From Bogotá (read Part 1), we flew into Pereira and drove country roads through La Suiza village to Otún Quimbaya Flora and Fauna Sanctuary, arriving after dark. Our bird watching days began at 5 am with views of fern trees. Coffee service was left on the veranda, followed by a few hours of craning our […]
Two overseas trips this year—yes, in 2020—have distracted me from writing. So please don’t expect a new novel from me this summer! In January, my husband and I went on our first-ever Audubon Society birding trip to Colombia. The trip was arranged by Audubon Society Northern Virginia. A local birding expert—Alejandro Nagy with Holbrook Travel—guided […]
For months I’ve had it on my calendar to enter the RITAs, Romance Writers of America’s published romance novel contest. Then after I completed the application, I had it on my calendar to submit my novel files. I completed that, too. Unfortunately, just afterwards a lot of stuff happened within RWA. If you haven’t heard […]
This is very geeky, but I have to gush about the plantings at Universal Orlando’s Wizarding World. Specifically, I really liked the entrance to the Hogwarts castle. Isn’t this waiting line lush! I doubt you’ll find anyone else posting photos of their Universal Studios vacation and raving about the ferns and club moss, but here […]
I follow a number of ‘green’ accounts on twitter. This morning: Little Green Space is a UK-based person/group, but their messages can be applied anywhere: Do what you can. Yes, that’s gardening AND household changes AND voting. I’ve done a little of each this November, the latest being planting a few shrubs. I’m by no […]
![Compost: Saving your [small] world!](https://i0.wp.com/laurelwanrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMG_2238-600x450.jpg?resize=200%2C200)
At some point when the climate crisis became more known in social media, I ran across a twitter post claiming–I’m paraphrasing–that by composting you become the king of a kingdom. Honestly, I can’t describe it any better than that. I own/control the land, but have given it over to my subjects. I feed them and, […]
This will be a short post–because I don’t have the answer. But I’ve been thinking more about the crisis nature is in for months, plus this morning on Twitter I saw an NPR news post that the U.S. is formally pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement. Ugh. (and what next?) Ironically, opportune news for […]
I’m on a trip out west and am so caught up in different activities and what is happening with the climate summit that I actually forgot yesterday was the Autumnal Equinox! I may have missed the date–as one does when away from home–but thankfully, I have been outside! Here in Wyoming, the aspen are starting […]
I would miss seeing this in my neighborhood. And this. Or any of the cool interactions I’ve had with our natural world. I followed the sailing trip a girl took a few weeks ago–and not the one in my novel. With that trip aboard the Malizia II, teen climate activist Greta Thunberg has inspired me […]
At the beginning of August, a friend invited us to an old-time coastal camp his family was renting near Phippsburg, Maine. We hadn’t been to the state in 15 years and I jumped at the chance, especially after spending so much time with my book characters, Coral, Ty, Salm and Luna, in their seaside adventures! […]