Faeries and Cougars and Potties...Oh, My!

Ever wonder where stories come from? You read a book and think: how on earth did the author imagine this one? Well, I got to see one of my favorite fantasy authors and magi of words (and my readergirlz co-founder) in her natural habitat: the Methow Valley. Meet Dia Calhoun...

and her infamous cougar stick...

a necessary precaution considering she's seen two cougars prowling her sprawling paradise of apple, pear, and Rainier cherry orchards. Not to worry! The threat of wild creatures doesn't inhibit Dia's creativity. Case in point: here is one of Dia's most ardent fans reading FIREGOLD, published many moons ago. (FIREGOLD was inspired here at Dia's farm. Just read a passage, and you will swear you get a whiff of apples off the page.)

Very generously, Dia took out time from her precious writing day to tour me and the kiddos around the farm...including the Apple Faery's gate. And the Haunted Outhouse. Which really did creak and moan almost on cue...

That made the second special outhouse my kids and I "encountered" in the last two days. The first was on a geocache, appropriately named Faery Loo:

Don't worry. We closed the door tight to keep out trolls just as the faeries asked. But the door to our writerly imaginations has been sprung wide open after this visit to Dia's Writing Wonderland!