Tag Archives: writing

Stories on Stone

Posted on by

Whether you think of it as rock art, stories on stone or shamanistic visions – carved and painted images from prehistoric times capture the imagination.

Cub Creek petroglyph (photo: M. Kopp)

Cub Creek petroglyph of lizard, not common at other sites. (photo: M. Kopp)

Dinosaur National Monument’s “Petroglyphs and Pictographs” brochure lists five viewing sites in the monument: Swelter Shelter, Cub Creek, Deluge Shelter, McKee Springs, and Pool Creek.

Kokopelli petroglyph in Dinosaur National Monument. (photo: M. Kopp)

Kokopelli petroglyph in Dinosaur National Monument. (photo: M. Kopp)

We ran out of time before making it to Deluge Shelter and McKee Springs (both north of the Green River), but enjoyed the sun-exposed and faded paintings of Swelter Shelter, the impressive collection of pecked rock images along Cub Creek and the unique petroglyphs found high on a sheer sandstone wall along Pool Creek.

Pool Creek's petroglyphs take a little bit to find. (photo: M. Kopp)

Pool Creek’s petroglyphs take a little bit to find. (photo: M. Kopp)

Pecked into the pinkish-hued sandstone, these Freemont glyphs are different in style. (photo: M. Kopp

Pecked into the pinkish-hued sandstone, these Freemont glyphs are different in style. (photo: M. Kopp

Within Dinosaur National Monument, the dot pattern designs are only found at Pool Creek. The lower section of the petroglyph above was created by chipping away sections of the rock. Is it a headdress? A necklace? An artist’s vision?

The petroglyphs and pictographs* found in the monument are attributed to the Freemont people. Archaeological evidence of the Freemont dates from around 200 A.D. to 1300 A.D. While the people are gone, their presence remains strong a thousand years later.

Hmmm… maybe it’s time to start writing on stone!

(* Petroglyphs are images pecked, carved or chipped into rock. Pictographs are images painted on rock.)

 

Southwest Fauna and Flora

Posted on by

The best part of being a freelance writer is that I can choose to write about what I find interesting. Like desert life, for example.

It cracks me up when people say they don’t like the desert because it’s so barren. Nothing grows there. Nothing lives there.

Leapin’ lizards, what are they thinking? Lifeforms in the desert are as diverse as they are plentiful. Vibrant colours and camouflage acts and intriguing shapes abound.

Sometimes all it takes is a closer look.

Collared lizard (photo: B. Kopp)

Collared lizard (photo: B. Kopp)

Horned lizard (photo: B. Kopp)

Horned lizard (photo: B. Kopp)

Prickly pear pastels (photo: M. Kopp)

Prickly pear pastels (photo: M. Kopp)

Pallid Milkweed (photo: M. Kopp)

Pallid Milkweed (photo: M. Kopp)

“Wilderness. The word itself is music.”
– Edward Abbey

A Newbie’s Take on Cycling Fruita, Colorado

Posted on by

I’m a writer, a hiker, an outdoor enthusiast – but not a great cyclist. I’m okay on paved paths and roads, even dirt roads, but take me out on a trail and there’s bound to be a wince, a bruise or some bloody reminder of why I’m better off on foot. I’ve scars to prove it.

If enough time goes by, I can be tempted to try it again. So when family and friends began working on me to bring my ancient mountain bike down to the desert for a recent Southwest getaway, I resisted, wavered and caved.

Fruita, Colorado is big biking country. (photo: M. Kopp)

Fruita, Colorado is big biking country. Yes, that is a telephone pole ahead of the front wheel. (photo: M. Kopp)

Fruita, Colorado has become what Moab, Utah was 10 years ago – a fresh space of slickrock and sand set to pedal. Our first ride was Mary’s Loop out of Kokopelli’s Trailhead – 8.5 miles of twists, turns, a few drops and – I’m serious – a whole lot of fun. Not that I rode the whole thing, there was a bit of walking involved, but I didn’t crash!

Mary's Loop offers scenic overviews of the Colorado River. (photo: B. Kopp)

Mary’s Loop offers scenic overviews of the Colorado River. (photo: B. Kopp)

The crash came on day two, right out of the shoot at 18 Road. We were doing Joe’s Ridge. The trail description described it as moderate. I beg to differ. The first climb up on the ridge saw me flailing, falling and almost bawling. Another whopper bruise was added to the trail tattoos already gracing my legs.

I recovered along V.7 road, built up a little more confidence on Western Zippity, picked up speed on Zip Off and raced Zippity back to the lower parking lot.

Cycle terrain on Zippity at Fruita's 18 Road. (photo: M. Kopp)

Cycle terrain on Zippity at Fruita’s 18 Road. (photo: M. Kopp)

Do over? You bet. I’m a writer, a hiker, an outdoor enthusiast – and a wannabe cyclist!

Book Review: Understanding Native American Myths

Posted on by

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? 

IMG_5325

Passion, Social Media and the Freelancer

Posted on by

Hiking Kananaskis with a couple of mountain hounds! (Photo credit: B Kopp)

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?

A room, a book, another idea

Posted on by

Ta da!

Hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to work this writer goes!

Yes, the office is back to its new norm with flooring in place, fresh paint on the walls, and too many years of collected scraps of paper sorted and saved or recycled.

In the midst of the renos, I met my deadline by wrapping up the final edits for a kid’s book on NASCAR drivers (who knew that Jimmie Johnson gets carsick when not behind the wheel of a moving car). If you say you can’t write because you don’t have the space or there’s too much distraction, you’re just not trying hard enough. Proof positive right here.

I also re-discovered a half-baked project idea buried in the depths of the storage closet. The question was what to do with those files. The idea was to explore the fine line between art and craft. I had brainstormed the project with a friend who is an artisan. She had the hands-on knowledge and I had the writing background. It seemed like the perfect partnership, but other commitments got in our way.

With this newly-found idea still percolating through the recesses of my mind, I happened to pick up the September issue of Writer’s Digest. In it was an article about blogging your way to a book. Our idea would work well as a series of blog posts.

I think I like that idea. Time to call Sus and see what she thinks!

Are you blogging about a topic that has book potential? If you stuck with it long enough to build a solid platform to support a book, would you consider traditional marketing of the idea, write an e-book, or look at self-publishing?

“Before writing, think a lot.
After writing, erase a lot.”
– Carlos Herrar Alvarez