Books I read in August 2019

The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver (library) one of my all time favorite books. I am rereading it  to fill in a Bingo Card space for the Seattle Public Library summer reading Bingo! :-) also it should be read with Pigs in Heaven next. They go together.
Glaciers by Alexis M. Smith (library) sweet little book about a young woman in the PNW (I loved her images of vintage clothes shopping)
The Best of Adam Sharp by Graeme Simsion (library)  This book is about music more than any other I have read in a while. I had to go and listen to some of the songs he describes to really understand some of the characterizations.
Trainwreck by Sady Doyle (library) great book about how we cannot look away from women who are self destructive. Marilyn Monroe, Brittany Spears, Whitney Houston, Amy Winehouse etc etc.
Here and Now and Then by Mike Chen (library) a book about time travel. I thought it was well done and a fun book. The idea being that a time traveler is trapped in present day, so he makes a life for himself for 18 years and then they come from the future to "save" him.
The Weather Detective by Peter Wohllleben (library) How to recognize signs in the environment around you to predict what the weather will be
Nancy Drew The Palace of Wisdom by Kelly Thompson (library) Nancy Drew is now available as comic books, so I thought I would check this one out. I was pleasantly surprised to like it.
Draw Your Day by Samantha Dion Baker (library) a guide to creating your own sketch journal with gorgeous art by the author.
Hungry for Change by James Colquhoun and Laurentine Ten Bosch (library) a book about eating healthy, no processed foods. Cut back on sugars. Eat your dark leafy greens!
Tropical Attire Encouraged by Alison Rosen (library) fun book of her blogs//columns. They are comical and entertaining.
Into the Black Nowhere by Meg Gardiner serial killer thriller It was okay.
In the Frame by Dick Francis He combines art and horse racing in this one. I liked it (and they visit Australia!)
The Luminaries by Eleanor Cotton (library)(audiobook) Saga about the Gold Rush in Australia/New Zealand. Very interesting.
This Gulf of Fire by Martk Molesky (library) the story of the great earthquake in Lisbon in 1755 and what it meant to all of Europe, very  interesting and I highly recommend!!
Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill (library) this is a play and I am reading it to fulfill my Seattle Public Library Bingo card. But it is Very very good . Basically, the life of Billie Holiday
Fleshmarket Alley by Ian Rankin (audiobook) Inspector Rebus, I did a LOT of roadtripping in August, so many hours of audiobooks to pass the time. This one is good, about human trafficking and it had a nice interview with Rankin at the end.


I participated in the Washington Trails Association Hike-a-thon during the entire month of August. Ryan has been hiking the Pacific Northwest Trail from Montana (Glacier National Park) all the way to the Pacific Ocean on the Olympic Peninsula. And I joined him for some hiking and I did a few day hikes around Seattle on my layovers at home. There is still time for you to donate! 

I hope I can count on all of you this year for support. Any amount from $1 to $100 is welcome.
You can click on this link to go to my WTA fundraiser page

https://give.wta.org/fundraiser/2179299

or you can send me a check (made out to WTA (Washington Trails Association) or just a dollar in the mail would be very welcome. Thanks so much to everyone who has supported this cause in the past and hopefully again this year!

to: Amanda Arkebauer PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

Nancy Drew Hardy Boys Super Mysteries Dangerous Games and Paris Connection

Again I am posting some of the reviews that I write for the Nancy Drew Sleuth Fanzine



