Oberon's Fresh Start to 2022

The family in St. Johns, USVI



My parents and sister having a bush breakfast at Masai Mara in Kenya.

Welcome to my thread for 2022. A bit late (especially compared to all of you who fired up their threads in December). Most of the things that I had hoped to have return in 2021 came back - although I have yet to make it to any live theater. I hope to change that in March when I have tickets to see a showing of the Tempest staged by Joe Dowling.

Travel did return with trips to the US Virgin Islands, Colorado (again) and Kenya to celebrate my parent's 50th wedding anniversary. If things go according to plan, we will go to Europe this summer with the kids and visit Spain and France.

On the all important reading front, I am up to The Commodore in my Aubrey/Maturin series reread with three books to go. I hit 106 books for 2021, padded, as usual, by my taste for graphic novels.

Welcome back for another year.

My top books for 2021 were:

1. Return of King by William Dalrymple
2. Home Waters: A Chronicle of Family and a River by John Maclean
3. Under a White Sky by Elizabeth Kolbert
4. Travel Light, Move Fast by Alexandra Fuller
5. The Demon in the Freezer by Richard Preston
6. Owls of the Eastern Ice by Jonathan Slaght
7. The Overstory by Richard Powers
8. Arctic Dreams by Barry Lopez
9. Loot: Britain and the Benin Bronzes by Barnaby Philips

While not one of my top reads for the year, this book is certainly the most impactful of the last six months. Probably because it crystalizes a lot of my thinking and reading over the past two years. Below is my review from the tail end of my 2021 thread. As a postscript, I spent a chunk of the weekend digging for acorns in my backyard to start some oaks in containers ahead of spring. Sadly, the local squirrels are far too efficient.



Nature's Best Hope by Douglas Tallamy

I picked this up from the library after reading Mark's review of the book. I loved it. Like, I am prepared to buy copies and start evangelizing for this book.

For quite awhile I have been doing a lot of nature reading and while I have enjoyed that reading a great deal, it is hard not to notice the rate at which we are destroying what little of nature we have saved to date. Given the enormity of climate change, agribusiness, species extinction, and so and so on, I have found it very easy to get discouraged. While I have tried to make small contributions like joining the Sierra Club and my lake association it is very easy to feel like there is no ability to alter the course humanity is on. Which brings us to Nature's Best Hope.

While the book correctly points out all the problems, this is the first thing I have read that offers actual, concrete steps that individuals can take to make a difference. Tallamy refers to his idea as the Homegrown National Park (not my favorite branding exercise) but what he is talking about is making repairs to the food web that supports the natural environment. This involves taking simple but concrete steps such as reducing the amount of grass lawn, planting native trees (especially oaks), removing invasive species, landscaping to support insect life, etc. All of the things that Tallamy is advocating for are doable for basically every suburban homeowner. Plus, Tallamy makes a compelling scientific argument about what we can accomplish if, collectively, the changes he is advocating for are made.

Personally, I am fired up and actively looking for a black willow tree to plant first thing this spring. People should read this book and ask themselves what steps they can take in their own backyards to make a difference.

Here is a link to the companion website if you are interested in more information (besides reading the book). https://homegrownnationalpark.org/

Books read in 2022:

January

1. The Unwritten Vol. 4 by Mike Carey
2. The Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda, Book 4 by Ta-Nehisi Coates
3. The Commodore by Patrick O'Brian
4. Hellboy: The Secret Histories by Mike Mignola
5. The Unwritten Vol. 5 by Mike Carey
6. The Unwritten Vol. 6 by Mike Carey
7. The Living Landscape by Rick Darke
8. The Unwritten Vol. 7 by Mike Carey
9. The Unwritten Vol. 8 by Mike Carey
10. Vanished Kingdoms by Norman Davies (audiobook)
11. The Unwritten Vol. 9 by Mike Carey
12. The Unwritten Vol. 10 by Mike Carey
13. The Unwritten Vol. 11 by Mike Carey
14. The Invention of Nature by Andrea Wulf (audiobook)
15. The Wild Places by Robert Macfarlane
16. Maus, Vol. 1 by Art Spiegelman
17. Usagi Yojimbo: Homecoming by Stan Sakai

February

18. Still Life by Sarah Winman (audiobook)
19. Maus, Vol. 2 by Art Spiegelman
20. Plunder: Napoleon's Theft of Veronese's Feast by Cynthia Saltzman (audiobook)
21. Black Panther: Panther's Quest by Don McGregor
22. Teddy by Laurence Luckinbill
23. Darwin: An Exceptional Voyage by Fabien Grolieau
24. Before Watchmen: Nite Owl/Dr. Manhattan by Michael Straczynski
25. King Conan: Wolves Beyond the Border by Timothy Truman
26. The Last Lions of Africa by Anthony Ham
27. World of Wonders by Aimee Nezhukumatathil
28. Jungle, How Tropical Forests Shaped the World - and Us by Patrick Roberts (audiobook)

March

29. Starlight Enclave by R.A. Salvatore
30. Constantine, Vol. 14 by Brian Azzarello
31. Red Famine by Anne Applebaum (audiobook)
32. Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
33. Usagi Yojimbo: Tengu War! by Stan Sakai
34. Constantine, Vol. 15 by Brian Azzarello
35. Constantine, Vol. 21 by Andy Diggle
36. Young Hellboy, The Hidden Land by Mike Mignola
37. Bewilderment by Richard Powers

April

38. Roar of the Sea by Deb Vanesse
39. Master of the Revels by Nicole Galland (audiobook)
40. The Nature of Oaks by Douglas Tallamy
41. Constantine, Vol. 19 by Denise Mina
42. Constantine, Vol. 17 by Mike Carrey
43. Winter Soldier by Ed Brubaker
44. Constantine, Vol. 20 by Andy Diggle
45. Constantine, Vol. 22 by Peter Milligan
46. Constantine, Vol. 24 by Peter Milligan

May

47. Termination Shock by Neal Stephenson (audiobook)
48. Moon Witch, Spider King by Marlon James
49. Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline
50. Rise of the Black Panther by Evan Narcisse
51. Black Panther Vol. 1 by Ta-Nehisi Coates
52. Black Panther Vol. 2 By Ta-Nehisi Coates
53. Anathem by Neal Stephenson (audiobook)

June

54. Metropolis by Ben Wilson (audiobook)
55. Riverman by Ben McGrath (audiobook)

July

56. Captain Alatriste by Arturo Perez Reverte
57. Purity of Blood by Arturo Perez Reverte
58. The King's Shadow by Edmund Richardson (audiobook)
59. The Sun Over Breda by Arturo Perez Reverte
60. Lost in the Valley of Death by Harley Rustad (audiobook)
61. How to by Randall Munroe (audiobook)
62. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (audiobook)
63. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (audiobook)
64. The King’s Gold by Arturo Perez Reverte

August

65. Sandman, Vol. 1 by Neil Gaiman
66. Sandman, Vol. 2 by Neil Gaiman
67. Sandman, Vol. 3 by Neil Gaiman
68. Sandman, Vol. 4 by Neil Gaiman
69. Sandman, Vol. 5 by Neil Gaiman

One other bookish note: Over the weekend we got together with the small, sporadic book club to discuss Master and the Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov.

As a reminder, this is the over the top book club that a couple of friends started during COVID to entertain themselves (and us). It involved an entire themed box with the book, including Soviet propaganda, a flag, a link to the movie The Death of Stalin, a Cold War board game and so on. Some photos from the unboxing.







Last night they completed the display with a full Russian themed meal, complete with wine selection from Russia and Soviet block countries. It was fantastic. I only regret we were a bit pressed for time due to the need to get kids prepared for school the next day. I would have happily lingered for a couple more hours.

Welcome back!

Holy moly, that's a really nifty box!

Welcome back, Erik, and happy new year!

>5 Oberon: - My husband and I just played Twilight Struggle (twice!) this weekend. Fun game, but it takes forever to sort out the rules, action, strategy, etc.

Happy New Year Erik.

I love your OTT book group, and it's a great book too.

Happy reading in 2022, Erik!

This group always helps me to read; welcome back to the group, Erik.

Happy New Year, Erik!

Happy New Year, Erik!
>5 Oberon: What an interesting book themed box!

Happy New Year, Erik!

Happy New Year, Erik! I will look for Nature's Best Hope

Happy New Year, Erik. Nature's Best Hope goes on my WL as well. Your book club looks great.

