Absolutely love sunrises when hiking or biking…. My friend T and I went to Gunpowder State Park along Jerusalem Rd. in Kingsville, MD this morning to check out the trails that rise and fall along the Gunpowder River. We were wonderfully surprised by the well-maintained trails (the Gunpowder and Hobbes trails) that formed a nice…

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Hi, all. It’s been awhile, of course. I thank you for returning. Even with all of the extra responsibilities at school with being class co-sponsor, I’ve still managed to make the time to read a book a week and get my first novel revamped for a new round of reads. Now, for those who have…

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(copyright 2010, Rus VanWestervelt, Meredith Creek, Annapolis, MD) Greetings, Constant e-Readers… I’ve had a horrible day, and I think I’ve come to the conclusion that I just need to say goodbye for awhile. Now, I’m not one to make decisions hastily; this has been building up for some time.  The 40-day journey I just completed…

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02 April 2010, 8:40 a.m. Greetings, all: I’ve just made available the Prologue to my book, Cold Rock. You can read it here and offer any feedback you like. Warning: I know that many of my friends have experienced a loss recently, and this prologue may be tough to read, as it deals with the…

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(copyright 2010 Rus VanWestervelt, Holly Beach Farm Road, Annapolis, MD 27 March 2010) Namaste. It is 7:04 p.m. Well, I made it. I’m grateful for the journey, the support along the way, and the awakening I’ve experienced. In these 40 days, I have stilled the waters enough to refocus my life on the things that…

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(copyright 2010 Rus VanWestervelt, taken at Meredith Creek, Annapolis, MD, 27 March 2010) Greetings. It is 7:13 p.m. I got up a little after 4:30 this morning to head down to Meredith Creek, where I spent a weekend in 1990 with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. I am working on a new piece of writing (my…

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Good morning. It is 5:59 a.m. I’ve spent a good part of the last 24 hours working on a creative nonfiction piece about the diamondback terrapin and my experiences with turtles 20 years ago. I took two trips with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation at that time, one for a week along the Chester River, and…

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I’m so tense with my prose. I’ve been rereading my edits on Cold Rock, and I keep trying to impress. I keep trying to sound so important. My readers don’t need me to preach or get in their way. They just want a good story. I need to write to them as if they are…

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Evening. It’s 8:05 p.m. I am enjoying a good run with my writing these last few days, where I’ve turned off the self-analysis and focused more intently on all kinds of writing — fiction, nonfiction, how-to, spiritual, and just plain daybook. In these remaining days I have on this 40-day journey, I am still realizing…

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Good afternoon. It is 4:34 p.m. A must-see video about the critical situation regarding our education system. The powerful conclusion he comes to hits home in such a tragic way. Please take a few moments to watch.

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