Books I read in August 2018

The photo above is art made by Jane Mount and you can purchase prints of her work and even create a customized bookshelf for yourself. Just go to her website:  Ideal bookshelf







The Absolutist by John Boyne (library audiobook) listened to while driving to and from trailheads for the WTA hike-a-thon. WWI PTSD story...although they didn't call it that then. Very good
Resurrection by Leo Tolstoy (library) I started this years ago in college, but never finished it, so I got it again to finally finish.
Through the Woods by Emily Carroll (library) a graphic novel. I don't usually like these. I can count on one hand the graphic novels that I have enjoyed, but this one is very beautiful. The artwork was so wonderful that it did not detract from the stories.
Welcome to Marwencol by Mark Hogancamp and Chris Shellen (library) Fascinating story about a man who came back from a vicious attack and used art and imagination as his therapy.
Dark Sparkler by Amber Tamblyn (library) poetry by actress Amber Tamblyn, I have been a huge fan of her work on screen. And I enjoyed her poetry also. I am looking forward to reading more by her (she has a work of fiction that just came out that is on my TBR list)
Twisted Prey by John Sandford (library) I am a big fan of his books and this one was interesting because Lucas Davenport is now a US Marshall and most of the action took place in Washington, DC.
This One Summer  by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki  (library)A graphic novel, it reminded me a lot of "Are You There God, It's Me Margaret"  That type of coming of age thing.
And Never Let Her Go by Ann Rule (library) A guy in Wilmington, Delaware who was just obsessed with the women in his life. It was very contemporary to me. I am the same age as his victim.
Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen (library) I actually like her other book better, Garden Spells. But it was not bad...maybe I was in the wrong frame of mind when I read it....
Glitch by Elisabeth Cohen (library) It was okay, I was expecting more by reading a review and it disappointed me. It was just okay
The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner (library) totally in my wheelhouse, I am all about where I live....I find that weather/geography totally makes me happy....or not. My blood pressure lowers when I travel to Seattle. It is a documented thing. I sleep better, I breathe better. My life in Seattle is bliss.
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (audiobook) (library) Claire Danes narrates this version of the Handmaids Tale and it is awesome. I had not read it in many years, but had seen the recent series, so this was a very well done, I highly recommend
Flyover Nation by Dana Loesch (library) I don't know how to describe this book. It was hard to read, it was hard for me to believe that this is how some people think in America, obviously A LOT of people think this way in America.




To Be Read:

Whisper Falls by Elizabeth Langston
Mystery at the Rectory by A. E. Fielding
Dear Mrs Bird by A. J. Pearce
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
Hillbilly Elegy by J. D. Vance

Last hikes for Hike-a-thon 2018

This last week of August, I spent the weekend in North Carolina hanging out with my Nancy Drew friends. But I did get in a few miles of hiking on trails. 

Four mile Creek Greenway...I only did a mile

We saw an owl along the trail!! Unfortunately I did not get a photo

along the four mile creek greenway

 Up in Montreat, NC, I did a mile on the Gate Trail along the creek from the gate to the Nature Center

The Gate Trail in Montreat, NC

along the Gate Trail in Montreat

Fungi

creek along the gate trail in Montreat

Thanks to Gary and Carole Hada, Susan Oler and Amy de Jongh for their donations this week!

My hike-a-thon total is now 19.8 miles and we have raised $473 dollars! Thank you to EVERYONE who donates !! 
Visit my fund-raising page and make a donation. There is still time, they don't stop it until September 7th. That is the deadline to get in all donations. (I still have to mail in some from folks who donated cash!!)

https://give.wta.org/fundraiser/1515911

You can also mail a check or money order or even cash ! (make out checks to WTA or Washington Trails Association )  Send to: Amanda Arkebauer PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

2018 Postcard: Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is a fabulous place, if you have not seen it, you need to go now!! And send me a postcard!   It is hike-a-thon time again for Washington Trails.  From now until the end of August, I will be raising money for the Washington Trails Association and I plan to spend August hiking all over the USA!

Visit my fund-raising page and make a donation. And if you have any suggestions on where I should hike this last week of August, please let me know!!

https://give.wta.org/fundraiser/1515911

You can also mail a check or money order or even cash ! (make out checks to WTA or Washington Trails Association )  Send to: Amanda Arkebauer PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

Balloon Festival Weekend in Virginia

Air quality in the Pacific Northwest has been so bad because of wildfires all around us. Some in British Columbia, Canada, some in California and many right here in Washington State in the Olympics and in the Cascades. It is really a bad wildfire year.  But I was planning on going to Virginia for a Balloon Festival long before the wildfires hit, but the wildfires have derailed much of my hiking at home in the Seattle area for hike-a-thon.

So while in Virginia, I got in a short 2.1 mile hike on the Greensprings Trail in James City County, Virginia near Williamsburg.

It was crazy hot and humid in Virginia, so I wanted a hike in the shade! 

So much Colonial History in this area

see the deer?

The next day we were off to the Balloon Festival and I did not get in any hiking on trails.

