Ingrid Wilson, who taught me how to write a sonnet, has been one of my favorite poets for quite a long time. She is also a great photographer. Visit her blog at
https://experimentsinfiction.com.
Ingrid is Editor-in-Chief of her own publishing company, EIF, Experiments in Fiction.
Katey Gets a Kiss from Skipper, the Dolphin, at Theater of the Sea, Islamorada, Florida.
Cheryl, Katey, (about Age 5), and a Baby Alligator. Florida Everglades
Hanging Out with Wild Animals
II & III,
Two Books to be Republished
These two books are no longer available except for the ebooks. They will be republished under my copyright as soon as possible. Unfortunately, dishonest publishers have kept most royalties from my books for the last five years.
You can check out self-publishers on the “Writer Beware” website to rule out many of the dishonest ones.
I am working on eventually getting every book under my name and copyright so that publishers can never keep my royalties again. This has happened to many self-published authors. Don’t let it happen to you!
I hope you will be hearing good things about my books in the coming year or two. Cross your fingers for me; I will cross mine for you. As my late husband’s grandma used to say, “May all your dreams and wishes come true.” ❤️
Life on the Blue Planet is Coming Soon!
Serious issues with the ebook, which was unfortunately published without my approval and at the wrong price, are delaying the release of the book. I have tried to get this unauthorized ebook removed, but it is taking a long time. Please do not purchase this unreadable ebook .
I will announce the official release of the book when it is ready. For a limited time, the ebook will be available at a low promotional price. I hope this will make it easy for anyone who would like to purchase the ebook and perhaps post a verified review of Life on the Blue Planet.
Thank you for your understanding. ❤️
Gratitude for life,
for the wonders of nature,
bounties of the Earth.
Gratitude for love
of family and friends,
teachers and mentors.
Gratitude for joys
and challenges of our days;
both teach life lessons.
Gratitude for this moment
filled with opportunities.
Copyright© 2025 by Cheryl Batavia
Thank you to my Fellow Bloggers for all the encouragement and inspiration you share every day. Happy Thanksgiving from Robert and Cheryl! 🧡
Copyright© 2023 by Cheryl Batavia
“One Earth”
The poem,”One Earth” perfectly expresses my perspective on Planet Earth. It will appear in the “Mother Nature” Chapter of Life on the Blue Planet.
Book Fairs & Trade Shows
For the last few weeks, I have been working hard preparing materials for the Children’s Book Expo in Shanghai in November, and the Frankfurt Book Fair, in October. I am also working to prepare for the Taipei Trade Show in February. My books will be exhibited and represented at these events, but I will not be present. If you go, please send me a photo or two! 😊
Dr. Jane Goodall
The world lost a groundbreaking researcher this week. Dr. Jane Goodall, who lived for many years among chimpanzees, died this week at the age of 91. Her reasearch revealed new information about the habits and social life of chimpanzees that revolutionized the way we think about animal behavior. 😄
There are many well-researched tributes to Jane Goodall online. Two that I enjoyed are:
“Instagram: Jane Goodall UK” by Selma Martin, 10/5/25 Selma
“Honoring the Life of Jane Goodall” by Michele Lee, 10/1/25 myinspiredlife.com
Personal Note
Lately, I have to enlarge small print in order to read it. After I have clicked “Reply,” I sometimes discover typos in my comments that I couldn’t see before. I think it may soon be time to schedule my cataract surgery. Please don’t judge me too harshly for the typos.😂
Have a great week!💕
Photo by Jason Buckeye from Unsplash.
Copyright© 2025 by Cheryl Batavia
It’s been a long road for this book. It languished in a notebook during more than a year of illness for both Robert and me. Today, I signed the galley approval document! Within a week or so, I expect to announce that Life on the Blue Planet is live.
I would like to thank my fellow bloggers for all of their support and encouragement over the last few years. It means a lot to me!
❤️
Wild things face deportation from woodlands.
‘Dozers fell trees animals call home.
Animals, seeking asylum,
head for the next wooded lot.