>16 SqueakyChu: Happy New Year to you and your family, Erik!

I definitely want to read Tallamy’s new book. His first book got me into certifying our little garden a wildlife habitat with the National Wildlife Federation a few years ago. I believe it is up to every individual to help our environment as well as to take steps to not work against it in most things we do.

Looking forward to this coming soccer year. I miss the MLS games so much. I know that others make fun of American players, but that is slowly changing. We can only improve with support rather than cynical remarks (which always tend to come as a reply to my Facebook posts about MLS players I like).

On the daughter as attorney scene (I know I made you suffer through stories of my daughter in law school!), my daughter is going to begin a new job with her own business (estate planning), but as an associate of a established law firm. It is a result of her voluntarily leaving her first and second jobs and needing something else. She is excited about her new job because she’ll be able to learn about tax law (Yuk! How could anyone like that?!! Haha!).

Stay safe and healthy in 2022!!

>6 drneutron: Thanks as always for your host duties! I know about the box. I appreciated it greatly but also felt wildly uncreative myself.

>7 katiekrug: We have only played through once. Unfortunately my wife lacks my enthusiasm for the Cold War and complex rule sets. I need to find a different sparring partner for the game.

>8 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks Caroline. We were told a new book selection is incoming so we are excited to see it.

>9 FAMeulstee: Thanks Anita. Happy New Year to you as well.

>10 PaulCranswick: Me too Paul. Plus, it is a great place to pick up on other books that I might have missed hearing about.

>11 jnwelch: Thanks Joe. Happy New Year to you and your family.

>12 Carmenere: Hi Lynda - yeah they really outdid themselves with the whole theme.

>13 kidzdoc: Hi Darryl - I have been watching your Club Read thread again this year. Hope you are steadily adjusting to all the changes. You will have to let me know if you transfer your allegiance from the Five Stripes to the Union.

>14 banjo123: I hope you give it a try Rhonda. It was nice to have someone lay out concrete steps that could make a difference.

>15 BLBera: Hi Beth. Glad to see that Nature's Best Hope is going on your wishlist as well.

>16 SqueakyChu: Madeline which book was that? I have The Living Landscape on hold at the library.

On other fronts, the Loons lost several players over the offseason and the report is their primary target (yet another striker) signed elsewhere so the offseason has been tough so far.

I could use an estate planning lawyer for my firm so if your daughter picks up a Minnesota law license let me know!

>16 SqueakyChu: The book was Bringing Nature Home. I read it in 2011. Go back to read my review to see how impressed I was with the book and its author.

I know. I get scared whenever I read about changes in the DC United roster. It’s worse when I don’t agree with the changes (or when the coach won’t follow my thoughts of which players to release). However, it’s been great following the USMNT so far. My main man there is Zack Steffen, the goalkeeper, who once played for University of Maryland, a university I once attended.

My daughter would love new clients, but I think Minnesota is a bit far to commute! LOL!

Enjoy your 2022 reads!

Happy new thread, Erik.

My first BB: >3 Oberon:!

>20 SqueakyChu: Thanks Madeline. The Loons signed a young South African yesterday that basically no one has heard of. I will remain open minded and hope that this will pay dividends but the Loons track record on young signings is not amazing.

>21 thornton37814: Thanks Lori and thanks for stopping by!

>22 jessibud2: Yay! Everyone should read this book and be inspired to take action.

>23 Oberon: Don't be afraid of youth! I think our best players in DC United this past year were the youngest. My favorite was winger Kevin Paredes...who even got a call up to the USMNT. I hope your new player turns out to be fabulous!

Hello, Eric! Lovely family photo for your topper - your kids are getting so big. Your list of favorites from last year includes three that I really want to get to: Return of the King, Arctic Dreams, and Travel Light, Move Fast.

>24 SqueakyChu: It is not the youth that I fear - it is the Loons ability to pick it! Loons sure could use the next Ricardo Pepi.

>25 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie. Sadly, my kids are at the stage where they change markedly from one year to the next. My middle son is now only about two inches shorter than me (6'1") and yet I look at photos from just a couple of years ago and he is shorter than his sister (5'4").

I would recommend all three (obviously) but if I had to pick one it would probably be Arctic Dreams.

Any one else watch Dickinson? The third and final season wrapped up right before Christmas. Absolutely loved it.

>27 Oberon: I am really wanting to watch that one!

I have all three in the stacks, so I will get to all of them at some point, and thanks for giving me a starting place!

>28 Crazymamie: Highly recommend it. Deserves a much wider audience.

>29 Oberon: We watched the first two episodes last night and loved it.

>5 Oberon: This is really awesome. I'd love to thumb through that Krokodil magazine!

>30 Crazymamie: Yay! I hope you keep going with the series!

>31 ursula: It was a very strange piece of propaganda. I have to say, with no ability to read Russian a lot of it was lost on me but it was a fun addition.

Managed to complete my family's Christmas over the weekend which had been delayed by my mom's knee surgery. Not a massive book hall but five new titles to the library (and the TBR pile):

1. The Last American Aristocrat by David Brown
2. Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doeer
3. The Last Lions of Africa by Anthony Ham
4. Tasting Whiskey by by Lew Bryson
5. America's National Historic Trails by Karen Berger

I ended up with two copies of The Last Lions of Africa (clearly couple of different people though that looked like a it was up my alley) so I will be returning one copy and acquiring something in its place.

Nice haul Erik.

Hi, Erik. Happy New Thread! Love the family topper. I see your reading year is off to a good start. I just bought my own copy of Nature's Best Hope and hope to plant some native species in my backyard. I am also enjoying
The Wildlife of Costa Rica: A Field Guide. It is a perfect guide. Seeing some of these mammals would be very cool too. My CR Bird Target list is in the 60s now.

Nice Christmas pile. I also have Cloud Cuckoo Land on my TBR. Reading The Lincoln Highway now.

>34 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks Caroline. Down from my usual Christmas haul with a bookish family but probably for the best given how many books I have stacked up.

>35 msf59: Thanks Mark. I am looking to get started on my own plantings this spring.

I am sure you will see a ton of stuff in Costa Rica - just consider lining up an experienced guide in the national parks as the jungle is impenetrable. That said, parts of the country are so thick with nature that I think our best toucan and sloth sightings happened when we were sitting in the pool. You will love it.

Looking forward to your thoughts on The Lincoln Highway.

>33 Oberon: Nice haul, Erik. Cloud Cuckoo Land is on my list; I may have to buy a copy. It's a long one, and the library waiting list is really long.

>37 BLBera: Always tough to get a library book and then panic about finishing it in time. That is my big complaint about audiobooks from the library. They just vanish. Sometimes I would rather pay a fine to be able to finish a book out.

>38 Oberon: if you have a device you can turn the Wi-Fi off on for a few days, you can prolong your loan and finish it that way.

Nice book haul!

>39 ursula: This works? The library here uses the Overdrive app and it counts down on its own ( I think)

>40 banjo123: Thank you!

Vanished Kingdoms by Norman Davies

I decided to do a short review of this book simply because the other reviews on LT were very good or very negative. Personally, I thought this deserved to be on the good side of ledger.

Vanished Kingdoms is a brief accounting of a number of different kingdoms/nation state in Europe that subsequently disappeared. Some were absorbed by neighbors peacefully, some were forcefully annexed, others were amalgamations that then collapsed.

Davies looks at each kingdom by starting with overview of the current (as of 2010) state of the geographical place and then transitions to the history of the land. It is a broad brush overview but I found it interesting and covered a lot of ground that I was unfamiliar with. Even though the book is a high level overview of the lost kingdoms there was enough details to intrigue most readers. Recommended.

I found you! Well, it seems your new year is off to a great start. Love the bookclub gift basket and your topper photo. What Ursala says in >39 ursula: and turning off the Wi-Fi works!! Nice Christmas book haul and I am glad the you are planning some trips in the future. Fingers crossed that COVID cooperates!

>41 Oberon: it absolutely works. When you turn your Wi-Fi back on it will show your book was returned on the appropriate date. I’ve done it on my kindle after checking out with the web overdrive site and also on devices after checking out with Libby.

>42 Oberon: I've had this in the tbr mountain for a while Erik. Glad it worked for you. I'll nudge it up.

Nice book haul, Erik. I look forward to your comments on Cloud Cuckoo Land. It really impressed me.

