Mark's Reading Place: Chapter Fourteen

-Glacier National Park



-Golden Eagle





-Minocqua Brewing Company



“We need the tonic of wildness... At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable. We can never have enough of nature.”

~ Henry David Thoreau

"The play of shine and shade on the trees as the supple boughs wag,
The delight alone or in the rush of the streets, or along the fields and hillsides,
The feeling of health . . . . the full-noon trill . . . . the song of me rising from bed
and meeting the sun..."

-Leaves of Grass- Whitman

Audiobook:



Graphic/Comic:



June:

63- All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker 4.2 stars
64- The Bullet Swallower by Elizabeth Gonzalez James 4 stars (audio)
65- The Wishing Pool and Other Stories by Tananarive Due 4.3 stars
66- Instant Winner by Carrie Fountain 4 stars P
67- Shubeik Lubeik by Deena Mohamed 4.2 stars GN
68- Summer (Seasonal Quartet) by Ali Smith 4.3 stars
69- Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange 3.5 stars
70- Under the Bridge by Rebecca Godfrey 4.5 stars (audio)
71- Devil Is Fine by John Vercher 3.7 stars
72- Woman, Life, Freedom by Marjane Satrapi 4.8 stars GN
73- James by Percival Everett 5 stars
74- The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon 4 stars (audio)

July:

75_The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys 4.2 stars
76- My Favorite Thing is Monsters: Book 2 by Emil Ferris 4.3 stars GN
77- The Golden Spruce by John Vaillant 4.3 stars (audio)
78- New Poets of Native Nations by Heid E. Erdrich 3.7 stars P
79- The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster 3.3 stars
80- The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters 3.7 stars (audio)
81- This Country: Searching for Home by Navied Mahdavian 4 stars GN
82- The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami 3.7 stars
83- Unexpected Weather Events (stories) by Erin Pringle 4 stars
84- The Bear by Andrew Krivak 4 stars
85- Holly by Stephen King 3.8 stars (audio)

August:

86- The Caricaturist (The American Novels) by Norman Lock 4.2 stars ER
87- The Man in the McIntosh Suit by Rina Ayuyang 3.5 stars GN
88- The Winter Soldier by Daniel Mason 4.5 stars
89- This Is the Honey: Poems by Kwame Alexander 4.6 stars P
90- The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson 4 stars (audio)
91- Going to Meet the Man: Stories by James Baldwin 4.4 stars
92- The Meadow by James Galvin 5 stars
93- Sky Full of Elephants by Cebo Campbell 4.2 stars
94- The Rose Code by Kate Quinn 4 stars (audio)
95- Haruki Murakami Manga Stories 2 by Jc Deveney 3.7 stars GN
96- Zoli by Colum McCann 3.7 stars
97- The Summer We Crossed Europe in the Rain: Lyrics for Stacey Kent by Kazuo Ishiguro 3.6 stars
98- Gumption by Nick Offerman 3.8 stars (audio)

September:

99- Birding to Change the World by Trish O Kane 4 stars (audio)
100- California Bear by Duane Swierczynski 4 stars (audio)
101- I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger 3.8 stars (audio)
102- The Summer Guest by Justin Cronin 5 stars
103- Rowing the Northwest Passage by Kevin Vallely 4 stars
104- Symphony for the City of the Dead by M. T. Anderson 4.6 stars (audio)
105- Beautiful Days: Stories by Zach Williams 4.3 stars
106- The House of Wolfe by James Carlos Blake 4 stars
107- Is This How You See Me? by Jaime Hernandez 3.5 stars GN

October:

108- Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton 4.2 stars E
109- Final Cut by Charles Burns 3.6 stars GN
110- Wellness by Nathan Hill 4.4 stars (audio)
111- Lunar Boy by Jes and Cin Wibowo 4 stars GN
112- The God of the Woods by Liz Moore 4.5 stars
113- The Wide Wide Sea by Hampton Sides 4.8 stars (audio)
114- Ride with Me, Mariah Montana (Montana Trilogy) by Ivan Doig 4 stars
115- Spirit Run: A 6,000-Mile Marathon by Noé Álvarez 3.7 stars (audio)
116- Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner 4 stars
117- Brownstone by Samuel Teer 4 stars GN
118- Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin 4.2 stars (audio)
119- The Sentence by Louise Erdrich
120- Homegrown: Timothy McVeigh by Jeffrey Toobin 4.8 stars (audio)

P: Poetry
GN: Graphic Novel
E: e-reader

^ I have really enjoyed doing our shared reads in 2023 and I would like this to continue through 2024 and beyond. Primarily, I would like to read books off shelf, but I am still catching up with a few titles that I missed in the past year. I also would like to do a few rereads. I will list some titles and if you are interested, we will set a firm date.