Dangerous Games 1989

This super mystery starts with Ned Nickerson asking Nancy Drew to come out to Santa Teresa, CA for the International Championship Games. Ned is there working his part time job for an insurance company processing the insurance applications of the athletes. But there have been threats against some of the competitors, so Ned asks Nancy to come to investigate. Of course, she brings along Bess and George. They immediately run into Frank and Joe Hardy. The Hardys were asked to investigate by the head of security for the games. They want to avoid publicity, which is why they have asked the Hardys and Nancy Drew to investigate the threats undercover.
Something interesting in this book is on page 16 where George is asked, "Isn't George an odd name for a girl?" And she replies, " Actually, my real name is Georgia."  George is the only one of the group who goes undercover as an athlete, although, I did enjoy this quote on page 113 after an impromptu volleyball game involving Nancy, Frank and Joe, "for people who claim not to be athletes, you three are in very good shape."
Nancy has a lot of attraction for Frank, even though Ned is there. Ned is working all the time and Nancy and Frank are working together and have so much in common. I have not been enjoying the romance angle in the super mysteries. I was not interested in romances as a pre-teen and I don't really read many of them now as an adult. However, in this super mystery, I can see that a great message is being relayed to the Young Adult readers. Nancy has an established, caring and positive relationship with Ned. She is attracted to Frank, but she honors her commitment to Ned. Ned is also portrayed as understanding and supportive.  I applaud the romance in this super mystery for showing that you can be in a relationship and still be attracted to other people, and that you do not have to act on that attraction. The trust shared by Nancy and Ned strengthens their relationship and their bond.  Here is a quote by Ned on page 216: " Look, I can't change the way I feel any more than you can stop being a detective. Without that, you wouldn't be the Nancy Drew I know and love. If I want to be your guy, I'll just have to learn to accept it, that's all. And if you want to team up with the Hardys, be my guest. I don't mind--as long as I'm still number one with you , romantically speaking."
The mystery is your standard Super Mystery script, some threats, some sabotage. I was glad that both Nancy Drew and the Hardys were equally athletic and shared the spotlight. I am not going to complain too much about the romance because I think it had purpose here.



Super Mystery: The Paris Connection

Just when I thought that all the Super Mystery ghostwriters were misogynistic old men intent on portraying Nancy Drew as a girl who is inferior to boys and needs a man to save her, along comes "The Paris Connection."  But wait, maybe I spoke too soon.
"The Paris Connection" was written in 1990. In the other supermysteries I have read lately," The Hollywood Horror" and "Tour of Danger," Nancy Drew is usually on vacation and not even expected to solve a mystery. The Hardy Boys just conveniently show up with a real detecting job and Nancy helps them, or she finds a safe little mystery of her own that she has to convince people to let her solve.  At least "The Paris Connection" starts out right with Nancy Drew being hired by rock star Johnny Crockett to investigate sabotage on his music tour. She and Bess are going undercover with the music tour as part of the publicity staff. We learn that Bess had two years of French language classes, which is sure to be a great help.
The big coincidence happens by page two when Nancy and Bess run into Frank and Joe Hardy at customs in Charles de Gaulle airport. It seems the flights from Bayport and River Heights arrive at the same time!  Frank and Joe are in town to attend a conference on art theft and smuggling.  It is mentioned that Frank and Joe are just as famous in Bayport as Nancy Drew is in River Heights.  By page 68 of the story, Frank and Joe are investigating an art theft and the two cases are linked.
In several places in the story, Nancy gets impatient or becomes irritated.  Not what I expect from a calm, cool detective.  She pulls out her lock picks to escape being held in a dressing room at a theater. But Joe says that will take too long and he slams the door open with a karate kick. Here we have boys and brute force taking over again.  Bess has the prerequisite romance with a member of the music tour. In fact, that is why Nancy becomes irritated. Bess keeps running off with the crew member instead of working on the case.  Nancy is charmed by the star of the show, Johnny Crockett.  And Frank is shown to be a bit jealous, even saying that Crockett is "making a monkey out of her." There is a lot of talk about how romantic Paris is and Nancy feels "the magic of the night and Frank's touch." So of course, Nancy will eventually be dangling over the stage in danger and Frank must come to save her.
I was disappointed once again in a Super Mystery story line. It started off strong, with Nancy being given some credit as a superior sleuth, but soon fell into the old trap of letting the boys do all the heavy lifting.  The mystery itself was lame. The red herring of a single suspect who just keeps getting heaps and heaps of evidence piled against him was used.  I am really getting tired of the romance that is forced into each story, it is very evident that these books were churned out quickly. Each one has followed an outline that is nearly identical.


