I’ve had plenty of time to work with my photos – though it never seems to be enough – and one of the things that makes me shake my head in wonder is Riley’s progression in the span of less than a year! Walking, talking, counting, reciting letters, objects, colours, sounds. He’s getting taller and his personality is developing. He has a sense of humour, he has preferences, an intense curiosity about the world, fearlessness, and an all out joyfulness that is contagious when you interact with him!
With all of the changes that he’s experienced, he’s adapted to learn and grow and enjoy the world around him.
How is it that he becomes the teacher?
With the delays in my ability to get my books out into the world in a world that is avoiding physical interactions, I’ve adapted as well.
I am excited to further bring my stories to life in the virtual world with help from my own personal Emmy-award winning cinematographer. Oh the perks of living with such a talented and creative mind!!
Andrew is painstakingly adding sound and animation to my reading of the book while blinking back tears because he loves it so much. He is also a perfectionist. If you listen carefully to the ambiance throughout the reading, you may recognize that all sounds are authentic including the rushing river, trickling stream, wildlife and wind. I can attest to this because we were up in the wee hours of the morning for a couple of days to find locations where there would be a lack of traffic, trains, and humans and an abundance of nature sounds.
Though many would not blink if the generic sound of a blue jay played in the background, it is like nails on a chalkboard to an excellent birder like Andrew who knows that blue jays do not visit us here in Jasper.
I would love to hear how many birds and other wildlife sounds you can identify when you listen to the story!
Stay tuned for the launch of Riley’s Adventures with Granny in the Mountains YouTube Channel – coming very soon!! You can subscribe to my blog using the link below for updates if you like.
In the meantime, Jennifer Ottaway is well into the illustrations for the second installment in the series: Old Fort Point and Big Horn Sheep. I will keep you posted on the progress for this exciting new adventure with Riley and Granny in the Mountains!
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