I have a couple of friends who experience nature in very different ways. One takes her camera and her excellent eye for color and detail into her backyard. The other looks to the mountains for his nature fix by hiking or climbing. I’d like to tell you more about these two people and their new books.

Linda Dahlberg has been my friend since 1956 when we met as high school freshmen. Although we ended up living in different parts of the country, we’ve tried to stay in touch off and on via email, Facebook, and even the 50th high school class reunion back in 2010.

The photos Linda has published on Facebook over the years always caught my attention. I have no idea how she gets those critters in her flower bed to pose so beautifully. I remember thinking (and hopefully suggesting) that she should find a way to publish her collection. And, finally, she has done just that.

Everyday Hidden Wonders is in trade paperback size. A descriptive sentence or phrase in a frame occupies the left page and a photo graces the right. Linda has caught bees collecting pollen in the center of a flower, a hummingbird sampling nectar, butterflies, and more. In the back of the book, she has added identifying Critter Notes and Plant Notes. This book will serve as inspiration for the aspiring photographer and pure enjoyment for anyone who loves beauty in any form.

I’ve known Jim Davidson from the days he and Kevin Vaughn worked many hours at our Northern Colorado Writers Studio as they put together the first draft of The Ledge: An Inspirational Story of Friendship and Survival, Jim’s story of his near-death experience descending Mount Ranier many years ago. Later, I followed Jim’s two attempts to summit Mount Everest from his Facebook site (as I’m an armchair traveler and not likely to be found in Nepal). More recently, as Jim wrote his new book, The Next Everest: Surviving the Mountain’s Deadliest Day and Finding the Resilience to Climb Again, I was privileged to read the early draft.

In 2015, Jim was climbing Mount Everest when a 7.8-magnitude earthquake caused the deadliest day in the history of the mountain. His team endured multiple avalanches and two frigid days trapped at almost 20,000 ft before being rescued. But their journey was far from over. This is @Resilience with Jim Davidson’s Everest story.

The release date, April 20, 2021, is just around the corner. The Next Everest is  available for pre-order.