In the center, my hands extend from four layers of shirts in bright right red, purple, pink, and a multi-colored pile jacket. I'm holding a long skinny gray rock in my left hand and a round gray rock in my right, stacked to look like an exclamation point. The background is a pointy gray mountain with dark green and brown vegetation at lower elevation and Aialik Bay in Kenai Fjords National Park. Inset is a screenshot of puzzle instructions from the Alaska Book Week website and the Alaska Book Week logo. There's a pink stripe down the right side because the exclamation photo didn't extend as far as I wanted! I would love for you to come play my game, solve the puzzle, and submit an answer. Winners will be randomly chosen from entries.

Come play! Alaska Book Week scavenger hunt/puzzle contest.
Randomly drawn winners will receive prizes. I'll send The Puzzler's Guide to Alaska to someone--maybe you?!

Find the pieces, solve the puzzle, submit your answer. Visit AlaskaBookWeek.org for instructions.

You've inspired me, Laura. I will look into xeriscaping for my main flower bed. For a while, I had native perennials (wildflowers) going nicely in there, but they require more water than I can give them, and they bloom early and fast, so the colorful period is short. I will see what I can find.

There are sooooo many possibilities with paper crafting. I want to do more than I've done.

I actually have a blow torch. Not sure why. 🤷‍♀️

Your miniatures are magnificent, and so are your flowers. Go, you!

That is a wonderful collage--and an even better garden! Cheers to you (and inspiration to me)!

Wowzer, that is gorgeous! Okay, I can definitely do better on my flower bed. Maybe. I've got water issues, too.

I know! Elsewhere, one plant feeds a neighborhood, but here I can't get enough. Harvesting is fun! Processing all that I harvest is a little less fun, but only a little. #kidlitchat

Great idea! I have crafty friends who come camping at my house in the summer. Maybe we'll give this a go. Thanks for the idea and tip! #kidlitchat

And then there are the berry beds and the orchard! I'm a garden glutton. #kidlitchat

Ohmygoodness, any veg I can grow in Alaska, and some I can't, which are in the greenhouse! Lots of greens, rutabagas, turnips, beets, broccoli, peas, beans, tomatoes, mini melons. I have plant half a dozen zucchini plants to get many zucs, though! #kidlitchat

Someday, I'm gonna give acrylic pouring a try! #kidlitchat

Superfun! Go, you! #kidlitchat

Yeah, that should do it. 😃 #kidlitchat

It gets the bubbles out, right? #kidlitchat

There's a story there! #kidlitchat

Yep, that makes sense. A lot of video games are stories. #kidlitchat What part of game development do you do?

Yeah. That's nice! #kidlitchat

What are some things you create that aren't kidlit? How is it like the kidlit creative process?

I'm creating a garden. I guess maybe watching the garden grow is similar to watching a story take shape. #kidlitchat

I knew what you meant. #kidlitchat

Interesting! #kidlitchat

I remember explaining the importance of a little white stitch in the eye of an embroidered animal. You're right: it gave the animal life!

It's a wonder I ever get past this stage, actually. #kidlitchat

Count me in!

Cheers to you, Brian!

Oh, yes, rhyming is great fun! I'm not so comfortable editing other people's rhymes, though. #kidlitchat

Isn't it interesting how the creative process is so much the same for all of us? We all have the same moments no matter how many different ways we arrive at them. #kidlitchat

Oooo. Yes. Good one! #kidlitchat

Agreed. I love a good flow. They never fail to surprise me. #kidlitchat

Oh. Yeah. I wasn't even thinking about this part. #kidlitchat