Merry Christmas 2019

Perception

As a writer, I'm interested in people's traits and personalities. I don't decide to go somewhere and people watch, but I keep my eyes and ears open. More often than not when I'm in a public area, I'll make a note of something I see or hear that sparks my interest enough to consider it for a writing project, but what I write will be a different version of what I saw because I don't know what I was seeing...only what I perceived it to be.

Nelson and Jessica sharing a tender moment, 1992, Vermilion Bay, Ontario 

The above image shows my husband and daughter sharing a quiet roadside moment as we travelled halfway across Canada back in 1992. This scene has stayed in my memory because it shows a special bond between the two...a bond of trust they still share. Yet when I put my writer's spectacles on, I can imagine the child having a drastic allergic reaction to something the man is giving her. Or what about a desperate father deciding to kidnap his daughter from his estranged wife in a scene worthy of Amber Alert. Yet it can be as simple as a teacher giving a blind child a pine cone so she can feel the texture. 

The truth is, we usually don't know what people are doing or why they are doing it if we aren't clued into their life and circumstance. We see something and imagine the rest without having all the facts. That's a dangerous assumption all around. 

While searching for an image to show how different people perceive situations, I typed the word, cry, into the search engine at pixabay.com and the following image came up with tags of cry, sad, and want to be alone.  What I found interesting is that my first thought upon seeing it wasn't sad at all, but that of a boy playing the game of Hide-and-Seek and he was counting before looking for the rest of the kids. 

Source: pixabay

Words can also have different perceptions. I was recently looking for a verse to go on a Scripture Pic that would show how God doesn't judge us and I came upon 1 Samuel chapter 16. This is the chapter that shows how God directed the prophet Samuel to anoint the new king of Israel from among the sons of Jesse. Samuel doesn't know who will be chosen, so asks to see all of Jesse's sons. As the first one is brought in, verse 7 reads, "But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

That first part by itself tells us that it doesn't matter if someone is too tall, too short, too handsome, or not. God doesn't care what our physical bodies look like...He looks in our heart to see if we're good or evil. But if I only used the first part on my scripture pic, or even the complete verse, those unfamiliar with the chapter might be confused because this verse doesn't actually say that God rejected the eldest son because his heart wasn't good.

For my scripture pic then, in order to avoid confusion for those who wouldn't see the rest of the verses in 1 Samuel chapter 16, I decided that the last half of verse 7 was what I want people to know about our God.

Perception is best explained as how we see things and put them in perspective using our senses and understanding. In today's world where one image of a person or situation without a qualifying explanation of the story behind it can change lives forever, we need to step back and stop the speculation of what we think we see or hear, or even read, because it doesn't matter. 

The only thing that matters is what God sees in our heart.


Note: I have no theology credentials other than having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ who lives in my heart.

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 Anita Mae Draper lives on the Canadian prairies where she uses her experience and love of history to enhance her stories of yesteryear's romance with realism and faith. Readers can enrich their story experience with visual references by checking Anita's Pinterest boards. All links available on her website at www.anitamaedraper.com

Who's Watching Whom

A few days ago, I walked into my office and was halfway to my desk when I spotted a Great Horned Owl looking in my window. I deked to the right to hide behind the drapes. A few seconds later, I leaned to the left and peered out to see if it was still there...it was leaning to the right peering back at me.

I snapped back from view and reached for my camera...but I'd left it in the living room!

Since I didn't want to yell, I whipped out my phone and texted Nelson who was also in the house…

Moments later I heard him padding down the hall. I motioned him to stop before he reached the door and jabbed my finger in the owl's direction. Nelson peered around the corner and his eyes widened. I stepped into view, took the camera, and clicked away at the owl. Behind me, I heard Nelson retreat, and then he returned and I heard him taking pics, too. 

Great Horned Owl, Front View. Source: Nelson Draper

Great Horned Owl, Looking to side. Source: Anita Mae Draper

Great Horned Owl, Looking Back. Source: Nelson Draper

The owl checked out the place for a minute or so, and then turned and hopped away to another branch. This last photo of the owl looking back at us reminds me of a 1950's chenille bedspread due to the unique feather placement. However, when I look at its extended back and down to its feathered legs and sharp talons, I'm reminded more of a wary cat than a comfy bed. As usual, I'm amazed at God's creativity when I see something as special as a Great Horned Owl. By the way, the use of the word, horned, refers to its ear tufts.

