3 Things

1. I finished a Stuart Woods book and a Taylor Jenkins Reid book in the last two days. The Reid book was weird. Reid is like Ann Patchett or Barbara Kingsolver to me - I know I'm supposed to love their work, but I don't. It's tolerable but it doesn't do much for me. The Stuard Woods books are so formulaic that you know exactly what's going to happen. The Woods books are fast reads, though.

2. I made a fast trip through the grocery store this morning. Peter Pan Peanut Butter was $8.79 for the largest size. I bought the medium size for $4.79. My husband eats a lot of peanut butter. I can take it or leave it. I know that the price of groceries is not because Joe Biden has any control over this, but instead the corporations are doing their best to finish wiping out the middle class and who cares about the impoverished and whether or not they eat peanut butter. It's called a monopoly, and the people who own the food are all billionaires. They've had record profits since the pandemic.

3. My iPhone 5 (yes, I am using an ancient phone) needs a new case but I like the one I have and can't find it again. I prefer the military grade cases so that when I drop it, it just bounces. The case I have has a picture of Rivendell (from Lord of the Rings for those who don't know) on it and I don't remember where I bought it. I also need to get the more current iPhone, as this one is no longer updating the OS. 

 

Eclipse Photos

We had so many clouds! And I had trouble juggling

 the camera and keeping the solar glasses on my face without my regular glasses and then I couldn't see a darned thing at all. I may have ruined the camera but it's an old camera anyway. I suspect it is fine, though, because the cloud cover was so thick.

The photos with black are where I got my homemade filter to work during one moment when we had a cloud break. The rest I just took straight with the camera on various settings.

When it was at its peak here, I was outside. It was beginning to rain, and it was dark. The birds were freaking out and I saw a turkey fly up into a tree as if to roost. The smaller birds grew quiet and were flying around as if they were looking for home. Then it got a little lighter and the turkey flew off, and the other birds went back to normal. It must have been really cool to be in totality.

When I am filthy rich, I will chase the eclipse so that I see totality one day. (Ha ha.)

 

Minutiae

Today is solar eclipse day. We will have about 86% coverage here in my area. In another universe, I am in the area of totality, as I have never experienced a full eclipse that I can recall. I remember seeing partial eclipses in elementary school. We made little pin holes in boxes and watched as the black took over the white dot. I don't recall it being very exciting, viewing it that way.

In 2017, we had some cloud cover, but I was able to get photos. I was also better prepared; I had solar film for my camera, which I forgot to purchase this time. Instead, this morning I tore up a pair of solar glasses and removed the film from that and made a little cover for my camera. I am not sure if that will work. I consider it better than nothing.

It may be a non-event here, though. We have mostly cloudy skies with rain expected this afternoon, though I see peaks of sun every now and then this morning. We may not have the weather for this cool thing.

I should have solar film from 2017, but I can't find it. I probably put it up somewhere where I'd be sure to remember it . . . 

***

Yesterday, we watched the final in the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament. South Carolina beat Iowa fairly handily. South Carolina had a deep line-up of players and could send in fresh bodies, while Iowa kept most of its starters on the floor for the entire time. In the last few seconds, Iowa sent out its second string so they could stand on the floor while the team lost. There was no way they could make up that deficit in the time left, so it didn't matter who was holding the ball.

I like basketball but I seldom watch it. I don't like men's basketball much, as I find it very rough, but I like to watch women play. Perhaps now there will be more airtime for the WNBA, since there appears to be a viewership for women's sports.

Sunday Stealing

1. Name a TV series show or shows in which you have seen every episode at least twice:

A. Xena: Warrior Princess. Star Trek (the original). Gilligan's Island. 

2. Name a show or shows you can't or would not miss:

A. There aren't any at the moment.

3. Name an actor or actors that would make you more inclined to watch a show:

A. Sandra Bullock, George Clooney. I don't know. I'm lucky I know those names.

4. Name an actor or actors who would make you less likely to watch a show:

A. Adam Sandler. Will Ferrell. Mel Gibson, Clint Eastwood. Roseanne.

5. You're having a lovely dinner party for friends and family.  What will you serve for appetizers, main course and dessert?

