Garden of the Gods & Goodreads Giveaway Winners

Congratulations to the winners of my Goodreads Giveaway! The ARCs of book two in my Rock Shop Mystery series, Stone Cold Case, are in the mail.

I am fortunate to live in a beautiful area. Like many people, I often get caught up in routine, and forget to look at the scenery. 

I started riding my bicycle again, after loaning it briefly to my daughter until they could up-size their growing kids' bikes. I realized I own quite a nice bicycle. It was gathering dust in my garage. Now I throw it in the back end of my vehicle, and ride a couple times a week on my lunch break.

The first thing I noticed was that bicycling uses a different set of muscles than walking. The second thing was realizing how hilly the area around my day job is. The third thing was discovering a thirty minute lunch break gave me just enough time to pedal to the edge of the Garden of the Gods and back.

The payoff for me has been a slightly higher level of fitness, and exciting new scenery. Bike riding is a nice break from my usual routine of tromping down the same old walking path. Notice the magpie in the photo below? They populate this area, and provided inspiration for book one of my Rock Shop Mystery series, Stone Cold Dead. A clever bird, the magpie.

This summer, have you taken the time to notice the natural wonders around you? Anything from observing a flower bed in a city park to hiking a rugged mountain range can awaken your awareness of the world around you. Take advantage of what's available. 

The Garden of the Gods is a registered National Natural Landmark in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  http://www.gardenofgods.com/ Admittance to the park and the nature center is free, and both are wheelchair accessible. 

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