Martha Powers

		The Hurricanes Hit
	Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne made direct hits on our coast. We lost the most beautiful live oak tree in our back yard during the second hurricane. Although it fell on the back of the house it didn't do as much damage as you would guess from the picture.

Tiki

Shopping around town I found this wonderful hand carved Tiki. A lucky jewel was placed in its navel and when Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne hit Vero Beach, we're sure this helped to protect our house.

	Exotic Feline Rescue Center
	Being a writer gets you into many unusual places for the sake of a story. My husband and I visited the Exotic Feline Rescue Center in Indiana where Joe Taft took us around and told us the stories of the cats rescued and rehabilitated. It's stunning to be this close to such enormous animals. Click here to learn more about the Rescue Center.

Orchids

Our backyard is the perfect environment for growing orchids. This one bloomed just in time for Thanksgiving.

This is Elmo. He was the inspiration for the cat in Sunflower. He helped with a lot of the typing late at night. He is one of those hunt and peck typists, preferring to use one paw gracefully poised above the keyboard. He never uses spellcheck.

Meet Elmo in Sunflower. Click here!

Taconite Mountain

The iron content in these Minnesota mounds oxidizes in the air, giving them this red hue. Martha discovered this natural phenomenon while researching her next book, which is set in Minnesota.