On a different topic: I am participating in the Washington Trails Association Hike-a-thon during the entire month of August. Ryan is hiking the Pacific Northwest Trail from Montana (Glacier National Park) all the way to the Pacific Ocean on the Olympic Peninsula and I joined him for a few days and I have also done day hikes around Seattle on layovers. Only 2 more days of August left!! Thanks so much to Deirdre and Cecilia who just donated! 

I hope I can count on all of you this year for support. Any amount from $1 to $100 is welcome.
You can click on this link to go to my WTA fundraiser page

https://give.wta.org/fundraiser/2179299

or you can send me a check (made out to WTA (Washington Trails Association) or just a dollar in the mail would be very welcome. Thanks so much to everyone who has supported this cause in the past and hopefully again this year!

to: Amanda Arkebauer PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

Postcards 2019: China

2019, this year I am going to highlight postcards from places that I have never visited!! I know many of you think that I have traveled all over the world and I have been to many places, but there are places here in the USA and all over the world that are still on my bucket list. So this year, I will be sharing postcards from places that I have not visited yet!

China

Only a few more days of Hike-a-thon I will be doing day hikes around Seattle on my layovers at home.  Thanks so much to Amanda, Katherine and Jenny for their recent donations! Every little bit helps.

I hope I can count on all of you this year for support. Any amount from $1 to $100 is welcome.You can click on this link to go to my WTA fundraiser page

https://give.wta.org/fundraiser/2179299

or you can send me a check (made out to WTA (Washington Trails Association) or just a dollar in the mail would be very welcome. Thanks so much to everyone who has supported this cause in the past and hopefully again this year!

to: Amanda Arkebauer PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

I forget about hike-a-thon and become a Fossil Hunter!

So last week I went out to Republic, WA up in the North Eastern part of Washington State to meet with Ryan on his PNT thru hike. The PNT would pass over several roads in this area, so it was a great place to meet and enable Ryan to slack pack for several days. 

While waiting for Ryan at one of the trailheads, I hiked for a mile on a trail along HWY 20 near Sherman Pass. 

PNT follows the Kettle Crest Trail

Lots of forest fires have happened up here over the years

nice easy trail for me

I picked up Ryan from the trail and the next day we went together to hike the Ferry County Rail Trail. This former railroad crossed over Curlew lake and I hiked 4 miles along it

Rail Trails, gotta love them!

Ryan reads about the history of this railroad

 Then I discovered the Stonerose Fossil site in Republic WA. I would spend the next three days NOT hiking like I was supposed to, but digging in the dirt on this hill to find fossils. I was addicted!

Ryan picks his spot to look for fossils

There is an elm leaf, but how do I get it out?

Whew, very carefully, I got it !!

Dawn Redwood The most common fossil found at this site

See the lines in the rock, you chip at them until the shale separates and hope there is a fossil inside

Lots of folks bring the rocks down to the picnic tables and then chip away at them there

 another of my favorites that I found

You can see that the hill is right in town, we walked to it from our hotel 

The fossils here are 50 million years old.  Eocene period.  This site has been in operation since 1989 ( with fossils being found in the area since the early 1900’s) They are unique in allowing the general public to dig!  You take your finds to the interpretation center and they will identify them for you and you get to keep 3 of whatever you find.  

Cost to dig is $10, rental of equipment is $5.  Less for children and seniors.

The center has displays of all the different kinds of fossils you can find.  I really wanted an insect.   But I did not find one.  Just leaves, pine needles and wood debris for me 

Then I got out and did a few more hikes in the area.  I did 2 miles on the trail at Swan Lake and enjoyed a nice sunset there!

