A couple of my friends went hiking today up at Illinois Beach State Park on a quest to find their “fortune.” I’m sure it was a little tougher now with a covering of snow! Thanks for playing Allison & Terry… and for sharing your new collection & adventures in the snow!

Six found, fifteen more to go!!!… or maybe some other cookies have been found already?! Or some may have been washed out into the Lake… waiting to be washed back in?! Either way, I hope finding a fortune cookie out in nature brings a smile to whoever it is!!! A smile AND good fortune!!!

Out with the old. In with the new… I hope!!!

2020 has been so dismal for many of us!
So much has changed in the world, and very little of it for the better.
But I’m bound & determined to kick-off 2021 with high hopes,
great expectations and good fortune for all.

And I figured the best way to invite good fortune… is to share good fortune!
So I did.

Fortune “cookies” that is!
Oh wait, and do I even need to mention that they rattle too?!!!

While I hiked at Illinois Beach State Park last Monday, it was fun to put out some good vibes, share some positivity and spread good “fortune” for everyone! I kinda liked the idea of leaving them there as I “found” Illinois Beach State Park during one of my “quarantine” hiking adventures… which I might never have done if 2020 didn’t shut the world down!

You know how much fun it is to find things randomly out in nature. Or how much fun Geocaching is… if you haven’t tried, you should! So, while I was hiking last Monday, I “hid” twenty-one handmade fortune cookies out there somewhere so people can find them, get excited and bring a little more “fortune” into 2021. Get it?… 21 cookies for 2021.

I’m sure some of them will be found quickly. Some might take longer. While others might just be swept out into the lake and “reclaimed” into the wild. I love finding beach glass… imagine finding “beach fortune cookies”!!!

So here they are…
twenty-one fortune cookies and some “hints” as to where they are hidden along the lakefront at Illinois Beach State Park!

Fortune Cookie #1 ————–

Fortune Cookie #2 ————–

Fortune Cookie #3 ————–

Fortune Cookie #4 ————–

Fortune Cookie #5 ————–

Fortune Cookie #6 ————–

Fortune Cookie #7 ————–

Fortune Cookie #8 ————–

Fortune Cookie #9 ————–

Fortune Cookie #10 ————–

Fortune Cookie #11 ————–

Fortune Cookie #12 ————–

Fortune Cookie #13 ————–

Fortune Cookie #14 ————–

Fortune Cookie #15 ————–

Fortune Cookie #16 ————–

Fortune Cookie #17 ————–

Fortune Cookie #18 ————–

Fortune Cookie #19 ————–

Fortune Cookie #20 ————–

Fortune Cookie #21 ————–

Happy New Year Everyone!!!
So glad we finally made it… and looking forward to keeping it simple, keeping it colorful, keeping it positive! Good luck everyone!!!

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who follows me online, who appreciates my work, who “puts up with” my sunrise addiction, who needs a little visual distraction or just enjoys nature as much as I do. It’s amazing to me that there are so many people out there supporting us self-employed artists like me following our dreams & our passions. This has been a crazy year for all of us… and yet “somehow” we made it through the year together! Thanks again for all your support in 2020… and looking forward to even more fun in 2021… WITH all of you along for the ride of course!!!

We had a CRAZY total of 52,554 LIKES on my 2,079 Instagram posts during 2020!!!

That’s 17,526 MORE LIKES than last year!!!
Now I know we’ve all been cooped-up at home this year, playing on our phones trying to stay sane & stay connected. But let’s try to top that number this coming year with even more posts & more interactions!!!

From the safety of my sofa, wishing all of you a safe, healthy & socially-distanced New Years Eve. No celebration going on here… okay, maybe more movies & more pie… but I’m definitely ready to start a New Year!!! We’ve all been through a lot this year… I’m done! Good riddance 2020. I’m ready for a better year. Bring it on 2021.

Celebrating safely-at-home with my newest 2020 holiday tradition! This is my THIRD holiday celebrating with Bake-A-Pie & Eat-A-Pie!!! And sure, I coulda left that one last piece for tomorrow…

But why stop at one piece… after THIS year, I think we all deserve two pieces… and ice cream too!!! Congrats on making it through this crumbly-crust of a year!!!

Looking back at 2020…
and I am MORE than ready to move on!
It was quite a year… like none other!

It’s hard to believe that 2020 has kinda slipped by so quickly, and yet dragged on so long. I’m hoping for good things in 2021… but who knows what that really means?! Fingers crossed for brighter days… when we can all get back to work, get together with our family & friends, open restaurants, live theater, organized bike rides & triathlons, so many things… and maybe, just maybe… eventually get rid of the masks?!!!

Special occasions require special pottery…
looks like a very festive dinner planned to celebrate the end of the year!
Thanks for sharing Gerry & Rosene… and here’s to a better New Year!!!

Last day of the year.
Last chance for an afternoon run before the New Year.

Cautiously stepping, but loving the branch silhouettes
& the sunny reflections shimmering on the ice-crusted snow!

A little late for Santa…
but it looks like someone is planning on milk & cookies for ONE!!!
And I sure hope there’s more cookies where those came from!!!
Thanks for sharing Karen!