A. I hate to cook, honestly. I'd have a plate of shrimp w/ sauce for appetizers, meatloaf, green beans, and mashed potatoes for the main course, and cherry pie with vanilla ice cream for dessert.

6. Snowstorm! You've got house guests and you're all stuck inside for the night. What do you prepare for dinner? Will you watch a movie? Which?

A. For dinner I would prepare soup and sandwiches. If the power stays on, we could watch Lord of the Rings.

7. We are going into New York City for the weekend. Where do you want to go?

A. I'd like to see a Broadway play and visit the Statue of Liberty.

8. You are going to night school.  They offer courses in writing short stories, painting, piano or guitar lessons, simple home repairs, baking, and gardening. Which do you pick (or make up one of your own) and why?

A. I would take the writing course and the guitar lessons because I already do both and never mind learning more about either.

9. Ever been to a drive-in theater? Would you like to see drive-in theaters make a comeback?

A. I have been to the drive-in theater many times. I wouldn't mind seeing them make a comeback. They would have been very welcome during the Covid pandemic - we could have all gone to the movies and stayed in our cars.

10. Should towns provide community entertainment like bands in the park, fireworks on the 4th, community picnics or is the cost just too much?

A. I think that depends on the town and its residents. However, I think any investment in the arts and activities that add to the enjoyment of the residents of a community are worthwhile.

11. What would you change about your town if you had the power?

A. I don't live in a town. I live in a county. I like it here for the most part. If I were to change anything, I think I'd have more focus on the historic nature of the area. This was once the wild west.

12. How often do you find yourself shopping for groceries?

A. I go about twice a week. I try for once a week but we usually run out of something.

13. Do you have a favorite nighttime snack?

A. No. I try not to eat anything after 6 p.m.

14. Do you buy in bulk and what kinds of tips do you have to save money on grocery shopping?

A. I use digital coupons and store promotions. Some things I buy in bulk, like toilet paper (can't ever have too much of that), but foods I generally do not buy in bulk. They will go bad before the two of us can eat them up.

15. Let's have a picnic in the park.  What foods are we packing, and will we cook anything there or is it all prepared ahead of time?

A. We'll have fried chicken, potato salad, drinks, potato chips, green beans, deviled eggs, chocolate cake. It would all be prepared ahead, preferably by someone in a store or restaurant where I buy it already made.

__________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Saturday 9: Diamond Girl

Saturday 9: Diamond Girl (1973)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This week's song is by Seals and Crofts, a pair of Texas boys who met when they both joined a local band called The Crew Cats. Have you ever visited The Lone Star State? If yes, where did you go?

A. If I have been there, it was in 1977 when my parents drove us across the US to California. But I am not sure we went into Texas. I was 14 years old and I really wasn't paying attention to what states we rode through.

2) Lead singer Jim Seals compliments his girl by comparing her to a precious stone. What's the nicest compliment you have ever received? Who was it from?

A. I recently had my former editor tell me this: "You were fearless when you went after a story." That may not be the nicest compliment I've ever had, but it certainly ranks up there. Now I keep asking myself, where did that fearless woman go?

3) Diamonds are birthstone for people born in April. What's your birthstone? Do you wear it often?

A. My birthstone(s) are pearl, alexandrite or amethyst (depending on the website), and moonstone. My birth month is one of only three months to have three birthstones. I have always used the pearl and amethyst as my birthstone, and I have jewelry with each. I like to wear pearls; for some reason it brings out my facial features when I have on a pearl necklace. 

4) In ancient times, Hindus believed diamonds brought good luck. Do you have a good luck charm?

A. No. 

5) On the other hand, some believe that one of the world's most famous gems, The Hope Diamond, is cursed. 14 of its owners have died from unnatural causes. Those who possessed the diamond committed suicide, were murdered, tortured to death in prison, and even torn apart by dogs! If you received a beautiful piece of jewelry that was rumored to be cursed, would you be concerned? Or do you think curses are silly?

