crossing the path a few feet in front of you. It looked like the snake that lived in Grandma's compost pile. Harmless.

Buster snarled behind you and barrelled through the reeds toward the snake. Buster hated snakes and would kill them given half a chance. You tried to protect the poor snake by calling him off, but Buster ignored you. He grabbed the snake in the middle, gave it a hard shake and then let go, dancing back out of reach. Jack managed to grab Buster's collar and hold him back when he tried to lunge again. The unfortunate snake coiled and raised its head. You could see some of its guts hanging out of the bite wound. When it opened it's mouth, you saw it's fangs fold down and heard it hiss.

The two of you managed to drag Buster back to Grandma's house, giving the wounded snake a wide birth. You both felt sorry for the poor thing. When you got home and told Grandma about what happened, you mentioned you'd never seen a snake's fangs unfold before.

Grandma frowned. "Are you sure that's what you saw?" 

You both nodded. "It's mouth was white inside," Jack added. "Weird!"

Water Moccasin

"You were very lucky Buster was with you," Grandma said. "That wasn't a milk snake. It was a cottonmouth, a water moccasin. Very mean and very poisonous. Buster saved your lives."

Like I said, the natural world is full of surprises: amazing, beautiful, funny, scary, weird and wonderful (and always interesting.) 

What's the biggest surprise nature has sprung on you?

 

Nature Heals and Inspires by Lynn Lovegreen

Growing up in Alaska, nature was always within reach. I had a mountain view, ravens in the trees, and moose wandering though the neighborhood as long as I can remember. Over the years, I’ve been lucky enough to visit many places on other people’s bucket lists, like Prince William Sound and Denali National Park. I have treasured those memories.

 

But I have to admit that I found a new appreciation for nature’s ability to heal and inspire in the last two years. There were times that an hour in my garden or walk around the block got me through the day. Trips to Kenai Fjords National Park and Katmai National Park inspired me to keep going and help others through times of need. I am grateful for nature, whether it’s a tiny flower or magnificent scenery. I hope you are able to enjoy nature, too, in whatever form it takes in your home.

Lynn Lovegreen has lived in Alaska for most of her life. After twenty years in the classroom, she retired to make more time for writing. She enjoys her friends and family, reading, and volunteering for her local library. Her young adult historical romance is set in Alaska, a great place for drama, romance, and independent characters. See her website at www.lynnlovegreen.com. 

The Many Faces of Abundance

 by Courtney Pierce

How many of you slogged through the 1980s with the rich impropriety of prime-time soap operas? I certainly did, and I even recorded them on VHS tapes for the privilege of watching these scoundrels over and over again. Remember Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Dallas, Falcon Crest, and Dynasty? Many of these TV programs were designed to make us envy lavish lifestyles and cheer on the cat fights for whose power superseded money. Oh, how I loved when those scoundrels who got their comeuppance for greed, dishonesty, manipulation, and fraud. But they looked so good in their designer outfits, coiffed hair, and diamond earrings.

Wickedly delicious.

We’ve been trained from birth that being rich is about having a lot of money. It's been promoted, by design, as a way to polarize us as people. The more you earn, the more you're cheated out of it: through income taxes, property taxes, sales taxes, endless fees, higher interest rates, and increased cost of goods and services. If the elite can get rid of the pesky, free-thinking middle class, then they'll enjoy ultimate power and control over the minions.

So they believe. But they underestimate people's ability awaken to the truth.

As the saying goes, there are two happy days for the "uber elite": the day when they buy a boat or a plane, and the day they sell it when their knees get whacked. Luxuries can easily become burdens when life takes a downturn.

But what if money becomes worthless? Then what?

Think Venezuela. It used to be a country of abundance: awesome food, and resource independence, Its citizen enjoyed a vibrant economy, just like the USA a mere two years ago. Under the current tyrannical government, Venezuelans roll barrels full of worthless cash into the store just to get a loaf of bread—if a loaf of bread is available. The working people are forced to eat birds, rats, cats, and dogs to get sustenance. Their de-valued currency means nothing. 

Somehow, though, the government elites have lights, fresh food, and lavish homes behind walls and fences. Average citizens burn furniture to keep warm and live in the dark after sunset.

But the people are fighting back. They've had enough of the corruption. And they're making progress.

Here in Montana, there are a plethora of millionaires and billionaires among the working folk, farmers, and ranchers. Some earned their wealth. Others inherited it. To be honest, you wouldn't know who's who. They all dress the same.

People are moving to Montana from all over the world, hence our skyrocketing housing prices and rents. The building rate is crazy as people want be here to protect their wealth and freedom. We’re one of those desired free states. We don’t wear masks. We don’t mandate the VAX, and we don’t poison kids with divisive racism. We love this country and its Constitution, and we truly respect our fellow man, no matter how much money they do or don't have. We wouldn't know, anyway, because everyone looks the same. We're just people.

