For the most part, I’ve had a “staycation” kind of summer (who invented that word anyway???). Other than a trip to the west coast of Vancouver Island in early July, I have been firmly planted at home.

It’s not that I didn’t want to go somewhere — I would have happily visited Haida Gwaii, the Great Bear Rainforest, Desolation Sound, the Saskatchewan prairies where I was born, or even Newfoundland! All of these places have great appeal for me.

It’s just that the sun was shining brightly in our fair city, the sidewalk patios by the ocean were inviting, the garden was in full bloom, and visitors were arriving in town to see us. So, it became a summer at home.

Added to the list of reasons to stay put were a series of small but necessary projects including: updating my website, writing a teacher’s guide for my latest book and re-organizing my computer’s filing system.

But there is satisfaction in getting these jobs done and looking forward to the fall where I will spend most of my time (I hope) writing something new. I have cleared the decks! No excuses now.

And with thanks to my dad, who is also a writer, here are two great quotes. The first is from C.S. Forester, who penned The African Queen and many other titles. He said, “A man who writes for a living does not have to go anywhere in particular, and he could rarely afford to if he wanted.”

And the second quote (again via my dad) is from William Faulkner, the Nobel Prize winning author and stay-at-home writer, who said, “I have travelled far in the town of Oxford, Mississippi.”

As I’ve discovered over the years, we writers can easily wander in our imaginations. No need to book a trip anywhere!

I’m just back from a family holiday on the far west coast of Vancouver Island (the subject of my new book). As you can see from the sunset photo above, it is a stunning area. I feel fortunate to be able to visit the region every year.

We spent a lot of time beachcombing and exploring tidepools with the small children in our family. It is thrilling to watch them discover all the amazing marine creatures that the shoreline has to offer: brilliant sea stars, pink and green anemones, scurrying crabs, clinging limpets, tiny fish and kelp of every description.

To me, the west coast is always a place of writing inspiration. When I walk down the beautiful stretch of beach, and hear the crashing waves and see the vast expanse of sea and sky, I begin to think that anything is possible. And that is exactly what a writer needs to believe.

I am fortunate to be able to visit the far west coast of Canada almost every summer. It is a glorious place! So amazing, in fact, that I wrote a book celebrating the area.

If you haven’t visited the west coast, but you are intrigued by it, here are a couple of beautiful scenes from West Coast Wild: A Nature Alphabet. They are painted by the talented Karen Reczuch.

Enjoy! (And consider making the trek.)

It’s a wonderful thing to live on the west coast of Canada and I recently wrote a book for kids saying so. It won’t be published for another year — the illustrator is just working her magic now.

Earlier this fall, Karen (the illustrator) and I went on a lovely research trip to the west coast of Vancouver Island. She is from the Toronto area and hadn’t seen the amazing landscapes we have out here in the wild west. I wanted to show it all to her, so we spent the better part of a week hiking through the rainforest, taking long beach walks and doing what kids really love to do — search every nook and cranny of the beach to find interesting sea creatures.

Here are a few photos of our trip: Karen in front of a gigantic 800 year old tree; Karen on the beach photographing the sky; and a few other pictures you might enjoy.

Now I am working really hard trying to think of a good writing excuse to go back! Hmm… there must be some facts I need to check.

If you ever get a chance, come out to visit the Pacific Rim region of Vancouver Island. I promise — you won’t be disappointed. And who knows? You may even write your own book!

I’ve just returned from the Badlands of Alberta — a fascinating place where the dinosaurs roamed!

The geography is so interesting, with sedimentary layers of the past millions of years exposed on the hillsides. You could almost feel the dinosaurs lurking there.

We visited the Royal Tyrell Museum to see the huge dinosaur skeletons and models on display. It was amazing!

I feel a book brewing…

I’ve been so sorry to hear all the post-storm news from New York and New Jersey. What a terrible time the residents are having. Still no power for millions of people, others with homes lost, and many with no food, water or gasoline. I am thinking about all of you east-coasters and hoping for a speedy and safe recovery.

Today, I received a personal phone call from the New York Tenement Museum on the Lower East Side. I had pre-purchased tickets to visit the museum on my research trip to NYC. The young staffer from the museum told me they were refunding the tickets because the power was still out on the Lower East Side and the museum couldn’t open. She hoped I was safe and dry.

I asked her if the museum had been flooded, and she reported it hadn’t. She asked me to please visit on my next trip to NYC. I promised I would.

Take care, East Coast folks. Thank you for your call.

It’s been a few weeks since I posted and I am pleased to report that we west coasters have indeed seen the sunshine. We are thrilled!

I recently returned from a trip to the very west coast of Canada — to Long Beach and Tofino, BC. I am posting a couple of photos taken from Mackenzie beach where we stayed. The beautiful sunset photo was taken by my niece on an evening stroll down the beach. The other photo (blue sky, tide out) was taken by moi from the porch of the cabin we stayed in.

As always, it was an inspiring trip, seeing the power of the ocean and the beauty of the rainforest. It’s possible there may be a book in the works. And on that note, I picked up a copy of Long Beach Wild written by my friend and fellow author, Adrienne Mason, who is a Tofino resident. It is fascinating reading. I recommend it!

Hope you enjoy the photos and are having a lovely summer.

I’m back after a wonderful couple of days in Salt Spring Island schools. Thank you to Deb Nostdal, teacher-librarian, who invited me and organized my trip. Thanks also to the students and staff at Fulford and Salt Spring Elementary Schools. It was lovely to meet you all!

And speaking of lovely, the photo above is one I snapped at a local beach early one evening. My friend and fellow author, Margriet Ruurs, lives on the island and she took me to see her favourite beach (shown in the photo). She also has a B&B with a literary focus. It’s called Between the Covers, a booklovers B&B.  A great place to stay!

Every time I go to Salt Spring, I check out the real estate listings and dream…

I’m just back from a trip to Toronto where I was visiting my publishers. There are many changes going on in the publishing world right now and it seemed like a good time to catch up and chat with people face-to-face.

A few highlights, in a nutshell:

– Spring has arrived in Toronto. It was great to sit outside and eat lunch under a bright, yellow sun.
– My publishers are so smart! They were very hospitable and gave me lots to think about.
– Toronto is a vibrant, multicultural city. It was fun to see areas, such as Rosedale and the fashion district, that I had not visited before.
– I enjoyed strolling through the historic St. Lawrence Market.
– I had a chance to meet my web designer and most recent editor, who were both lovely people.

My conclusions? I need to go back soon. Lots is happening in that great city!

I hope spring sunshine has arrived where you are, too.

A huge thank you to Sara Tillet and Tanis Giczi, the amazing, energetic Whitehorse teachers who organized the Yukon Teacher’s Conference I attended last week.