DEDICATION

The entire collection of stories is dedicated to my Mother Alene and my Grandmother Lillian, both of whom have been my inspiration since childhood. They both loved plants and animals and showed me how to grow and respect them. They also enjoyed learning about my many journeys around the world - to mountains, valleys, jungles, islands, castles and huts. Many times, those journeys included water. In November and December of 2018, my sister Judi read some of the episodes to my Mom when she was in a nursing home in her final days. As soon as my sister finished each episode, my Mom asked her to read it again. The stories clearly brought delight and comfort to Mom.

The energy of my ancestors will live on, far into the future.