The little house in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque where my critique group has retreated the last two years. This was my tenth or eleventh retreat with these wise, wonderful women.
The license plate we pass around when someone has good book news. I got it last year. Now it’s in Vaunda‘s possession. (Look for an interview with her later this year about her next book, Small Shoes, Great Strides:How Three Brave Girls Opened Doors for School Equality.)
View of the nearby (dry) acequia where I took my morning runs. I thought these cottonwood roots were interesting. Acequias are irrigation ditches that have been in use for centuries. I wouldn’t be surprised if this one has been around since Los Ranchos was founded in the 1660s.
Same ditch, now with water.
Post run sunrise
A magnificent cottonwood in the morning…
…and evening.
Where I parked myself for hours with my editorial letter for The Burning Season, my printed manuscript, notes from a phone call with my editor, a journal filled with notes devoted to the manuscript, and my computer version of the story. Lots of moving parts (and poems!) right now. Whew.
My great-grandmother’s ring that I’ve taken to wearing to connect with my character Opal.
Not pictured: the mouse discovered in my room and the subsequent (humorous) dash to capture it!