National Parks

So I Watched This Series – by Pam Crooks

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Yellowstone to Yosemite, narrated by Kevin Costner. 

It’s a beautiful three-part series with breathtaking scenery and a fascinating look into the working relationship Teddy Roosevelt had with naturalist John Muir. Together, they devised a plan to appeal to Congress to preserve the national parks in our country–and much more.

Born in 1838 in Scotland, John Muir moved with his family to Wisconsin at the age of 11. His father was a harsh taskmaster, and John fled home in his 20s, roaming the state, then escaping the Civil War draft in Canada until finally settling in Indianapolis to work in a wagon wheel factory. He had a flair for inventing machinery, and when an industrial accident nearly blinded him, he believed he’d been given a second chance to pursue his dreams. He headed west to wander throughout California. He lived three years in Yosemite Valley and longer in the Sierra Nevadas, supporting himself with his writings about nature.

At the age of 42, he decided to settle down and raise a family. He married, had two daughters, and managed his wife’s family’s orchard in California. As the years rolled by, the wandering urge returned, and he felt compelled to see his parents and siblings in Wisconsin. It’d been 20 years, and he reached his father just in time for his passing.

The trip had been grueling, but he withstood the pain to remain in commune with nature and to become closer to God. Through his essays, he acquired fame and respectability, which eventually inspired President Theodore Roosevelt, a conservationist as well, to arrange a meeting with him in 1903. With Muir as his guide, the president spent three days camping in the California wilderness, avoiding the comforts of hotels to experience the wilderness first hand, including a ferocious blizzard. Their intense discussions revolved around the importance of protecting wild areas like Yosemite and cemented Roosevelt’s growing desire to expand the national park systems.

In the end, due to Roosevelt’s actions, that three-day camping trip resulted in five more national parks being established, along with 18 national monuments, 55 bird sanctuaries and wildlife refuges, as well as 148 million acres into 150 national forests.

Those numbers are even higher today as our leaders secured strong protections on federal lands.

Pretty cool, huh? Of course, the whole evolvement of national parks in the United States was much more fascinating in the series rather than my little summary here, and Kevin Costner does a superior job narrating.

I invite you to settle in and watch the three episodes if you can. I found it immensely informative. We watched the series on Fox Nation, but it’s also available on Roku and YouTube.

Have you seen Yellowstone to Yosemite yet?

Have you been to any national parks or national monuments?

Do you love to spend time in nature, camping or hiking?  Or even just sitting by a lake or a river?

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Special Guest Kimberley Woodhouse!

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I’m so excited to be back with y’all today. It’s seriously one of my favorite places to be with some of the best readers around!

Here we are, with my 39th release – A HOPE UNBURIED – which releases on September 24! (Book number 40 releases in October and it’s the finale of my new Cyber suspense series so watch my social media for fun celebration of #40!)

A Hope Unburied is the third book in my Treasures of the Earth series where we’ve followed women in paleontology, explored faith and science, and experienced the cool piece of American History known as The Bone Wars.

Set in 1916 Utah, this story takes us to the beginnings of Dinosaur National Monument. One of the coolest places I’ve ever been. (Now, let me tell you, it’s in the middle of nowhere – but it’s AMAZING.)

If you haven’t read any of the series yet, I hope you get the chance because one of the coolest pieces of writing these books was the research I was able to do on Earl Douglass. His granddaughter Diane—now in her 80s—has become so dear to me. She gave me permission to use his quotes and poems in the books.

Earl was a fascinating man of faith who was passionate about paleontology. It was his discovery in 1909 and his tireless work for years after that brought us the amazing quarry at Dinosaur National Monument. His hope was for people to get to see the fossils not just as displays in museums, but actually still in the rock. And if you go to the Monument, that’s what you’ll get to see. There’s an entire WALL of fossils inside the welcome center where you can see and touch and read all about them.

Earl’s dream came true and generations to come will get to reap the benefits of his work.

