Rod Raglin's Blog, page 2
July 8, 2025
Great breeding season for endangered Great Green Macaws! Mattie would be overjoyed!
The 2025 Great Green Macaw Breeding Season at Ara Manzanillo has been an incredible success with ten chicks hatched to new as well as experienced parents. With the wild population of Great Green Macaws estimated at fewer than 1,000 individuals, this breeding season alone has increased their numbers by one percent!
Ara Manzanillo is a Costa Rican licensed, non-profit organization that runs a successful program to reintroduce the Great Green Macaws to their native habitat in Costa Rica’s Caribbean corridor.
When I was writing The Flock, Book 5 in the Mattie Saunders Series, Maggie, the protagonist in the series, had decided to rewild the Macaw she’d rescued and that had been her companion for two decades. To get an understanding of how this might be achieved, my research led me to Ara Manzanillo and their amazing program to reintroduce this endangered species.
To read about the 2025 Breed Season visit https://www.fachttps://mailchi.mp/c3d3d766e55c/ara-manzanillo-tales-from-breeding-season?e=fc7bdf8aa0
For more information about their work visit their website at https://aramanzanillo.org/
The Mattie Saunders Series combines romance and action, tragedy and triumph, heartache and happiness – and birds in a five-book series while exploring contemporary culture and environmental issues.
It’s available at https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B088NH8S6K?binding=kindle_edition&ref_=saga_dp_bnx_dsk_sdp
#macaws @aramanzanillo #parrots #romance #action #birds
#birdlovers #amreading #readingcommunity
July 5, 2025
My poem, Wildflowers, with an accompanying photograph, has been published in The Zest of the Lemon.
My poem, Wildflowers, with an accompanying photograph, has been published in The Zest of the Lemon.
Described as an “artful publication” celebrating “…life’s most exquisite moments, lovingly curated to remind us of the beauty and meaning that exists all around us.”
The publication “pairs compelling visuals with evocative prose, designed to create a seamless flow that immerses readers in a daylong journey. With large, dramatic images to smaller, subtler ones, each page is crafted to enhance the storytelling experience. This thoughtful progression mirrors the flow of life itself — from the powerful, immediate experiences of the physical world to the softer, deeper exploration of the spirit.”
Your invited to “step into a journey of discovery, beauty, and reflection. Let The Zest of the Lemon awaken your senses and nourish your soul” by ordering a copy at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=The+zest+of+the+lemon&i=stripbooks-intl-ship&crid=9JICGVJ9NKEB&sprefix=the+zest+of+the+lemon%2Cstripbooks-intl-ship%2C162&ref=nb_sb_noss_1
You can view more wildflower photos at https://rodraglin.smugmug.com/
#wildflowers #poetry #photography @thezestofthelemon #literarymagazine
July 4, 2025
Japanese Lilacs in bloom.
The Japanese Lilacs perfume the evening with the scent of vanilla.
My photograph, Portal, is being featured as Cover Art for the first edition of Italiks
My photograph, Portal, is being featured as Cover Art for the first edition of Italiks, a new publication “committed to showcasing quality work from writers of all genres, styles, and backgrounds.”
At Italiks, they believe in a “writer-first approach”, meaning they “will never charge fees for submissions, nor do we solicit stories from established authors. We prioritize fast response times and clear, direct communication with our writers, ensuring every voice is heard.”
Their mission is to “continually increase our impact, including offering better compensation for our contributors as we grow.”
You can read Italiks July 1, 2025, Volume 1 · Issue 1 by visiting
You can support Italiks by donating at https://www.paypal.biz/italiks
Portal is an image from the series, The Pond and Beyond, which can be viewed in its entirety at
https://www.smugmug.com/app/organize/Thepondandbeyond
#photography @Italiks #literarymagazine#coverart
The Eco-Warriors Series: Free and Deeply Discounted Ebooks!
Free and Deeply Discounted Ebooks!
The Eco-Warriors Series:
Book 1 – Saving Spirit Bear.
A Corporate Climber challenges an Eco-Warrior for the future of the sacred and endangered Spirit Bear.
Book 2 – Loving the Terrorist – Risking it All.
What would you risk to save a wild place you love? Everything?
Book 3 – Mad Maggie and the Wisdom of the Ancients.
Magic, mystery and madness versus logic, cause and effect. Can love find a middle ground?
