Friday’s post left you with a teaser. . . new book coming!
Wildflowers of Mineral King: Common Names is in progress. This has been a 2 year process of gathering photos and names. I’ve struggled through many boring white flowers and a zillion yellow ones that all look alike. I’ve gone a little nutso over blue flowers and recognized that red ones aren’t very common.
While hiking, I’ve realized that wildflowers are one of the big magnets for me. Sure, scenery is great, exercise can be fun if with friends or on a trail (I’m looking at you, Off Trail Guy) and who wouldn’t want to be outside in Mineral King? But all my choices for hiking destinations seem to be based on where the flowers are.
With a stack of about 6 wildflower books, I’ve been able to find common names for most of the wildflowers in Mineral King. Why does it take that many? Why isn’t there a wildflower book for Mineral King?
“If it is to be, it’s up to me” – I don’t know who said that, but it seems to apply here.
The book will have photos taken mostly by Off Trail Guy and me; the cover will be a fabulous photo from a fabulous photographer, one of my treasured hiking friends whose phone takes better pictures than my little Elph camera. It also might have something to do with her superior photography skills. . .
There is still a pile of work ahead on the book – more writing, editing, proofing, trying harder to find names for those unknown whites and yellows, and finally, figuring how and where to get it printed. Add into that mix the difficulties of working with Adobe InDesign on an old laptop, and there are probably 2 months between now and actual publication.
Here is a peek at an early draft of a two-page spread:
Obviously there is some editing necessary. Obviously it is not a scientific botanical manual. Obviously.
I hope this is a helpful and fun book for people who hike in Mineral King and love wildflowers, with inquiring minds that just need to know.
8 Comments
What a cool idea, Jana! Hope it all comes together beautifully!
Thank you, Cheryl! It isn’t an idea as much as a response to a need, but maybe I am the only one who feels the need. . . more will be revealed in the fullness of time, as usual.
Great idea, that will be fantastic!
Virginia, I hope it will be fantastic, but as always, I am wondering if I have bitten off more than I can chew.
Hooray, it is coming to fruition! And, yes, it will be a much loved treasure for all who wander Mineral King–and beyond, I’m thinking.
If only my dear, departed Grandma Mary Dixon were still around–I swear she could name every single flower in the Mineral King Valley. She was amazing, and would have loved to help you with this project! And my Grandpa, Van, was quite the photographer, as well. They would be very proud of you making this available to those of us who love Mineral King wildflowers as much as you.
Looking forward to its publication!
Sharon, it would be a privilege to learn from your grandparents. If I’d known back then that this book was in my future, I’d have been driving them nuts with questions!
Ha ha! True, dat! And if you asked my grandfather what the name of a particular flower was, he would explain in great detail how photosynthesis works, how flowers are pollinated, his history of, and the joys and woes of raising bees, and his experience in botany. 😉
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