This is a "chair balloon" and the owner is a dentist

The biplanes were flying all around the balloons It was amazing

Barnstorming antics

wing walkers

flying in formation and parachutes

Chatting with Rick Conn (AA pilot) while he takes a break from aerobatic rides

Then on Sunday, we went out to Chippokes Plantation State Park. We were there primarily for kayaking and beach-combing for sharks teeth, but I got in a mile of hiking on the College Run Trail while we put in the kayaks.

 Lots of interesting History at Chippokes Plantation

The College Run Trail goes along the James River

an easy hike along the College Run Trail

Access to the beach

Looking for Shark Teeth

Lots of cool stuff to find on the beach

My hike-a-thon total is now 17.9 miles and we have raised $452 dollars! But there have been no new donations this week. And just a reminder to you guys, a donation of 1 dollar or 5 dollars is just as important as a donation of 25 or 50 dollars. It is the accumulation that makes all the difference. If the dollar amount was all it was about, I would just ask one person to donate $500. But that is not the point. The point is for all of us to come together and help a little bit as a group. Thank you to EVERYONE who donates !! Instead of getting that $3 latte today, think about donating $3 to help Washington Trails. We will definitely need it after this wildfire season destroys bridges and other trail structures in the back country.

Visit my fund-raising page and make a donation. And if you have any suggestions on where I should hike this August, please let me know!! Does anyone have a favorite trail near Asheville, NC? Let me know about it, because that is where I will be this coming weekend. 

https://give.wta.org/fundraiser/1515911

You can also mail a check or money order or even cash ! (make out checks to WTA or Washington Trails Association )  Send to: Amanda Arkebauer PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

2018 Postcard: Poland

Ryan sent me these postcards when he was in Poland last year.   It is hike-a-thon time again for Washington Trails.  From now until the end of August, I will be raising money for the Washington Trails Association and I plan to spend August hiking all over the USA!

Visit my fund-raising page and make a donation. And if you have any suggestions on where I should hike this August, please let me know!!

https://give.wta.org/fundraiser/1515911

You can also mail a check or money order or even cash ! (make out checks to WTA or Washington Trails Association )  Send to: Amanda Arkebauer PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

Car Troubles during Hike-a-thon 2018

So I had car trouble this year! The last time I had car trouble during hike-a-thon, It was in 2007 and I got stuck over on the Olympic Peninsula and had to be towed home via the ferry! 

This time, we caught it early. It just derailed a few of my summer plans. I had to cancel my trip to Paris and stay home to get some maintenance things done on the car. New brakes, new air filters, new belts, some fluid flushing....

New brakes front and rear, that's gonna take all day

got a loaner car while my car is in the shop so that I can still drive out to trailheads for hiking

I picked up a trip to Denver (to help pay for the car repair) and I hiked 2 miles on the Cherry Creek Trail.This is majorly a bike trail and goes right through down town Denver.

The brick building on the right at the end is an REI flagship store, I might have stopped in for a moment....they were having their Garage Sale! 

Then back at home, I hiked 2 miles on the Alki Beach Trail around West Seattle. It was a relief to come home to cooler temperatures.

You can barely see the 2 cruise ships across the Bay at Pier 91

low tide along the Alki Beach trail

With my car out of commission and using a loaner, I did not want to put a lot of miles on the loaner and the air quality in the Seattle area has been really bad also. So I only did 2 miles on the Longfellow Creek Legacy Trail here in West Seattle. It was nice to be in the shade along the creek. And even during the road walk portion, there are interesting things to see!

Interesting views along the road walk

I don't know what that is!!

So far my hike-a-thon total is 14.8 miles and we have raised $452 dollars!  Thanks so much to Yosemite MJD and prairie dog for their recent donations!! And just a reminder to you guys, a donation of 1 dollar or 5 dollars is just as important as a donation of 25 or 50 dollars. It is the accumulation that makes all the difference. If the dollar amount was all it was about, I would just ask one person to donate $500. But that is not the point. The point is for all of us to come together and help a little bit as a group. Thank you to EVERYONE who donates !! 

Visit my fund-raising page and make a donation. And if you have any suggestions on where I should hike this August, please let me know!! Does anyone have a favorite trail near Williamsburg, VA or near Asheville, NC? Let me know about it.

https://give.wta.org/fundraiser/1515911

You can also mail a check or money order or even cash ! (make out checks to WTA or Washington Trails Association )  Send to: Amanda Arkebauer PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

2018 Postcard: Biola University

My nieces went to Biola and they send me postcards!!   It is hike-a-thon time again for Washington Trails.  From now until the end of August, I will be raising money for the Washington Trails Association and I am spending August hiking all over the USA!

Visit my fund-raising page and make a donation. And if you have any suggestions on where I should hike, please let me know!!

https://give.wta.org/fundraiser/1515911

You can also mail a check or money order or even cash ! (make out checks to WTA or Washington Trails Association )  Send to: Amanda Arkebauer PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

2018 Postcard: National Parks

I just love these Retro National Park Postcards and I am happy to receive them from Friends and Family! It is hike-a-thon time again for Washington Trails.  From now until the end of August, I will be raising money for the Washington Trails Association and I plan to spend August hiking all over the USA!