Finding sanctuary,
displaced refugees…
squirrels and birds
crowd feeders…
Oh, how
sad!
On
morning
excursions,
I see “progress”…
human immigrants
expertly constructing
beautiful new human homes.
Fascinated from early childhood
with watching men and women at work…
noise, dust, wildlife displacement…still I watch!
Copyright© 2025 by Cheryl Batavia
For the last couple of months, I have been experiencing heart symptoms again. Last week, I ended up in the hospital for an emergency angioplasty for a blocked stent in my heart. I was in the hospital for a couple of days and am recovering at home. After all of our recent surgeries, both Robert and I are OK, but quite tired.
Birdsong delights us
on peaceful, mid-summer nights…
sighing, “Whippoorwill!”
Scanning starry skies…
We ponder the vast cosmos,
the far reach of time.
Summer thunderstorm…
We lie in bed, listening
to rain on the roof.
Copyright© 2025 by Cheryl Batavia
Here, on the SW Florida Gulf Coast, the temperatures are rising, and grass is parched and brown. Yesterday, we got several brief thunder showers, our first hints of welcome summer rains. Today, the sky is overcast, promising more rain. We need it!
Happy summer! A little early for our friends in other locales, but heartfelt!
(Cheryl Batavia’s daughters, Ellen and Katey, meet Skipper, the bottle-nosed dolphin, and his trainer.)
(belly rub)
(It’s not polite to stick out your tongue.)
(Ellen playing the piano, Skipper singing!)
(Katey playing the piano, Skipper singing!)
Photos taken by a Theater of the Sea photographer. Please give credit if you use them.
This is a highlight of the vacation my daughters and I planned together. Due to a last minute emergency, I was unable to go on the trip. These photos make me feel like I was there.
Theater of the Sea in Islamorada, FL has various animals, many of them rescue animals, on display. There are sea turtles, rays, seals, and other animals to observe or encounter.
I hope you enjoy the vintage music. I also considered “Splish Splash!” by Bobby Darren. It didn’t quite fit, but it was fun!
Show me
flamingos…gone
one hundred fifty years…
Reappeared twenty years ago
in flaming glory in
the Everglades.
Show me!
Hunted
to extinction;
Florida pioneers
had hungry mouths to feed.
Flamingos disappeared,
except in zoos.
That’s sad!
There’s peace
in paradise.
The Everglades are home
to wild flamingos once again.
Where did they all come from?
From South America,
some say.
Show me
wild flamingos
returned to Florida
one hundred fifty years later
in their flaming glory.
Paradise found!
Show me!
Copyright© 2025 by Cheryl Batavia
My two daughters, Ellen and Katey, live in Dallas. We have missed our traditional yearly road trip for the last two years due to my illness. This year, we are taking the long-awaited trip to the southern part of Everglades National Park. I am hoping to see the wild flamingos that mysteriously settled there twenty years ago. Some people say they came from South America.
Flamingos had not lived in the wild in Florida for the previous one hundred and fifty years. I have dreamed of seeing these wild flamingos since I first heard about them . Maybe it will happen!
Before we leave, at the request of my younger daughter Katey, we will have an Easter egg hunt. I am filling plastic eggs with small chocolate bunnies, jelly beans, and some goofy little surprises. I will hide hide the eggs in the yard for Katey and Ellen to find. This is the first Easter I have spent with my daughters for many years, and I am looking forward to it!
Katey has also asked me to get a favorite ice cream that is not available in Texas. It is cherry ice cream with chococolate-covered cherry hearts mixed in. We will try to eat small portions!
My daughters are going kayaking. We are taking two boat tours, one in the Gulf of Mexico, and one in the back country.
Then, we are going to the Florida Keys to swim with the dolphins at Theater of the Sea. There are many other marine animals there, including sea turtles, seals, sharks, and rays.
We plan to eat some authentic Cuban food, locally grown tropical fruit, and some famous Key Lime pie. I will post photos and tell you all about our adventures when we return.
I will be on break from April 15-30, 2025.
Gulf Coast Poet 