>43 Berly: Hi Kim! We shall see about COVID - I am a bit anxious about my March theater tickets right now.

>44 ursula: This is great to know. Hopefully I will remember to use this trick next time I run out of time.

>45 Caroline_McElwee: It is a bit of a tome Caroline. I will also say that with the focus on multiple kingdoms it can be read for one kingdom at a time and then set aside without losing much narrative flow.

>46 jnwelch: Thanks Joe. I asked for Cloud Cuckoo Land primarily due to all the praise it was garnering on the threads here. I need to finish The Wild Places by Robert Macfarlane first but it is high on the stack of reading plans.

It has been bitterly cold over the past few days (so cold that we are driving the youngest the 1/2 block to the bus stop so he isn't waiting outside for the bus with -25F windchill). To brighten myself (and my thread) I thought I would share my latest art acquisitions that are destined for the walls of an additional conference room that we are in the process of building out.

Yes, I am decorating my law office with images from The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane.

>50 Oberon: Those are so beautiful, Erik, I loved the book. What a great way to use them!

>48 Oberon: What a great idea Erik. They are great images by Jackie Morris.

They are indeed great images, Erik. The bird in >50 Oberon: looks quite the litigator!

Awesome images! Maybe you should be a decorator instead of a litigator? That's meant as a compliment. ; )

>51 FAMeulstee: Couldn't figure out how to use the words but I loved the illustrations too.

>52 Caroline_McElwee: I am a huge fan.

>53 PaulCranswick: Is it because he is carting away the rock for himself? Probably analogy in there.

>54 Berly: Ha! Sadly my tastes are too eclectic. No way I could pull a room together.

The Invention of Nature by Andrea Wulf

The Invention of Nature is a biography of Alexander von Humboldt, a Prussian scientist responsible for developing early thought on what became the field of ecology. Coming out of Enlightenment thought, Humboldt set out to study nature and in the process developed much of the early thinking about the interconnectedness of natural systems. Humboldt was also one of the first to start thinking about and studying the impact of humanity on ecosystems (before we thought of ecosystems as a whole). Humboldt's first big project was an expedition to South America in which he collected, botanized and climbed through the varied ecosystems of South America from the rainforests to the mountains.

After years of collecting and note taking, Humboldt returned to Europe (after a stop in the U.S. to meet with Thomas Jefferson) and started to write several highly influential books. Humboldt, through his writings, became one of the premier men of science. While Humboldt made later expeditions, notably to Russia, none of his later travels matched the ambition of his South American trip.

The Invention of Nature deals extensively with those who were influenced by Humboldt and his writing. Charles Darwin avidly read Humboldt and idolized him so much that he viewed his own voyage on the Beagle as conscious imitation of Humboldt. If The Invention of Nature falters at all it is in later chapters when Wulf labors to show how those who never met Humboldt were greatly influenced by his writing. Examples like John Muir, founder of the Sierra Club, are given. While there is admittedly connections to Humboldt and his thought, I am not sure it justifies the biographical sketches that follow of Muir, Thoreau and George Perkins Marsh. This is a minor complaint over all. It is simply a distraction from the excellent biography of Humboldt himself.

The Invention of Nature is an excellent biography of a hugely important scientist and thinker who deserves to be better remembered today. Highly recommended.

>56 Oberon: I've got that one on my Overdrive list. Looks like I need to get to it!

>56 Oberon: I need to find this in the tbr mountain. Glad it worked for you.

>56 Oberon: I knew the name Humboldt before reading The Invention of Nature, like in Humboldt penguin, but didn't know much about the man himself. I learned a lot about Alexander Humboldt from this book. Glad to see you liked it too.

Hey, Erik! I loved both The Lost Words & The Invention of Nature. Great choices.

My birding target list for Costa Rica is approaching #80. I am sure I will be adding more.

>57 drneutron: I thought it was well worth the time Him.

>58 Caroline_McElwee: I thought it was really interesting Caroline - especially how somebody of his fame dropped off the collective map of great scientists after he died.

>59 FAMeulstee: You are doing better than me. I didn't even know about the penguin. Learned a lot from the book.

>60 msf59: Wow Mark. You planning on spending the whole time birding? Where in Costa Rica are you visiting?

Usagi Yojimbo: Homecoming by Stan Sakai

Lest anyone think that I only read serious non-fiction history and nature books, I thought I would briefly review the newest Usagi Yojimbo book. Created by Stan Sakai, Usagi Yojimbo is a rabbit who has become a ronin, a masterless samurai following the killing of his initial lord. Usagi, like a real swordsman, Miyamoto Musashi wanders about what is basically Edo era Japan. However, given that the main character is an anthropomorphic rabbit, this is not strictly historical. This works to the benefit of the stories as Sakai weaves in some of the mythology and legends of Japan. For example, Usagi has received training from Tengu, legendary goblin like creatures renowned for their swordsmanship who are said to reside in the mountain of Japan. Similarly, one of the best stories in the Usagi canon involves the sword Grasscutter. There is such a sword and it is part of the imperial regalia of the emperor but the sword's reputed divine properties are better depicted in graphic novel form.

Usagi Yojimbo is now on its 35th! book. Starting with book 34, the current publisher went to full color. Earlier volumes were in black and white but they are starting to issue the back catalogue in color. Little is lost in the black and white format. Usagi Yojimbo: Homecoming revolves around Usagi returning to his home province after years of wandering. He meets up with his old girlfriend who is now married to his former rival. He also contends with a revenge plot of samurai loyal to his former lord who seek to discredit his rival but at the potential cost of numerous lives. Finally, the book has an excellent section on tatami mats, explaining the skill and effort required to create such mats. This sort of story is a staple of Usagi and, apart from the excellent story telling, elevates Usagi beyond just entertainment. Usagi serves as an excellent entry point to Japan's varied legends and myths and also an excellent primer on specific aspects of Japanese culture, whether that is tatami mats or, as in other books, calligraphy, tea ceremonies, or kites. Highly recommended - both this volume and the series as a whole.

>62 Oberon: Hmm, I've not read many graphic novels Erik, but this looks intriguing. Would this work as a stand alone, as a taster?

>62 Oberon: I think my son, Kyran, reads those too amid all the political philosophy stuff he is studying too. Probably gets more sense from Usagi.

>63 Caroline_McElwee: It does work as a stand alone. However, if you were going to try just one I would go with Usagi Yojimbo: Seasons. Which is book 11.

>64 PaulCranswick: Usagi is way better than political philosophy - I have read more than my fair share.

>64 PaulCranswick: Of both no doubt, Erik.

My team Leeds United are trying to sign of the most exciting of USA players at present, Brenden Aaronson. Transfer window closes in a few days in the UK and I hope we get a couple of reinforcements as we have really struggled with injuries and a small squad this time.

>62 Oberon: Wow! That Usagi Yojimbo series sounds terrific, Erik!

>66 PaulCranswick: So cool about your team trying to get Aaronson, Paul! I might have to watch some of your team's games. I am very excited about our young American players who are headed to Europe to further their careers. However, I am sad about losing Kevin Paredes, a young home-grown (from the DC Academy) left winger. He will now be left wing-back for VfL Wolfsburg in Bundesliga. He played with us (DC United) for one season, usurped the place of Paul Arriola as my favorite player, and is now headed for Europe. Paul Arriola (right winger) was sold to another USA (MLS) team (FC Dallas). Who am I going to cheer for now? I like to have one special player on whom to focus! :D Isn't it strange to see European teams so wild about acquiring American players?! :D The player I'm saddest about, though, is Zack Steffen who used to play at the University of Maryland (a college I once attended). He is goalkeeper for Manchester City, but gets no playing time because there are two other goalkeepers who get all the playing time. He was the goalkeeper who knocked my team, DC United, out of the previous year's playoffs, but I forgave him because I'm a fan of his! He had been playing with the Columbus Crew at that time. :D

By the way, Erik, did you get to see the US/El Salvador game? Our channel was broken and would not broadcast it so we watched the Mexico/Jamaica game instead. I like the Mexican team and the Mexican goalkeeper Ochoa, but I was rooting for Jamaica because they were so much the underdogs. Mexico won 2 to 1, although Jamaica scored the first goal which made them so excited!

>66 PaulCranswick: & >67 SqueakyChu: Aaronson would be a good acquisition in my opinion. I did watch the US/ El Salvador game on Thursday and Aaronson came in as a sub and looked electric.

