what were you before
the elements had their way
worn mystery rests
worn by Angie Quantrell
Cowiche Canyon Trail
Central Washington
Honey Note: My honey was looking over my shoulder at this post and contributed, “OH, Cowiche CAN-yon!” He is a part of my writing and hiking journey, yes he is. 😉
winter sun highlights
creeping verdant moss carpet
plush launchpad to spring
moss carpet by Angie Quantrell
Yakima Valley
winter rolled out, gone.
spring swept in, bright sun, blue sky-
but tricksy came back
tricksy by Angie Quantrell
Valentine’s Day surprise, Yakima Valley
green snow, you look weird
better than yellow, but what???
slushy algae ice
green snow by Angie Quantrell
Yakima Valley
melted crayons spill
drip, swirl, splash-silhouettes pause . . .
pathway to the day
melted crayons by Angie Quantrell
Yakima Valley sunrise
winter! there you are,
dancing in, fancy free . . . wood
is wearing snow clothes
snow clothes by Angie Quantrell
Winter, Yakima Valley
deep freeze encrusted
window seat blocked, but sun! blue
escapes winter’s grasp
winter’s grasp by Angie Quantrell
Yakima Valley, 2024
Spreckle’s Snack Surprise
Written and illustrated by Sandra Salsbury
Peachtree Publishing, 2023
Oh, sweet delight! Adorableness and humor! Spreckle’s Snack Surprise by Sandra Salsbury is a funny, engaging picture book. I love it!
Thank you, Sandra, for sending a copy of Spreckle’s to me, along with a sheet of cute stickers and a beautiful postcard! I learned about Sandra and her new book from Jena Benton on her blog. Thank you, Jena, for featuring Sandra!
Spreckle’s Snack Surprise is delightful. The front cover alone had me giggling and predicting that perhaps Spreckle would love to have some nice poppy little chicks for snack. But that would be horrible, right? The front and back cover read like a food container, filled with grocery-style information and ad copy. FUNNY and very clever!
But besides that, the story of Spreckle is adorable. Hatched on a farm, raised with chicky siblings, Spreckle needs a snack. Much to the reader’s dismay, obvious snacks peck around at his feet. But hold on, all will be well. We hope!
Why I Love This Book:
~humor
~clever wordplay
~assumptions
~food!
~dragon, chicks, chickens
~perfect illustrations
Thanks again, Sandra and Jena, for introducing me to Spreckle!
only on my desk
are you allowed; come spring, no!
be gone garden snails
allowed by Angie Quantrell
tiny metal snail from Florence, Italy
i often wonder
why the couch looks like this-yikes-
playtime strikes again
playtime by Angie Quantrell
inspiration: Monet, destroyer of couch and assorted other household locations
I woke up one morning composing this haiku in my head. I was literally playing with words and counting out lines while I was in that between fully asleep and fully awake stage. That’s never happened before. I grabbed for my phone to take notes before my eyes were even fully open. LOL. My honey thought something was wrong, I grabbed the phone so fast.
Have you ever sleep-dreamed a poem or story idea?
Monet would like to know. And wonders if you have a couch she can destroy, or at the least, rearrange.
Love, Laughter, and Life 