High Water Walk

   I’m starting my writing night late again because of the gorgeous weather.  Lake Champlain is incredibly high, so much so that a lovely, marshy state park near my house is almost flooded.  On the plus side, it made for great wildlife viewing on an impromptu photo-walk with the kids this evening.  We watched two juvenile muskrats (I think they were muskrats. I kept listening for them to make those high-pitched noises from the end of that song “Muskrat Love,” but it never happened, so I’m unsure…) and a beautiful osprey.

Lots on my calendar right now….  I’m excited about the New England SCBWI Conference next weekend and looking forward to meeting some writing friends there, as well as some folks whose work I’ve admired but haven’t met yet.  And, I just penciled in the Burlington Book Festival for September 16th – the day set aside for Children’s Literature.  It’s an amazing event that does so much to promote literacy in the Champlain Valley.  I’ll be doing a presentation and workshop for kids and families, based on my book Spitfire (North Country Books, September 2007).  If you live nearby, you should check it out. (Even if you don’t live nearby, it’s a great time to visit Vermont!)