Chlele Payne Gummer is a native Californian born in Woodland, California. She began painting in high school art class. She graduated from Sacramento State with a degree in education and a minor in art. After her two children left the nest she began private classes in water color. She served the Northern California Arts Organization in Sacramento as president. During her two year term she won a first place award in their public competition for a non-realistic watercolor. She moved to Santa Rosa, California to be close to her daughter and her two granddaughters. Often she walked the trail at Spring Lake Park and became familiar with the Canada Geese that lived there. She wanted to relate her observations during her walks by writing the children's book "A Family of Geese." In that story Rufus was created and became the sole attention of hers. She wrote eight stories about his adventures beginning with "Rufus and the Games."