Below is the blurb about A Hope Unburied and I hope you’ll join me in spreading the word about this next book! I’m so excited but I need all the help and love I can get.  If you’re excited too and are willing to share about it, please comment below. I’ll be giving away three copies.

Beyond the perilous landscape lies a love that defies extinction. . . .

In the bustling world of paleontology in 1916, Eliza Mills defies societal expectations to pursue her passion. Having published her early groundbreaking papers under a false name, she has finally earned her place at the Carnegie Museum and seizes the opportunity to work at Dinosaur National Monument with a renowned paleontologist. But things in Jensen, Utah, aren’t what they appear. When Eliza gets the chance to dig up bones at a ranch with a dark history, it sparks a chain of events that will rock the very fabric of her carefully constructed world.

Devin Schmitt, Eliza’s closest friend since childhood, harbors unspoken feelings for her but knows he will never be able to win her heart. Just as he vows to give her up for good, Eliza begs him to visit her in Utah for another grand adventure. He reluctantly agrees, and within a few days of his arrival, he and Eliza find themselves entangled in a web of danger where the stakes are much higher than they ever anticipated. Together, Devin and Eliza must hold on to God as their hope as they navigate a treacherous terrain of betrayal to unbury the truth and save Eliza from those who wish to see her fail.

As Kimberly mentioned, she’ll be giving away THREE print copies of  A Hope Unburied. Have you ever visited a place that made you think of something you hadn’t? Or have you been to a place that changed you? Leave a comment to be entered in this drawing!

A Bear Situation

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Illustrated bear walking through grasses. Peach-tan background. Text "A Bear Situation. Petticoats & Pistols blog. Jill Kemerer."

So…we recently had a bear situation.

My husband and I  went to Asheville, North Carolina, to tour the Biltmore Estate. What a stunning property and house! I don’t know if house is the right word. Mansion doesn’t even do it justice. Castle, perhaps? It’s breathtaking. We rented an Airbnb for a few days and, on the way to the estate, took a wrong turn (okay, more than one!). Things got a little heated.

While I was fiddling with my phone’s Maps app and yelling at the GPS voice telling me to “proceed to the route,” my husband said, “Are you seeing this?”

I looked up, and there was a black bear crossing the road in front of us! Of course, by the time I pulled up my camera app, the bear had disappeared into shrubbery along the side of the road. We’d been noticing people jogging and walking their dogs in the park along the river where the bear had gone. Yikes. I hope they were safe.

Naturally, my hubby and I started discussing what would we do if a black bear appeared in front of us at a park. I told him I’d probably just die. I don’t see myself fighting off a bear. But you never know. Stranger things have happened.

Photo of author Jill Kemerer inside Biltmore House
Here I am in the Biltmore House!

Fast forward to last week when I saw this headline, “Punching an Attacking Grizzly in the Face Might Work, but not Recommended” by Mark Heinz via CowboyStateDaily.com. Apparently, a man in Canada was riding a mountain bike when he came across a mama grizzly with two bear cubs. The bear came at him, knocking him down, and he kept his bike between them to protect himself. She kept coming at him. Out of options, he punched her in the snout, got on his bike and escaped. From the above article:

“Grizzlies almost never attack people with the intent of trying to kill and eat them. But when that happens, all bets are off,” Neal said.

“In the case of a predacious attack, then the victim must fight back with everything that he has, and the nose and eyes should be his top targets,” Neal said.

 

I didn’t realize punching a bear in the nose could be used as a last line of defense. It got me to thinking about the black bear in Asheville.

What would I do if I came across a black bear?

The National Park Service website (NPS.gov) recommends the following if you’re in a bear situation.

“If you are attacked by a black bear, DO NOT PLAY DEAD. Try to escape to a secure place such as a car or building. If escape is not possible, try to fight back using any object available. Concentrate your kicks and blows on the bear’s face and muzzle.” (Staying Safe Around Bears)

And for grizzlies?

