Author Archives: eflaherty

Tales til Christmas

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Stinger in the tail…or tale?

The strange culture, the North African landscape and Mediterranean gardens are not what he expected.

In June 2000, Christopher Janus, an American landscape architecture student at a mid-western university, finds himself in Tangier on a term-abroad design study. 

CJ, as his friends called him, could not wait to be home for Christmas.

To complete his Moroccan term-abroad design study, CJ writes about his strange culture, landscape and garden experiences in a series of 40 short stories.

Those short stories are now, for the first time, being released on Vella everyday between now and Christmas Eve.

http://bit.ly/3B9rJXE

Take a break and ENJOY!!

Hope Landscape

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Find the hope.

The popularity of landscape photographs these days is the result of our lives being so turbulently fast-paced that we humans have an unquenchable existential thirst. We try to satisfy that thirst by absorbing in a one second glance at a landscape photo the peace and inspiration so essential to a fulfilling human existence. But we do not have the time to go out in the real life landscape to actually bathe our souls in it.

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Do you agree?

If so, maybe you’d like to read the landscape stories I write.

Sign up to my email list: https://bit.ly/3q5lcaq

Read my ebook, Tangier Gardens, it’s free on Smashwords: https://bit.ly/3SIAfma

The Firstest Snowfall

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It is about waking up to a joyful surprise.

Went to sleep hearing the rainfall on the roof. It wasn’t cold, but late autumn coolness everywhere. The falling rain eased me into sleep.

Oh, that first snowfall of the winter…oh, that first snowfall of the year.

There’s nothing quite like it. Waking up to the first–clean, bright, yet not glossy–the best white.

Yesterday’s Autumn.

Yesterday like that.

Today…

Joy on high–the first snowfall!

In life, natural things have always attracted me, so I look for them and write about them

I am a nature lover and a landscape aficionado.

I am curious about all things green—the environment, plants, gardening, horticulture.

And because I am intrigued about the multi-cultural, mystical history of people and plants, I have lived in North Africa, Europe and the Arabian Peninsula.

If you are into these same things, then please visit my Smashwords page or join my email list.

My Town of Birth

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Detroit

The great and prosperous 1950’s USA cities are now, 70 years later, looking more often like this.

Decaying, falling down, not habitable. The big tree of hard working people, families and jobs that supports great and prosperous cities–cut down in its prime. Sad.

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But what about cities that still thrive after centuries–like Tangier, Morocco? Check out Tangier Gardens for an inside look–the ebook is free at Smashwords.

Thank you.

Trapped?

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Trapped in the dark? You do have options.

There is light, sunlight, transcendental light… look for it.

It’s always darkest before the dawn–the dawn does come…wait for it, go to it, change will come.

You can see through the dark times.

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In Tangier Gardens, CJ was submerged in dark times; but with the help of his girl friend, Sachy, he found the light.

If you’re into these kinds of stories, please join my mailing list, more are on the way–stories from Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

My Secret Pleasure

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My secret pleasure? I find it when I see clouds forming and escaping from the mountains.

clouds
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When the temperature, humidity and barometric pressure are amenable, I can see the mountains breathing.

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This pleasure from nature, the landscape, the topography, the plants…that is the heart of CJ’s discoveries in my novel, Tangier Gardens, where the student becomes mesmerized by the northwest Africa landscape and Tangier gardens. Interested? Buy the book.

Want to know more? Join my email list–discounts and more.

Thank you

Mountain Stream

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The flow.

Mountain stream above the tree line, clear and white–straight flow to the pineal.

The stream takes advantage of the eyes and ears as paths to the pineal.

Words and talking get in the way–the stream continues; but the pineal flow stops.

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In Tangier Gardens, CJ discovered this flow.

He didn’t know what to call his experiences, paranormal, gnostic portals, or the answers to existential unknowns–but he knew the inputs were from nature, its landscapes and plants.

Want to learn more about these experiences in nature, in the landscape? Please join my email list.

Explorer?

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Ever been at the foot of a valley? Facing a challenge?

Are you an explorer?

What do you think you might find up this valley?

Death?

Inspiration?

You’ll never know till you start walking up the valley. 

Do it–that’s what life is for.

Against all odds, CJ did it. Find out how he did it in Tangier Gardens.