Here's a short clip of the owl before and after it had hopped to another branch. If the video doesn't work, you can find it at: https://youtu.be/8Mn1gjMma-s 

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Of course, this owl encounter has given me ideas about including the scene in a story, similar to how I included the cranes in my novella, Sweet Love Grows. I enjoy adding wildlife to my stories and hope the readers can see that.

Do you have a favorite owl, whether real, virtual, or fiction? Have you had an encounter with one? Care to share? 

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Anita Mae Draper's historical romances are woven under the western skies of the Saskatchewan prairie where her love of research and genealogy yield fascinating truths that layer her stories with rich historical details.  Anita's short story, Here We Come A-Wassailing, was a finalist for the Word Guild's 2015 Word Awards. Her novellas are included in Austen in Austin Volume 1, The American Heiress Brides Collection, and The Secret Admirer Romance Collection. Readers can check out Anita's Pinterest boards for a visual idea of her stories to enrich their reading experience.  Discover more at:

Website - www.anitamaedraper.com

Pinterest - www.pinterest.com/anitamaedraper/

The Love in Store Love Notes

by Anita Mae Draper

Last summer I took a bold step with my fictional writing when I gave my heroine the gift of poetry as one of her traits, and then included short verses in my novella proposal for Love In Store. The theme for the novella collection was secret admirer, and my submission included a page with the verses that would be scattered throughout the story in the form of love notes.

I say it was a bold step to include the verses because poetry is not my strength. I write rhyming, metered verses as the mood hits me. For instance, I wrote a poem after visiting the Oregon Trail ruts in Guernsey, Wyoming because the experience touched me deeply. As I stood there imagining the pioneer scene, I could hear the cracks from the whips, the babies' cries, and the mix of emotion-filled voices. Driving away, the poem fell into place, and now when I read, You Were By My Side, I'm taken back to that memory of memories.

I'm adding other poetry to my website as my courage dictates so I can't tell you how I had the nerve to include it in my novella submission, but to me it fit. And I was blessed abundantly when Barbour Publishing chose to include my story as one of 9 novellas in The Secret Admirer Romance Collection.

On the right is the bookmark I created as a visual reference of the love notes in Love in Store since they are an integral part of the story. Each love note contains a verse with two lines of poetry which the heroine, Janet, hides among the items and shelves of hero Adam's store.

At one time I had thought to write all the notes based on verses from Song of Solomon, but . . . well, have you read that book of the Bible? Suffice to say I chose one reference to it and the rest are my own words.

My goal was to start with a casual reference, and then say something more -  emotionally and physically deeper - with each verse. Over time Janet allows her true feelings to play out on the floral paper until she bares everything to Adam . . . except her identify.

Adam's goal is to be left alone because he has problems that he doesn't want to share. When Janet's final love note is revealed, Adam responds with a short poem of his own, but you'll have to read the book to discover his answer, hence it's not included on the bookmark.

For those of you who can't read the tiny words on my bookmark, here's one of the pins on my Novella: Love in Store Pinterest board.

The bookmark and matching postcard (shown below) are being sent as a thank you gift to my newsletter subscribers who gave a postal address when they signed up or since then. If you're not on my mailing list and don't wish to receive my newsletter, but still want either the bookmark, postcard, or both, let me know through my website contact page.

The Secret Admirer Romance Collection will release May 1st and is available for pre-order at 46% off regular price through amazon.com (not .ca). If you'd like to take a chance on winning a copy, I have several blog appearances starting in about 10 days where I'll be giving away print copies. I also have some goodies lined up in a special Secret Admirer Prize Pack. Keep informed through my Contests & Giveaways page.

Using my poetry in a story isn't something I planned and prepared for, but I'm so very grateful that God gave me the gift, and then put the idea into my head to use it to enhance Love in Store. I'm especially honored that Barbour Publishing chose my story with its simple verses for this collection.

And do you know what else? I really like my story. I hope you do too.

Question: Do you write poetry, either verse or prose? What about haiku? Or . . . you tell me.

Giveaway: I haven't received my author copies yet, but since I advertised it on my website, I'm giving away a copy of The SECRET ADMIRER Romance Collection in conjunction with today's post. If you want a chance to win it, leave a comment before Sunday midnight April 23. I'll pick a winner on Monday morning and send the winner a print copy when I receive them.