Better yet - me and the boys have tickets to next Wednesday's qualifier US/ Honduras. It will be played at our outdoor stadium the Loons use. It will most likely be in the single digits at kick off. If we don't die of frost bite it should be a great experience.

>68 Oberon: That is so cool, Erik. No pun intended, of course! I’ll look for you guys on screen, if our television station here complies. Dress warmly and enjoy the game. My husband has a sister who lives in Honduras so that game will be fun for all of us.

>67 SqueakyChu: You touch on a very good point with Zack Steffen, Madeline. The size of the squads of some of the mega-rich teams - the two Manchester clubs and Chelsea especially is really obstructing the careers of some very good players and I feel that the football authorities have to interfere and limit squad sizes and overall budget caps (perhaps as a percentage of audited revenues). It is a crying shame that football doesn't get to see so many really good players because they are benched or not participating at clubs that often buy them up to prevent other clubs playing them.

>68 Oberon: Aaronson does look a good prospect but won't come cheap, if we can get him over the line. He wants to join apparently but his current club are understandably reticent about losing him in January.

>69 SqueakyChu: Looks like it will be down right cold - current forecast at kickoff is 7 degrees.

>70 PaulCranswick: I agree about good players getting caught behind too much depth. The players need consistent playing time.

>71 Oberon: Yikes! My husband calls that playing “in the Tundra”! It’s so unfair to teams like Honduras who are not used to playing in such cold weather or on frozen pitch. :(

>65 Oberon: Thanks Erik.

>73 Caroline_McElwee: my pleasure - I have loved the series for a long time and appreciate the chance to advocate for it.

>65 Oberon: well at £55 secondhand, I will only be owning that on Kindle Erik. There were higher offers too.

>61 Oberon: Hey, Erik. I am the only birder of the group but I will squeeze as much birding in as I can, during our adventures. I heard you can see plenty right around your lodging areas and that plenty of places have feeders set up. I might try to line up a guide or two. Getting really pumped.

>75 Caroline_McElwee: What? That is absurd. I can't imagine why it is so pricey.

>76 msf59: I will be watching your thread with interest Mark. Have a great time.

>75 Caroline_McElwee: I went looking for an explanation on the price. It looks like they are in the process of doing reprints (Usagi Yojimbo Saga Volumes- and have done up through book 9 (two short of my recommendation). So, rather than wait for the reprint of Usagi Yojimbo: Seasons, I would suggest going with Usagi Yojimbo Origins, Vol. 1 The Usagi Yojimbo Origins are the reissued stories in color. It is the start of the series and has been reissued in color. Much more obtainable.

>78 Oberon: Thanks Erik, I'll take a look.

Well we survived unscathed and so did the USMNT continued hopes of qualifying for the World Cup.

The US beat Honduras 3-0 in truly crazy weather. I believe the air temperature was 2 degrees F - at least that is what they were claiming at halftime because it coincided with the 2-0 scoreboard. I saw colder readings, like on my car's dashboard. The windchill was -16F. Every fan got a free set of chemical hand warmers (very Minnesota). Apparently the Honduran goalie left at a halftime and had to be treated for hypothermia.

For the curious, my soccer outfit consisted of Sorel boots, wool socks, a Smartwool base layer, lined hiking pants, snowpants, a tshirt, a Nike Coldgear sweatshirt, a hoodie, a baklava, hat, REI 450 down parka, and gloves. The boys were pretty similarly dressed. We did have to use the warmers in our boots and gloves but did not have to employ the heavy wool blanket that I brought along as backup.

While it was an interesting event and the boys had fun, I was a bit frustrated that a national audience got to see Minnesota as the stereotypical icebox and did not get to appreciate the beautiful stadium and atmosphere for soccer.

>80 Oberon: - Why would they hold qualifiers in Minnesota in February? Seems rather unfair, especially to the Honduran team.

>81 katiekrug: I think being unfair was the point. I don't agree with the decision either.

>82 Oberon: - Oh. I guess I don't know enough about how it works since your comment would seem to indicate the US side did it on purpose and I would have thought that an World Cup qualifier would be overseen by more than just one side.

>80 Oberon: I looked for you, Erik, but I could only see people's eyes...plus my vision is poor to begin with as I still don't have my post cataract surgery glasses as I need further surgery in April. Glad for the documentation that you were actually there! At one point I saw the official temperature recorded as 1 degree Fahrenheit. I felt so sorry for the Honduran team. I really dislike soccer being played in the winter...especially in "the Tundra" as my husband calls it. The ground is frozen, and falling on frozen ground is so dangerous in a game in which scantily clad players are usually falling hard onto the ground. Soccer is a summer sport and should be played in appropriate weather. I can't believe that this is even allowed. I'm sure that you and your sons had fun. Glad you were dressed appropriately.

Afterward, my husband and I watched the Mexico/Panama game which was gruesome. Both sides needed the win so badly, but it was decided on a penalty kick with which I disagreed. There were also disabling injuries and so many fouls that were intended to hurt opponents. I guess that's what happens when it's an important game, but that was so hard to watch.

I can't wait to see the US/Mexico game!

>83 katiekrug: The overall schedule is set by a governing board but the specific sites are set by the host country's soccer federation. So, Guatemala hosts they can have the game wherever in Guatemala they want. Given that it isn't a huge country no big deal. Usually, the US would set something like this game in Texas, Florida or California but they had the option to host it in the great white north and did so.

>84 SqueakyChu: Well I was not one of the crazies who decided to go shirtless. We were in the corner of the Honduran zone for the first half so quite close to the goals.

I totally agree about the conditions. Though - the field was heated to 55 degrees. They installed a heating system when they built the place because the MLS season starts in March and we still get plenty of snow in March. Not that this justifies it in the least.

I also watched the Mexico/Panama game when I got home and I also disagreed with the penalty award. I feel like Panama was the better team for much of that game. Justice would have been a draw.

>85 Oberon: - Gotcha. Thanks for the explanation.

And good to hear the field was heated, though I guess it didn't help the poor goalie!

To be fair to the US soccer federation I think pretty much most of the nations do their best to use home-field advantage as much as possible. It could be argued that playing the World Cup in Qatar in the first place is unfair to the countries living in temperate climates but they get their turns too, I guess.

>85 Oberon: I also watched the Mexico/Panama game when I got home and I also disagreed with the penalty award. I feel like Panama was the better team for much of that game. Justice would have been a draw.

I like the Mexican team, but I felt sorry for Panama, though. Both teams played their hearts out because so much was on the line.

How does the field get heated? Is it just heated pre-game or throughout the game? I saw some little portable bonfires on the field pre-game. Was that for show, or was that part of the herting system?

I hope all three of you guys are thawed out by now!

>88 SqueakyChu: the fires were pyrotechnics for halftime. There is a series of pipes under the field that they pump fluid (glycol I think). That delivers heat to the grass. Then they put a plastic sheeting system over the grass to keep off snow and let in sun- like a field wide greenhouse.

It is the FA Cup in the old country this weekend (Fourth Round proper - last 32) and my team has already been eliminated so it is a soccer free weekend for me.

Have a good one yourself.

>90 PaulCranswick: Leeds wasn't the only Premier League side to be upended so at least they are in solid company. Still hurt though I am sure.

The Wild Places by Robert Macfarlane

This was the only book of Robert Macfarlane's that I had not read. While it is an older one (compared to his most recent Underland) it was well worth the read.

Macfarlane sets out to find "wild" places in the UK. At first his definition of wild places is a place essentially untouched by the hand of man. Over the course of the book, his definition evolves into a search for the places where wild plants and animals thrive.

The book also serves as an eulogy to Roger Deakin, a fellow nature writer who declined and died as Macfarlane wrote The Wild Places. As a consequence, The Wild Places as a sad edge to it but also a strong current of acknowledgment of death as part of the natural cycle.

The final thing I will note is that Macfarlane has an encounter toward the end of the book where he encounters falconry. His guide is a woman named Helen. Helen is, of course, Helen Macdonald of H is for Hawk fame. I would like very much to get Helen's views on Macfarlane but it was interesting to think of two accomplished nature writers wandering the fields together.

The Wild Places did not unseat The Old Ways as my favorite book by Robert Macfarlane but was still beautifully written and contained all of the elements that make Macfarlane my favorite nature writer.

