Find Time for Your Passions

I enjoy traveling and watching wildlife. I took this photo of sandhill cranes in a Wisconsin marsh during a trip to the Midwest a few years ago. Gayle M. Irwin photo.

I’m a writer. I freelance for magazines and newspapers, and I write books. I also work a part-time, away from home, job. I own a house, I have pets, and I have elderly parents who live in another state. I’m married, and we own recreational property. I don’t have kids or grandkids, but I do have friends, both nearby and out-of-state, as well as other family members, all of whom reside in different states. Juggling all of this can be difficult … and stressful.

Passion for Pets

In addition to writing, I possess many passions, from nature photography to visiting national parks and other public lands. I like to travel, and I love helping animal rescue organizations, especially those that also promote adoption of pets. I volunteer several times a year with various groups, local, regional, and national. In fact, I recently made a reservation to stay at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in southern Utah, where I plan to donate some hours as a volunteer.

I’m also volunteering with a local community cat organization, helping with fundraisers. On Monday, I’ll transport cats for the first time from our local kill-shelter to a no-kill rescue in another state (thankfully, the winter weather is to take a break that day!).

Preparing to take a cat for a buggy ride at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah. Gayle M. Irwin photo.

I’ve transported for several dog rescues in the past, including Big Dogs Huge Paws based in Colorado; the Rocky Mountain chapter of English Springer Spaniel Rescue; and Mid-America Boston Terrier Rescue, based in Nebraska. I enjoy transporting – I often experience beautiful scenery, like the Black Hills of northeastern Wyoming and western South Dakota and the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming. I also experience emotional satisfaction – I know the animal is either going into rescue and will be adopted later or will be cared for by an adoptive family. I once took a beagle named Boone to Yellowstone National Park, where his adoptive family lived and worked. I took a few extra days for myself to explore the park – not a bad gig!

Boone, a dog I transported for a rescue organization, with his adopted ‘dad’ in Yellowstone National Park. Passion for Writing

Writing is not just a job for me. I’m able to tell stories, which I enjoy. My new romance novella, My Montana Love, releases this week. I started the project in December 2020, and thanks to indie publishing via Amazon, Ingram, Smashwords, and other platforms, an author no longer needs to wait a year or two to see a work published.

Earlier in the week, I completed three articles for an online publication, and next week, I’ll turn in two assignments for a magazine. Having worked for various newspapers in the Rocky Mountain West and freelancing to others, I understand the meaning of ‘deadline,’ though it’s not always easy.

My Montana Love releases this week! Find it on Amazon as both a Kindle e-book and a print book. You can also purchase it from Barnes & Noble as an e-book.Time Management

Between my various jobs and responsibilities to home, family, and friends, I need to manage my time wisely. I also need to take time to enjoy my passions. Being outdoors, whether wildlife watching or doing nature photography, feeds my soul. I plan to take a Saturday next month and drive to eastern Wyoming to observe sandhill cranes as they migrate north for the spring. I also plan to visit some friends’ ranch later next month and spend four days at the guest house, both writing (for pleasure – I’m planning another holiday romance novel for an early winter release) and  observing the wildlife and livestock on the ranch. I’ll take walks at the wildlife management area to see the cranes and at the ranch to visit the newly-born lambs and calves. I’ll observe different wildlife species on these trips as well, from deer and wild turkeys to sandhill cranes and Canada geese. I’ve been to these places many times before, but I never tire of either.

Find time for your passions, whether it’s observing animals or visiting art galleries. Feed your soul with beauty and inspiration. Take time to relax and experience, to smile and laugh, to be encouraged and provide encouragement to others. We need all of that to lift our spirits, especially after the months we’ve experienced. Many places may still be closed or have restricted visitation and hours, but nature isn’t closed – there are parks, beaches, walking trails, forests, and river ways and lakes where we can breathe fresh air, relax, and observe. Plan to do so as spring approaches – new life, rebirth, and rejuvenation await!

Mule deer and wild turkeys are some of the animals I see when I visit my friends’ Wyoming ranch. Gayle M. Irwin photo.Pet Principle:

You can help rescue organizations by volunteering, and you can take your pet on an outdoor excursion. Whether you transport for rescue and humane society organizations, foster a dog or cat, or volunteer in some other capacity, you can give back to animals in need in your community or elsewhere. And if you enjoy short treks or trips (or even long ones), consider taking your dog or cat with you – being on a leash outdoors walking with you is much more fun for them than staying inside the house or roaming the backyard for the billionth time (yes, you can teach a cat to walk on a leash!). Learn where dogs (and cats) are welcome at BringFido.com.

Pregnant burro in the Black Hills in late spring. Custer State Park in South Dakota is one of many outdoor places you can bring your pet. Gayle M. Irwin photo.