A. I'd probably sell it as soon as I could if it were as valuable as The Hope Diamond. That would pay a lot of bills. I don't know that I would be concerned about the curse. I think curses are things that only have power if we believe them.

6) Rare diamonds share an element with the common pencil. Both contain graphite. Sam is crazy about pencils, pens and felt-tip markers. Do you enjoy shopping for office supplies?

A. I love shopping for office supplies, or I used to, anyway, back when the stores were better stocked. We only have a Staples now and I don't particularly like shopping there. I'd rather shop for office supplies than anything else.

7) In 1973, the year this record was popular, Shelley Hack was a hard-working and well-paid model. She regularly appeared on the pages of catalogs, on magazine covers and then launched Revlon's popular Charlie cologne in print and on TV. What commercial have you seen recently? Did you watch it on TV, online or on your phone?

A. It would have been on TV because I have an ad blocker on my computer, and I don't recall seeing any ads on my phone because all I've been doing with it is listening to a book. I remember a Toyota commercial with a 4.59% interest rate or something like that from last night. To be honest, I usually have a book in my hand when the TV is on, and I read that during the commercials.

8) Also in 1973, Motown great Stevie Wonder was in a car accident that left him with a scar on his nose. Tell us about how you got one of your scars.

A. I have a scar on my hand that I obtained from a minor scratch in the county courthouse one day while I was over there looking up records for a story I was writing. I remember I hit my hand on the corner of a filing cabinet and didn't pay much attention to it until I saw a drop of blood splat on the court document. Then I had to hit up somebody for a Band-Aid. The court document will be there forever; so will my drop of blood. I have always been surprised that this little scratch scarred.

9) Random question: What's your perfect day -- weatherwise?

A. Blue skies with an occasional cloud, an occasional very mild breeze, and between 70 and 72 degrees, with the trees fully leafed out, birds chirping, and bees buzzing.

_______________

I encourage you to visit the posts of other participants in Saturday 9 and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however. 

Multitasking

I am cold. I am sitting in my office with the door closed and a room heater running. It is doing double duty, as I have a sweater that I don't put in the dryer hanging on a hanger off the back of my desk chair, and the heater is blowing right on it. So it is almost dry, and I am warm. Multitasking at its finest.

The book I am listening to while I am multitasking (I am also watching the eagles on youtube and playing at a video game) is narrated by Julia Whelan. I don't know when I discovered that she is an excellent audiobook reader, but now I listen to anything I find that she is reading. Sometimes this leads me to authors I might otherwise have overlooked. 

Back in the early 2000s, my favorite book reader was Dick Hill. Hill, I'm sorry to say, passed away in 2022 after narrating more than 1,000 books. The first works I recall hearing him read were The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind. But after that, like Whelan, I listened to most anything he read.

In fact, I sent Mr. Hill a fan email in 2008, and I still have it and his response:

Dear Mr. Hill:

 

I have been enjoying your work with audiobooks for quite some time. Today I found your website and I had to let

 you know how much I appreciate the characterization and life you bring to a novel.

 

I have discovered a number of authors I otherwise might not have read because of your work. I will pick up an

 audiobook regardless of what it is if you are the narrator.

 

My husband, who is not a book reader, is also a fan and I have been delighted to be able to introduce him to the joys of a good story through your voice.

 He started listening to you as I listened to Wizards First Rule by Terry Goodkind and he has since come to know that if I'm listening

 to Dick Hill read, he'll likely enjoy it.

 

I look forward to listening to you for many years to come.

 

 

dick hill	Mon, Jul 14, 2008, 1:31 PM
to me

Thanks for the kind words Anita.......I hope the publishers feel the same way so I can continue doing this work.  

I love it, and love working with my wife Susie Breck, who engineers and directs our projects.  

It's a good fit and we count ourselves blessed.  Glad you've been enjoying the Goodkind.  We sure did.