Plunder: Napoleon's Theft of Veronese's Feast by Cythia Saltzman

The title for the book is pretty descriptive. The painting in question is by Paolo Veronese and is a huge canvas that was originally commissioned to hang in the refectory of the San Giorgio Monastery in Venice, Italy. It depicts the wedding feast at Cana in which Christ performs the miracle of transforming water into wine.

The painting was taken by Napoleon as part of his conquest of what was then the Republic of Venice and sent to the Louvre. This book tells the story of both the creation of the painting and how it ended up in the Louvre. It is a fascinating story and one that I admit that I was largely ignorant of.

Napoleon made it a point of conquest to seize art objects from the places he conquered. Initially, when he was serving as a general for revolutionary France, there was a justification given that by seizing art (especially from old monarchs) and displaying them in the Louvre for all to see and appreciate was a republican ideal. However, Napoleon continued the practice after he replaced the republic and crowned himself emperor.

Napoleon was systematic about his collecting and appointed art experts to identify works to be sent to France (a feature later copied by the Nazis). Napoleon was also careful to create a legal veneer for his looting by adding a provision into armistice treaties allowing France to select a certain number of unspecified art works as part of the terms of the treaty. This was the case with Veronese's Feast of Cana as it was seized from Venice as one of 20 paintings surrendered as a term of the armistice.

Following Napoleon's defeat (the second time) efforts were made to repatriate art seized by Napoleon and taken to the Louvre. However, the Feast of Cana was so highly prized that the director of the Louvre at the time persuaded the representative to take a substitute painting claiming that the Feast of Cana was too fragile to be returned to Venice. Despite these claims, the painting was moved several more times - although it was damaged in some of those moves.

Today, the Feast of Cana sits in the same room as the Mona Lisa. As a consequence, it is almost impossible to fully appreciate given the throngs of people seeking selfies of the Mona Lisa. (Full disclosure: I have seen the Mona Lisa twice and have no recollection of this enormous painting which apparently has sat in the same room for decades).

Plunder: Napoleon's Theft of Veronese's Feast starts out a little slow and loses a bit of the narrative thread as it jumps back and forth between Napoleon's campaign and the creation of the painting. However, once the painting is seized, Saltzman tells a clear and compelling story about the painting, its theft, and the ramifications of that theft that has echoed ever since. Highly recommended.

Happy Wednesday, Erik. As you can tell, we had a great time in Costa Rica. We will go back. I think I liked the coastal area, Jaco Beach, the best. So much was accessible from there, including San Jose. I also loved the Arenal area. I did answer your question about mammal sightings on out trip, however sparingly they were, over on my thread.

The Wild Places sounds like another good Macfarlane. I just finished the audio of Pastoral Song, which I also recommend.

>95 msf59: I am glad you had a good time. Our last trip we stayed in Uvita and really liked the more wild portions of the country. Monkey sightings were daily.

The Last Lions of Africa by Anthony Ham

The lion roars not long after midnight, far away, in place unimaginable. At first it hesitates, the leonine equivalent of clearing one's throat; then, finding its range and warming to its theme, the lion roars again, a sound that rumbles out across the dark grasslands of the Kalahari like the drum roll of an approaching war. One part melancholy and three parts gravitas, the roar seems to rise from deep within the earth, its waves of shock and awe echoing through the night. The lion's roar has the ceremonial timbre of royalty."

The Last Lions of Africa is a look at the current status of lions across Africa. Not surprisingly, as with most stories of the Anthropocene, the answer is that lions are struggling. Humans are competing for space and food and lions are losing.

The book is divided into fairly distinct sections. First is about a program called Lion Guardians and is about the recruitment of former lion-hunting tribesmen to serve as protectors of the lions. Second is a section about Cecil the Lion who was poached in Zimbabwe, and discusses both the specifics of Cecil but also the relationship between national parks, hunting preserves and the animals that don't understand the difference between the two. Third is a section about a lone lioness living in a decimated national park in Botswana and the effort to bring lions back to the park. Fourth is where the quote above is from - a look at the Kalahari and an exploration of the San people who used to live there. Finally, there was a section on a series of attacks on people in Tanzania. Frankly, I was very glad to have read the book after returning from Kenya. I think I would have slept a lot less easily had I read that section before I left.

Like the debates here in the US related to the reintroduction of wolves, wild ecologies do not function properly with the top predator being removed. Yet that is what is happening across Africa. It is an added complication that lions are much more dangerous to people than wolves.

Ham is an excellent writer and succeeds in describing some of the emotions that lions can evoke. Being woken in the night by a roaring lion is both magical and terrifying and Ham does an admirable job of conveying the feeling. He also makes a compelling case that we will be more poorer as a species if we lose lions in the wild. Highly recommended.

>94 Oberon: I hadn't known about that either, Erik and it looks a fascinating read.

>97 Oberon: It is so sad that the ecology of the world is dwindling to almost nothing. These are undeniable magnificent creatures, although I wouldn't want them in my back yard!

Definitely wouldn't want him in my back yard either.

>99 Oberon: Gee, how did he manage to steal Donald Trump's hair? He doesn't look particularly happy about it either.

>100 PaulCranswick: I think he looks much more noble than Trump (low bar though)

Updating my thread to complain:

This past weekend we flew to Phoenix for a large soccer tournament both the older kids were playing in.

Unfortunately they played at different times and on different fields. To make matters worse, the fields were an hour drive apart. So, with eight games I spent an inordinate amount of time driving around Phoenix (where a high proportion of drivers are crazy and/or auditioning for F1 racing).

Yesterday with games done we headed to the airport to be met with giant lines. To make matters worse my wife picked up a stomach bug. She managed to throw up right when we boarded so we got removed from the plane and put up in a hotel with a flight today. Fortunately a night’s sleep was sufficient to make her feel better.

Now I am back at the airport with children and baggage in tow and a major winter storm has rolled into Minneapolis. We are delayed for now but the forecast is hardly positive for the rest of the day. Starting to wonder how long I am going to be stuck in Phoenix. In the meantime I guess I am going to get caught up on threads.

>102 Oberon: Ouch, not much fun at all Erik. Glad your wife is feeling better though. Surely you have a book to hand at the airport though...

I do - Cloud Cuckoo Land. Haven’t had much time to get into it yet.

Wow, sounds like the trip from hell. I hope you get home soon!

>105 drneutron: Thanks Jim. A couple of hours late we finally made it back to snowy Minnesota. Certainly not the smoothest trip we have ever taken but glad to be home.

Before things got super hectic with the soccer tournament we had one relatively free day in Arizona and we used it to go check out Saguaro National Park.

Personally, I think the giant cactuses are pretty cool. We hiked a couple of the easier trails and drove through a decent chunk of the park. Nothing as iconic as a Yellowstone or Grand Canyon but an iconic dessert landscape. I am glad we made the trip.

Cool. Though not literally I guess!

>108 Caroline_McElwee: Nice Caroline. Weirdly it was only around 70F but felt much hotter. Not sure if I should attribute that to how dry it was or how acclimatized we are to ice and snow right now.

Loons update! The Loons are back as the Major League Soccer season began this past weekend. The Loons started on the road against the Philadelphia Union - a team we lost to last year. Game ended up as 1-1 tie. The Loons picked up the first goal but couldn't hold Philly. Loons had a couple of nice chances down the stretch but couldn't convert. Overall, a positive start especially considering we started last season 0-4. So progress! Alas, I am not around for next week's home opener as I am traveling with my middle child to Austin TX for more soccer. I am sure I will find a few games to attend soon.

>110 Oberon: Yay for soccer season! My DC United won so now are in Eastern Conference's second place (but probably not for very long). I am sad about the players we lost (especially wings Paul Arriola and Kevin Paredes), but happy to see our soccer games once again. We have a new left winger, Brad Smith, who looks good and plays hard, and a new Ecuadorian striker, Michael Estrada, who did score in our first game although one of those goals was on a penalty kick. Wishing our mutual teams (and Atlanta United) success tis year.

>107 Oberon: I also love walking in the desert, especially this time of year. See any interesting wildlife? I remember searching for wild horses, but we never did see any.

We are going on a birding trip to Tucson in mid-April. There will be 5 of us and we will be birding from sun-up to sundown. I cannot wait. I did visit Arizona, when I first started birding and clocked in a few Lifers but this time should be very special.

>111 SqueakyChu: Yay for DC United - hopefully the opening day success is harbinger for the rest of the season. We have a new striker this season as well - from Paraguay. The bar is pretty low for success at that position in Minnesota.