P.S. The postcard looks dinky here but really is a regular postcard size.

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Anita Mae Draper writes her historical romances under the western skies of the Saskatchewan prairie where her love of research and genealogy yield fascinating truths that layer her stories with rich historical details. Her Christian faith is reflected in her stories of forgiveness and redemption as her characters struggle to find their way to that place we call home. Anita loves to correspond with her readers through any of the social media links found at www.anitamaedraper.com. 

Readers can enrich their reading experience by checking out Anita's Pinterest boards for a visual idea of her published stories at www.pinterest.com/anitamaedraper.

WW1 Letters

by Anita Mae Draper

If my header looks familiar, it's because it's the same one on my Facebook Author page. Contrary to what it seems though, I haven't switched my Old West historical fiction for WW1 stories. I enjoy writing about the late 1800's too much.

However, on Nov 25, 2016, it will be 100 yrs to the day that Noah C. Draper answered the call and signed up as a volunteer in what would eventually be called The Great War.

Recruiting Poster, Royal Naval Canadian Volunteer Reserve. Courtesy of the George Metcalf Archival Collection CWM 19860131-059

After 2 yrs of posting the 1911 Courtship letters of Noah Draper and Ethel Nelson on my Author Memories blog, the time has come to move on to the next phase of their lives. For those of you who haven't read the letters, they are filled with local news, friends and agriculture details.

The difference between those letters and these ones will be that for the most part, these are from Noah to Ethel only although a few from other family members will be included. Ethel treasured Noah's letters as she received them, and they've lasted these 100 years. Due to ship conditions, however, Noah had problems keeping the letters Ethel sent to him - as you'll find out as he heads out to sea.

The current post shows Noah Draper's WW1 Naval Uniform in which you'll see what he wore on and off ship, and a graphic like this:

Feb 1917 - Ordinary Seaman Nelson C. Draper, RNCVR

 You'll also see the problems I had sourcing his uniform.

On December 4, I'll post the first letter as Noah leaves Ethel and the kids behind and starts his tour of duty as a Canadian serving with the British Royal Navy. If you know anyone who is interested in WW1 history, especially the naval branch, please let them know about this series. Comments on the posts are welcome.

For the writers in the bunch, I've used Noah and my genealogy research earlier in an Inkwell post, Using Genealogy for Story Realism.

I've also guest blogged at Seekerville with the informative post, Liven Up Your Writing With Dead People.

Can I just say that our own Inky Deb came up with the title for my Seekerville post, and those sweet Seekers loved it. (Although they sound similar, they are not the same posts.)

Do you know someone who served in the Great War? I'd love to honor them by having you share it in the comments section on this post.

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Anita Mae Draper's historical romances are woven under the western skies of the Saskatchewan prairie where her love of research and genealogy yields fascinating truths that layer her stories with rich historical details.  Anita's short story, Here We Come A-Wassailing, was a finalist for the Word Guild's 2015 Word Awards. Her novellas are included in Austen in Austin Volume 1, and The American Heiress Brides Collection. Readers can check out Anita's Pinterest boards for a visual idea of her stories to enrich their reading experience.  Discover more at www.anitamaedraper.com

Travel Log: Monterey California

by Anita Mae Draper

It's hard to believe that yesterday I awoke in beautiful Monterey, California, and today I'm back on the prairies and haven't seen a sailboat, sea otter, or a flash of brilliant blue water all day. I was down in Monterey for the Books & Such Literary Management Retreat and this time, my husband, Nelson joined me on my wonderful working vacation based in the Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa overlooking Monterey Bay, California.

View of Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa from kayak on kelp bed. Photo credit: Nelson Draper, Oct 2016

The view from our room was breathtaking and we spent many minutes taking photos of the plethora of boats, sunrises, and wildlife. Nelson was especially thrilled with the binoculars left in our room for our viewing pleasure. 

View from our room in the Monterey Plaza Hotel. Photo credit: Anita Mae Draper

The Monterey Plaza Hotel is on Cannery Row which used to be lined with canneries. Some of these canneries are still standing and contain shops and boutiques. Next door to the hotel is one of these old canneries. It appears in many of my photos where it is adorned with gulls, pigeons, and cormorants. This next photo shows the hotel and next-door cannery with the Coast Guard Pier in the background. This beach was below our window and we could hear the surf pounding against the beach and brick throughout the day and night.

