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I'm not one to make New Year's resolutions, but I do choose my new calendar with care each year. And I love the feeling of Hope as I open it on January 1st and flip through the clean, blank months. What new adventures will I scribble in the empty boxes? Will any bucket list items make their way on it? What wildlife will cross my field of view? Any unexpected happy events on the horizon? The possibilities are endless!
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Hope (yes, with a capital H) is one strategy I use to help me muddle through all the uncertainty in the world today, as it did with my husband's health issue these last eighteen months. Know that I don't use Hope as a way of wishing away all the bad stuff. Instead, it allows me to take a step back and find joy in the little things in life. It helps me shift from worrying about what I can't control, to focusing on the small steps I can take to bring light and peace into my little world when the rest of the world gets overwhelming.
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I grew up with Mr. Rogers, and I think of this hopeful quote quite often: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”
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There is a new adventure I've already added to the month of June. After fifteen years working with middle school students, substitute teaching before that, and working at our elementary school's Before and After School Childcare in the early days of living in Maine . . . I'm retiring from our school district. It's been a tough decision. My husband and I have been tossing the idea around since last summer. I know I'll miss my teaching peers at Whittier and I'll sorely miss the day to day interactions with students, too. I learn so much from them! But after David's diagnosis of hydrocephalus, it feels like the right decision.
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When friends and family hear I'm retiring, they often ask, "So what will you do with all your free time?" That's easy! I'm going to surround myself with creative projects! Writing, for the first time in twenty five years, will come first. I'll have more time for wildlife photography, which is a huge source of inspiration for me and I'd like to find a way to get it out into the world a little more, use it to bring joy and peace into someone else's world. And - I'll be able to add more school visits to my calendar, which means I can meet more readers and young authors.
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Read on below to hear more about my school visits, along with ways for teachers to use Lost Lynx in the classroom this winter season. You'll find photos of my latest backyard visitors and this month's middle grade book recommendation, a western!
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Click my books below to learn more about Cooper and Packrat's wildlife adventures. If you purchase one or more from the set for a favorite reader in your life, please let me know. I'd love to send them a note, bookmarks and even a wildlife postcard or two!
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Cozy Up With . . .
Mystery of the
Lost Lynx!
Snow fort camping, campfires, snow ball fights, tracking wildlife, ice fishing and snowmobiling . . . winter is the perfect season to share Mystery of the Lost Lynx with your readers, whether you have one or a whole classroom full!
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Shannon and I taught Lost Lynx last winter in our inclusive classroom. After the book was done, students shared that they really enjoyed learning from Wynter's character what it was like to go dog sledding and skijoring.
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I've shared our students' favorite activities on my website under The Resources for Teacher's tab. You'll also find shareable worksheets. It was unanimous though, our very favorite activity was doodle notes!
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Doodle notes kept our students engaged and focused during read alouds. We encouraged them to use color, as studies show drawing and labeling in color, as well as "doodling with intention", helps students recall important information.
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Before each chapter, Shannon and I hand out a themed, blank, doodle note page. You can find a downloadable copy on my website. One of us reads, periodically pausing to discuss the story. The other models note taking on chart paper or the white board. (We prefer the chart paper so we can save it) Before starting the next chapter, especially after a long break, we ask students to recap the story so far, using their notes.
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Don't hesitate to try it because your unsure of your drawing. The notes don't need to be too detailed, and stick figures can be quite animated! See my examples below from our current read aloud, Masterminds by Gordon Korman. You can also google 'fancy stick figures' for more ideas.
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Doodle notes are fun! Give it a try! And be sure to check Lost Lynx's Resources for more tips and uses of them, like Popcorn Recaps.
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School Visits 2026-2027
One of my very favorite things to do as an author is to connect with readers of all ages. Even though I work in a school system, my district has been generous by allowing me to take a couple days off each year to visit other schools. This in turn allows me to speak to librarians, teachers and readers from all over the state of Maine and beyond.
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I will be retiring from teaching soon, and while I'll miss the day to day interaction with students (and staff!), I'm very excited to potentially add more school visits to my calendar.
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And by the way, it's never too early to book a school visit! I have some schools who book two+ years in advance.
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My most popular school visit is Descriptive Words Matter! Filled with tons of wildlife behavior photos, stories about my family working and living in a campground, with examples from my own writing, I demonstrate how important descriptive words can be.
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Adding descriptive words is my favorite part of writing!
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Read and Read S'more!
Oh, how I loved The Kid by Jeff Schill!
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The setting is 1881, Destiny, Colorado. The story opens with fourteen-year-old Henry and his three brothers burying their father next to their mother. Henry vows to keep what's left of his family together, no matter what. No one must know they're living alone, except the Sheriff of course. And he vows to keep the secret for as long as he can until a guardian arrives.
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Henry decides to write stories about The Kid, a fast draw who outwits and jails the worst of the bad guys. He hopes gunslingers and visitors will stay away from his town and leave his family in peace, if they think The Kid is near.
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But Henry's stories take on a life of their own. Instead of less people, more and more arrive from far and wide to try to catch a glimpse of The Kid, including one of the most evil gunslingers in the West.
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Click on the book or on the link below to find out more about The Kid, by Jeff Schill, published by Scholastic.
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Last week after school, on a gray, but beautiful 39 degree day, I came across this beautiful eagle. It sat watching the stream that feeds our lake's inlet. I don't doubt it's a good spot for dinner. I've seen mink, otter, and mallards here. Also, various wildlife tracks. And of course, there's bound to be a fish or two.
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I spied the eagle through the trees long before I could attempt to get a shot of it. Between the sun going down, and the fog rolling in, I wasn't sure my pictures would pick up enough detail. Luckily though, it sat long enough for me to snap some photos and set myself up to capture a couple interesting flight photos between the trees.
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I'm not able to get out to play with my camera as much this time of the year, what with having a regular job and sunset arriving earlier. I do take heart that the days are getting longer. In the meantime, I love to capture whatever chooses to wander through my backyard. Snow days are best because the weather brings all kinds of wildlife a little closer. I admit, having my bird feeders full helps.
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Not everyone likes to have their photo taken though!
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On school snow days, you'll find me writing with one eye on the backyard. Below are a few surprise snow day visitors. These shots were all gotten by my running from window to window stalking my visitor!
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With visiting wildlife like this, is it any wonder I write with my camera at my side?
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