What does it mean?

 

I circled the West twice this summer- no joke, just did it in a back#@! kind of way. All totaled-

2 Weeks in Northern Colorado and Wyoming

2 weeks in California- 1 in LA and 1 on the Central Coast

+

trips to Taos, New Mexico, Moab, Utah and to Grand Junction, Colorado

and not even done...

will be going back to Wyoming, Grand Junction, Northern Colorado and hopefully Salt Lake  before Thanksgiving.

About a fourth of my wandering was for R and R- much was to see or help extended family move, mom downsizing. It just was one of those odd summers and every trip was needed and a benefit in some way.....I'm just now really, really tired- kind of feel like this cat- snapped at the Pismo Beach Pro Surf Shop...

 

One trip was for business- fun business, to the Society of Children's Books Writers and Illustrators Annual Summer Conference- I posted a fairytale about working in Children's Publishing HERE, a few weeks ago, I think- it is hard to remember back that far! I came home on the train and went back to California with my family on a great roadtrip- two day later- then came home and the next day took my daughter back to college to help her set up her first apartment ever.

Enough of my family's itinerary!

What Does my summer of enlightenment in some awe inspiring places mean...

 

 

from watching marine life- dolphins, seals and sea otters on the California Coast to mama moose bedded down with their babies in Grand Tetons...

 bison grazing around Yellowstone Lake...

 

 

 or trying to get close to a gathering of butterflies drinking from tiny pools left by tire tracks coming out of a stream in the La Sal Mountains, Utah...

 

I have no idea, other then what I always conclude- that we live on an amazing planet that couldn't have happened by accident and was created by a loving Creator!

 

And it is time to slow down and "feed the whales" for awhile.

 

 

I know- it should be "fill the well", but that is such a boring image to illustrate and I'm dyslexic, often my brain misfires and something close to what I meant to say comes out and "Feed the Whale" came out in a conversation with my husband, whose lawyer brain can hardly handle such things, but now he knows what it means.

I need to slow down and well- live in my studio, or out sketching, drawing, a lot! I am not going to proclaim how much, no goals, just me, a bucket of fish and a hungry whale, we will see what happens when he is full!

 

 

 



 

 

Up close and personal...

Sea kayaking was the family's choice for the "big" adventure on our trip to the central coast of California, happily over Disneyland or Sea World, I love my kids! ( they still have never picked an amusement park yet on a family vacation!)
We signed up with Pismo Beach Surf Shop, nicest guys with great advice on local places to eat too- Zorro's in Shell beach- yum- for breakfast!
But before that- everybody but me, went kayaking around the Dinosaur caves below Shell Beach...
Down the stairs from the cliffs above...

 

A few lessons...

 

 

shove off...

 

 

 

And there they go...

 

 

while I hurry up the stairs to get pictures from above...

 

 

And then have a stare down contest with the pelicans across the way...

 

 

 

Meanwhile, below in the surf, there is a lot of communing with nature going on...

 

 

 

 

And some cave exploration...

 

 

Pismo Surf Shop took all the pics in the water, I took the ones from dry land- they burn you a disc which was great!

The guys at the surf shop also sent us to Avila Beach, where you can drive your car onto Port San Luis Pier...

 

 and check out some more wildlife.

 

Snoozing otters on the right...

 

And noisy sea lions on the left...

 

 

 

 

 



Do you know why the pelican crossed the pier?...

 

 

 

I don't know, but their "cawing" sounds just like my kids calling " mom, mom, mom!" and got really annoying after awhile!!

 

Wildlife tally for the trip...

 

A pod of dolphins at Carmel Beach

elephant seals sunny and napping at Big Sur

A whale peeking out at Pismo Beach

A playful seal trying to "goose" my daughter in the surf, Pismo Beach

More seals at Shell Beach

Lazy otters and sea lions at Port San Luis Pier

Noisy pelcans and sea gulls all the time

and...

a pack of dessert wolves, on the way home!

With no admission fee and crowds!

Central California is really, really cool- what is cooler- is coming back to our mountains... where these guys dream to visit!!

 

 

 

Sister fight, sister love...

 

 

 

Daddy fight....

Elephant Seals near Big Sur, California

 

How do I know the two cute ones are sisters? Cause they act just like the two cuties goofing around in the backseat on this "roadtrip" back to California- after being home from my Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators conference in Los Angeles, California, for two days,  we headed back, this time on the highway to the Central Coast. How could a roadtrip not be fun with my two little darlings, even if there is some "barking" on occasion!

Highway One between Carmel and Pismo Beach is curvy, rollercoasty and slow, but wow!...

 

 

 

Came into Pismo Beach, just in time for some really good food at Hoagies, and a walk

on the beach at sunset...

 

 

 

 



Pure Joy...

 

 

Of course then they pooped on the beach and their owner had to run and get a doggie bag!

Carmel Beach, California...

great place for cool dogs, rich people watching and indulging in the biggest pretzels ever...

Fairytale advice and other stories from the LA 2013 SCBWI Conference...

Sitting here...

In the lobby of  the Hyatt Century Plaza Hotel, right next door to Beverly Hills, for my coach to turn back into a pumpkin,( I will be taking the night train from LA Union Station to Gallup, New Mexico and then up through the "rez" to Colorado), I've been pondering the last four days of the Society of Children's Books Writers and Illustrators conference, other wise known as SCBWI held yearly. This being my sixth year, I thought I would impart some advise to others by telling a wee bit of a children's fairytale, so here goes...

Though you are always hoping to find your...

 

Fairy Godmother at this conference, someone in the know, with power, who will instantly see your great talent and potential and wave their magic wand over your head, making all your dreams come true, that probably will not happen. In your journey you might bump into a few...

Wicked Witches, who will try to  thwart your dreams,or at least it will feel like that, just remember their evilness is either fueled by insecurity or over self importance and could be both at the same time!
On the...

 "Yellow Brick Road" to publication, you will have some fellow travelers sharing your journey, just as nervous as you are...

be sure to pick their brains, you will learn something...

and be inspired by their hearts...

You might meet a few "White Rabbits" along the way...

 

who will gladly talk to you, unless someone more important comes along, like an editor, art director, agent or big time author/illustrator and then they will wave their hand in your face and announce they are "late, late, for a very important date," and then run away from you without another word.
Watch out if you are the one to be already talking to such an important person, because you will be invisible and they will wedge themselves in front of your to try on...

the "glass slipper" and be "the one"!

Do keep in mind that you will have to decide which bits of advice to take, since some will be given by...

 

and other bits...

 

truly helping you find your way home.

 

Many will follow the crowd, of what is popular right now, no matter how ridiculous...

 

 But be brave and follow your own heart...

 

 

and keep telling yourself...

 

 

"I think I can, I think I can!" as you trudge up the next hill in your journey.

 

Be sure to bask in the glory of reaching the summits...

 

 

Have a blast sledding down the other side...

 

 

 

But remember reaching a summit only last for a moment and it is the journey in-between that truly matters and instead of waiting around for your handsome prince....

 

 

 to come show you the way, why not climb down out of the tower yourself, and be on your way...

 

 

Just remember to bring a pair of scissors!