Visit my fund-raising page and make a donation. And if you have any suggestions on where I should hike this August, please let me know!!

https://give.wta.org/fundraiser/1515911

You can also mail a check or money order or even cash ! (make out checks to WTA or Washington Trails Association )  Send to: Amanda Arkebauer PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

First Weekend of Hike-a-thon 2018

August 1st was the very first day of hike-a-thon this year and it was also the first day that the Naval ships were available for touring for Sea Fair in Seattle. Ryan and I were so torn about what to do all day. So to solve our problem, we combined hiking and Sea Fair. I did 2 miles along the Elliott Bay Trail from downtown Seattle out to Pier 91 where the USS Somerset and the USS Momsen were docked.

On board the Canadian Ship Whitehorse

Along the Elliott Bay Trail

Lots of stuff to see along the Elliott Bay Trail

A portion of the trail has a detour around construction

On board the USS Somerset

 We toured the USS Somerset which is an amphibious transport dock. This ship was named specifically for Somerset County Pennsylvania, in honor of the passengers who died on United flight 93 on September 11, 2001. Approximately 22 tons of steel from a crane that stood near Flight 93's crash site were used in the construction of the Somerset

The Bridge of the USS Somerset

Road signs from Somerset County, PA are displayed throughout the ship

The USS Somerset honors the victims of United Flight 93

They let us play with all their toys

Ryan goes for the gun 

I had to work August 2nd, but August 3rd Ryan and I were back out there and fulfilling another desire of mine. For the past 20+ years while I have been living in Seattle, I have been paying my power bill to Seattle City Light. Every time I get a Seattle City Light bill, I get an advertisement about the Diablo Lake boat tours.  Seattle City Light has been offering tours for more than 80 years. They give you the chance to learn about the area's natural and cultural history and the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project which provides clean, low-cost, renewable power to Seattle. They promise a glorious cruise in glacier-fed Diablo Lake while enjoying views of snow-clad mountain peaks, islands, and waterfalls.  And hearing interesting stories about the early explorers and settlers in the area and the challenges of dams and powerhouses in a very remote location. So for 20 years, I have been tempted by these advertisements and finally I got the chance to go out to Diablo Lake and see where my electricity in Seattle is created and how it gets here to my light bulbs! 

On the boat trip

Diablo Dam

 Our tour guide said that when the lights were on the Diablo Dam at night it was like walking through Paris at night, but we did not stay late to see if she was right! LOL

Ready for my Power House tour

Ross Dam

We visit the Ross Dam and Power Station

Our visitor badges

That is Hwy 20 above the lake

The Gorge Power Station has a lovely garden

Ryan reads an informational sign along Hwy 20

Relief map of the area high above the lake

Trail of Cedars in Newhalem, WA

Don't you just love Otters??!!

Ryan hiked the Diablo Lake Trail and I did Ladder Creek Falls and the Trail of the Cedars. So I was able to get in some hike-a-thon mileage even with the main focus of the trip being the boat and powerhouse tours. 

August 4th on our way back to Seattle, we stopped at the Northern State Recreation Area.  It is the site of what was once the largest facility for mentally ill people in Washington State, Northern State Mental Hospital was opened in 1912. It was designed by the Olmstead Brothers, whose father was famous for having designed New York City’s Central Park. Renowned architects Saunders and Lawton designed the hospital’s buildings. They worked in close collaboration with Northern State’s farm superintendent to create a self-sustaining and therapeutic colony for the mentally ill. The hospital site included patient and staff housing, a water reservoir, sewage system, lumber mill, quarry, steam plant, greenhouse, canning facilities, gymnasium, library, laundry, dining room, bakery, dairy, and 700-acre farm for growing vegetables and raising livestock. A cemetery was also included in the site plan.

Ryan passes by another abandoned building

Following the path towards some of the abandoned buildings

buildings are falling apart! Don't go in them!!

learning more about the Northern State Mental Hospital

At one time in the 1950s about 2,700 patients lived at Northern State. This was the full capacity of the hospital according to the superintendent at the time, but he was still being pressured to take on more patients. The public perception of mental hospitals began to change in the 1970s, and Northern State Mental Hospital closed its doors in 1976 after the State Legislature cut off funding. Some of the buildings, including the farm’s housing ward, have since been torn down. A few of the remaining buildings are currently being used for job corps projects and drug rehabilitation. Many of the buildings are still standing and remind me of a ghost town and there are rumors that the area is haunted. 
Here is a great article about  the site  

"gravestones" in the cemetery

another "gravestone"

I did 8.8 miles this weekend for hike-a-thon and so far we have raised $402 dollars! But I still have a way to go to make my goals. 

Visit my fund-raising page and make a donation. And if you have any suggestions on where I should hike this August, please let me know!!

https://give.wta.org/fundraiser/1515911

You can also mail a check or money order or even cash ! (make out checks to WTA or Washington Trails Association )  Send to: Amanda Arkebauer PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116