It’s just getting to the point where the days are getting noticeably longer, and I am eagerly anticipating spring. I love the sparseness of winter, but the short days and cold Carolina rain definitely cut into the time I can spend outside enjoying after work nature walks and weekend hikes.

The light greens and pastels of spring may not match my personal aesthetic, but I always enjoy taking them in when visiting nature parks and botanical gardens. I also enjoy trying to spot some of the creepy crawlers lurking among the fresh leaves and fragrant flowers. The brightness of spring also informs my writing. Monsters and villains always seem their most terrifying when they are infiltrating idillic settings, don’t they?