2024

Ride with Me, Mariah Montana by Ivan Doig w/Stasia, Benita, Janet, Linda L Oct
The Sentence by Louise Erdrich Joe, Joanne, Linda L Oct
The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham w/Judy, Cindy, Stasia, Bill, Meg Nov

2025

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas w/Mary, Jim, Irene, Kathy January
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins Deb, Benita February?

Hello?? Great Horned Owl chicks.

^Library haul. A very long wait for The God of the Woods. Glad it finally came in. I am also looking forward to Creation Lake, which made the Booker's Shortlist. Brownstone & Lunar Boy are both GNs, that I heard good things about.

Happy new thread, Mark! Lovely toppers!

Good morning, Mark! Glad to get in early on your busy threads. I will be picking up my library copy of The God of the Woods today too. Must finish the latest Jackson Brodie (also a hold with no renewals) before plunging into it.

Birddude!! BIRDDUDE!! (I have to yell so you'll be sure to see my post) Princeton Press has a *whole*series* of these books. They just offered me a DRC for the first time or I'd've told you about it before. Bird Photographer of the Year: Collection 9, go look at it:
https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691263595/bird-photographer-of-t...
Oh, and happy new thread!

ETA touchstone

Cheerio, Mark. Up early to drive my pickup to be inspected. I'm going to return to the scene of crime—A Brief History of Seven Killings. Noice pix up top.

Happy new one!

Great pic of you on the bridge. Looks a little wobbly ;)

Hi Mark! Happy Wednesday and happy new thread.

>1 msf59: Yes to all the pics, beer choice, and MAKA.

A female Cardinal is my only visitor right now.

to continue a line of conversation from your previous thread -
Diane Rehm was the featured guest on an NPR talk show yesterday (I didn't catch which one, but maybe somebody reading this did) and she was being interviewed about her thoughts on Jimmy Carter. She had amazing things to say about him and said that it took great courage for him to make many of the decisions he made while President. She pretty much nailed Ronald Regan to the wall with his nasty trick of getting the Iranians to hold the hostages until Inauguration Day so that it would look like he had something to do with their release. What he actually did was extend their captivity by several days. The agreement had already been made and the date set when Regan intervened. That was the beginning of the Republican party manipulating events to make themselves look better.

>6 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley.

>7 laytonwoman3rd: Happy Wednesday, Linda. We will have to compare notes on The God of the Woods. Wasn't it also a long wait for you? How is the latest Jackson Brodie? I am on the fence about reading that one.

>8 richardderus: Happy Wednesday, Richard and thank you. I will have to circle back later and check out that link. I am sure it is going to be worthwhile.

>9 weird_O: Howdy, Bill and thanks. Why do you have to have your vehicle inspected? I did not realize you were reading Seven Killings. I loved that book.

>10 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita. It was wobbly. I was only able to hold that pose for less than a minute before hanging on. LOL.

>11 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen. Hooray for MAKA and visiting cardinals.

>12 benitastrnad: Thanks for sharing some thoughts on President Carter. I know it was a bit unfair, on how maligned his presidency has been presented. I also remember reading that he offered up Reagan an improved economy, when the latter took office, which of course he took credit for. Well, at least there is no question, about Carter's post-presidency.

-Clay Bennett

>5 msf59: I will be curious to see your thoughts on Creation Lake. It is already in the BlackHole due to its being on the Booker short list.

Happy new thread, Mark!

>15 msf59: Ha!

>13 msf59: I waited a while for God of the Woods, but not as long as I expected. As for the Brodie...I'm not blown away so far...she's still laying the groundwork for his entry into the story, and I think it's taking a bit too long.

Happy new thread Mark!

>1 msf59: That view is the ultimate "a glacier slept has been through here!"

>15 msf59: - LOL! He forgot to add that it was all Kamala's fault that it happened at all!

