GOOD-BYE, OHIO; HELLO, FLORIDA!

Good-bye fun times, like the live music by Sam and the Funky Nation at the Easton Town Center with my new friend, Kelly, who is the niece of the awesome artist, Janeen Mason.

Kelly, Sam and Donna

Good-bye lovely new friends . . .

Kelly and Donna

Meg

Amy

Pat and her new friend, a butterfly

Good-bye Thurber House . . .

Front of Thurber House

Muggs -- the dog who bit people -- fountain in outdoor Muggs Garden

Thurber House Dining Room

Pathway leading from house

Side yard and site of literary picnics

Good-bye young writers . . .

And young docents, who give fun tours of the Thurber House . . .

 The amazing teen writing group, some of whom drive an hour each way to attend the meetings.

And many dedicated, fun counselors . . .

John and Iris

Good-bye Topiary Park behind the Columbus Library (where I saw a homeless man pee on a bush).

Good-bye cool libraries . . .

Castle in Children's Department at Columbus Metropolitan Library

Good-bye Park of Roses . . .

Park of Roses

Good-bye Okapi (from the Columbus Zoo) . . .

Good-bye cool bridge on which I ate an apple during my 26 mile ride on the Olentangy Trail . . .

Good-bye Loft Bookstore in the German Village with your 32 rooms (that I may or may not have actually gotten lost in).

Good-bye crazy man dancing in a chicken suit at the Doo Dah Parade on the 4th of July . . .

One of the saner things seen at the Doo Dah Parade

Good-bye crazy boot camp class at Columbus Commons . . .

I believe we were hopping like frogs at this point.

Good-bye Jim Fischer, who created this fun, 3-minute video of the Children's Writer-in-Residence at the Thurber House . . .

Me taking a photo of Jim Fischer taking a video of me.

Good-bye funky pig from the North Market . . .

Good-bye authors I met at the literary picnics, like Mark Titus . . .

Mark Titus and me

Good-bye signed author photos all over the walls.  (I'll sign my photo tomorrow.)  Can't believe how many amazing authors have visited the Thurber House, like these guys . . .

Bill Bryson

T.C. Boyle

Good-bye sign I see every evening when I retire to the third floor apartment . . .

"The Attic where Grandfather used to sleep; now home to our Writer-in-Residence."

Good-bye view I've seen from my window every night for a month . . .

Good-bye bed . . .

Good-bye ghost . . .









HELLO, FLORIDA . . .

HELLO, HOME!!!

Walk With Me . . .

in Riverbend Park . . .



Follow the orange marks on the trees a mile or so and you'll come to a tiny waterfall where canoe and kayak riders must pull their boats up, over a wooden ramp.

Hello canoe riders . . .



Uh-oh! Watch out . . .



I've canoed and kayaked WITH ALLIGATORS (and incidentally, with my children, who are significantly more dangerous). Mostly, you don't bother gators and they don't bother you.

What you really need to watch out for is those pesky writer types . . .



This park is my favorite place to relax, walk among nature, observe interesting creatures and chill with good friends.

Here's one now. "Hi, Holly!"



Every time I walk in this park, I discover something new. I've seen a family of deer an arm's length away. Baby Sandhill Cranes. I've heard peacocks shriek -- scared the tail feathers out of me. And discovered a pond full of wood storks and herons.

This time, Holly and I spied armadillos waddling into the brush. Couldn't get my camera out fast enough to capture their images, but I did get this . . .



ARMADILLO POOP! This, of course, ended up in my new novel, OLIVIA BEAN, TRIVIA QUEEN. Don't ask!

So glad you could walk with me in my favorite park.

I'll be back soon with fun photos from the 10th annual Florida SCBWI conference. I attended the first conference and almost every one since, and I'm so excited to reunite with old friends and make new ones this weekend.

Have a lovely weekend; maybe take a walk . . . in YOUR favorite park!