“If you are attacked by a brown/grizzly bear, leave your pack on and PLAY DEAD. Lay on your stomach with your hands clasped behind your neck. Spread your legs to make it harder for the bear to turn you over. Remain still until the bear leaves the area. Fighting back usually increases the intensity of such attacks. However, if the attack persists, fight back vigorously. Use whatever you have at hand to hit the bear in the face.” (Staying Safe Around Bears)

To summarize–if you come across a black bear, ESCAPE! If escape is impossible, punch its face. But if you come across a grizzly or brown bear, PLAY DEAD! If playing dead is impossible, punch its face.

Have you ever had a bear situation? If yes, what did you do? If not, what do you think you’d do?

Thanks so much for stopping by!

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Two of my books are discounted this month for Kindle Deals! The Prodigal’s Holiday Hope is on sale for $1.99, and A Cowboy to Rely On will be on sale for $3.99. Both books are part of my Wyoming Ranchers series through Love Inspired. I hope you’ll give them a try!

 

Please Welcome MK McClintock and a Give Away!

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The Four Seasons of The Healer of Briarwood

with MK McClintock

You may have heard the phrase “The seasons of our lives . . .” and then someone will tell you they are in the summer of their life or perhaps the winter. The same can hold true for a book and its characters. Whether or not intentional by the author, chances are the characters of a story can represent the seasons in a year. I did one of these for the second Gallagher book, Gallagher’s Hope, and explored the idea that I could apply it to the latest installment, The Healer of Briarwood.

Spring—Rachel

Rachel’s story as a secondary character begins with tragedy, and yet she is the essence of hope throughout the story. Through her, Katharine and Brody see both the end of sorrow and the renewal of life. She has a long, personal journey ahead, and the best of what is to come for her is just beginning.

 

 

Summer—Katharine

Katharine is considered an old maid at thirty years, and while her spring has passed, she has many more seasons to look forward to as she continues to bloom. Like others who have come before her, this is a time for her to make choices and she has big choices to make. She is willing and ready to take risks in life, business, and love, and she does so with courage.

Autumn—Finn

Brody is a practical sort who has seen much of life—good and bad—and has come through it with hope for the future intact. He’s a steady sort with a big heart who isn’t afraid to do whatever is necessary to heal those in need and fight for those he loves, all while living by a code of honor that puts him in good company with the Gallagher men. There is more to Finnegan Brody than anyone realizes.

Winter—Elizabeth

Elizabeth, as the eldest female, is for all intents and purposes the matriarch at Hawk’s Peak. She is not directly connected to Katharine, Finn, or Rachel, nor does she rule the Gallagher clan, but the people feel her presence from ranch to town, and into every home. She comforts, heals, and is a beacon of strength to all who might ask, “Is it too late?” Elizabeth would reply, “It is never too late to live your best life.”

Just as the seasons blend one into the next, the dreams of the Gallaghers and people of Briarwood complement the dreams of family and friends until there is one common goal—hope, love, and the promise of peace.

MK is giving away an autographed copy of The Healer of Briarwood to one lucky commenter! Come in and let’s talk. What season of life do you think you’re living in? 

A man with a healer’s touch. A woman with a healer’s heart.

Doctor Finnegan Brody tends his patients, keeps to himself, and vividly remembers the heartaches and trials from the Civil War and why he devoted his life to healing. He watches the townspeople live their lives, loving and laboring alongside one another, and wonders if one day he will give a woman as much time and dedication as he gives the people of Briarwood.

Katharine Kiely has a deep-rooted stubbornness to never give up, even if it means leaving behind her comfortable life by the sea to protect her father’s health and help expand his empire. When she finally arrives in Briarwood to convince the Gallaghers a spur line should cross their land, nothing goes as she expected.

Finn, with his knowledge of healing the people, and Katharine, who learns how to heal with her heart, join together as the townsfolk of Briarwood face challenges and choices that could alter their way of life forever.

Welcome to Briarwood and Hawk’s Peak, where friendship, love, and hope conquer overwhelming odds.