Happy New Thread,Mark ! I am sure you will enjoy The God of the Woods. I found the new Jackson Brodie book to be a fun read, but I only gave it 3.5 stars, just because it was a little convoluted, I thought, and perhaps too many characters. I know Beth gave the new Jackson Brodie 4 stars though.

Happy new thread, buddy.

>8 richardderus: Bird Photographer of the Year: Collection 9 and this series looks absolutely beautiful, RD. I am glad you snagged a copy and thanks for sharing.



^These are male hooded mergansers. We see them during migration and yes, they are this gorgeous.

>16 alcottacre: Thanks, Stasia. Kushner seems to be one of those polarizing authors. I'll also be curious how I feel about this one, although I loved The Mars Room.

>18 laytonwoman3rd: Glad you didn't have to wait so long for the latest Moore. Your response about the latest Jackson Brodie is what is keeping me on the fence.

>19 quondame: Thanks, Susan. You are spot-on with your glacier comment.

>20 jessibud2: I am sure he will say that at some point, Shelley. 😀

>21 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deborah. I am sure I will enjoy the new Moore and I am not sure I will get to the latest Jackson Brodie. I did love the early Brodie books.

>22 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul.

-Mike Luckovich

Happy new one! I’ll join you and Mary in The Count of Monte Cristo. Been meaning to read it and January is as good a time as any!

Happy new thread, Mark! I might join you in the read of The Count of Monte Cristo in January if I don't have too much else on my plate.

>14 msf59: Do you not need to get an annual inspection of your cars before you can get your registration renewed? We have to do that in NC.

>15 msf59: Hahaha! That's a good one! And unfortunately too true.

>23 msf59: Wonderful cover! We get hooded mergansers here in the winter. My DH loves ducks, so I've learned to keep my eyes open. Hoodies are beautiful birds.

Happy New Thread, Mark! That top photo is magnificent. Boy, I recently saw a piece on PBS about how congested Glacier National Park is--does not sound fun--if I remember, you decided to spend time in a less popular part of the park, right? Here's the piece--I think it's about 6 minutes long:

https://www.pbs.org/video/overcrowded-1726947937/

I tried to read The Count a few years ago and it didn't grab me at the time, so I didn't get very far. I'm penciling in your group read--I might give it another try with a group.

>27 drneutron: Thanks, Jim. I have added you to the Monte Cristo list. Glad to have you along.

>28 atozgrl: Thanks, Irene. I will add you to the Monte Cristo list. Let me know if you change your mind. We are not required to get an annual inspection on our vehicles. We are only required to do an emissions test every 2 years and that is before you receive your annual license plate sticker. I am glad you also get to see those gorgeous hoodies.

>29 kac522: Thanks, Kathy. I liked the video. It definitely gave you a pretty good idea how crazy busy it can get. We went on the east side of Glacier on 2 different ocassions- the Two Medicine Lake area. Much less congested.

Great. I will pencil you in for Monte Cristo. Let me know if you change your mind. I have never read it.

"When a teenager vanishes from her Adirondack summer camp, two worlds collide...Moore’s multi-threaded story invites readers into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances. It is Liz Moore’s most ambitious and wide-reaching novel yet."

I loved Moore's last novel The Long Bright River which I read in early 2020. I was impressed by her intense writing, so I was pumped about reading her latest, which switches from an urban setting to the Adirondacks. I will start it today.

Hi Mark. I apologize for being MIA. Your threads are packed with wonderful reads.

I checked and found that I read the Long Bright River in 2020. I rated in highly. I've been on a long waiting list for The God of the Woods.

As always, I enjoy the Jackson photos and appreciate that you share this loving little boy whose personality shines through in every image!

>32 Whisper1: Sweet Thursday, Linda. Good to see you. I waited about 2 months for The God of the Woods to come in. I hope you don't have to wait that long. I haven't posted a Jackson photo on this thread. A major oversight. 😜

^Just a reminder- A few of us will be reading Ride With Me Mariah Montana this month. It is the 3rd book in the McCaskill trilogy. I know Stasia is in. We will both start it, in about a week. If you are interested, please join us but of course, start it whenever you are ready.

Happy new thread!

>23 msf59: Its gorgeousness is on sale now for 30% off! PUP30 will get it for you cheaper than Ammy and a great Xmas gift to yourself.

>34 msf59: I'm really looking forward to reading this one...I loved both of the previous McCaskill books. I have one and a half library holds to get through first, but I hope I can join in sometime next week with Mariah Montana

‘Morning, Mark! Sweet Thursday to you.

