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The Significance of Icy’s Animal Companions

How friendship helped Icy on his personal journey to growth

No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.

—John Donne

Since we’re a social species by nature, it’s normal for us humans to want to feel a . . .

How I Came Up with Snowy’s Life before His Time with Us

After all these years, we still don’t know where Snowy came from. Since then, I wanted to write his story and make others aware that once in our life, a one-of-a-kind dove came to shower my family with wonderful memories. I write my new book in honor of Snowy. This book is divided into two parts—the first part narrates Snowy’s life before we found him in the backyard, and the second part . . .

My Favorite Story of Snowy

My favorite story about Snowy was the incident where Nancy placed Snowy in her glass of water and, while drinking, Snowy fell headfirst into the glass, and nobody noticed what just had happened to Snowy. A couple of seconds later, my wife Nancy exclaimed, “Oh no!” then she hurriedly jumped up and pulled Snowy’s head out of the glass.

Silence filled the room because we were so nervous . . .

Why Snowy Was with Us for 28 Year

There should have been a great reason why Snowy left his former owner and stayed with us instead. Maybe it’s due to his owner’s upbringing, which made me wonder the type of affection Snowy felt before.

Was he given enough food or a comfortable cage? Was he ever given a bath before? Did he experience the kind of freedom we gave him? Or did his previous owner hold and caress him the way m . . .

Why I Started Writing a Book about Snowy

About 35 years ago in Chicago, a stunning blessing landed on our backyard in the form of a dove. My children saw the bird first, and they thought that it was homeless, so they picked it up and brought it in our house. The children asked Nancy if they could name the bird Snowy because they think it was pretty and its feathers also were white as snow, which my wife gladly agreed.

We are very . . .

A Christmas nut for Larry and Nancy

"In December we had a snow storm. It totaled about three inches. Consequently, I had to use the snowblower and shovel. The snow crystals on the tree branches and shrubs were brilliantly reflected in the sunlight. The next morning, when I exited the side door, I noticed a perfectly round and undamaged black walnut placed outside, in front of the door. The only way that it could have been deposi . . .

Why Some People Don’t Like Squirrels

Squirrels are viewed by people in many ways. They are so much fun to watch. It is amazing how quickly they can climb up and down trees, seeming to use so little effort. It is hard to comprehend how they can jump from branch to branch, sometimes leaping 10 feet or more while over 40 feet off the ground. They construct their nests high in the trees, protecting themselves and their families, seem . . .

What Squirrelly Did After a Large Snowstorm

Squirrelly woke up and looked out of his nest. The entire area was covered by snow. He could only see the large oak tree and maple trees above the snow. When he looked down, he noticed the tops of the bushes covered by about 10 inches of snow, causing the branches to bend under the weight of the snow, almost reaching the ground.

He was very hungry. He knew he had buried nuts in the ground u . . .

Where Larry Friend Obtained Two of the Stories in Squirelly’s Book

There were many stories derived from watching the squirrels. Two of these stories I remember were humorous.

1. Nancy was watching one of the squirrels trying to access a bird feeder outside her office. This feeder was one that had a metal ring at the bottom of the feeder that would rapidly spin when it detected the weight of a squirrel. As she watched, the squirrel slid down the plastic . . .
   
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How Squirrelly the Squirrel and Starlett Originated

Nancy and I decided to leave the City of Chicago and move to Libertyville, Illinois. I have always wanted to live in a log home. We were fortunate to locate such a home on five and a half acres. The previous owners had made several changes to the log cabin and had constructed several additions to the home. I am certain one of the owners was a student of Frank Lloyd Wright.

The logs were cut . . .

How Icy’s Book Was Put Together

Nancy and I had a friend, Brian Behling, who lived in Burbank, California, at that time. Brian was working for DreamWorks. He had given us a tour of the facilities. I knew that he had been involved in the production of several movies. We were fortunate that Brian and his wife, Sue, decided to move to Illinois to be close to their families who lived in Wisconsin. They purchased a home close to . . .

How the Illustrations for Icy Originated

After I had written the manuscript for Icy, I wanted to find someone who could do the illustrations for the book. My sister, Beth, who lived in Denver had contacted my sister, Mindy, to help her illustrate a book she had written. This book never came to fruition. However, it gave me an idea to contact Mindy and see if she could help me.

I sent her the manuscript, but I heard nothin . . .

How Icy the Iceberg Was Created

Nancy and I were taking a sea and land trip to Alaska several years ago. The first part of the trip was an ocean cruise starting in Vancouver, Canada. The cruise ship traveled along the coastline of Alaska for several days.
During the days at sea, I sat on the outer decks, watching the scenery. I really enjoyed watching the snow and the piles of snow and ice. During that trip, we entered an i . . .