Buy Links

E-Book: Kindle

Paperback: Amazon ~ B&N ~ Large Print ~ IndieBound ~ Bookshop.org ~ BAM!

Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/kDUreawijNQ

Prairie Guest Books

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In the recently released Old West Christmas Brides collection, Chimney Rock plays an important part of my story.

Located in Nebraska, this rock formation was one of the many prairie “registers” along the pioneer trails leading west, and could be seen from as far as thirty miles away.  Some considered it the eighth wonder of the world.

Thousands of travelers carved or painted signatures onto these “registers.”  Sometimes they left messages to those traveling behind.     

Those in a hurry would simply hire one of the businessmen who had set up shop at the base of the rocks to carve or paint signatures for a fee.  Travelers would often add hometowns and date of passage. 

Chimney Rock was taller in the 1800s.

The best known “Register of the desert” was Independence Rock.  Travelers beginning their westbound trip in the spring tried to reach this rock by July 4th.  Reaching it any later could be disastrous. For that would mean, travelers might not reach their destinations before running out of grain or the winter storms hit. 

The most recognized landmark on the Oregon trail, Independence Rock is located in Wyoming.  The granite outcropping is 1,900 feet long, 700 feet wide, and 128 feet high and has been described as looking like a turtle or large whale.  It’s a mile around its base. 

 

True West Magazine

It’s hard to imagine in this day of instant communication, the importance of these rocks.  In those early days, mail was none-existent and anyone heading west had no way of communicating with family back home.

Travelers climbed the rock to engrave their names, but also to look for the names of friends or relatives who had passed before them. One of the earliest signatures to be found is that of M.K. Hugh, 1824.

Cries of Joy!

Lydia Allen Rudd reached the rock on July 5th, 1852.  Though she wrote in her diary “that there are a million of names wrote on this rock,” she was somehow able to locate her husband’s name.  He had passed by the rock three years earlier.    

Unfortunately, erosion and time have erased many of the names, but the echoes of the past linger on. 

If you were a traveler in the 1800s, what message would you leave for those traveling behind? 

 

 

“This tale charms.” -Publishers Weekly

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My Western Bucket List

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I love seeing new places. It doesn’t matter if it’s a famous as Yellowstone National Park or a little, out-of-the-way museum hardly anyone has ever heard of. There are so many places I’ve yet to visit that I would love to experience firsthand, but today I’m narrowing my list down to Western locations on my bucket list.

Yosemite National Park — Covering nearly 750,000 acres in the Sierra Nevada of California, this park is known for its granite cliffs and gorgeous waterfalls. About 95 percent of the park is designated wilderness.

U-shape valley, Yosemite National Park. Photo by Guy Francis, used under Wikipedia Creative Commons license.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grand Canyon National Park  — One of the most impressive natural features on the planet, the canyon is 277 miles long, up to 18 miles wide and a mile deep. It has more than earned its name.

Grand Canyon from Pima Point. Photo by Chensiyuan, used under Wikipedia Creative Commons license.

Cheyenne Frontier Days — An outdoor rodeo and western celebration in Cheyenne, Wyoming that has been around more than a century.

Mesa Verde National Park — Home to some of the the best preserved Ancestral Puebloan architectural sites in the country. Can you imagine walking in the footsteps of those who lived there more than nine millennia ago?

Square Tower House at Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado. Photo by Rationalobserver, used under Wikipedia Creative Commons license.

Roswell, New Mexico — It might be kooky and touristy, but I’d love to visit the site of a supposed UFO crash. Plus, I’ll admit I loved the show Roswell, too. It’s also home to interesting history other than the famous UFO incident, including the fact that cattle baron John Chisum’s famous Jingle Bob Ranch, once the largest ranch in the country, was nearby.

Arches National Park — This park near Moab, Utah is home to more than 2,000 natural sandstone arches. I’ve seen the edge of this park in the distance while traveling through Utah on Amtrak, but I’d love to explore the park’s starkly beautiful high desert landscape.