 

I do end up recording some not so great things, so it's probably good to make sure you check

 out a synopsis or something going in, so you know what you're in for.  I'll make a couple suggestions

 though, things I've really been enjoying..........Crawfish Mountain by Ken Wells is a whole lot of fun, and 

for mysteries the Dr. Alan Gregory series by Stephen White is great.  

Thanks again for the kind words.........it's nice to know actual living people hear this stuff, and I'm not

 just reading into a microphone.

 

dick

Thursday Thirteen

1. I've been having trouble managing my time this week. Time has not been on my side! Instead, it's playing rough house with me, and I feel like a pinball in a machine. Whiz! Bing!

2. This morning I was supposed to see my doctor, but she called me early (I was in the shower, shampoo all over my hair, and I almost didn't answer the phone, but I did) to reschedule to a telehealth appointment because her whole staff is out with Covid. She only gave me about 15 minutes to finish up and dress before the telehealth appointment, so I still had wet hair when I saw her over the phone. This was just a check-in that I have to do every three months for one of the drugs I take, so it was no big deal.

3. That gave me extra time and I was glad of that because I hadn't written a Thursday Thirteen yet and had no clue what I would write about. I still don't know, but I am writing anyway.

4. If I could turn back time, I would go way back to when I was about 20, and I would immediately start an exercise program. I hated exercising and still hate exercising, but I can see that it is an important component to good health.

5. Time after time I have attempted to lose weight, and I can manage a few pounds off, but I truly think that my hormones are so screwed up from all the drugs I was given when we were trying for a child that things in my body simply don't work like they should. 

6. I was reading an article earlier this week that said in a little while, the clocks will all need to be moved up a second because the spin of the earth has slowed. Does anybody really know what time it is anyway? Aren't we making it up as we go along? Why do we let those little hands on a clock dictate what we're supposed to be doing and when?

7. Most days I have too much time on my hands, and I find myself trying to fill the time with mundane chores, video games, or playing guitar. I need to be writing but apparently, I'm just not cut out to do that. Maybe being a news reporter is my best gig.

8. Yesterday, I worked on the bookkeeping to fill my time. The bookkeeping is not a favorite thing to do, but it must be done, and I'm trying to do better with it and keep it current. I'm not quite current yet, but I'm closer than I was.

9. The times they are a'changing from the looks of things. I see things going on that terrify me - and I wonder what people are thinking when I watch a youtube video and some guy says, "If Trump wants to be a dictator, that's fine by me, I think we need one of those." Do they understand what they are suggesting? Do they not realize how much loss of freedom that would entail? Do they not realize that if we give one man that much power, he could control everything and take all we own and call it his? How can they think that way?

10. If I could, I would put time in a bottle and then store it somewhere until someone smarter than me figures out how to fix things. Life feels pretty broken for a lot of people, but I think that too many people, me included, are seeing on the bottom of the glass and aren't realizing that they need a change in point of view. If you have enough - a roof over your head, food, a job, and a little left over to go to dinner once in a while, you're doing pretty good in a country that has systematically set out to ensure that the money rolls to the top of the food chain, leaving the rest of fighting it out for the dredges.

11. Time waits for no one, and neither do the vultures. We lost another calf to the vultures over the Easter weekend. We didn't get there in time. The vultures are mean and vicious and they swoop in and before you can take 20 steps, the little calf is gone. We can't do anything about them because they're a protected species. But you can bet I'd sure like to find some way to deter them from the farm. They don't seem to be afraid of anything.

12. There are all sorts of references to songs about time in this Thursday Thirteen. Not in every entry, but in most. How many titles can you find?

13. Now that I have Thursday Thirteen done, what shall I do with my time? It's about time I have the time of my life, isn't it?

______________

Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 854th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Q & A

A couple of readers asked questions about my responses to the weekend memes Saturday 9 and Sunday Stealing, so I thought I'd address those.

One question I answered asked about money. I answered that I have "purchase rule" in my house.

