Los Parronales. Canadian writer/editor Beth Follett entitled her morning workshop session “Relinquishing Fear”. The talk was of our personal writing practices and the inner fears that get in the way of writing. She read to us from Alice Munro and poets Dionne Brand and Don McKay. We explored the many meanings of wilderness. Such high bars to which to aspire.

Lunch outside with the brown Central Valley hills behind us, and then a lovely complete switch. Beth’s husband poet Stan Dragland played his Washburn Rover guitar and he and Beth sang Dolly Parton’s “Wildflowers”. Loved it. This rich environment of words, lyrics, poetry, stories and song fills me. What will I do with it?

I’ve been out to view the owls several times today (as have the others) and now sit in my quiet (except for the country birdsong) bedroom/ my writer’s cell, for now I will read and think and see where all this takes me.