>112 msf59: Only small lizards Mark. We arrived at pretty much midday due to the flight and the need to get back to Phoenix for soccer activities. I had hopes of seeing a gila monster or javelina but it was not to be.

>113 Oberon: The bar is pretty low for success at that position in Minnesota.

LOL! I feel that same way about DC United, too. If I can get any of the Loons games here, I'll try to watch them. If Darryl has time and wants to follow soccer more closely this year, I'll try to also watch some Atlanta United games. I find soccer most fun to watch if I have a definite side to root for.

>114 SqueakyChu: I think DC even picked up one of our many failed strikers last year. Totally agree that is more fun if you have a side to root for.

You may have seen that Leeds United have replaced Marcelo Bielsa with Jesse Marsch. We lost our first game under his tutelage today but it was a good performance and I must say that so far I like the guy.

Have a great weekend, Erik.

>116 PaulCranswick: I did see Leeds parted ways with your coach. Hopefully the result follow.

Another weekend on the road for soccer. This time to Austin,TX - or more accurately suburbs of Austin. Another long and tough weekend for the boys which made for a long weekend for me. I am also not well cut out to chaperone a large number of 14 year old boys.

Anyway, made it to an Austin FC game and got to see the bats at the Congress Avenue Bridge (would share but LT doesn't support videos). Those were the highlights.

In other news, the Loons tied again - this time against Nashville. Not a bad result against a good team. Most notable is that the game was delayed for nearly an hour due to lightening - in early March in Minnesota. The rain turned to ice and then snow overnight but still deeply weird. The Loons have a number of tough opponents to start the season but we are going to need to start picking up some wins to climb the standings.

I am also not well cut out to chaperone a large number of 14 year old boys.

Is anyone? 😀

>119 drneutron: Maybe not but it felt like some of the moms were way more relaxed about it than me.

>120 Oberon: Did you check 'em for hidden flasks? (the moms, I mean...) 😀

>121 drneutron: Good point. I don't think so but it would explain the patience.

>107 Oberon: I watched a very interesting documentary on desert landscapes the other day, David Attenborough presiding ;) He described some fascinating survival tactics of the cacti! I have seen the Atacama Desert, and been on the fringes of the Nullabor (in Australia) but haven't been to many more. They are such bizarre and other-wordly places to me, considering I am used to rocky/snowy mountains, fertile plains, and jagged coastlines.

Eta: >118 Oberon: I have a 13 year old boy (he has one friend who is already 14)- I am anticipating I wouldn't relate well on a road trip with a lot of them! They seem to giggle a lot about not much, which is nice I guess.

>123 LovingLit: That sounds like a very interesting documentary. I know there are some cactuses that can be cut open for water but I doubt my ability to properly identify them. I am amazed, based on the archaeological evidence, of how long people have thrived in such a harsh environment. I think I would struggle without easy access to water and air conditioning.

I think I could tackle giggling, it is the adolescent testosterone that truly tries my patience. Truly leads boys to do dumb stuff and seems to prevent them from recognizing how dumb it is.

I have started in on Red Famine by Anne Applebaum as my current audiobook. I am about 2/3rds done with it and will have a proper review when completed.

I thought I would mention that it is a very interesting read and explains a lot about the current conflict in Ukraine. Particularly as it describes Soviet efforts to eradicate Ukrainian culture.

>125 Oberon: Thanks for the heads up Erik, I see I have that on my Kindle, so may get to it later this month.

>126 Caroline_McElwee: Well worth the read Caroline.

Loons update: Loons win! Surprisingly the Loons pulled off a 1-0 win against the NY Red Bulls over the weekend. It was especially impressive win since the Red Bulls are shaping up to be a good team this year (2-0 going into the match) and our starting goalie and much of our starting back line was unavailable. Starting the season against three strong teams we could have easily started with three losses and instead have a win and two ties.

In other, even better news - I finally was able to return to a theater. The Guthrie theater is staging a production of The Tempest directed by Joe Dowling. Dowling was the long time theater director of the Guthrie and produced some of my all time favorite productions (I chose the username Oberon after being blown away by his production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.)

The production was excellent but in many ways it was the simple opportunity to see a play staged again that I enjoyed the most. I had planned to see the Guthrie's production of The Twelfth Night when COVID first hit and it became evident that we were in for a long haul. I am thrilled that the theater has survived and is back to producing magic.

>128 Oberon: Hurray for the Loons! DC United lost its third game, but that did not surprise me a bit. I think we won our first two games by luck only. I miss my more familiar players who are no longer with us. I'm not crazy about the players on my team now. I watch them anyway because I love having a local soccer team, but I feel let down this year even though we started out with wins.

I've been wanting to see The Tempest, Erik. When Dowling was the artistic director, I tried to see his Shakespeare every year. I did see the great Midsummer Night's Dream production. I'll have to check dates.

>130 SqueakyChu: Any young new players you can focus on? We have a new Honduran midfielder who has turned in some solid performances for us and whose stock is rising.

>131 BLBera: I would certainly recommend it if you can make it Beth. It was well done and had that distinctive Dowling stamp on the performance.

>102 Oberon: >118 Oberon: Ho boy. Dedicated dad you are. Son the Elder's youngest daughter (16) is a committed field hockey player and just finished the indoor season. Her team did travel to Orlando for a weekend tourney, but most were in venues within driving distance. I drove to a tournament near Lancaster, PA, in a converted warehouse—14 acres under roof. Basketball, soccer, tennis, etc. all going on at the same time. For me, it wasn't fun; too much hubbub.

>132 Oberon: Yay for your Honduran midfielder! (0ne of my sisters-in-law lives in Honduras.) Our best youngster, left winger Kevin Paredes, played with us one season and is now in Europe which makes me sad and happy. He was my favorite player, and he was home-grown. I’m happy for his career but pretty unhappy with my team’s loss of him. We have a new left wing, Brad Smith, who’s not young but plays well. I also want some cute players! I thought Paul Arriola was adorable. He’s gone also. My team seems very disconnected now, as if they don’t know how to play together. The players I like least, they keep! Go figure. I feel sorry for Bill Hamid who is a top notch goalkeeper, but he is the person who has to try to save every game. My team is now slowly sliding out of second place in the East. I predict it will be a long slide. :(

On a better sports note, one of our friends has a son who just won the Maryland state high school wrestling championship. He won 100 matches with no losses. My husband went to the semifinals with my younger son and grandson. The latter two went back for the championship game. I was at home alone trying to watch the video of the wrestling match on my phone while simultaneously watching the DC United soccer game on TV. I was jumping around and screaming like a madwoman when our friend’s son won. :)

>133 weird_O: Your granddaughter sounds like she is engaged in the same sort of insane sports arms race my kids are. I agree that much of it is too long and too loud. Of course, I already have a rep with the other parents for carting books to games to read during the lengthy warmups.

>134 SqueakyChu: Sorry to see Arriola is producing for his new team. Hopefully DC will land someone big ala Rooney and turn the dial back to greatness. As for the wresting, that is an astonishing record at any level.

Loons update: Loons win 1-0 versus San Jose! Better yet, it was our first in-person Loons game of the season as we sat outside in surprisingly (for March in Minnesota) 50 degree weather and got to sing Wonderwall for a Loons victory. Only real downside is we should have had a couple more goals where good opportunities were wasted. We can't squander those kind of chances against better teams.

>135 Oberon: Yeah. It was painful to see Arriola score a goal for Dallas rather than for us. :(

>136 Oberon: Wow! I see the Loons are now in third place! (she says, while watching her own team slide down the mountain). That is great. Tell them to keep it up. :)

>137 SqueakyChu: WashPost has a nice piece on Najar and how he fits into DC United's system - besides, there are lots of teams below DC right now. Always hope.

>138 Oberon: I do like Andy Najar! He has become my a favorite DC United player. He plays so hard. Even though he’s defense, he’ll often be up front trying to score a goal. He’s a returned former DC United player so I guess there’s always hope that my former favorite players might return (Well, not Rooney as he broke his contract to go back to U.K. early).

I am a devoted DC United fan, and I will follow them always as I think local teams need fan support through thick and thin. Next we play Atlanta, I think. Yikes!

We play the Loons on July 16!! Whom should I root for? I already know which team will win! :(

>139 SqueakyChu: I assume you didn't miss Arriola's lovely header in the US v. Panama game? Great to see the US will return to the World Cup.