>36 richardderus: They also have a 70% off sale for specific books, RD, FALL70. I’m seriously tempted…

Cardinals, finches. Earlier I had a White-Breasted Nuthatch and a Carolina Chickadee.

>35 foggidawn: Thanks, Foggi!

>36 richardderus: I will keep that in mind, RD. Thanks.

>37 laytonwoman3rd: I am so glad you will be joining us on Mariah Montana, Linda.

>38 karenmarie: Sweet Thursday, Karen. Thanks for the feeder report. A couple of the grackles are back.

>33 msf59: I believe I noted Jackson's photo on your previous thread (post #2 on a calendar.) He is so darn cute!!!

Happy new thread, Mark! I loved all the photos on your last thread, didn't know that you'd moved digs until I got to the bottom. Looks like you did really well with the meet ups. Amazing that you're scheduling shared reads into 2025 now.

>40 Whisper1: Thanks, Linda. I will post a new Jack pic soon.

>41 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. Happy Friday. Glad you like the photos. In regard to the shared reads, Mary and I were talking at the Cubs game and Monte Cristo was brought up and neither of us had read it. We decided to kick off the new year with it.

"...an epic account of the most momentous voyage of the Age of Exploration, which culminated in Captain James Cook’s death in Hawaii, and left a complex and controversial legacy still debated to this day."

Hampton Sides is one of my favorite NNF authors. Like, Erik Larson and Timothy Egan I try to read everything they write. The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook ( a hefty title) came out in April. I like reading about explorers and I know very little about James Cook. I started the audiobook yesterday.

^Jack having a drink at the bar, with Dad, (apple juice).



^Post-haircut. How could you not want to kiss this face?

>43 msf59: Ooo, that looks really fascinating! I hope it is. Will you be dipping in this weekend?

Whatever you do read, enjoy it.

‘Morning, Mark. Happy Friday. Have fun at PB.

>44 msf59: Definitely kissable.

Nary a bird has visited since I sat down here about 45 minutes ago. Strange.

I have started reading English Creek which is the first in the McCaskill trilogy. I hope to get through all three of the books this month and so will be joining in the discussion of Mariah Montana as well. I love Doig's writing and find it very Western in tone.

Did you read English Creek?

>44 msf59: With his hair trimmed, Jackson seems set on getting down to business!

>45 richardderus: I have already dipped into The Wide Wide Sea and it is off to a very good start. Such a good writer.

>46 karenmarie: Happy Friday, Karen. Hooray for kissable faces. Boo to lack of birds.

>47 benitastrnad: I am glad you are still joining us for the Doig read. Yes, I did read English Creek and the follow-up, so I am caught up. I do not think if qualifies as a great series but it certainly is a good, to very good one.

>48 quondame: Happy Friday, Susan. Jack is all about the business. LOL.

-Clay Bennett

>26 msf59: I hope he makes it!

>31 msf59: I will be curious to see your thoughts on Moore's latest. I enjoyed The Long Bright River.

>43 msf59: Oo, I did not know that Hampton Sides had a new book out. He is also one of my favorite NNF authors. I will have to see if my local library has a copy of that one yet. Thanks for the heads up, Mark!

>44 msf59: He looks just as good post-haircut as he did before it!

Have a fantastic Friday, Mark!

>50 msf59: mmm hmmm

>36 richardderus: OK, I have to ask: what in the world is PUP30?

>42 msf59: Monte Cristo was one of my all-time favorite reads. But it's been quite a few years now since I read it, and after reading The Black Count this summer, it feels like it might be a good time to pick it up again. I may have to put off reading other things, since it's a long one, but it's fun.

>43 msf59: That certainly sounds like a good one. Sigh. I'm getting hit with BBs everywhere today. I need to learn more about James Cook myself.

>50 msf59: That is just about right!

>53 atozgrl: Irene, that's the code to unlock the 30% discount on Princeton's website.

Happy New Thread!

>54 richardderus: Oh, gotcha! Princeton University Press. Thanks!

ETA: And after looking at the website, I've found 4 books in their 70% off sale that I want to get. It has been an unusually dangerous day for me here on LT today.

Jack is such a cutie, Mark!

