This blog is for the birds

It's nesting season for bald eagles so I'm back to one of my favorite pasttimes - watching nest cams. For several years I was an avid follower of the Hornby Island eagles, but that cam has been taken off-line. This year I've switched my attention to the White Rock Eagle cams. This nest has two web cams: a close-up cam that offers a great view of all the activity in the nest and a wide-angle cam that includes a stunning view of the nest and of Boundary Bay, south of Vancouver, BC. I nabbed this screen cap from the wide-angle cam this morning, while both parents were away from the nest.

This year the White Rock eagles have two eaglets that viewers have affectionately named Echo and Foxy. A couple of weeks ago, to everyone's amusement, one of the parents brought a stuffed toy animal into the nest. Here's a screen shot with one of the parents providing some shade for the eaglets. You can see Stuffie at 10 o'clock.

Stuffie has been moved around in the nest bowl but he's still there. It's hard not to anthropomorphize about the parent's reason for bringing the toy into the nest, or how sweet it is when one of the eaglets is snuggled up on it!

Happy eagle watching!

Until next time,
Lee
The Daddy Project (Dec. '12)
www.LeeMcKenzie.com

Etta Place

This month at All My Heroes are Cowboys, I've blogged about one of my all-time favorite movies, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969).  Since today at my blog I'm featuring the Sundance Kid, I thought Etta Place, the notorious woman who hung out with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, deserved her own blog appearance.

Photo Credit

Life with the Sundance Kid

According to a Pinkerton Detective Agency memorandum dated July 29, 1902, she was "said.....to be from Texas," and in another Pinkerton document dated 1906, she is described as being "27 to 28 years old", placing her birth around 1878. This is confirmed by a hospital staff record from Denver, where she received treatment in May 1902, which reports her age as "23 or 24," (therefore again, c.1878).

Even her real name is a mystery; Place was the maiden surname of the mother of the Sundance Kid, Harry Alonzo Longabaugh.  Longabaugh's mother, Annie Place, is recorded in various sources as Mrs. Harry Longabaugh or Mrs. Harry A. Place. The one instance where she is known to have signed her name, she recorded it as "Mrs. Ethel Place." The Pinkertons called her "Ethel", "Ethal", "Eva" and "Rita" before finally settling on "Etta" for their wanted posters.  It has been suggested that her name became "Etta" after she moved to South America, where Spanish speakers could not pronounce "Ethel".

Actress Katherine Ross

Photo Credit

In February 1901, Etta Place accompanied Longabaugh, whom she may or may not have married, to New York City, where at Tiffany's jewelers they purchased a lapel watch and stickpin and where at a studio in Union Square on Broadway she posed with him for the now famous DeYoung portrait, one of only two known images of her.

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The mysteries of Etta Place

Those who had met Place claimed that the first thing they noticed about her was that she was strikingly pretty, with a very nice smile, and that she was cordial and refined, but an excellent shot with a rifle. She was said to have spoken in an educated manner, and she indicated that she was originally from the East Coast, although she never revealed an exact location.

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Eyewitnesses indicated years afterward that Place was one of only five women known to have ever been allowed into the Wild Bunch hideout at Robbers Roost in southern Utah, the other four having been Will Carver's girlfriend Josie Bassett who also was involved with Parker for a time, Josie's sister and Parker's longtime girlfriend Ann Bassett, Elzy Lay's 's girlfriend Maude Davis, and gang member Laura Bullion.

There have also been claims that Place was first the lover of Parker, becoming involved with Longabaugh later, and that she met them both while working in a brothel as a prostitute. Both of those claims are possible, as members of the Wild Bunch gang often alternated girlfriends.

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In the film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Etta Place is depicted as a schoolteacher and played by actress Katherine Ross.  Hop over to All My Heroes are Cowboys to learn about a interesting trivia fact that happened to Katherine during the shooting of the movie.

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So who was your favorite outlaw in the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid—Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) or the Sundance Kid (Robert Redford)?  Cast your vote at All My Heroes are Cowboys. (Look for the poll in the sidebar of my blog)

Photo Credit

Happy Ever After...The Cowboy Way!

Marin Thomas

Arizona Cowboy Rodeo Rebels (Feb 2012)

A Cowboy's Duty Rodeo Rebels (Aug 2012)

Beau: Cowboy Protector Harts of the Rodeo-Born to Ride! (Nov 2012)

www.marinthomas.com

Spring Flowers

Hi all.  First, I'd like to apologize for missing blogging on a couple of my days.  Without boring everyone, I'll just say that the day job is a little on the stressful side recently.  One particular Saturday there were a couple events I'd have enjoyed attending, but I opted to stay home and work instead.  Late in the afternoon, I walked out onto the patio to stretch and get a breath of fresh air and guess what I found.  My cactus had bloomed.  Isn't it gorgeous?

Keeping with the family tradition, my older son has gotten into photographing wild flowers this year.  He also loves cactuses.  The yellow cactus bloom below is the picture he posted on FB for me this year for Mother's Day.

My younger son and his wife also got into the flower mode this year and brought me the gorgeous Bougenvillia hanging basket.  He knows I love Florida.  Think he knew that these grow beautifully down there?

I've always used music to change my moods.  This year I seem to be in Spring Flower mode.  How about you.  How do you relieve stress?

Fried Mushrooms and an Accidental Movie!

 Hannah, Granny Sylv and Hubby!

Happy Mother's Day!!

I know it was yesterday, but I had so much fun, I'm still thinking about it today!  We have a long-standing tradition of going to the Muskogee Renaissance Faire, but with Little Terry stuck working, we didn't feel right going without him.  We'd planned on lunching at the restaurant where he works, but it was too crowded to get a table!  Great job security for him, but that meant no Little Terry for me.  Flanked by my other two sweeties, Hannah and Russell--Hubby, too--we accidentally hit an early showing of Johnny Depp's Dark Shadows.  We thought we were seeing The Avengers in Imax, but just as we got to the front of the loooong line for tickets, the Imax guy announced it wasn't showing.  I LOVE Imax, so we stayed and ended up loving it!!  Funny and a little spooky and even had a dash of romance!!

From there, we decided Hideaway Pizza wasn't a traditional Mother's Day hotspot and we were right.  No waiting for a table!  After feasting on fried mushrooms dipped in ranch and delicious sausage and mushroom pizza, we headed to see Hubby's nearly 92 year-old grandmother, Granny Sylv.  She has Alzheimer's, but oddly enough, far from her condition being sad, she's super spry and has mentally reverted back to when she was in her twenties.  She's always been a flirt and now has a new "husband" she introduced us to.  When I asked when she got married, she winked and said, "Oh, he's just the live-in kind.  I like those best."  Hannah and I took that to mean she might be temporarily "living with" Tom, but is keeping her options open in case someone hotter comes along??!!   

From there, I needed a nap before starting the second part of our day.  Earlier in the week, my sweet, gorgeous, funny flight attendant friend, Nancy, and her hubby, Randy, invited us for dinner and a glamorous night out at our performing arts center to see Fiddler on the Roof.  It was SO GOOD!!  Although, it'd been years since I'd seen it--with my friend Robert in the cast--and had forgotten the ending isn't exactly joyous, but kinda deeply thought provoking.  Nancy has been in it two times and softly sang along--she missed her calling!!  Hope Delta appreciates having a Broadway star on their flights!!    

Maybe it's the writer in me, but whenever I'm at a live performance, my mind wanders to the cast.  What are their stories?  How long have they been on the road?  Where are they staying?  Who's fooling around with who?  People watching at the theater is the BEST!!  So many real life characters paraded out for me to see!!

By now, you're probably wondering where this is going, and as I'm still pooped and have a tough day of revisions in front of me, probably nowhere profound.  Just an observation about my Mother's Day gifts.  Best was spending time with my awesome family and friends.  And I always love homemade cards and store bought cards with heartfelt messages and gorgeous flowers.  But as someone who spends her life dreaming up stories that hopefully entertain, sitting back, relaxing and being entertained is a great luxury.  From start to finish, my Mother's Day was perfection!!  What did you do?               

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother’s Day!

I had a different concept for this month’s blog when I realized what day my post falls on.

You see, I’m not a mother.  Not in the traditional sense.  I am mother to a Schnoodle.  A Schnauzer/Poodle mix I adopted from the Marshall’s parking lot.  Duffy, is my one and only, although I do hope to adopt a child in the future.

Today I would like to thank all the mom’s out there.  Whether you are the mother of a human or an animal, adopted or full blood - thank you for the time and energy you put in every day.  Being a mom is probably the world’s hardest job. 

I would like to thank my mother, for all your love and support.  My writing has always been my passion and you’ve cheered me on through the years.  And thanks for being “Grandma” to Duffy. 

Mom’s, take the day off.  Kick back, relax and read a good book.  Let those around you wait on you.  This might be hard in my home.  I don’t know how much Duffy can do on his own, being vertically challenged and all. 

Enjoy "Your" day, Moms!

An RT Top Pick

A couple of weeks ago, when my good friend Elle Saint James returned from the awesome RT Convention, she brought with her several copies of RT Book Reviews.  Looking over this leading review source for all things romance, Elle and I oh’d and ah’d over her publisher’s full-page spread featuring a book in her latest series along with the writings of another good friend.  Then, we set the magazine aside and got to work.  She was writing the tenth book in a series.  I was working on a proposal for my next Harlequin American. 

At lunch that day, I picked up the May issue of RT Book Reviews again and flipped through it.  Hmmm, I noted.  Historical Reviews for June releases.  Then it hit me, this was the issue that would list my June release, Rodeo Daughter.  I paged to the Series Romance section and... I confess.  I squealed! 

Rodeo Daughter had received a coveted 4 1/2 star review!    

“Turn the page,” said Elle.  “See if it’s a Top Pick.” 

I did and it was!  Much shouting and jubilation followed!

“Readers better hold on to the tissue box during Duncan’s heart-wrenching look at modern custody issues,” wrote reviewer Pat Cooper.  The heroine of Rodeo Daughter, Amanda Markette, rode her way to a gold buckle in Las Vegas before walking away from the professional rodeo circuit to earn a degree in family law.  After spending years performing in one arena after another, Amanda longed to put down roots.  She swore that, if and when she ever married, home and family would be her number one priority.

 His career is lead prosecutor Mitch Goodwin’s number one priority.  He stands on the brink of achieving all he’s ever wanted when the DA plans to name Mitch as his successor.  But the last person Mitch expects to represent his ex-wife in a custody suit for his adorably head-strong daughter is none other than Amanda Markette, the girl he fell head-over-heels for one summer at rodeo camp.  When a playground mishap forces Mitch and Amanda to spend time together, they walk an ethical tightrope as old feelings come to the surface again.  

I hope you’ll take a chance on Rodeo Daughter when it hits store shelves in a few weeks.  If you do, I’d love to hear from you. 

REPLANTING

Last year in Texas the severe drought killed a lot of tress and shrubs. In our yard we lost an oak tree, our magnolia, fig and peach tree and my gardenia bush. I loved that bush. It was at the corner of our house and when the bush was in bloom you could smell it. Lovely. I missed it this spring, so my husband and I decided to replant. Well, he does the work. I do the heavy thinking. Or maybe nagging. I wanted our fruit trees back and especially the gardenia bush.

The dead trees have been removed and new ones planted. The peach tree had several blooms which turned into tiny peaches. I was excited and then one morning we went out and all the peaches were on the ground, pecked and eaten by birds. Now we’re dealing with pesky birds. So far they haven’t bothered the figs and there are tons on the little tree. I think we need a scarecrow or something.  I can remember my mom tying aluminum pans to fruit trees so the birds wouldn’t bother them. They tingled in the wind and worked, so we may resort to tying pie pans on the tree. Do you have any ideas for keeping birds away?

Have you planted anything new this spring?

Thanks for stopping by,

Linda

www.LindaWarren.net

 

Crochet Your Network

As y'all may have heard me mention, I'm teaching myself to crochet via internet videos.  So far, I've made a few baby blankets and a few dish clothes.  My sad attempt at a baby hat would have fit Barbie.  (Bet that had to do with that gauge thing the patterns keep harping about.  lol)  Here's a blanket that worked, made for my niece.

I've spent the past two weekends at romance writers' gatherings, first Chicago-North's Spring Fling Conference and this past Saturday at Memphis' River City Writers meeting.  Getting to know new people and making meaningful connections interests me more than selling books -- but Thank You to everyone who bought one.  :)  Hopefully, my stories will connect with you also.

Now my family is looking at our summer trip, and I'm searching out new locations to set books.  Because of friends and acquaintances, I have a network of people to ask.  My friend who's a math professor has been to Seattle, as well as some of her colleagues who I met at her birthday party.  One of our authors lives in British Columbia and was kind enough to send me some links, as well as an invitation to visit.  My friend in the St. Louis RWA (MORWA) who's been to Washington will be next on my list to ask, as well as our member who moved to Oregon.  Here's most of the MORWA bunch who attended RWA National's conference last year in New York City. These connections have become the network I rely on.

Just as I take a skein of yarn and connect it over and over into a single project, so I have also woven together friends from different areas and made my life richer and more interesting.  And I've done some of that via the web, lol, just as I'm learning to crochet. 

I met a friend on the blog here after she made a comment, connected with her in DC, and am always so pleased to visit with her on the internet. I hope to "connect" with more of you in the future. 

Megan Kelly
www.megankellybooks.com

Vacation Time

Hi-

 I am on vacation and don't have a blog for you today. I'll be back next month.

Until then,

Have a wonderful May!

Ann Roth
www.annroth.net

APRIL WINNER!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS linda s! You’re the April winner. To receive your free autographed books please contact Cathy McDavid and Tanya Michaels through their Web sites.

To enter the contest simply leave a blog comment and your name will go into the drawing. Simple and painless. And FREE BOOKS.