I have once again fallen badly behind on my reviews for March but have kept up my reading so I am just going to do a couple of short reviews.

Red Famine by Anne Applebaum

This is an excellent history of the causes of the Ukrainian famine under Stalin. The book delves into a number of primary sources and demonstrates fairly conclusively that the famine was deliberate and that one of its primary aims was to destroy Ukrainian nationalism. Very interesting and timely read. Highly recommended.

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr

This is another book that I got solely because of chatter on LT. Like virtually all of the other books that I have picked up for this reason, I loved it. I admit I was a bit turned off by the title and the first fifth of the book went by before it grabbed me. However, once the pieces started coming together it was fantastic. A wonderful tale of the power of story. Highly recommended.

Bewilderment by Richard Powers

I got this book based upon The Overstory which I loved and was also a book I was turned on to by LT. Bewilderment was good but, for me, did not rise to the heights that The Overstory did. Not that I didn't enjoy the story. The climatic and political status depicted in the United States felt very real and very possible. Worth the read. Recommended.

>140 Oberon: I was cheering more loudly than anyone else over Arriola’s goal. My husband remarked that he thought I didn’t like Paul Arriola any more. My reply was that I only dislike him playing for other teams than my own! Captain America did shine that evening as well. I loved the final score. :D

>142 SqueakyChu: Well the Costa Rica game was less inspiring but mission accomplished for the US. Now to see if we can finish second behind England in our group.

Blah. April in Minnesota. Not the finest of weekends. Cold and snowy plus I spent most of my Saturday at a family funeral and then attended the Loons in the evening only to see a flat performance and the first loss of the season.

>143 Oberon: At least I have those games to look forward with the USMNT. Watching DC United play is becoming a very dismal affair. The game with Atlanta we lost with a slow motion goal in overtime after no score for the whole game. We have no front end! Period!!!! This is so frustrating.

>144 Oberon: Sorry about the Loons' loss. I was thinking of transferring my fandom to your team...but they have to keep winning! :D

Hi, Erik. We have a birding trip to Tuscon in just a couple of weeks. Really looking forward to it. I hope to read Cloud Cuckoo Land next month. Glad to hear you loved it. I was lukewarm about Bewilderment but LOVED The Overstory.

Oh yeah- continuing to really enjoy The Bald Eagle: The Improbable Journey of America's Bird.

>145 SqueakyChu: I would love for them to quickly return to winning ways. Hopefully with some more goals.

>146 msf59: Your Tucson trip sounds fun. I assume some of it will be in Saguaro National Park? I wish we had had more time to see more of that environment and to see more of the wildlife but we had to settle for the whirlwind tour.

I will look for your review on The Bald Eagle as it sounds interesting.

Overdue Loons update: The Loons have won their last two at home. We went to the 3-1 win over Colorado on the 16th and watched Saturday's 3-0 win over the Chicago Fire on tv. This upcoming week will be a big test against #1 LAFC on the road. A win or even a tie there would be a big statement.

In other news, the dock is in. I have erected a wood duck house in the lake. It is unseasonably cold even for Minnesota. I am grinding along on books at a decent pace and am presently working on Termination Shock as my audiobook and Moon Witch, Spider King as my standard book.

>124 Oberon: I think I could tackle giggling, it is the adolescent testosterone that truly tries my patience. Truly leads boys to do dumb stuff and seems to prevent them from recognizing how dumb it is.
That! Yes!! :)
I am truly unsure how I am going to cope with this period in our lives.

>141 Oberon: I am not sure I could read Red Famine...I can't even recall which book I read that addressed this topic tangentially, but it sounded horrific.

>141 Oberon: The famine in Ukraine is touched on (by Orwell) in Orwell's Roses as an example of truth being displaced by lies. Stalin ignored climate and agricultural science in requiring that plants that the science predicted would fail be planted. According to Orwell, Stalin embraced the unqualified assertions of a charlatan. >149 LovingLit: That's tangential to end game, I think.

Anyway, Red Famine thus is a BB. I can shelve it beside the two copies of Applebaum's Gulag that I have.

I'm encouraged by your endorsement of Cloud Cuckoo Land, as I've assured Mark I'll join him in reading that book in May.

>149 LovingLit: Not a happy story but very relevant to the current conflict.

>150 weird_O: I am not familiar with that book by Orwell but it would make sense in the context of the planned economy.

My luck finally ran out and I tested positive for Covid. Most likely came from my wife who got it while teaching even though both of us are fully vaccinated and boosted. Always figured I would get it - seems to be the path for this virus.

So far, no serious complications. I am using my isolation to watch Wild playoff hockey and read Moon Witch, Spider King

I am trying to get back my LT mojo. Haven't been here in bit. Sorry you and your wife have fallen victim to COVID. Hope you get a light, short case. I got hit in January and still have the fatigue. Oh well. Enjoy the hockey!

So sorry about the COVID--hope its a light case.

>153 Berly: & >154 banjo123: I haven’t much of any fatigue just congestion so I think I am doing well all things considered.

Sorry to hear about the COVID, Erik. I hope you recover without serious complications.

Get well quickly, Erik!

So sorry to hear about your covid. It's getting extremely hard to avoid. My eight-year-old grandson had a mild case (sore throat) about a month ago. Yestrday I learned there was a local outbreak in my granddaughter's preschool. She's only four so she's still unvaccinated. Here's hoping you fet better quickly and completely. Then...stay well!

>156 BLBera:, >157 PaulCranswick:, >158 SqueakyChu: Thank you all. Seems like I got off lightly. Couple of bad days but no lingering impact and I am back to work.

While I would not recommend getting COVID to anyone, enforced isolation that prevented me from being able to drive my kids to their incessant activities did have several perks.

First, I completed Moon Witch, Spider King by Marlon James while in isolation. It is the second book in his Dark Star trilogy, the first being Black Leopard, Red Wolf. I enjoyed Black Leopard, Red Wolf but it took work to get through it for me. By contrast, Moon Witch, Spider King was much more readable and I really enjoyed it. I would certainly recommend it for anyone who enjoyed the first book and honestly Moon Witch, Spider King is superior enough to warrant revisiting the first book.

The other thing I enjoyed during isolation was Frontline's three-part series The Power of Big Oil. It is a look at how the oil industry knew about the impact of its business on the global climate and decided to work block any meaningful action to curb carbon emissions. It is not a happy story or one that provides much room for optimism but it is an excellent documentary and a must see. Very highly recommended.

>160 Oberon: So glad your covid was mild and short-lived Erik. I know a lot of folk who had mildish versions, but had chronic fatigue for several weeks after testing negative.

Glad you enjoyed the more pleasant side-effects of your isolation.

Out of quarantines and back to driving about incessantly for soccer. Had a weekend trip to Milwaukee with my middle child so I decided to break up the trip with a stop at the Aldo Leopold Center and Shack.

Mark was talking about Leopold on his thread recently. Leopold was a conservationist who wrote the highly influential A Sand County Almanac. The shack is the former chicken coop for a tax forfeited farm that Leopold brought and then set about rehabilitating the land as part of his conservation work.

The shack is truly a one room shack. The idea that Leopold and his family lived here for long stretches is pretty surprising. Rustic is an understatement. In any case, the Aldo Leopold Center itself is lovely and has lots of information on Leopold and his work. Worth the visit - though I suspect the teenager might have had a less favorable review.

>162 Oberon: Glad the COVID was mild, but sorry you are back to incessant soccer driving. My hubby was a coach and his busiest season he had 2 age groups of 3 teams each (6 total) one season. I never saw him on the weekends!! I told him that was a tad much. Obviously our marriage has survived. ; ) All 3 kids played as well. Two on ODP and both in HS. The other switched to TKD.

And that is one small shack. Laughing at the thumbs up. Does he really mean it? I can't tell. LOL.

>163 Berly: Six teams is probably five too many! Sounds nuts.

The thumbs up is, I think, mostly ironic.

Very excited to report that a family of wood ducks have hatched about 10 ducklings from my newly installed wood duck house.

>165 Oberon: Yay for your new feathered tenants Erik. Enjoy watching them prosper.

Returning to my thread after trial and an extended vacation pulled me away for about a month. Being busy has put a serious dent in my reading over the with only two books logged for June - both audiobooks. I expect July to improve. If nothing else I will largely be in town.

Longer vacation post incoming.

