You are walking through an avocado grove and you notice this tree stump. AND the snake. Do you (a) run? (b) try to touch it? Or do you just stand there and observe? This handsome little guy is a baby rattle snake…he was born this summer and is just learning to get around on his own. On this warm fall day he came out to take a nap in the sun. Our son found him coiled on an avocado tree stump, but knew to stay clear…because a baby rattle snake is more likely to deliver a full dose of venom when he bites…and baby rattle snakes don’t have a noisy rattle that warns of impending danger.
Such a tiny snake would be easy for a hawk to snatch and carry away, but the bite of a baby rattler can kill. There is no noisy rattle on his tail to warn away those who might do him harm, as his rattle has not yet matured. During warm weather, we stay out of the dry leaves along the edges of the roads in the avocado groves. Best to stay out in the open…and wear shoes!
Unless you live out in the wilderness, you probably don’t expect to encounter snakes or other wild animals. Just seeing a picture of a snake is enough to startle some folks out of their comfort zone! That deer-in-the-headlights feeling of initial panic, followed by ‘what do I do now?’ and finally the decision to run away or quietly observe, is similar to the process of writing for many of us. How do we get past a frightening obstacle that stops us in our tracks?
During this past month, I have been participating in the very first Virtual Fearless Writing Workshop, presented by writer, teacher, and author Crescent Dragonwagon. The workshop is not just about writing.
“If you’ve ever found yourself stopped cold by unexpected change, doubt in your own abilities, uncertain outcome, other peoples’ needs, or unfamiliar economic, technological, or social conditions, Fearless Writing offers a way to stop being stopped.”

I brought an avocado from our farm in California for Crescent Dragonwagon when we met at Aldrich Library in Barre, Vermont
You may remember the post I did about Crescent’s cookbook, Bean By Bean a year ago. Last summer I was excited to meet Crescent Dragonwagon in person when she spoke at Barre, Vermont’s local Aldrich Public Library “Meet the Author” series. We had already become Facebook friends after we connected on social media, and I had been interested in attending one of her annual Fearless Writing Vermont weekends. Of course, I had to bring an avocado gift from our California grove!
It was such a joy to be in the municipal library once more where I spent so many hours during my childhood, and to listen as Crescent read aloud her story, Bat in the Dining Room.
That night I added Crescent’s Fearless Writing Workshop to my ‘bucket list” , but doubted that I would be able to do the 4 day workshop on a Labor Day weekend. When she mentioned that she planned to do an online version of the class, I knew there was no way I could miss out! I signed up as soon as the registration page appeared online.

With my phone on “Speaker” and Crescent on my computer screen, I was able to participate in Virtual Fearless Writing without leaving home!
Crescent and her partner, film maker David Koff, offered the Fearless Writing workshop this fall for the first time via e-mails, conference calls with online video and chat, a private Facebook community and YouTube videos. Instead of spending four days with Crescent in her Vermont home, Crescent came into our lives for 32 wonderful days via the internet. Our first-time group of intrepid Virtual Fearless writers spent a whole month exploring our memories, creating new habits, and discovering new ways to think about writing. Each of us brought our own challenges of time and inclination, as well as our own previous writing experience or inexperience.
By the end of the month with Virtual Fearless Writing, I felt as though I had spent some time in Alice-in-Wonderland’s rabbit hole, vaguely familiar but fascinatingly foreign at the same time. Each morning an e-mail from Crescent arrived like a fortune cookie meant only for me, and private visits from Crescent via YouTube helped light the path ahead. Some of the daily writing assignments were deceivingly simple. Others kept us engaged for hours, like baby chicks pecking away from the inside of an eggshell.

Crescent Dragonwagon’s online Virtual Fearless Writing workshop was a month-long adventure in writing and learning.
I came away from Virtual Fearless with a newly acquired determination to do daily writing. The writing can be purely personal, or it can be something worthy of sharing.
Since my blog is about sharing life on an avocado ranch, recipes, and stories, I have decided to commit to blogging daily during the month of November as part of National Blog Posting Month. I’ll share some travels, daily discoveries here on the avocado ranch, tidbits about life. My posts will probably be shorter, and there may be fewer recipes if I am posting every day, but I hope you will cheer me on here at Mimi Avocado. How can you help with this challenge? Comment on this post, and let me know what you’d like to hear about. Ideas for posts are welcome! I love to hear from readers, so don’t be shy … say hello! And I promise I’ll answer all your comments personally.
By the way, if you would like to be included in the next Virtual Fearless Writing Workshop, join this Facebook page now and you’ll hear all about it.

November 1, 2013 at 9:47 am
Beautifully written, Mimi! I can totally see that you are enjoying your workshop. I envy those who can put words together so well. I find myself at a loss of words all the time.
Laura @ Family Spice recently posted..Last Minute Halloween Appetizer: Black Garlic Butter
November 1, 2013 at 10:05 am
Laura, thank you! As Crescent told us, writing isn’t easy…even for experienced writers like her. The important thing is to keep writing. Let’s meet for lunch!
November 1, 2013 at 10:26 am
Let’s hear more about life on an avocado farm!
lizthechef recently posted..Under Construction
November 1, 2013 at 2:41 pm
Okay, Liz! Life on an avocado farm, it is! Irrigating, fertilizing, pruning,….
November 1, 2013 at 11:14 am
I will definitely read your blog every day possible even if I do have to squish it in between work and home stuff. Farmer Jojo knows this lady as a bean expert and wants to meet her too.
Hope to still get some recipes though. . .
November 1, 2013 at 2:41 pm
It’s great to know I can count on family to read the blog! Yes, I’ll do some recipes. Look for one tomorrow!
November 2, 2013 at 5:21 am
Mimi, I so look forward to your daily posts this month!
“I felt as though I had spent some time in Alice-in-Wonderland’s rabbit hole, vaguely familiar but fascinatingly foreign at the same time.” I completely agree ~ great description and totally accurate! It was wonderful to meet you there 🙂
Best wishes for your upcoming challenge. “Fear Less” – I’ll be cheering you the whole way!
November 2, 2013 at 6:44 am
Thank you for the encouragement, Tina!
November 2, 2013 at 5:23 pm
I love your posts about living on an avocado ranch, and your avocado expertise!! Would definitely like to see more of those!
Kathryn @ Mamacado recently posted..Our 5 Fun Halloween Favorites
November 2, 2013 at 7:12 pm
Check tomorrow’s post about mulch! Thanks for your input, Kathryn!
November 2, 2013 at 5:46 pm
You go girl! I attended a panel at BlogHer food with Michael Procopio and Diane Jacobs and that was his advice: write, write, write and write some more. This story is a wonderful start and we all enjoy reading about life on an avocado farm 🙂
Priscilla | ShesCookin recently posted..Cocktail Contest at Sababa – Unleash Your Creativity!
November 2, 2013 at 7:11 pm
I’ll share some more avocado news tomorrow! Thanks, Priscilla!
November 2, 2013 at 9:50 pm
Write on!
November 3, 2013 at 1:34 am
I attended Fearless in the Ozarks last December and have been writing daily ever since! Friday I’m attending my second Fearless writing class with Crescent! Excited!
November 4, 2013 at 3:37 pm
Have a wonderful time! Excited for you!