August Reading

Again aboard a boat and reading with my sister. We spent a lot of time on boats when we were kids and I spent a lot of time reading!!

Blue Jelly by Debby Bull very similar to the Pioneer Woman books, Debby helps heal her broken heart by canning. Cute
French Women Don't Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano (audiobook) Listened to while driving to trailheads for Hike-a-thon 2014
Christine Falls by Benjamin Black (library) I am enjoying these books. a series that features a pathologist in 1950's Ireland.
Vengeance by Benjamin Black (library) might be my favorite one yet of the Quirke Books
Life Support by Tess Gerritesen the author of the Rizzoli and Isles books this is a stand alone medical thriller and I enjoyed it
The Time In Between by Maria Duenas loved it. Saw the Mini Series from Spanish TV first and then read the book. A seamstress is abandoned by her lover who conned her out of all her money and must survive in northern Africa, espionage, etc very enjoyable
Holy Orders by Benjamin Black (library) of course once I find a new to me author that I like....I read everything I can get my hands on
One for the Road by Tony Horwitz he hitchhikes across the Australian Outback in the late 80's very entertaining. If you liked Bryson's travelogue about Australia, you might enjoy this one too
The Silver Swan by Benjamin Black (library) More from this author and I might look for more under his real name (Benjamin Black is a pen name for John Banville)
Portobello by Ruth Rendell (audiobook) more entertainment while riding around in the car to and from trailheads for Hike-a-thon
Shocked by David Casarett (library) recommended to me by my sister about bringing people "back from the dead" thru resuscitation
(IR)Rational Parks by David Blomstrom  an offbeat look at wilderness, tourism and America, fun I laughed a lot
The Hundred Year House by Rebecca Makkai (library) I enjoyed a lot...about a family and a house and artists, Nancy Drew fans, one of the characters is a ghost writer for a YA series
Long Lankin by John Banville ( library) a collection of short stories by the author who writes under the pen name of Benjamin Black
The Doorbell Rang by Rex Stout  my first Nero Wolfe Mystery, can you believe I have not read these??!
The Lemur by Benjamin Black (library).  Blah not my favorite of these
Crazy Salad by Nora Ephron essays that she wrote for magazines in the 70's very good
Smile by Raina Telgemeir (library). A graphic novel. And I loved it.   Family members might see this one at Christmas!
The Mockingbird Next Door by Marja Mills (library). Miss Mills, a journalist was given the rare opportunity to live next door to Harper Lee  and this is a look at the author from their friendship

19 books read this month

There is still time to get a pledge in for the Washington Trails Association Hike-a-thon. If you visit the website, ...just follow this link and help me help Washington State Trails. Or even if you put something in the mail to me today, it should get here by the deadline!
If you don’t want to donate via credit card on the website, checks can be made out to WTA (Washington Trails Association) and sent to me at the address below. Thanks so much for any help you can provide!

Amanda Arkebauer, PO Box 16131, Seattle, WA 98116

Week 4 of Hike-a-thon 2014

Can I say it again, Wow, this has been such a fabulous summer, Ryan and I did a wonderful backpacking trip on the Olympic Peninsula. We hiked out to the Tubal Cain Mine on the Tubal Cain Trail. This is an easy 3 miles out on a relatively flat hike. The hardest part was a little detour we did to see the wreck of a B17 aircraft. Up the Tull Canyon trail....straight up for only .7 of a mile, but it was straight up!!

Ready for adventure

This is the Silver Creek shelter, just a few feet from the Trailhead

The first creek crossing, high and dry

This bridge doesn't look that great, luckily there was a new one just a few feet away

Creek crossing on old mine equipment

The mossy creeks were just lovely

Mine shaft near the Tull Canyon trail

From inside the mineshaft, looking out

I brought fixings for chicken tacos!

Ryan gives the tacos two thumbs up

Hurrah, blueberries for dessert

The deer feeding on the blueberries around our campsite

It doesn't look that bad in the photo, but that is straight up

Debris from the wrecked B17 covers this canyon area and is sometimes hidden by the overgrowth

It doesn't look 60 years old

this section was at a campsite

part of an engine

folks have used parts of the Airplane wreck for their campsites

. We'd like to thank Steve B. for his donation this past week! I hiked 8 miles and Ryan did about 18 miles. He made a loop by hiking up to Marmot Pass and back down to the Upper Dungeness Trailhead. I hiked out the way we came in (much flatter) and drove over to pick him up! Follow this link   and help me help Washington State Trails. I have promised a bottle of wine to the person who donates the most money this August!! If you don't like sending money over the internet, you can always send me a check (made out to Washington Trails Association -WTA) or cash to Amanda Arkebauer  PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

Monday's Postcard 2014: My favorite!! How did you know?!

Some folks know what I like!! These postcards were sent to me by some of my letterboxing friends and depict some of my favorite things, Winnie the Pooh and Buckeye candies!!!