Prior to COVID bringing the world to a screeching halt, we had plans to visit Spain over the kid's spring break. We were about 3 weeks out from our trip when air travel to Europe was shut down. With several years to obsess over our cancelled trip we planned an expanded and improved redo for this summer. Luckily for us everything came together.

We had a pretty aggressive agenda planned out. We flew into Barcelona, staying in an apartment that overlooked Sagrada Familia and spent 2 1/2 days there. We then took the high speed train to Madrid where we spent several days, including a day trip to Segovia. From Madrid we travelled to Seville, again via high speed rail and stopped along the way in Cordoba to visit the Cordoba mosque. We spent several days in Seville with a day trip to Granada to visit the Alhambra. After wrapping up Spain we then flew from Seville to Paris where we spent about a week before finally flying back to Minnesota, arriving home on Wednesday.



Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.



La Dama de Elche in Madrid.



Roman aqueduct in Segovia.



The Great Mosque of Cordoba.



Tomb of Columbus in Seville.



The Court of Lions at the Alhambra in Granada.



Atop the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.



The Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Great pics, Erik - love your photos from Spain. Do you have a favorite spot?

What a great trip Erik. Sagrada Famillia is one of my favourite buildings, and I love the Gaudi. Barcelona and Bilbao are the only places in Spain I have been, but Paris I have visited often.

Great pictures from Spain. And wow, your kids are really growing up!

>169 BLBera: The Alhambra is one of my all time favorite places. For purposes of the cities we visited, I think Seville was my favorite.

>170 Caroline_McElwee: Gaudi really is fantastic. We saw all the highlights in Barcelona and then when we went to Paris the Musee d'Orsey had a special exhibition on him.

>171 banjo123: They are growing up. My middle child turned 15 when we were in Seville.

Wow- that is some trip! Congrats for being able to pull it off. I guess all that waiting gave you time to (re)plan at least?

>173 LovingLit: All the extra time between our initial plan and this year definitely resulted in changes. We added Barcelona to the front of our trip and then added the whole extra week in Paris.

I am so glad you finally go to go on your trip! And it looks like it was amazing, especially since you added Paris (I am a big fan, LOL). I hope your kids know how lucky they are. : )

Great pics!

>175 Berly: I doubt they fully appreciate how lucky they are but I have hopes that it will dawn on them as time goes on. My parents took my sister and I to London and Paris when we were teenagers and while I enjoyed it at the time, I think it was an experience that grew on me a lot too.

>176 drneutron: Thanks Jim!

Loons update: Loons win! They beat the lowly DC United (so sorry Madeline) 2-0. After a disastrous stretch, the have now won 3 of their last 4 games and climbed into 4th place in the conference. Still a lot of soccer to play before the playoffs but at least it isn't all doom.

In other news, the boys and I are making a road trip this Saturday to Green Bay, Wisconsin. The big European teams make visits to the US (as a cash grab and promotional tour) and Manchester City (middle son's favorite team) is playing Bayern Munich in Green Bay. Going to be a long bit of driving but hopefully a fun trip with the boys.

>178 Oberon: Congrats on the Loons win, Eric. That was the least of the painful things going on with DC United this year. After losing ALL of my favorite players Kevin Paredes, Paul Arriola, and Julian Gressel to sale or trade, and Bill Hamid, Taxi Fountas, and Brad Smith to injury, it’s no wonder we are in last place with the worst goal differential in both conferences. It is simply horrible to watch my team play. It is one thing to lose a hard fought game, but to be trounced because no talent remains on the pitch (save for Andy Najar) is depressing and takes all joy out of watching these DC United games. Wayne Rooney (the only bright spot) as new coach sure has his work cut out for him, but his new play style (4 in the back - Durkin can’t play right back, and I want our wings (Gressel and Paredes or Smith) to return. I should be the new coach!

*end of rant*

Say hi to Zack Steffen, another of my favorite players if he plays GK for Manchester City that day. We also have a sold out game this week between DC United and Bayern. The cruelty of this is not only won’t we win, but Bayern is Gressel’s favorite team and now Gressel is history.

I guess my rant wasn’t quite over yet. Oops!

>179 SqueakyChu: You have every right to rant. I watched the 7-0 DC loss to Philly and sadly I agree with your assessment. Fingers crossed that the return of Wayne Rooney is the answer for the team. DC is too big a market for DC United to remain cellar dwellers for long.

>180 Oberon: I watched the 7-0 DC loss to Philly

Oh, yeah. In my previous rant(s), I forgot to mention my team's worst EVER loss in the history of the MLS. :(

I really miss the days of Wayne Rooney being a DC United player and was thrilled to see him come back to DC as the upcoming new head coach. I was very surprised because he broke his contract to return to the UK in the first place. His wife didn't like living in this area. People were joking that his current contract depends on his marriage! People here do appreciate the boost that he brought to our team. He was a great team player, always encouraging his teammates and helping them improve rather than just taking glorious shots for himself. I wish him all the best as a coach for my team.

P.S. I adore Taxi Fountas...and he is now my new favorite player. His injury is minor, I think, so he should be back on the pitch soon. Go, Taxi!!!*

*trying to work up some enthusiam for DC United soccer!

>181 SqueakyChu: Fingers crossed that your enthusiasm (manufactured or not) is borne out.

Further Loons update: The Loons played English Premier League side Everton on Wednesday and thumped them 4-0.

While I will quickly acknowledge that is preseason for Everton and it was a relatively meaningless friendly, that much of a win by the Loons was a bit of a statement. Fun to see.

>183 Oberon: Cool on your Everton win, Eric! My team DC United played Bayern Munich and lost 6 to 2...but at least we scored two goals! I see that Rooney is bringing in new players for us. I could advise him which players to now get rid of, and we could start to improve soon! :D

>184 SqueakyChu: We are going to go see Bayern tomorrow. We will see how they fare against Manchester City!

>185 Oberon: Cool! I have to root for Manchester City, though, because backup GK Zack Steffen is one of my fave soccer players (from the time he knocked DC United out of the playoffs--BUT--he also played for the University of Maryland, a college that I attended at one time but not when he was there). Maybe they'll let him play since this is just a friendly. Let me know what happens. That should be a fun game!

DC United has a game against Montreal tonight. I'm really eager to watch two new players (who were probably brought in under Rooney's recommendation--especially since one of them is from Derby, the team he recently coached). His former team (Derby) was just relegated, but that was due to bad business practices rather than actual team playing from what I understand.

Poor wing Julian Gressel. I think he is a great player. First Atlanta let him go, and now Rooney sent him away because he doesn't want wings. Our other wing (Brad Smith, who was, good, is out injured - as are so many of our players...with the absence of Bill Hamid being the most glaring omission).

Well, good luck to my team tonight. I'll always support them because I really don't want to lose a local professional soccer team. Actually I shouldn't be saying that because the Washington Spirit (whom I have yet to see play) won the championship this past year!

Congrats to the Loons! And inter-league games are fun! I see that next week, Loons are playing the Timbers, so we will be rooting against each other. The Timbers aren't having the best year, but on the up-swing and our goal-keeper is awesome.

>186 SqueakyChu:. Definitely try a Spirit game, the NWSL has some great soccer. And you have Trinity Rodman.

>186 SqueakyChu: Well Man City won and we got Haaland's first goal in a Man City uniform. Lots of rain delays made for a bit of a mess of a game but we got it in.

>187 banjo123: Challenge accepted versus the Timbers Army! Loons continued their winning streak versus Houston this weekend. Also, second the point about the NWSL. Would love to have an NWSL team here. We did get a new USL-W team, the Aurora, that went undefeated until losing the championship 2-1. Didn't make any of their games mainly because they were sold out but hope to get there next season.

Chaos game, Erik---I guess neither of us get to gloat over the tie. Honestly, I am not expecting much from the Timbers this year. Luckily our Thorns are doing well, and just got to the top of the NWSL table. The USL-W team sounds fun, my daughter tells me they have a good supporters group.

>189 banjo123:.Aargh. I was at that game. Felt like loss to me. Couldn’t believe we squandered a 3-1 win. Blanco is a thorn in our side.

It was chaos. And hot. And high scoring.

You are right - no one got to gloat.

>190 Oberon:. Blanco loves drama. You should see him with Seattle.

Next game(s) right? Though I guess half of both of our teams will be out on yellow card accumulation.

>191 banjo123: Totally agree about the yellow cards. I expect to see most of MNFC2 take the field given how many of our starters are out.