Benoit, Mississippi, USA

Natchez, Mississippi and Costa Rica and Ecuador

Illustrations: Travellers in the Moonlight & other Louisiana Stories (Evans/Brunetti) Wings in the Night (Evans/Brunetti) Four Seasons of a Southern Garden (Evans/Brunetti) Longshots from the Flatlands (Wiman/Brunetti) Tired Tubes and Ten Speed Turkeys (Wiman/Brunetti) The Lakebank Chronicles (Reese-Doyle/Brunetti) Lessons from a Master Sculler (Brunetti) The Magnolia Club (Ms. outdoor writers and illustrators) The Little Shepherd who was Late (Dilworth/Brunetti) The Magical Musical Christmas Bear (Dilworth/Brunetti) PHOTOGRAPHS: International Living (June 2007) Viva Guide (?) July 2007 Ecuador

Slow down and allow the world to whisper to you.

I laugh! Every day of my life presents unique experiences! The craziest? (May I think about that for a day or two?)

Visiting three Indigenous Indian "siblings' near Jama Ecuador; Though I'm a fool for a cold cervesa -or at times- a swig of tequila, I've never smoked a thing in my life. When the bashful Indian family embraced me into their home, they shared not only their "animal's head" soup but also showed me how to roll a cigar. She lit the cigar, took several puffs and handed it to me. Being raised a polite Southern gal, I widened my eyes and inhaled the tobacco! That gesture won their first smile, and won me acceptance into their world. I look forward to returning.

I often see tourists racing down the backroads of remote areas, leaving the locals in a cloud of dust. I wonder what's their rush. My advice is to SLOW DOWN, and let the area reveal itself.