Managing money, either personally or as a couple, is probably one of the harder things to do in the U.S. I'm not sure about other nations that are not so capitalistic. But here, the advertisements to buy and spend your money are fairly constant. My ad blocker that I installed in November tells me it has blocked 1.445 million ads since then - and that's just on my desktop. Who knows how many ads I've seen on TV, on my Kindle, etc. That's a lot of advertising in less than six months.

I feel like it's my job to hold on to my money, and everyone else's job apparently is to try to take it away from me.

Our "purchase rule" began early in our marriage. We decided within the first month that we would not make any purchases over $100 without discussing it with each other. Of course, now you can drop $100 on groceries so the figure has increased, but we still discuss major purchases. In the back of my mind, I still keep that $100 figure in the foreground.

The other rule is to wait a day, unless it's the last day of a sale. If you can wait a day, then you may decide it's not something you actually need or want. We live 30 minutes from a city, so the drive was often enough of a barrier to stop either one of unless we really wanted something.

I have always thought that young couples should go grocery shopping and watch each other's shopping habits before they live together or marry or whatever they're doing these days. If one person carefully checks prices while the other throws stuff in the cart willie-nillie and doesn't blink when he or she swipes the credit card, those two might need a discussion about financial management.

We track our expenses using Quicken, which I try to update fairly regularly. If it looks like we are spending too much on something, then I speak up. Generally, I am the most fiscally conservative, though my husband is fairly good about it. It depends on what it is. If it's something to do with the farm, he doesn't hesitate to spend the money. I wait until stuff blows up to replace it.

The other question had to do with my car. I said I might have purchased a different vehicle than the 2014 Camry we bought that year, if I'd had the chance. But our old Camry had a safety issue that wasn't worth the price of the car to fix, so we made the trade in a hurry.

The 2014 Camry is not a bad car, but I can't see well out of it. It has blind spots for me because I am short. The console had changed shape by the time we traded in the 2003 model, and it makes the car feel close and less spacious inside. I would have liked to have driven various other vehicles to see if I could have found something I could see out of better (fewer blind spots) and perhaps something that felt more open up front.

Also, we have had the same issue with doors in the 2014 Camry that we had in the 2003 Camry. The doors in the 2003 Camry started locking up and I couldn't get out of the car. Or in the car, sometimes. This became a real safety hazard because I would have been trapped in the car in the event of an accident, or stranded somewhere if I couldn't get the car doors opened. (That actually happened, and that was the day we traded the car.)

The 2014 Camry developed the same issue with the front doors last year, and we had it fixed. Obviously, Toyota has some issue with door locks.

So that is the answer to that question. I may have ended up with this car anyway, because I may not have found something I liked better for the price, but I do wish I'd been able to take the time to look around and see if some of these issues could have been addressed by another vehicle manufacturer.

Sunday Stealing

1. Do you believe in the unknown and Mystics?

A. I believe there are unknowns in the world. I am not sure what the question means by "Mystics."

2. How do you tell time? Do you use a watch or your phone and why?

A. I use a watch and a clock on the wall, because I always have. I sometimes ask Alexa. I very seldom use my phone for the time.

3. How do you stay cool in the summer?

A. With air conditioning from a heat pump.

4. Egg yolk or white?

A. Both.

5. What is your current on-repeat song?

A. I don't have one, but I woke up with Froggy Went A-Courtin' as an earworm this morning. Does that count?

6. What is your favorite sound in the world?

A. The E string on a guitar.

7. What's the must-have-items in your bag?

A. My asthma inhaler, credit cards, and a brush.

8. When you're dressing up, which one you put on first: pants or tops?

A. Tops.

9. What is the one thing you wish you could take back?

A. I am stuck with a 2014 Camry. It's not a bad car but I don't love it. We had to buy one in a hurry because the old one crapped out. The 2014 car only has 62K miles on it, so it's not going anywhere. I wish we could have taken our time and found a car I liked better.

10. What is your pet peeve?

A. At the moment, it's the lack of capital letters at the beginning of the sentences in this meme, which I am having to fix. Otherwise, I am awfully tired of really stupid people, because there seems to be a lot of them around these days.

