Google alert – if you’re a writer and you haven’t set an alert for your pen name, what are you waiting for? It’s an easy and effective way to find out about reviews of your work, among other things.
Up pops an alert in my email this a.m. – Understanding Native American Myths was reviewed by Jennifer Prince for the Ashville Citizen-Times. Apparently the book is now available in the Buncombe County Public Libraries. How cool is that?
Our friends (new to the river) lost sleep the night before we set off on our journey, worried that it was going to be a challenging paddle.
Floating the Green (photo: M. Kopp)
We promised prehistoric sites and geological wonders – all we saw was rock, rock, and more rock.
Boulder glyphs near Turk’s Head (photo: M. Kopp)
Campsites were tough to pick.
Camping on the Green (photo: M. Kopp)
And the dining room? Ants and sand, everywhere.
Dining a la Green! (photo: M. Kopp)
If you go – and really, why would you? – just remember, I never promised you a rose garden.
Prickly Pear in full glory. (photo: M. Kopp)
Lady Mac near Canmore, Prairie near Bragg Creek – Alberta Rocky Mountain hiking is looking good this spring – even with recent snowfalls!
Overlooking the Bow Valley from Lady Mac (photo: M.Kopp)
Tips from those who’ve been there:
Summit of Prairie Mtn (photo: B.Kopp)
What are myths and how and why did early Native Americans tell them? How did myths affect their traditions and cultures?
You’ll have to read my latest book (Crabtree Publishing Company) to get the answers and find myths related to the natural world, religion and gods, trade and warfare and more!
Hot off the presses!
When the parcel arrived on my doorstep – light, flat, and on the small side – I thought it was a pair of socks. Does Columbia make socks? That was my second thought. They do, but who knew you could fit a whole coat in a sock-sized parcel? I was thrilled, ecstatic, jumping for joy… until I tried it on.
The airy fabric of the windbreaker floated over my shoulders, the lightly elasticized cuffs hugged the wrist without pressure, but the sizing was on the slim side. Sadly, I have hips. My daughter was thrilled, ecstatic, jumping for joy. “Besides,” she pleaded, “ you already have a running coat and I don’t.”
I wasn’t ready to give it up. The promise of this windbreaker was its ultra-lightweight pack-ability. It would be ideal for our upcoming spring trip paddling Utah’s Green River and cycling a little slick rock. It would work perfectly for early season training runs (as I write, the grey skies outside are puking freezing rain). It would work well for the winds that have been known to howl from time to time on the east side of the Rockies.
“It would perfect for short hikes,” my seasonally, park-employed daughter wheedled. “I could use it for trail runs getting ready for the half.”
I caved… but not without demanding that she model and let me know how it works on a trail run!
Looks good!
Spur-of-the-moment trip to New York City?
Sort of.
I promised my daughter a trip to see a Broadway show when she turned 21. The year has arrived, but we when we sat down to look at dates close to the big day, it just wasn’t working. Googling airfares, I quickly realised that Springtime was several hundred dollars per person cheaper than Autumn and the timing works.
Why not go now?
Step One: Book a flight
We used Travelocity and Expedia to narrow down the options and then were going to book directly with the airline. The fare changed, so we quickly nabbed the lower price with Travelocity before it was gone!
Step Two: Secure accommodation
This took time. We scoured guidebooks for options and checked out their websites; visited TripAdvisor for ratings; and finally checked out HomeAway on recommendation from a friend. Found a studio apartment that met our needs, Google-mapped the neighbourhood, “walked” the street from the accommodation to the nearest subway station and searched for guest reviews. All good, accommodation booked.
Step Three: Score some theatre tickets
The hardest part about this is deciding what to see! Luckily, we were both in agreement, chose the best date, went online to the theatre’s website, picked the seats, charged it to a credit card, and the tickets were in the mail.
Step Four: Research What-Not-to-Miss
Probably the most enjoyable part of the whole experience. NYC’s star locations trip off the tongue with the ease of familiarity: Central Park, Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Staten Island, Brooklyn Bridge, East Side, West Side… But do we really know where these are in relation to one another? No.
We decided a good way to get our bearings pre-trip was to hold a movie marathon. Selection was limited, but we scored four NYC movies: Maid in Manhattan, New Year’s Eve, New York, I Love You and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. All showed the city skyline and several iconic buildings, but New Year’s Eve rankest highest in our books for showing off more of the tourist side of the city.
Add to this a few – okay, a half dozen or so – guidebooks and we’re feeling set to go!
Wait a minute, I forgot to mention one other research tool – recommendations from friends and acquaintances.
What would you suggest as must-see in NYC?
Hiking Kananaskis with a couple of mountain hounds! (Photo credit: B Kopp)
I love the outdoors; always have. It doesn’t matter if I’m strolling a frozen riverbank spotting early spring migrants or hiking a desert canyon – I’m into being outside. I also love the information and technology that either allows me to get outside with greater ease or provides insight into the world outdoors. Sharing this passion through social media is an easy conversation. Columbia Sportswear took notice and asked if I’d like some of their gear. I said no.
Just joking! I came home yesterday after a weekend away to find a package on the front porch. Inside it was a Columbia Trail Drier Windbreaker and a note that, among other things, said: “We dig your posts about the outdoors and wanted to help you get outside and enjoy them more.”
Okay, maybe it is blatant flattery and they are just hoping that I’ll tweet or blog about the product as a gear tester. Good (even bad) reviews help spread the product name. It’s free – and personalized – marketing for them. Participation in this is, of course, voluntary and without compensation other than the gear, but – and here’s the catch – I like their gear. It’s stuff I would and do buy on my own.
Will I spread the word through social media about this product? I already am – in case you haven’t noticed! And I will continue to do so – in my own way and on my own schedule – because it suits me. Would I do this for every company? No.
I received an email last week asking if I’d like to write a travel-related post for a different company’s blog. I asked if it was a paying proposition. They said no, but would I be interested in goods or services in kind. I looked at their products and said thanks, but no thanks. It’s not that their product is bad – in fact, just the opposite – but it isn’t something that I would be spending money on. Their product is not my passion.
Writing for free is a hot topic these days. Dissenters will say that I should hold out to be paid for writing anything – even for a product that I personally like. I say that most times they are right…
… but usually not when it comes to outdoor gear!
What’s your passion/writing niche?
It never gets old!
Photo by: Megan Kopp
New book came today – Reality Television, from ABDO Publishing Company. After walking the dog, checking the mail and finding a package (following a day spent practicing my tele-turns on the ski hill) – it reminds me why I love freelance writing so much!
The latest crop from words sown and carefully tended:
Remarkable Writers: Suzanne Collins
Animals on the Farm: Sheep
Animals on the Farm: Chickens
American Icons: Liberty Bell
Canadian Issues: Should Canada Have an Elected Senate?