Consider this your invitation to attend a reception June 11.

For the month of June, Teresa Zook and I are being celebrated as the Featured Artists at Backstreet Gallery. Teresa’s weavings and my books will be up front in the display window for all to see. And on June 11, from 3 to 5 p.m., we will be honored at a reception for the Featured Artists at the Second Saturday Art Walk. Expect goodies to eat and wine as well as other beverages to drink and live music by Sunny Sundstrom. We have restarted our monthly receptions, much to the delight of the Gallery artists and the public who attend.

Below is an exercise in brevity, as I’ve tried to briefly describe my books and cards that are on display and for sale at the Gallery.

BOOKS

The Bridge Lady

Crossings: McCullough’s Coastal Bridges took a year working all day every day to organize Dick Smith’s research, do more research, interview old-timers, produce the written manuscript, acquire photos and illustrations, and check and recheck before sending to my publisher, who happened to be my friend—Bob Serra. It was his first book to publish and my first book for the general public. It was a steep learning curve for both of us, and it’s the book I’m most proud of.

The Crossings Guide to Oregon’s Coastal Spans took only months because the info was all in my head. Having previously been an editor for 21 years at Oregon Coast and Northwest Travel magazines, I knew some of the best coastal photographers and could get the photos I wanted. Compared to Crossings, this book was easy, peasy. The updated edition is now available.

More Coastal Stuff

Around Florence is the history of Florence area from 1876 to present day. Having been a docent for several years at the Siuslaw Pioneer Museum (SPM), knowing the old-timers, and having access to thousands of photos, I was the logical person to write this book when Arcadia Publishing came calling. It has 150 SPM photos.(This is my 20^th year as a docent there.)

The Guide to the UNEXPECTED!!! appeals to the fascination people have with the odd, unusual, and quirky. Filled with color photos for each of 26 locales, the UNEXPECTED takes the reader from Astoria to almost the California state line. No ghosts, but always something to make you say, “Who’d a thunk it?” or “What the hell!”

Getting Personal

Devil Cat and Other Colorful Animals I Have Known comprises five stories about dogs and cats I’ve rescued. This book has the first two stories I’ve ever written, and so, it means a lot to me. Even though one coastal librarian said right in front of me, “You’d think writers would know better than to write about their pets!”, I simply picked up Around Florence and said, “Well, how about this one, instead?” Most writers, including me, have developed an alligator skin.

The Cancer Blog for those who have had cancer and those who haven’t covers one of the most scary, stressful periods of my life when I underwent five months of heavy-duty chemo during 2014–15 for late-stage lymphoma. The book is the result of blog posts written during that time, many of which I shared with other cancer patients. They told me to put them in a book, which I eventually did. The Cancer Blog is upbeat, but tells it like it really was.

CARDS

During the Covid lockdown in 2020, I started writing Haiku poems. Then I matched them up with some of my favorite photos. Then I created cards out of them. None of which was planned. I started with my Covid series that have humorous Haiku. Then I just kept going to a total of 11. Only five have poetry with them, the others have a simply fabulous photo with the inside left blank.  I love my cards because they gave me a creative outlet during a depressing, uncertain time.

Hope to see you June 11 at the reception held at Backstreet Gallery, 1421 Bay Street, Florence

(across from Mo’s)