11. Have you ever been ashamed after buying something frivolous? What?

A. I don't buy frivolous things. We have purchase rules in our house.

12. What dessert would you eat even if you were beyond full?

A. I don't know. The meringue off a pie, maybe.

13. Sweet or spicy?

A. Sweet.

14. Which website do you visit most often?

A. My google email.

15. Which countries/states have you visited and which one did you like the most?

A. I have been to Spain and France. The states I have visited include North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, a bunch of the states in between Virginia and California, including Kansas and Illinois, and Wyoming. I would love to go back to Paris, but I would also like to see the Grand Canyon again as an adult.

__________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Saturday 9: Easter Sunday Sweethearts

Saturday 9: Two Easter Sunday Sweethearts (1954)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This song is about a couple dressed in their "Sunday Best." Will you be getting dressed up this weekend?

A. No.

2) The happy couple is walking up the street arm-in-arm. Have you recently seen a couple holding hands or walking arm-in-arm in public? Were you one of that romantic duo?

A. My husband and I usually hold hands when we are out.

3) This week's featured artist, Vera Lynn, was a beloved English singer who is affectionately remembered for her tireless work entertaining the troops during WWII. She famously sang "There'll Always Be an England" during outdoor concerts in Egypt, India, and Burma, even as battles raged nearby. What is your favorite patriotic song?

A. America the Beautiful.

 

4) Though she became a celebrity at 19, Vera continued to live with her parents until she married at age 21. How old were you when you left home for good? 

A. Twenty.

 

Now, here are some questions in honor of this weekend's holiday . . .

5) More than 1.5 million Cadbury Creme Eggs are produced every day. Do you enjoy Cadbury Eggs all year around, only at Easter, or not at all?

A. I eat a few around this time of year but that's it. I don't see them to purchase at other times (the Halloween ones are not good). I don't eat them like I used to because they don't taste as good as they once did. They're also smaller.

 

6) Pretzels are considered a delicious Easter snack in Germany. Do you more often crave salty treats or sweet ones?

A. Sweet ones, I'm afraid.

7) We've been talking a lot about sweets this morning. The only holiday that generates more candy sales is Halloween. When do you eat more candy: Easter or Halloween?

A. I will say it's about the same amount.

8) Easter is considered the season of rebirth. What makes you feel refreshed or rejuvenated?

A. A hot shower and a good night's sleep.

9) This year, April Fool's Day happens to follow Easter Sunday. Do you expect to fall victim to any pranks?

A. No.

_______________

I encourage you to visit the posts of other participants in Saturday 9 and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however. 

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen books I've read this year. (I've read more than 13, but this is Thursday Thirteen.) I read a variety of things, from young adult to mystery to science fiction. I'm a little behind on my fantasy so far.

1. A Wolf Called Wander, by Rosanne Parry. A story told from the wolf's perspective as it flees its home and searches for another. It reminded me of Pax.

2. The Pecan Man, by Cassie Dandridge Selleck. A story about race, along the lines of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. Very intriguing and timely story.

3. City of Girls, by Elizabeth Gilbert. A book set in the 1940s in New York, about the theater and women.

4. Murder at the Taffy Shop, by Maddie Day. A mystery. I must not have been overly impressed because I don't remember much about the book.

5. This is How You Lose the Time War, by Max Gladstone. This was a great SF novella about two time-travelers who work for opposing forces to keep their versions of the timeline in play so that they have the outcome they want.

6. The End of Her, by Shari LaPena. A couple has new children, their lives are sort of perfect, in walks a stranger. Perfect no more.

7. Commonwealth, by Ann Patchett. A family splits apart; some of the children have to live part time in Virginia and part-time in California. Covers decades. Patchett is one of those authors I am supposed to adore, like Barbara Kingsolver, and I keep reading her waiting for that to happen.

8. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, by Kate DiCamillo. This was a sweet story about a little China toy and how it is lost and found again.

