Category Archives: inspiration

Honoring Childhood Heroes

Posted on May 8, 2013 by

Who was your hero when you were a child? If you could do something to honor that childhood hero, what would you do? When I was a little girl, my family used to make an annual migration to the East … Continue reading →

Posted in blogging, books, farms, inspiration, memoir, novel writing, Uncategorized, words, writers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

In Search of the Pacific Crest Trail

Posted on April 28, 2013 by

(This is the Part II of a two-part post. If you missed Part I, click here.) Full from our feast of a picnic, warmed by the sun and cooled by the soft breeze, it was hard not to doze off … Continue reading →

Posted in blogging, Earth, environmental writing, inspiration, memoir, nature, nature photography, nature writing, photography, Uncategorized, writers, writing | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Celebrate Earth Day

Posted on April 22, 2013 by

This morning I was awakened at dawn by the gentle hooting of a great-horned owl, sitting in the avocado tree outside my bedroom window. Soon a house finch’s neurotic warbling joined in, then the gentle cooing of a mourning dove. … Continue reading →

Posted in Activism, blogging, books, Earth, Earth Day, earth spirituality, environmental writing, good causes, inspiration, nature, Uncategorized, vegetarianism, writers, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Fog

Posted on April 10, 2013 by

As many of my readers know, I live with chronic pain conditions as a result of being struck by lightning twenty-three years ago. (I tell the story in my short bio, “In a Flash,” for those of you who aren’t … Continue reading →

Posted in blogging, environmental writing, inspiration, memoir, nature, nature photography, nature writing, photography, reading, Uncategorized, writers, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

What Price Beauty? Guest Post by Scott Zeidel

Posted on April 8, 2013 by

After only a wee bit of prodding, I convinced Scott–my husband, my soul mate, and co-author of my latest book, Trails–to write a guest post for Smoky Talks …. Scott is such a fabulous writer in his own right, and his … Continue reading →

Posted in art making, blogging, books, creativity, Earth, earth spirituality, inspiration, memoir, musicians, nature photography, nature writing, photography, Uncategorized, writers, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 23 Comments

The Elephant Seals of Big Sur

Posted on April 3, 2013 by

There’s something magical about leaving on an explore when the skies are still inky and the rest of the world sleeps. On this early Saturday morning, even the few cars on the road in LA move at a halcyon pace … Continue reading →

Posted in blogging, books, Earth, environmental writing, inspiration, memoir, nature photography, nature writing, photography, Uncategorized, writers, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

John Muir and Me

Posted on March 19, 2013 by

I’m not one to envy another person’s life, but if there is one person I’ve caught myself being envious of, it’s John Muir. I would, in fact, like to become John Muir. Muir spent a great part of his adult … Continue reading →

Posted in blogging, books, earth spirituality, inspiration, memoir, nature, nature writing, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Mare Cromwell’s Messages from Mother

Posted on March 5, 2013 by

I have a guest blogger today. Mare Cromwell is a sister earth mage. I jokingly say I’m the Earth Mage: West Coast Division, and Mare is the Earth Mage: East Coast Division. She shares with me her passion for our Mother … Continue reading →

Posted in Activism, blogging, books, bookstore, earth spirituality, environmental writing, fiction, inspiration, nature writing, Uncategorized, writers | Tagged , , , , , | 17 Comments

Some One Important Object

Posted on February 15, 2013 by

I get something called the “Daily Literary Quote” on my Internet home page. Sometimes they’re thought-provoking; sometimes they’re cheesy. Yesterday, this was the quote: “The most characteristic mark of a great mind is to choose some one important object, and … Continue reading →

Posted in blogging, creativity, inspiration, memoir, reading, Uncategorized, words, writers, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Pet Time

Posted on February 11, 2013 by

I’m not a slave to the clock. It’s a benefit of being self-employed; I can pretty much get to my desk and begin writing at 3 a.m. or 11 a.m. and no one but me knows the difference. I don’t … Continue reading →

Posted in dogs, inspiration, memoir, pets, Uncategorized, writing | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments