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#IWSG: How to find blogging topics?
The first Wednesday of the month is the official Insecure Writer’s Support Group day! When I first started my blog, it was as much for my own sanity as it was for others. I hope that doesn’t sound too selfish! I’ve always written for my day job/career but most of my writing has not been “creative”. I do remember when I was a copywriter for Joslin’s Department Store in Denver, Colorado (think Macy’s but on a smaller scale). I wrote a few punny paragraphs about athletic shoes or dreamy text about an evening dress. The pay was horrible. I then got involved in B2B publishing after that (layout, collecting ads,…
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#AtoZChallenge: Zee end!
Okay, I might be cheating a bit with this last entry. I was thinking that while the A to Z Challenge is coming to an end, and April for that matter, spring is beginning to rock! Weeks ago, I saw our pair of foxes romping through the backyard, playing in the tall grass and pausing to eat something. Since it was probably a squirrel or rabbit or other cute, furry creature, I didn’t want to dwell too much on the circle of life. I was just glad to see that the foxes were back again this year. For the past five years, at least, the momma fox has had (at…
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#AtoZChallenge: Wild-life in Indiana
Photo © Diane Weidenbenner I went to Rural King recently in Terre Haute, Ind., and there was a “Fish” truck on the premises, selling young fish to people who have lakes, ponds, etc. They were stocking their bodies of water with crappies, blue gill, bass and a few other types of fish that I can’t remember. In Colorado, where I’m from, it’s not uncommon for the mountain lakes, ponds and streams to be stocked for the season. I have just never seen a local truck, in town, selling bags of various kinds of fish to residents. My friend and I were so astonished to see it that we had to…
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#AtoZChallenge: Sycamore tree (in celebration of Earth Day)
Sycamore tree in winter. Photo by Diane Weidenbenner. Happy Earth Day 2017! This winter, while walking beside Big Raccoon Creek near the Bridgeton Grist Mill in Bridgeton, Indiana, my friend and I noticed this beautiful, notty white-barked tree. It’s leaves were long gone but hanging from the tree were one-inch woody balls attached by small branches. Upon research with Google, we discovered this beautiful tree was a Sycamore, and the balls were actually the fruit of the tree that ripened in October and broke up into many small seeds throughout season. Sycamore “fruit”. Photo by Diane Weidenbenner. There were still very large leaves gathered at the bottom of the tree,…
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#AtoZChallenge: Owls
Owl from a bird rescue at the Scottish Festival in 2012, Columbus, Ind. Photo © Diane Weidenbenner I’m not quite sure how it happened but for some reason, I got it in my head that my friend liked owls. Collected owls. Okay, loved owls! We were at a country store and she bought a card with a picture of a barn owl. She also has a solar-powered owl on the dash of her car. Are you seeing a theme here? I was. We attended a Scottish Festival in Columbus, Ind., last year and it was wonderful. We got to see sheepdogs herd sheep with just the swell of a whistle!…
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#AtoZChallenge: Nature
Mama fox and one of her kits. A fallen tree is their habitat so we can’t clear it away. Photo by Diane Weidenbenner. My husband and I have .7 of an acre on the north side of a small town in Indiana. It’s an older neighborhood and one that isn’t “hip” anymore. All the chain restaurants, the Walmart, and the mall with Macy’s and Carson’s is located on the south side. We enjoy less traffic up north, and an Applebee’s was built shortly before we arrived. People would ask where we moved to and the follow-up comment was “They just built an Applebee’s up there, ya know!” Yes, we’ve heard!…
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#AtoZChallenge: Junket
Photo © Diane Weidenbenner My friend, Sandy, and I venture out of town whenever we can when the weather is nice. We’ve gone Amish Hunting, which sounds a lot more painful than it really is (at least for the Amish). We love to discover antique stores, barns, civil war graveyards and farms with lots of great animals including but not limited to sheep, cows, goats or the boutique miniatures that have become popular. We both remember when our parents and grandparents would go for “Sunday drives” and laugh at how we like to do the same. We’ve both traveled out of the U.S. so perhaps this is our way of…
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#AtoZChallenge: Hummingbirds
© 2013 by Diane Weidenbenner Now that spring has sprung, I can’t wait for the inquisitive, charming ruby-throated hummingbirds to return. Last year was the first year that we had a feeder and faithfully tried to keep it stocked with precious sugar water. We had at least two hummingbirds visit fairly regularly and they stayed quite late in the season last year. In previous years, before we had a feeder, I’d go out front on our porch and was met by a friendly hummingbird, who would regularly visit at dusk. At first I thought it was a large dragonfly but I figured out that it was indeed a hummingbird and…
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#AtoZChallenge: Gardens and good friends
Photo © Diane Weidenbenner Spring has sprung and it has me thinking about gardens. Buds have appeared on our lilacs, irises are springing up and the roses have green, velvety leaves. I can’t wait to get a whiff of the lilac-perfumed air from our bedroom window. I also begin thinking of new plants to add to the landscape. Do they require a lot of care? Since we’ve had a drought these past few summers, how much water will they require? I have a lot of enthusiasm at the beginning of the season when it’s sunny and warm (and not humid.) As the summer progresses, and it gets muggy and…
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#AtoZChallenge: Donkeh
I like animals – I always have. Domestic or wild, I have a deep respect for all living things (except for wasps and spiders but that’s for another time). © 2005 by Diane Weidenbenner When I first moved to Indiana, on my way to work, I would drive by this beautiful donkey. He was never busy doing too much but he always looked content. I think he belonged to the farm that was nestled next door to his field. He had soulful eyes and beautiful fur. One day I decided to make friends with this handsome animal so I pulled my car over, went across the road and began talking…