Beach below the Monterey Plaza Hotel and next door cannery, Monterey, CA. Photo credit: Anita Mae Draper

From our window, we watched the incredible sun rise while gulls and cormorants greeted the day and seals "porpoised" in Monterey Bay. Here's a video showing seals and birds minutes before the sun appeared with its golden glow. My camera recorded it fine when the seals were slicing through the water, but went out of focus when they dived under water. I couldn't be annoyed however, when the sounds of gulls and barking sea lions carried on throughout this short video I've entitled, Monterey Bay Wildlife at Dawn.

And then the sun rose, washing the bay in light and exposing a thick layer of dew on every standing surface. 

Sunrise over Monterey Bay, California. Photo credit: Anita Mae Draper

While I was busy with the agency sessions on the first day, Nelson spent his time exploring the area around the Monterey Plaza Hotel which included the infamous Cannery Row. On the second day, I was in session when I received a text message from Nelson which said, "Out here in kayak." Gawk! I slipped out with my camera and this is what greeted me. My camera proved its worth as I zeroed in on Nelson in a red kayak way out there, in the centre of this pic.

Nelson Draper (middle of image) kayaking in Monterey Bay, Oct 2016. Photo credit: Anita Mae Draper

Here's a close up of one of the dozen or so I took of him through my Nikon P520 CoolPix camera...

Nelson Draper and friend, Monterey Bay, California, Oct 2016. Photo credit: Anita Mae Draper

Nelson said he'd often heard wings flapping and water splashing while he was out there, but whatever had made the noise was gone by the time he turned around. This photo was a fun surprise for him, however, as he hadn't realized anything was there until I showed him the evidence. 

He took some astounding photos from the kayak including the one at the top of this post showing the kelp and hotel, and this one of the wildlife taking advantage of the sunny rocks on Coast Guard Pier which forms part of the Monterey Harbour.

Coast Guard Pier, Monterey, California, Oct 2016. Photo credit: Nelson Draper

And after three full days in California, it was time to depart. I'll give you one last photo Nelson took while getting up close and personal with the wildlife while kayaking in the bay.

Goodbye from Monterey Bay, October 2016. Photo credit: Nelson Draper

I really enjoyed this second trip to Monterey, and a big part of that was that I was able to share the trip with Nelson and can now share the memory of it with him. Between the photos we took this year, and those I took of my 2014 Books & Such Monterey Retreat, we have many images of birds and animals which we'll be showing on Pinterest, Facebook, and our Draper's Acres blog in weeks to come. I hope you'll keep in touch as we share our journey.

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Anita Mae Draper's historical romances are woven under the western skies of the Saskatchewan prairie where her love of research and genealogy yield fascinating truths that layer her stories with rich historical details. Her Christian faith is reflected in her stories of forgiveness and redemption as her characters struggle to find their way to that place in their heart we call home. Anita loves to correspond with readers through her contact page, or any of the social media links found at www.anitamaedraper.com.

Readers can enrich their reading experience by checking out Anita's Pinterest boards for a visual idea of her stories at www.pinterest.com/anitamaedraper.

Love Those Steam Locomotives

by Anita Mae Draper

In keeping with Monday's release party for The Rails to Love Romance Collection which includes a novella, Honeymoon Express, by our very own Inky Susanne Dietze, I'd like to show you a few of my train photos. And if you think this is a way for me to be connected to a book which I somehow missed submitting a story to, then you would be absolutely correct!

In July 1999 we stopped off in Winnipeg, Manitoba to ride the Prairie Dog Central Railway. We only went about 40 miles all total, but there were a couple stops for bathroom breaks as the coaches didn't have plumbing. One of those stops was at a Farmer's Market which was nice, and then we turned around using a wye, and headed back with another break on the way. Altogether it was about 3 1/2 hrs.

Prairie Dog Central Railway, Winnipeg, Manitoba, July 1999

The #3 steam engine on the Prairie Dog Central Railway was built in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1882, was shipped to Canada, and went into service in 1883. Most of her time was spent in Western Canada.

The Manitoba Historical Society has this photo of Steam Locomotive # 3 as it made history in 1896 by pulling the first train into Dauphin, northwest of Winnipeg.

Steam Locomotive No. 3 Reaches Dauphin (1896)
Source: Archives of Manitoba, Dauphin Collection #6, N10011

By the way, if anyone is looking for information on the Hudson's Bay Company, the Manitoba Historical Society website is the place you want to be looking at first.

