Wednesday in Wyoming - May 30, 2018

We end this month's tour of Fossil Butte National Monument with the town of Kemmerer's homage to it. I've always been fascinated by murals on the sides of buildings, and this one, with its subtle coloring, is one of the most interesting I've seen.

If you go to Kemmerer to visit the J.C. Penney Mother Store, you can't miss the mural. It's right across the street and yet another reason to visit this small town in southwestern Wyoming.

Wednesday in Wyoming - May 23, 2018

Sagebrush. At least for me, sagebrush prairies are synonymous with the American West. They were, in fact, one of the reasons I moved to Wyoming, but that's another story.

This prairie, complete with beautiful cumulus clouds, is part of Fossil Butte National Monument, which has been our featured location this month.

Imagine hiking across the prairie, being surrounded by the scent of sage, and wondering what the pioneers were thinking when they reached this part of their journey.

Wednesday in Wyoming - May 16, 2018

In addition to the possibility of discovering new fossils at Fossil Butte National Monument, the site has numerous opportunities for hiking.

I've included this picture to show you all the green. Depending on where you live, green may be a familiar color to you all year round, but that's not the case in Wyoming. Because it's a semi-arid region, many parts of the state have minimal rainfall and are often golden brown, but for a few glorious weeks, the grass is green. That's definitely cause for celebration.

Wednesday in Wyoming - May 9, 2018

Fossils, fossils -- they're everywhere at Fossil Butte National Monument, including in this display case just inside the front door of the visitor center.

In addition to exhibits showing the various fossils that were discovered at the site, there are films that explain the process involved in extracting and preserving those fossils and ranger-led walks and talks during the summer.

And, as you'll see from next week's post, there's even more to enjoy at Fossil Butte.

Wednesday in Wyoming - May 2, 2018

Remember Kemmerer, the site of the J.C. Penney Mother Store and the Penney homestead? This small town in southwestern Wyoming has another claim to fame. Just outside the town is Fossil Butte National Monument, also known as America's Aquarium in Stone.

Although most of Wyoming is currently a high desert, it was once covered with water, and water means fish. Lots of fish, not to mention mammals, amphibians, and plants. What makes this site worthy of national monument status is that the fossils of these plants and animals are unusually well preserved. It's a paleontologist's delight.

If you'd like more information, you might want to visit the National Monument's web site.

Getting to Know the Characters

What's a book without characters? If it's a novel, the answer is "nothing at all." It's true that setting is important, and historical facts can enrich a story, but characters are the heart of a novel. That's the reason so many bloggers ask for special insights into a book's characters.

Whether you call them spotlights, interviews, or simply conversations, the goal is always the same: to learn more about the people in a story.

Rel Mollett, who's the person behind the popular site RelzReviews, asked me to create character spotlights for both Catherine and Austin. We talk about  their strengths and vulnerabilities as well as what inspired me to create them.

Heidi Main's Stitches Thru Time blog features a conversation with Catherine, where they discuss everything from dreams to fears to the reason Catherine teaches school. You might discover something new about the heroine of A Borrowed Dream.

Of course we can't neglect Austin. He has his own conversation on the Novel PASTimes site. It's a bit of an uncomfortable time for Austin, but he manages to hold his own, even though he reveals a bit more about himself than he planned.

I hope you enjoyed these insights into Austin and Catherine. Thanks again to Kathy F for suggesting that I summarize my guest blogs so that you don't run the risk of missing them.