Welcome to our Blog

30 Jul Welcome to our Blog

Welcome to our blog at RichardPSmith.com

and Smith Publications

Richard and I will be taking turns posting to this blog. Let me introduce myself. I am Lucy La Faive and I have been married to outdoor writer, author, photographer Richard P. Smith for 42 years. Richard was already writing for the local newspaper, magazines and a great photographer when I met him. He was also working at the front desk of the local Holiday Inn and attending Northern Michigan University (NMU) where he got his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and did post graduate work. I was also working at the Holiday Inn as a waitress and attending NMU where I got my Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences.

Richard has introduced me to adventure, nature and wildlife in ways I never would have imagined. I’m an outdoor woman! I wasn’t always! I was a city girl raised in Milwaukee. My only connection to country was family trips to National Parks and going up north to the U.P. (Michigan’s Upper Peninsula) to visit grandma and grandpa. My dad, a U.P. native moved my family back to the U.P. when I was in college. I attended college in Marquette, where I met and eventually married my husband, the ultimate outdoor guy!

Richard is passionate about whitetail deer, black bears, managing wildlife using biological science rather than opinion, conservation, photography and hunting. He is deeply connected to and respects the wildlife he writes about, photographs and hunts. He is a very prolific writer. He has written thousands of articles, authored 28 books, produced 2 DVDs, taken many thousands of photographs, has won many writing and photography awards and has spoken about his passions to thousands of people in the years since.

We are both proud Yoopers. I was born in the U.P. and we both have family roots here. My father was born and raised in the U.P. and so were Richard’s parents.

We have been lucky enough to travel to many amazing places and see all kinds of wildlife.

In 1984 when I left my job as a Juvenile Probation Officer I started helping Richard with his business. First designing a darkroom where I would learn how to develop black & white film and make prints. So much has changed in the 30+ years since then.

One day when Richard was complaining about working with book publishers I said, “Do it yourself.” I didn’t realize how much of MY TIME that would mean! That was the beginning of Smith Publications, our publishing company. Little did I know that a comment from me would turn into a publishing career for me, publishing Richard’s whitetail deer, black bear, hunting and wildlife books and DVDs.

I have been working side-by-side with Richard now for 34 years. I do the bookkeeping, manage the business, try to keep things organized, publish and market Richard’s hunting and wildlife books and DVDs among other things.

I also have had time to do some volunteer work, get my masters degree in counseling, design and lead workshops, among other things.

I am passionate about learning, self awareness and growth, natural places, adventure, kayaking, and my husband!

It’s been a good life!

Welcome to our blog!

P.S. Check out Richard’s Photography Blog – Photo of the Week. You can find it under the Photography tab on our website – RichardPSmth.com