The Redwood Tree

I am happy to announce the release of my third picture book for young children.  This one is non fiction but reads like a story as you share photographs of the beautiful and long lived giants of the Pacific Coast.

It is available on Amazon at the following link

https://www.amazon.com/Redwood-Tree-Dixie-Miller-Goode/dp/1540304345/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1481569293&sr=1-2&keywords=the+redwood+tree

Happy Valentine's Day

 Life has been going quickly past this school year.  I have not written as much as I would like but then again, I have not been completely away from my stories either and my real life competes with the fantasies I try to put down in book form.

 It has truly been a beautiful winter here, which is not really a good thing over the long run.  Days in the redwood coast in January and February were not supposed to be near 70 and sunny, but even though it threatens dry wells and fiery summers, I have been enjoying it and getting into the trees and to the beach

 I also went up to Eugene with my husband and while he was involved in a music festival I explored the old cemetery. Not sure why but there is an attraction to old, decaying places like decrepit barns and mossy tombstones

 Spring weather should be rainy and it finally has come but not enough yet even though my house got 10 inches of rain in 8 day.  the river spot we love should be at flood stage this time of year, 29 feet and is often over that in January, but was only 8 feet before the rain started last week, and even now only got to 19 feet before dropping back to about 13 now

 Valentine's Day is fortunately not just for couples.  I never see my music teacher husband on Valentine's day as he is in the next town up delivering Valen-tunes - but there are many people I love and so Valentine's day is a reminder that every day, my life is blessed by a multitude of good people

It is a full moon valentine's day but the rain is blessing us heavily and therefore I can't see it, so instead here is a simple painting I did my freshman year of college.

Now enough avoiding the novel. Going to open that document and figure out why Duffy Barkley is marooned on an Island and refusing to move forward

Random June Moments

 I know that I need to write something on this blog simply to get the giveaway off the top spot since the giveaway has ended and my book is back to $2.99 on kindle.  Yet, what to write?

 June has been strangely unfocused and "eclectic" around my world.  We had storms and sun and School and the crazy life changing moments that happen when your last baby is about to graduate from High School and your world is tilting on its axis.

I did find a fun recipe that I had to try, an apple tart baked in the apple itself 

 and I got to dog sit for my oldest son when he went up to Seattle for a LMFAO concert.  My Greyhounds have not been replaced, so it was nice to have dogs in the house again, and nice to send them home later too.

 I live in  a gorgeous neighborhood, so both this redwood state park and the drive-in movie are within an easy walk of my house.  Strange to think that the barren drive-in movie lot was once a lush forest too.

 This falling down house is between the drive in and the state park campground

 The rhododendrons are looking lush right now

 We spent a long evening, cheering as the community gave around $400,000 dollars in scholarships to graduating seniors and my son and his girlfriend both got their share.  We are amazed and proud and grateful.

 Today was a Saturday farmers market and then a beach walk.

In just a week the graduation will be over and I will hopefully be able to focus on my writing more.  Hopefully.  For all of you who are already out of school, or at least on summer mode, enjoy!

Redwoods and Pacific of Del Norte (rhymes with snort here)

I moved to Del Norte county in 1989 and the very first thing I learned here, was that "Del Norte" rhymes with "Snort." Or they laugh, not just at you, but also at themselves for insisting on it.A beautiful county, in cold and rainy territory, there are a lot of rugged, unpopulated areas, and a lot of sad and tragic history in Del Norte. But there is also a strength and courage in those who live here, and a sense of unity in living in this "solar-free zone" where gills develop if you choose to stay. We are the forgotten county. You have to drive South for 6 or 7 hours to reach "Northern California." and we rank fairly horribly on a lot of scales, in the bottom of all CA counties for poverty, drug use, teen-age mom's, child-abuse. Yet there is hope and love in the beauty and the people here.
Battery Point Lighthouse is a beacon of hope and a recognized symbol of the county, and a delightful, but crazy place to gather around bonefires and watch the fireworks exploding everywhere on the 4th of July.



Margaret Keating school In Klamath has reconstructed the native plank homes and shows a living and growing

Yurok and Tolowa culture. This in-spite of near extermination and a time when hunting Indians was legal.

Wonderstump Road, used to be a rail line for the logging company and now is a cool, green hallway lined with a regrouth that hints at the primal forest which once grew here. The Redwoods could also have been victims of extermination but finally some people cared enough to preserve some for their children's children.

The Pacific has provided richly for this area, and in turn attacked with a killer tsunami in 1964. There has been incredible fishing and tragic ship wrecks and a life on the edge of balance here. The Sea truly takes and gives.
My home, still contains a few of the stumps for which Wonderstump was named and is close to both the freezing, but beautiful Pacific and the mysterious, prehistoric feeling Redwoods.

Several movies have been filmed in this area, Parts of the ewok scenes, Jurassic Park 2, ET, and "Darby O'Gill and the little people."

It may not be a perfect place, but it hasbeen perfect for me.