Some stories begin with a carefully planned outline. Driftwood Cove began on a napkin.

My daughter was five years old, and we were sitting at a table at Chili’s Great Chili in Pacific Grove, California.

While we waited, I began sketching out an idea for a children’s story on the napkin in front of me. I could see a little seaside village. There would be a harbor and fishing boats, a lighthouse watching over the coast, beaches and tide pools, wooded trails, hidden coves, and all sorts of creatures living along the shore and beneath the water. I didn’t know exactly what I was creating. I only knew that I could see it. And then life happened.

That little world stayed with me, but life moved forward, and other things needed my attention. My daughter grew up, and my own life took turns I never could have imagined while sitting at that restaurant table. I built a career, traveled roads I never expected to travel, experienced love and loss, and eventually retired. Along the way, I began writing about the life I had lived, the things I had learned, and the wisdom I wanted to carry forward. Still, somewhere inside me, that little seaside village remained.

Decades later, I have found my way back to it.

Its name is Driftwood Cove.

A Different Kind of Children’s Story

Driftwood Cove is becoming a children’s book series for young readers, approximately ages five through nine.

At the center of the stories are Captain George and his curious Goldendoodle puppy, Aspen.

Captain George is inspired by my brother George, who taught me a great deal about living—not through grand speeches or complicated philosophies, but through the way he looked at life.

George had a way of making difficult things simpler.

Some of the lessons he left with me have already found their way into my Notes From George writings.

Now I find myself wondering what might happen if some of that wisdom were allowed to live in stories for children. Not as lessons preached to them. Not as answers handed to them.

But as things they discover. Because that is what I want Driftwood Cove to be.

A place where nature can be the teacher.

And Then There’s Aspen

Aspen the puppy is inspired by my own Goldendoodle, Aspen. The real Aspen is curious, social, observant, occasionally mischievous, and usually somewhere nearby while I’m working.

That makes her a rather perfect explorer. Through Aspen’s eyes, children will encounter Driftwood Cove for the first time. She doesn’t already know where every trail leads or what might be hiding in a tide pool.

Neither will the reader. Captain George knows this world well. Aspen is just beginning to discover it. And I think that’s where the fun begins.

Building a World

Over the past several months, Driftwood Cove has begun moving out of my imagination and into the physical world around me. I’ve been creating its map. I’ve been learning about its seasons, weather, sounds, and smells.

I’ve discovered Harbor Haven, Lighthouse Point, Whisper Cove, and the tide pools. I’ve begun meeting the animals who live there.

There are sea otters, pelicans, whales, deer, squirrels, sea lions, an octopus, a bald eagle—and one rather thoughtful little crab named Pinchy.

Some will appear frequently. Others may wander into a story and then disappear for a while. Some will migrate away and return another season. Just like life.

I’ve also changed my writing space at home. There are story cards now, whiteboards, character notes, and a map of Driftwood Cove within sight of my desk.

And beside all of that is a window looking out at the birds, squirrels and rabbits in my own yard—and, quite often, the real Aspen keeping watch nearby.

For the first time in all these years, Driftwood Cove has somewhere to live besides my imagination.

The Heart of Driftwood Cove

As I’ve been creating this world, one question has become increasingly important to me:

What truths do I want children to discover?

Kindness matters. Courage can be quiet. Everyone belongs. Mistakes help us learn. Friendship takes time.

Patience is a gift. Being different is beautiful. There are many more.

But I don’t want Captain George simply telling children these things.

I want Aspen—and the children reading her stories—to experience them.

To wonder. To make mistakes. To ask questions. To encounter someone they don’t understand. To become curious instead of afraid. To discover that sometimes the smallest creature has something important to teach us. And sometimes there may be no tidy answer at all.

Come Along With Me

I don’t know exactly where Driftwood Cove will take me yet. That’s something I’m deliberately allowing myself not to know. The stories are only beginning to reveal themselves.

So rather than waiting until everything is finished, I’ve decided to do something a little different. I’m going to invite you along while I create it.

From time to time, I’ll share glimpses of Driftwood Cove here—its places, its characters, the stories behind its creation, and perhaps some of the discoveries I make along the way.

An idea sketched on a restaurant napkin decades ago has somehow found its way back to me. This time, I’m following it.

Welcome to Driftwood Cove.

I wonder what we’ll discover there.