Except we talked a blue streak about it, and it turned out he was a musician, and when dropping me off asked me to share playlists and text artists’ names. Sharing art with strangers is fantastic.

My trip to Buffalo included chauffeur service — veeeery fancy and a first for me. On the way back the driver asked me to put on some of my music. just polite, I thought.

My writing music recently has featured these landmark instrumental (mostly) albums out of Africa, which means Apple Music keeps serving me African virtuosoes playing traditional instruments in modern ways. Okay, Apple, I guess I can be into this now. I had a great experience recently.

On the one hand, I don’t want more segmentation of the kids’ shelves, but on the other … it’s kind of weird that those two kinds of books are both “MG.”

Highlights: -Buffalo’s unexpectedly awesome architecture. -Reading to Rosie the Service Dog. -Trying Beef on Wek. -Overwinter coffee: five seats and a line out the door. -Meeting another person who knew all the words to “The Ballad of Czolgosz” and (like me) couldn’t get it out of their head.

On October 2, I got to go to American Library Services to Children conference in Buffalo — and it was awesome. I met so many cool school and kids’ librarians and signed copies of WITCHWARD BOUND for three hours street.

Trails and gravel roads in fall colors: yellow vines, red sumac, the always amazing mix of aster, marguerites, and goldenrod. The best part was listening to — and calling back to — the barred owls in the woods at night. I did find my writing rhythm, and got a lot of words done.

I found a great spot — a yurt on a country property were the artist behind Begonia Moon grows her cut flowers and assembles her wedding bouquets. A bit of power — enough for music, lights, an electric kettle. A wood stove for heat. Deep quiet.

You know how sometimes you need to run away to the woods? I had trouble hitting my writing stride in September. I decided to sneak in a retreat between two promotional events.

There is just nothing like middle grade. I just read THE LION'S RUN and it was outstanding.

There’s some great stuff on this list. I have already read the magnificent Lion’s Run, and I can’t wait to get my hands on The Shapeshifters’ Guide to Gym Class.

Indigo is Canada’s largest bookstore chain, so this listing may lead to lots of young readers searching for a witch this Halloween, or setting off on their own Odyssey this winter.

Took in a cabaret show on Printer’s Row in Nashville. Painted New York City with the baby Bows. Went to Washington DC one summer week when it was too hot to breathe. “We have been lucky. Mom, you would like Tacoma. I miss you already.”

I wrote: “Mom has often joined me on these trips to support my books – she is so proud. “We have had moonshine and seen the bats in Austin, had steak and seen the mountains in Banff. Been to Granville Island’s wonderful market. Moose Jaw’s incredible library.

It was a strange trip, because I knew my mom was dying. But she insisted I go.

Sketchbook journal marking the anniversary of my mom’s death, today, September 22. A couple of days ago, facebook served me pictures of the day in 2022 that I visited the Chihuly glass footbridge in Tacoma, Washington, during the Pacific Northwest bookseller’s conference.

Sketchbook diary page with no words on it. Monarchs are gathering here - milkweed, goldenrod, and the first asters in bloom. The neighbourhoid kids went back to school this week. The season starting to turn.