9. Educated, by Tara Westover. Probably one of my top reads so far this year. This memoir relays how a woman was homeschooled and how she overcame certain things to obtain her Ph.D.

10. The Girl in the Castle, by James Patterson & Emily Raymond. This book surprised me. It was about a young woman who seemingly time traveled in her mind while her body stayed put. It was actually about mental illness. Very well done. I wasn't expecting much out of it, but it has stuck with me.

11. Dirty Thirty, by Janet Evanovich. Will she or won't she? Stephanie Plum gets involved in one of the better plots in this series and has a cliffhanger at the end involving her relationships with Morelli and Ranger. No spoiler!

12. Talking to My Angels, by Melissa Etheridge. This is Melissa Etheridge's second book. The first half is a rehash, for the most part, about her childhood (and I don't care what she says in the book, she isn't over that like she thinks she is). The latter part is about her search for Spirit and briefly, the death of her son during Covid. This is one of the few times I've read a book by someone I thought I liked and/or admired and found that I didn't like her as much after I finished. I am not sure why that was.

13. The People We Keep, by Allison Larkin. This book is about a young girl who is tossed away by her family, and her efforts to live by her art (music) and maintain some sort of sanity. It was very well done, and I highly recommend it. It made me tear up at the end and I don't normally do that.

______________

Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 853rd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

The Hawk, the Squirrel, the Fox, and the Deer

I was on the phone when I glanced out the window and watched a hawk land on a tree across the way. Next thing I knew, the hawk was chasing a squirrel, its wings flapping, head bobbing as the bird tried to grab the furry little thing in its talons. The squirrel ran in circles around the tree, it's fluffy tail wagging behind it like a flag. It raced to the back of the tree, and I lost sight of it.

So did the hawk. With its prey gone, it flew off, and I turned my attention back to my conversation.

Then I looked out the window again and saw a fox trotting across the pasture, not far from where the hawk had just been defeated by the squirrel. A mother fox with kits, I guessed, since she was out in the middle of the day. She didn't look rabid or anything. She was just going about her business, doing fox things in a fox way. 

I had to tell the person on the phone what I was seeing, because I don't see foxes very often and this was rather exciting. Fortunately, my caller is a nature lover, too, and understood my enthusiasm. But not enough for me to hang up the phone and find a camera. The fox would have been long gone, anyway.

Not long after the fox went by, I saw a small herd of deer wandering up from the creek, heading into the same pasture the fox has just vacated.

The deer were in no hurry, and I watched them simply flop down beneath the oak trees, sunning themselves in the warmth of the day.

They were still there when I ended my call. I grabbed the camera. They weren't a fox or a hawk, but they remained, still resting and soaking in the sun, and the other animals had vanished.

This is what I love about my life. Where else could I have such a view, and see such things on a warm spring day?

Deer just hanging out in the sunshine.

Local Author Signing

On Saturday, March 23, I went to the Fincastle Library to hear a local author talk about her book, West of Santillane.

The book is about Julia Hancock Clark, who is from here, and in 1807 or thereabouts married William Clark, of the Lewis and Clark expeditions.

The author is about my age, and she teaches music at Greenfield. Her book uses the pen name of Brook Allen.

She talked about Santillane, which I wrote articles about when I worked for the paper, and about Julia Hancock and her relationship to William. She has fictionalized the story, and it sounds interesting. She did a lot of research to get the history correct, including going to St. Louis to the Lewis and Clark Museum there.

An old photo I took of Santillane, around 2006, maybe?

The meeting room at the library was packed, and I sat at the back where the door was cracked open. The local historical society sponsored the event, so there were a lot of those folks in attendance.

The room reeked of perfume and cologne, and at one point I thought I might have an asthma attack from it. Fortunately, about that time a nice breeze blew in and the fresh air saved me.

I'm looking forward to reading the book. I thought about writing fiction about Julia Clark once, but I was going to make her a vampire hunter!

People lined up before and after the lecture to get a signed copy of the book.

The executive director of the local historical society (right), introduced
the author (left) and gave a glowing account of her efforts.