Delve into this poetic journey celebrating love, reflections on nature & a lifetime of memories. Poetic Wanderings is part of the Playing With Words poetry book series by Lillian & Dave Brummet. It is available in e-book format; free for Kindle Unlimited members. * Paperback & hardcover formats contain Dave's artistic renditions based on his father's photographs. Writing must be in the blood! Dave & Lillian Brummet are proud to present Frank Brummet's 55-year collection of poetry. Poetry has this unique ability to heal as it is being written, just as it heals when it is being read. For Dave's father, Frank Nick Brummet, the poetry began with a few published poems in high-school annuals. He wrote his first serious poem titled Sentinel On The Hill in the '70's & it was published in the Okanagan Historical Society Report . By 1996 the muse had struck & he began to write and study writing seriously. In 2005, he joined a writer's group with the unusual acronym of COWS ( Central Okanagan Writer's Society ) & later, he reached out to connect with OWL ( Okanagan Writer's League ). In 2007, Frank moved back to Grand Forks where he joined the Grand Forks Writers Guild . As time marched on, Frank's work graced the pages of many publications including the Senior's Choice Magazine, Grand Forks Gazette, Boundary Communicator, & Blue Turtle Crossing . His confidence grew after joining Toastmasters , & he began sharing his poems at the monthly open mic evenings at Kokomos, Canyon Hall & Wynndel Hall . Frank wrote & studied writing simply for the pleasure of it & took photos for the glee in capturing the moment. He was a member of the West Kootenay Camera Club where a few of his photos were chosen for display. He commented more than once that the socializing aspect of the groups, their critiques & support, the discussions & encouragement had a huge impact on the steady improvement of his writing & photography skills. His voice still echoes in the memories of his fellow Creston Toastmaster, Seniors Choir & TAPS organizations who recall his stories fondly & continue to sing his songs. This poetry book shares his life experiences, & places he knew well from Kettle River to the majestic Selkirk & Skimmerhorn Mountain Ranges, Kootenay River, to Eholt. You'll find references to Rutland & Black Mountain, Greenland, Quenel, Yellow Knife, Summerland, Whitehorse, & Wilgress Lake, among many others. " Frank was a natural storyteller, with a quirky and sometimes silly sense of humor. His powerful combination of words often left me in awe. The depth of his love for his wife, and compassion for those who struggle in life, shines through. His poetry reveals that Frank was a quiet, but compassionate environmentalist ." ~ Lillian Brummet (Frank's daughter in-law; radio host, author and blogger). " Frank was always the first one to show up to our meetings, and his was the first face we greeted at every meeting of the Grand Forks Writers Guild. I still look for him at each meeting when I walk into the room. He was a wonderful poet and a lovely man" - L. Gordan "Frank was a favourite neighbour of mine, three doors down the street. We were both members of The Writers' Guild and we got to be friends there. He wrote the nicest poetry and was recognized as our Poet Laureate in town. Such a gentleman and a role model will be sorely missed in this life, but will undoubtedly be welcomed in the next ." - G. Crawford " We will miss his wonderful poetry at the Wynndel and Canyon Coffee Houses ." - J. Grout " Over the years Frank spent much time travelling back country roads, with a keen eye for interesting things he saw; and many of his poems beautifully reflect the things he saw . As I read through the poems, I was highly impressed with the wide range of topics Frank covered, with his keen observation of details, and his amazing ability to use words to translate the feelings and emotions into word-pictures ." ~ Tony Brummet (Frank's brother; retired high-school principal, who also held Canadian government positions of Minister of Education and Minister of Environment). " Folks at TAPS had the privilege of singing his songs and hearing him read at weekly sessions and special occasions when he'd write something specific for the celebration, bringing smiles with his humour, his sensitivity and on the spot turn of phrase. Did we mention his golden voice? " ~ via I love Creston magazine's feature of the Therapeutic Activation Program for Seniors (TAPS) Writing must be in the blood. .. When Dave inherited his father's lifetime collection of poetry & other written works, the Brummet's decided to share them in Poetic Wanderings . Lillian read this excerpted poem (below) in the Urban Gems Indie Writers online group & people were noticably moved by it. " I admit ," Lillian said later, " I was choking back emotions by the end ". A WAR-TIME LOVE They met at the dance In the old church hall, She was pretty and petite He wa