And one of my other favorite things is hiking in Washington State!! I've been having a great time this August hiking trails and raising money to help support Washington Trails. I hope you can help me out by donating a dollar or two to the cause!  We are still $300 away from our goal. Which sounds like alot, but I have 300 facebook friends. If everyone just gave me one dollar, I would have that $300!! So anything you can donate is worth it ...just follow this link and help me help Washington State Trails. There is still time. If you are mailing me a check or some cash, I have to have it by the first week of September. And if you follow the link, it gets here immediately! If you don't like sending money over the internet, you can always send me a check (made out to Washington Trails Association -WTA) or cash to Amanda Arkebauer  PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

Week 3 of Hike-a-thon 2014

I love the blues and golds in this view of the surf against the rocks

Wow! Ryan and I started out the week hiking 3.5 miles in Montana de Oro State Park near Morro Bay, CA. We saw whales feeding on anchovies off shore! It was a great day to be hiking along the coast.

I could watch the surf for hours

I came home and hiked 2 miles on the Longfellow Creek Trail here in West Seattle

And this weekend we are going on a backpacking trip on the Olympic Peninsula, so we will have lots of miles and adventures to tell you about in our next blog!  Follow this link   Just like Steve, William and Hal this past week!! and help me help Washington State Trails. I have promised a bottle of wine to the person who donates the most money this August!! And we are only $300 away from meeting our goal of $1,000 raised for the WTA. (We gotta replace that shovel that Ryan broke on his trail repair trip!!)  If you don't like sending money over the internet, you can always send me a check (made out to Washington Trails Association -WTA) or cash to Amanda Arkebauer  PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

Monday's Postcard 2014: Decorating with postcards

If you have been following my posts for a while, you know that I decorate by framing postcards and hanging them on my wall, but you might not know that the cards that I receive from friends and family also become part of my decorations!! I have some photo stands and I rotate cards through them when I get them! So if you have sent me a postcard, it has most likely stood here on my bookshelf or mantel for a little while

I'm sending out thank you postcards to all the folks who have donated to the Washington Trails Association Hike-a-thon. And you can get a card too!! It's not too late...just follow this link and help me help Washington State Trails. And don't think I have forgotten, but I have promised a bottle of wine to the person who donates the most money this August!! Don't make me give it to my sister!! If you don't like sending money over the internet, you can always send me a check (made out to Washington Trails Association -WTA) or cash to Amanda Arkebauer  PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

Week 2 of Hike-a-thon 2014

Wow, started off this week with a one mile jaunt down in Olympia, WA at the Friends of Capitol Forest Trail

opp's where is the trail?

Then Ryan and I got together for a 2nd Sunday Camino Walk with some Camino de Santiago fans at Discovery Park. We did 3 miles on the Loop Trail around the Park.

Great Views out on the Bluff!

On August 14th, Ryan and I hiked one mile on the SLO Railroad Safety Trail in San Luis Obispo, CA. We had been in Downtown San Luis Obispo for their Thursday Farmers Market and walked back to his mother's house along this trail.

Another Urban Trail

Jennifer Street Bridge at the Amtrak Station

The trees look so neat under the street lights

Thanks to Krista, Angele and Herb for donating this week, and bringing us up over the $500 mark! Hurrah We've got two more weeks til the end of the month!! So keep those donations coming :-) Just follow this link and help me help Washington State Trails. I have promised a bottle of wine to the person who donates the most money this August!! If you don't like sending money over the internet, you can always send me a check (made out to Washington Trails Association -WTA) or cash to Amanda Arkebauer  PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

Monday's Postcards 2014: The Pacific Northwest

Even though I live here in the Pacific Northwest, I still love to get postcards from friends who visit the area! 

I am getting to see lots of great Pacific Northwest trails during hike-a-thon and it is the Washington Trails Association that helps to make all of this possible! ...just follow this link and help me help Washington State Trails.  If you don't like sending money over the internet, you can always send me a check (made out to Washington Trails Association -WTA) or cash to Amanda Arkebauer  PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116  Thanks so much to Gretchen and Pat for putting us over $400 raised so far!

First week of Hike-a-thon 2014

Ryan and I have been doing a lot of hiking together so far for Hike-a-thon 2014. We did 3 miles on the Soos Creek Trail in Renton, WA on August 2nd. Then we did 4 miles at Cougar Mountain on multiple trails there. Ryan could not resist clearing some trail that was blocked by limbs blown down in our recent thunderstorms last weekend

Shangri La Trail closed, but only at the very end of the trail

Big Leaf Maple limbs

Luckily, they were easy to clear

Looks a little better now

 On August 7, we did 2 1/2 miles on the Alki Beach Trail. One of the most gorgeous urban trails ever! Of course, we are biased cause we live here.

Alki Beach Trail

Wow, crowded on a Thursday

Divers in the water off of Alki

On August 8, I did 2 1/2 miles by myself on the Interurban Trail in Tukwila, WA. One of the more depressing trails I have hiked on ever. And I hike on a lot of urban trails! But it is a needed trail. It provides a safe place for bicyclists and walkers to travel across Tukwila.

Interurban in Tukwila, one of the saddest trails I have ever hiked

a prettier section of interurban

So far I have 12 miles hiked this first week and only $413 dollars raised but we are just getting started and we have many more miles to go this month...just follow this link and help me help Washington State Trails.  If you don't like sending money over the internet, you can always send me a check (made out to Washington Trails Association -WTA) or cash to Amanda Arkebauer  PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116