Tag: Midwest

Blog

All Together

ellenparkerwrites

Does your family do reunions? Are plans made for everyone, local and from a distance, to gather in the same place at the same time? Perhaps a picnic in a park with a reserved shelter near a playground, or lake, or softball field.

Today I present a different sort of reunion, represented in the photo below.

Six titles published via The Wild Rose Press over a decade. Looks like I missed the goal of one each year. On the other side of that statement — I believe each book contains an interesting story. St. Louis romance with a drop of suspense? Check out Stare Down at the following link. http://amzn.to/1LXiTwP

Are you looking for seasoned, or mature, characters? Check out the trio of Morning Tryst, Comfort Zone, and Fine Lines.

Or perhaps you’ve been hankering for an American historical. How does an Illinois river town in the 1850’s sound to you? This was a time of great change due to immigration, arrival of the railroads, and tension centered on slavery. I suggest either New Dreams or Stitching a Dream. Here’s the link to the first: https://amzn.to/3vWydWE

If you live in or near St. Louis, look for me and this selection of titles at selected craft shows — exact shows will be highlighted on my FaceBook page close to the event. All titles are available 24/7 at your favorite on-line retailer.

ENJOY!!!

Blog

Crops in Rows

ellenparkerwrites

Corn. Soybeans. Wheat- yes, it’s planted in rows very close together. Cotton. Potatoes. Tomatoes and lettuce. Rows and rows of crops fill large portions of our land.

But today I’d like to talk about another crop in rows — one which takes more than a season to mature and prepare for market.

Northern Christmas Trees – field of Fraizer Fir

Hundreds, thousands, of future Christmas trees grow in rows stretching into the distance. Planted as seedlings, the trees pictured here have been growing a few seasons. And they have a few more to go. The men guiding the author and her friends around the fields spoke of a “ten year crop”. Yes, you read that correctly — ten years from planting to harvest.

A lot can happen in ten years. One year might be wet and soggy and cool. Another might be hot and dry. Flood? Tornado? Hail? Disease? Wildlife damage? You need to be a bit of a gambler to be a farmer. You also need to look long-term when growing a crop spanning multiple years.

Fields which mature in different years. A sorter-term supplemental crop. A side-job for one family member. Different strategies work for different situations.

For a sweet romance set on a Christmas tree farm during January, try STARR TREE FARM. Available at your favorite on-line store. Kindle: https://amzn.to/2zqIQEw