Did you know that rivers flow along the seabed? I didn’t until I wrote this article! My “Rivers Under the Sea” appears in the February “Where The River Runs” issue of ASK magazine.

“Magic Noodles” is in ASK this January! It tells the story of self-taught inventor Momofuku Ando. He created instant ramen noodles in his backyard shed and then introduced them to the world! I hope you’ll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

A couple of fun facts as you contemplate holiday treats:

In theory, as long as it’s made with the proper preservatives and stored in an air-tight container, fruit cake can age 25 years and still be edible. I’m thinking you might not be able to tell the difference between fresh and 25-year-old fruit cake?

And strange-but-true candy cane flavors: bacon, wasabi, pickle, sriracha, and gravy. Really.

Seems like even the ocean creatures are decorating! The Candy Cane Shrimp and the Christmas Tree Worm are two very colorful and holiday-appropriate sea creatures!

The Candy Cane Shrimp (Alpheus randalli) shares a symbiotic relationship with the goby fish. The shrimp helps dig and maintain a shared burrow, and the goby warns the shrimp if danger is near.

The Christmas Tree Worm (Spirobranchus giganteus) is a burrowing, segmented worm found on coral reefs. It’s only about 1.5 inches long, and it breathes and catches food via its “branches.”

I’m so thrilled to be able to write for ASK again. I’m working on “The Bird that Sings with Its Wings” for the July/August 2018 issue.