I always heard the saying, “April showers, bring May Flowers.” However this month my new saying is “April is busy. Very busy!” I know it’s not just me in this predicament. Both people and Mother Nature are kicking in with their best games. It may take some time away from my own writing, but the inspirations gained will assist me in the very near future.
For starters, April is National Poetry Month. You may have seen several poetry readings around town. This Saturday, the annual poetry reading by the Women in the Visual and Literary Arts (WiVLA) is being held at the LaPorte Library starting at 11:00 a.m. There are many wonderful poets in WiVLA and this is a great opportunity to hear some of their gems. This event will be recorded on YouTube if you want to see it sometime in the future.
Another writer who has been busy is Barbara Carle. She has published books of poetry in the past, but this month she, along with Inklings Publishing, has launched “Evening At Tony’s”. I couldn’t wait to get my own copy. If you’ve ever had dinner in a crowded restaurant and wondered what stories lay behind all of the other diners sitting at their own tables, then you will enjoy this book. As is said, I laughed, I cried, I couldn’t put it down. You can get your own copy at either Inklings Publishing or Amazon. I am always so impressed at the amount of writing Barbara gets done every year. I think her next book is scheduled for this coming fall. I’ll be sure to tell you about that launch when it happens.
As far as Mother Nature is concerned, in addition to some strong storms that have moved through the area and across the country, I have made several observations in my day-to-day life. For starters, I went for a walk at the Houston Arboretum the other morning. Not only were flowers blooming and birds singing while I was there. I also saw lots and lots of caterpillars! Apparently these little critters come in different colors. This picture shows a fuzzy black caterpillar. Supposedly they shed their skin about six times and get lighter in color each time. These cuties are harmless to humans, but they love to eat leaves of plants. They only live for about six months and then they go through their magical (or scientific) process to become butterflies. I am guessing there are going to be lots of butterflies at the Arboretum later this summer, because there were so many caterpillars that it was challenging not to step on them.
Please note! These black fuzzy caterpillars aren’t harmful to us humans. However there are other cute fuzzy little animals that will sting a person in a way that hurts a lot! Be careful out there.
Closer to home I have noticed a lot of magnolias blooming. Where I live now there are many of these trees, which makes for lovely walks around the neighborhood. This picture really doesn’t do these beautiful flowers justice. I hope you get to see some up close and personal for yourself.
Now, while I am looking at all of the flowers and spring time critters, I am not spending much time writing. I am reading books, but that still does not help me with my own personal word count.
Maybe, next, I need to focus on my own writing now that I am feeling all inspired.
Until next time.….
The weather has been so nice and cool lately. It has inspired me to do some hanging out at the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center. What did I find? Armadillos. These are usually nocturnal creatures so I could not pass up the chance to talk to one of them. The Nature Center will tell you that conditions have been dry and that the cute little critters are just looking for insects, but I suspect they just wanted to see what all the humans were up to. I kept my distance while taking some pictures and as I walked away I could swear I heard the ‘Dillo say, “Have a nice day and come back soon!”