Swan Lake

CCC built kitchen at Swan Lake

Swan Lake

Ryan would slack pack during the day while I spent my time digging for fossils. Then I would pick him up and we would have dinner in town and stay in a hotel -- Quite a treat for a thru hiker to be able to have a shower each evening and enjoy wifi and "civilization"

We saw lots of deer in town

 I drove out on a forest service road to check on Ryan -- He would do 15-20 miles of hiking during the day.

Ryan takes a break on his road walk

Peek-a-boo look at Nine Mile Falls

I did a half a mile on the Nine Mile Falls Trail to get a peek-a-boo look at the Falls. And I went out to Beth and Beaver Lake to do a hike for hike-a-thon, but the trails were totally overgrown and almost impossible to follow. One trailhead was totally damaged with trees uprooted and the campground that was supposed to be at Beaver Lake now totally non-existent. This is why we need the WTA and what your donations can get used for, this trail was totally overgrown and needs work. At the moment, there really is no trail there to hike, it has been taken over by nature.

Beth Lake

Looking for the trail at Beth Lake

The Trail through the Beth Lake campground

Beaver Lake

Trail deadends into the lake

Part of the trail?

Beaver Lake Campground in disrepair

There was supposed to be a trail here

Lots of damage at the trailhead at Beaver Lake

After 5 days in Republic, I dropped Ryan off and returned home. He is still heading west on the Pacific Northwest Trail and should finish at the Pacific Ocean in Olympic National Park by the end of September.

Ryan signs a trail register

I plan to do some more hikes in the Seattle area before Hike-a-thon ends August 31st. Many Thanks to Kim, Janet and Chris for their recent donations. The money raised helps go to maintaining trails like the Beth and Beaver lake trail. Without help, the trails will disappear for future generations. 

I hope I can count on all of you this year for support. Any amount from $1 to $100 is welcome.You can click on this link to go to my WTA fundraiser page

https://give.wta.org/fundraiser/2179299

or you can send me a check (made out to WTA (Washington Trails Association) or just a dollar in the mail would be very welcome. Thanks so much to everyone who has supported this cause in the past and hopefully again this year!

to: Amanda Arkebauer PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

Postcards 2019: Mackinac Island

Still on my bucket list, mainly because I just love the setting of the movie Somewhere in Time

Hike-a-thon is in full swing now and I will be doing day hikes around Seattle on my layovers at home. I hope to do some of the Camino Portuguese when I have a layover in Lisbon, Portugal and I will be meeting Ryan during his through hike of the Pacific Northwest Trail and I will do some day hikes with him too!!

I hope I can count on all of you this year for support. Any amount from $1 to $100 is welcome.You can click on this link to go to my WTA fundraiser page

https://give.wta.org/fundraiser/2179299

or you can send me a check (made out to WTA (Washington Trails Association) or just a dollar in the mail would be very welcome. Thanks so much to everyone who has supported this cause in the past and hopefully again this year!

to: Amanda Arkebauer PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

Postcards 2019: Turkey

Ryan always likes to lord it over me that he has been to Turkey and I have not, but I think I will get there one day.

Hike-a-thon is in full swing now and I will be doing day hikes around Seattle on my layovers at home. I hope to do some of the Camino Portuguese when I have a layover in Lisbon, Portugal and I will be meeting Ryan during his through hike of the Pacific Northwest Trail and I will do some day hikes with him too!! Many Thanks to Uncle Frank, Chris L, Ray D, and Jenny S. for their recent donations!! I had so many come in this last week!! Thank you, Thank you!!

I hope I can count on all of you this year for support. Any amount from $1 to $100 is welcome.You can click on this link to go to my WTA fundraiser page

https://give.wta.org/fundraiser/2179299

or you can send me a check (made out to WTA (Washington Trails Association) or just a dollar in the mail would be very welcome. Thanks so much to everyone who has supported this cause in the past and hopefully again this year!

to: Amanda Arkebauer PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116