One more photo I wanted to show of Engine # 3 was taken in July 1999, like the first one above, except this one has Nelson at the top of the stairs holding one-year-old Jeremiah, while Nick and Jess are standing on the platform about to go inside.

Do you know I can still smell the smoke and feel the jerky swaying of that train as if it was only a couple of years ago, and yet this past June we celebrated Jeremiah's high school graduation.

This next photo is a historical tidbit for you as it shows what the end of the cars looked like before the vestibule was put into use in 1887.

I took the photo while enjoying the history of Calgary Heritage Park on my 2011 Alberta trip. The photo not only shows open air between the two cars, but there's no platform or board even connecting the two of them. Then in 1887, the Pullman people invented a flexible gangway which joined two cars together enabling people to safely walk from one car to the other.

Prior to vestibules, people brought their own meals, and many trains made stops for meals and overnight accommodation.  But once the vestibule was in place, specialty cars like dining, sleeping, and parlor cars were added on and passenger travel by train changed forever.

As a train lover, I'm really looking forward to reading The Rails to Love Romance Collection. For a chance at winning a copy, click here. 

I've enjoyed riding in trains pulled by old steam engines in Winnipeg, Calgary, and Moose Jaw, and I've walked through several more in Saskatchewan's Western Development Museums.

What about you? Have you ever taken an old-fashioned train ride? Crossed a vestibule in a modern train? Checked out a museum train? I do enjoy talking trains.

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Anita Mae Draper's historical romances are woven under the western skies of the Saskatchewan prairie where her love of research and genealogy yields fascinating truths that layer her stories with rich historical details.  Anita's short story, Here We Come A-Wassailing, was a finalist for the Word Guild's 2015 Word Awards. Her novellas are included in Austen in Austin Volume 1, and The American Heiress Brides Collection. Readers can check out Anita's Pinterest boards for a visual idea of her stories to enrich their reading experience.  Discover more at:

Website - www.anitamaedraper.com

Pinterest - www.pinterest.com/anitamaedraper/

Fort Vermilion Then & Now

by Anita Mae Draper

I love comparing pictures and seeing how a place changes over the years, and last year when I drove Highway 17 in Northwestern Ontario I had a chance to photograph changes to a structure I've watched progress over the past forty years. 

While growing up we used to pass this huge fort structure in Vermilion Bay, yet it wasn't until October 1976 when Nelson and I drove from North Bay, Ontario (north of Toronto), to the prairies to tell our folks of our engagement, that we stopped for gas across the highway and then decided to take time to check out what appeared to be the shell of a fort or fur trading post. 

Map of Ontario, Canada courtesy of Wikipedia

There were no gates, so we walked through the gate opening to find that the interior was being used as a picnic and playground area. The fort consisted of 13-foot stockade walls with parapets, or walkways, running along the inside wall and connecting two of the four block houses at the upper level. 

Here's what Fort Vermilion looked like in 1976...

Nelson Draper, Fort Vermilion, Vermilion Bay, Ontario 1976

Fort Vermilion, Vermilion Bay, Ontario 1976

Nelson and I returned to our postings at Canadian Forces Base North Bay where we married a couple months later -- yes that will be 40 yrs this December. :)

Sixteen years and several moves later, we stopped in Vermilion Bay on our move from Ottawa, Ontario, to Cold Lake, Alberta. It was July 1992 and this time we were traveling with 13 yr old Crystal and 18 month old Jessie and the fort would be the perfect place for us to rest and the girls to play. 

Crystal & Jessie Draper, Fort Vermilion, Vermilion Bay, Ontario 1992

That was the last time we stopped at the fort. Then last summer, my sister, Bonnie, accompanied me for part of my trip east and we stopped at Vermilion Bay for gas and to grab something to eat on the way. But across the street, the old fort beckoned with inviting signs like this...

Fort Vermilion, Vermilion Bay, Ontario 2015

Bonnie doesn't drive, and so by that time, I had been driving for 12 hours and needed to rest my eyes a bit, so we decided to see what The Tree House Cafe had to offer.

Main Gate, Fort Vermilion, Vermilion Bay, Ontario 2015

What a treat! Sitting on a patio in the shade with a cool drink and delectable wrap was just the thing for the hot day. Most of the trees in the fort had been cleared away and in their place the playground had expanded with safe and modern equipment. In the center was a pavilion with picnic tables and BBQ pit with an authentic birch bark canoe hanging from the ceiling. A path through the back gate led to hiking trails, a side gate to an 18-hole mini-golf course, and other attractions were all within reach. 