Free and discounts in effect ‘til July 7, 2025 at
https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00#DS6LEU
#freebook #spiritbear #amreading #readingcommunity #EbookSale #summerreading #mystery #romance #action #environmental #paranormal #endangeredspecies #thrutopian
July 3, 2025
Free Ebook! Saving Spirit Bear, book 1 in the Eco-Warrior Series ’til July 7, 2025
#FreeEbook! Saving Spirit Bear, Book 1 in the Eco-Warrior Series, is FREE until July 7, 2025, with Books 2 & 3 in the series deeply discounted. Download your copies now at https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003DS6LEU
A Corporate Climber challenges an Eco-Warrior for the future of the sacred and endangered Spirit Bear.
Kimberley James is hoping her new assignment will jump-start her stalled career with a New York corporate relations firm. Her client wants to develop a mega ski resort in northern Canada. Her job is to convince the current owners of the land to sell. With millions of dollars to be made, it seems like a done deal.
Until she runs up against Jonah Baker.
Baker is part owner of a lodge on the land and an ardent environmentalist. He’s not about to permit a development that threatens ancient rainforests and the habitat of the rare and endangered Spirit Bear for any price.
Kim begrudgingly respects his principles before profit, but cannot allow a tree-hugging, bear-loving zealot to derail her fast track to success. Jonah admires her determination and worldliness but will fight to the end to stop a materialistic corporate climber from destroying something rare and unique.
Saving Spirit Bear is the first in the stand-alone series ECO-WARRIORS, a combination of romance and action with a subplot that addresses important environmental issues.
#spiritbear #amreading #readingcommunity #EbookSale #summerreading #mystery #romance #action #environmental #paranormal #endangeredspecies
June 21, 2025
Cherry blossoms 2025
This is a little after the fact, but it was good year for cherry blossoms on again on Arygle St., Vancouver, Canada
Always beautiful and still inspiring.
More images of cherry blossoms at https://www.smugmug.com/app/organize/CherryBlossoms2020
#cherryblossoms2025 #spring #vancouver #kensingtoncedarcottage
Summer Solstice Sunset featured on OAF’s front page
My series of seven images depicting a Summer Solstice Sunset are being feature on the Open Arts Forum front page at https://openartsforum.com/summer-solstice-sunset/
More images of sunsets can be viewed at https://rodraglin.smugmug.com/
June 14, 2025
Brothers, my short story about the opioid epidemic and proposed solutions, has been published in Steel Jackdaw Magazine
Brothers, my short story about the opioid epidemic and proposed solutions has been published in Steel Jackdaw Magazine, Edition 17.
Steel Jackdaw Magazine is a mixed art and literary magazine “celebrating the work of international creatives and championing positive social and environmental action.”
On its website, the publication is described as being “created as a tool for positivity, to not only celebrate the arts in all its forms but also to do some good. Environmental and social responsibility are key issues that we all face, so the magazine has a charitable focus. Editions are sold with 10% donated to our charity partners.”
In Brothers, City Councillor Christopher Bennett has an opportunity to try to change that and at the same time elevate his political career. He has the deciding vote on whether to continue to fund safe injection sites where substance abusers can inject illicit drugs safely under the supervision of medical professionals.
The proponents of the sites say they save lives and the longer you can keep a person with an addiction disorder alive, the more chance for rehabilitation.
Chris’s supporters, a powerful coalition of business owners, citizen associations and faith groups, argue the sites condone illegal activity and rather than discouraging drug use, normalizing it. Public funds would be better spent on addiction treatment.
If Chris supports their position, he’s almost guaranteed to become the next mayor.
As the crucial vote approaches, a personal tragedy makes Chris question his decision, and his ambition.
Steel Jackdaw Magazine is available to purchase at https://www.steeljackdaw.com/
@steeljackmagazine #literarymagazine #shortstory #drugaddiction #opioidepidemci #safeinjectionsites #harmreduction #addictiontreatment #illicitdrugs
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June 12, 2025
“Gallery of Vancouver Wildflowers” has been published on the Open Arts Forum front page.
“Gallery of Vancouver Wildflowers – Photography by Rod Raglin” has been published on the Open Arts Forum front page.
The galley has twelve images and includes buds and blooms, from pussy willows to buttercups in vibrant shades and subtle hues. Just to be clear, the wildflowers are not native to Vancouver, only the photographer is.
To view the gallery, visit https://openartsforum.com/vancouver-wildflowers-by-rod-raglin-photography/ #wildflowers #photography #flowers #blooms #buds @openartsform @OAF