The vistas are amazing here, without a doubt. Glacier National Park is a national treasure and is only a stone’s throw away. Yellowstone National Park is only a few hours further. This state cradles an abundance of Nature’s bounty. This is the abundance we moved here to enjoy. We hike the trails in boots and backpacks, and we rough it in the wild in tents. We all yearn for the hooves of the mountain goats pounding through the campsite in the middle of the night.

But there’s a higher truth in our abundance as humans.

The real skivvy is that we're all born with abundance of benevolence in our DNA, aka "God Genes.' We’re actually magical beings that have telepathy and a deep understanding of the universe. But humans have been hijacked. Over the centuries, we’ve been dumbed down: our food and water purposely poisoned, our minds manipulated by mainstream media and school, and our money stolen by the Federal Reserve to keep us indebted. Abundance was reserved for only the chosen few, far above the one-percent.

Many shocking truths will be exposed in the coming months. And what if average Americans become very wealthy as a result of having their moral compass on a benevolent spiritual path? It's like winning the lottery. Some acquire and give; others squander and consume. We still have a little free will to make decisions.

There's actually science to back up the premise.

Intuition and telepathy are gifts that are centered in our pineal gland, a precious bodily organ at the base of our brain that functions as our “third eye.” It governs our connection to spirituality and intuition. Over the decades, this gland has been purposely calcified by fluoride: in our water, in our toothpaste, and in the treatments at our dental visits. Why? We were willing sheep with our ignorance from misinformation. There are those who don't want us to have these gifts.

Conspiracy theories are now confirmed conspiracies. That's only the start.

There is good news! The world is waking up to the many, many lies that have been fed to us on a slow drip over the years. Some may be able to handle them, others may not.

As people, the real abundance we all have, no matter the amount of our income, is our intuition, our heart, and our benevolence. Those we love, and those who love us, are precious beyond anything we can purchase. Moreover, we are able to pay attention to our inner voice when “something’s not right.” Trust that your moral compass is straight on point.

As the holidays are upon us, we must pause to take stock of our many abundances, especially with the people we love. There may still be a stall of the supply chain for Christmas, but the day isn't about presents; it's about giving of ourselves to others. Personally, I have everything I need: the love of my husband, my sisters, my in-laws, my step children, and step grandchildren. I want their world to be as good to them as mine has been to me.

My new prized investment is our garden. We raise our own vegetables, garlic, herbs, and potatoes. We hunt for elk and venison to fill the freezer. We will bring our bounty indoors this winter with a mini greenhouse. Our goal is to control our food supply—free of additives or chemicals.

We’ll heat our home through the winter with cords of wood. And when spring arrives with the retreat of the ice-melt on the lake, we’ll have fresh fish, along with the beauty of iris and tulips.

That’s abundance to us.

Courtney Pierce is a fiction writer living in Kalispell, Montana with her husband and stepdaughter. She writes for the baby boomer audience. She spent 28 years as an executive in the entertainment industry and used her time in a theater seat to create stories that are filled with heart, humor, and mystery. She studied craft and storytelling at the Attic Institute and has completed the Hawthorne Fellows Program for writing and publishing. Active in the writing community, Courtney is a board member of the Northwest Independent Writers Association and on the Advisory Council of the Independent Publishing Resource Center. She is a member of Willamette Writers, Pacific Northwest Writers Association, and Authors of the Flathead. The Executrix received the Library Journal Self-E recommendation seal.

Print and E-books are available through most major online retailers, including Amazon.com.

Check out all of Courtney's books: 

courtney-pierce.com and windtreepress.com 

New York Times best-selling author Karen Karbo says, "Courtney Pierce spins a madcap tale of family grudges, sisterly love, unexpected romance, mysterious mobsters and dog love. Reading Indigo Lake is like drinking champagne with a chaser of Mountain Dew. Pure Delight."

Coming in 2022!

When Aubrey Cenderon moves to Montana after the death of her father, the peace and quiet of Big Sky Country becomes complicated with a knock on the door from the sheriff. An injured grizzly bear is on the loose and it must be eliminated before it kills again. The sheriff's insistence that she buy a gun for protection will present Aubrey with some serious soul-searching, because the grizzly-on-the-run is hunting her too . . . for a different reason.

Freedom - a poem

Freedom

by Olive Runner

Give me the long, straight road before me,

A clear, cold day with a nipping air,

Tall, bare trees to run on beside me,

A heart that is light and free from care.

Then let me go! – I care not whither

My feet may lead, for my spirit shall be

Free as the brook that flows to the river,

Free as the river that flows to the sea.

from Poetry: A Magazine of Verse, Vol. XII, Sept 1918.

photos © Luanna S. Nau