Pavilion, Fort Vermilion, Vermilion Bay, Ontario 2015

I thought I'd taken a photo of the menu because I really wanted to post about it, but the only thing I can find other than the outdoor photos is this post card I snagged on my way out...

Post Card, Fort Vermilion, Vermilion Bay, Ontario 

The post card really says it all because for years we had passed the fort while wondering what was behind the walls and then when we finally stopped we were so glad we did.

Although Fort Vermilion in Vermilion Bay, Ontario isn't an authentic fur trading post, the Hudson's Bay Company files refer to an 1881 Vermilion Station on the shores of Eagle Lake which was used to house crews constructing the Canadian Pacific Railway. (Source: Wikipedia)

Your turn - Have you ever passed something several times before checking it out, and then wished you'd checked it out earlier?

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Anita Mae Draper's stories are written under the western skies where she lives on the prairie of southeast Saskatchewan with her hubby of 30 plus years and the youngest of their four kids. Anita's short story, Here We Come A-Wassailing, published in A Cup of Christmas Cheer, Volume 4, Heartwarming Tales of Christmas Present, Guideposts Books, October 2014, was a finalist for the Word Guild's 2015 Word Awards. Her first novella, Romantic Refinements is found in Austen in Austin Volume 1, WhiteFire Publishing, Jan 2016. Discover more at  www.anitamaedraper.com

Epic Bird Battle

by Anita Mae Draper

One of the constants on my grandparents' farm was a tree under which we would park, play, and picnic. It always seemed to be large and so when I saw photographs before it was planted the farmyard seemed stark. It's fun to look back at the photos and see how we grew along with the tree.

When we moved to our own farm in October 1999 the first thing we did was plant an 18" spruce tree that we'd brought all the way from Alberta 5 yrs before and had grown in a container while we lived in town.

Once planted in the ground, the spruce grew slowly for 10 years. So slowly that we didn't realize it was growing until 4 yrs ago when it shot up 2 feet in one season. Just as parents measure their children against a door jamb, we take family photos standing in front of "the tree" because it's fun to look back and see how we all changed.

A month ago our youngest child graduated from high school. We needed some images of his journey to adulthood to show during the graduation ceremony and the following image is one of the ones I created for this event:

I have a great view of the tree from my kitchen window and this year I've noticed a variety of birds nesting in it, such as:
- American robins
- Chipping sparrows
- Eastern kingbirds

There is one problem however, the kingbird and robin built their nests within a couple feet of each other and have been at war. This montage shows the tree with nest locations as well as one epic battle that took place on July 7th. There weren't any injuries as far as I could tell and life went on.

The kingbird babies hatched first and were practicing their flying by the time the robins hatched. One day momma robin was sitting on her eggs and the next day bobble heads stretched up for food.

Both robin parents worked tirelessly to feed the 3 babies with momma doing the babysitting and poppa getting the food. She was rounder than him with lots of fluffy down feathers that blew in the wind like dandelion fluff whereas he was much more slim from running around.

The babies grew feathers and looked cute with their ear tufts.

And then one morning I looked out the window while making my coffee and saw that the robins' nest was totally wrecked.

I checked around and under the tree but didn't see any babies, and the parents haven't been back. I don't know if it was the kingbird, a marauding cat, or some wild animal. It's all destroyed.

The kingbirds are still taking flying lessons but the juveniles are now hunting on their own.

The thing is, this reminded me of neighboring countries who could live in peace if they want to protect their families, but choose to fight because they feel their territory is threatened. Such a waste.


Have you noticed any nesting going around in your yard or area?


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Anita Mae Draper's historical romances are woven under the western skies of the Saskatchewan prairie where her love of research and genealogy yields fascinating truths that layer her stories with rich historical details.  Anita's short story, Here We Come A-Wassailing, was a finalist for the Word Guild's 2015 Word Awards. Her novellas are included in Austen in Austin Volume 1, and The American Heiress Brides Collection. Readers can check out Anita's Pinterest boards for a visual idea of her stories to enrich their reading experience.  Discover more at:

Website - www.anitamaedraper.com

Pinterest - www.pinterest.com/anitamaedraper/