>51 alcottacre: Happy Saturday, Stasia. Go Carter! Go Jackson! I am enjoying both The God in the Woods & The Wide Wide Sea. I am sure I will recommend both. Have a great weekend.

>53 atozgrl: >56 atozgrl: Happy Saturday, Irene. I hope you can join us for a reread of Monte Cristo. I can pencil you in. If you have not read Hampton Sides, I highly recommend that you do so and The Wide Wide Sea may not be a bad place to start. Lets us know what you pick up from Princeton Press.

>55 SilverWolf28: Thanks, Sliver.

>56 atozgrl: He certainly is, Deborah. 🥰

>56 atozgrl: *chuckle* aka "business as usual in the biblioAK47 factory"

>58 msf59: I look forward to seeing your final thoughts on both!

Have a super Saturday, Mark!

‘Afternoon, Mark! Hope you’re having a good day.

I’ve got bird visitors, finches, a male Cardinal.

Arsenal won, so that makes me happy.

>60 alcottacre: So far so good on both, Stasia.

>61 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. Hooray for Arsenal. I haven't checked my feeders today. WTH?

Juke

What kind of juke do you prefer?
For me, it’s the kind with three
songs and thirty-seven blank
title strips. Three songs, and two
are “Luckenbach, Texas.”
The third is beautiful and arcane,
but the patrons hate it,
and the record skips.
I prefer the three-song juke
and the three-toothed human

smile. I found the juke of my dreams
in a bar called “Chums,” no clue
the origin or meaning
of the quotation marks. It was a prime
number of a bar, and now it’s dead.
One night, drinking half-and-
halfs, half beer, half tomato juice,
with schnapps chasers, a cheap
source of hallucination.
A soon-to-be-defrocked Catholic

priest, Vic Jr., my mother, and me,
our faces streaked blue with pool
chalk, juke red as a beating heart,
and just a strip of hollyhocks
and a tree line between us
and the northern lights.
I was young. I looked like a Rubens
painting of a woman half-eaten
by moths. What lucky
debauchery, the ride back

on a washboard dirt road,
taking everything for granted,
flipping off the aurora borealis
like it was some three-toothed human
in flashy clothes dancing
to get my attention.
I wasn’t a mean drunk then,
just honest.
Next morning, mom walked in
on the naked priest

in the shack’s garage,
washing himself with a rag
and cold water from the well
in a metal dishpan. I’d later do dishes
in that pan and wash my hair
in that pan. We popped popcorn
on the one-burner wood-burning
stove and ate it out of that pan.
I’m talking about a time and a place.
All I can say of it is that it was real.

The song choices were limited,
so the grooves were dug deep.

-Diane Seuss From her collection Modern Poetry: Poems

'Morning, Mark, and happy Sunday. Go Bears!

My sunflower seed feeder is already empty, so I might fill it today. A White-Breasted Nuthatch keeps coming in, and I've had Purple Finches and a male Cardinal this a.m.

I am really enjoying the results of the Alabama/Vanderbilt game. Snarky of me, I know. I didn't get much read yesterday in English Creek but I am finding the prose style amazing. This will be my first book by Ivan Doig and unless the book gets too windy I am going to really like this author and his style. I plan on relaxing today and spending it reading and doing very little packing. I have decided that packing stuff to move is for young people, not retirees.

>50 msf59: ? Is that about ALL the elections going on this year?

>44 msf59: Nice pics of Jack at the bar. He's a happy looking boy!

>63 msf59: That is some set of images to encounter!

>64 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. Hooray for the Bears! They won big against the Panthers. Hooray for seeing the purple finches. They are very rare visitors at my feeders.

>65 benitastrnad: Glad you are enjoying English Creek and I hope you knocked out a healthy chunk yesterday. Good luck with all that packing. Ugh!

>66 Familyhistorian: Yes, I think that cartoon should apply to all elections. Right? Yes, Jack is mostly a pretty happy boy but he does have his moments, like we all do.

>67 quondame: I love the imagery in that poem, Susan. It evokes that time and place perfectly.

'Morning, Mark!

So glad your Bears won. Sigh. The Panthers aren't even mine any more, so I don't even feel a single pang that they lost.

My feeders are currently visitor-less. I need to fill the sunflower seed feeder today or tomorrow.

A couple of amazing poems on my thread Mark.

Morning, Birddude! How fare the wars today? It's a slightly gloomy one here, but as I'm not obliged to go outside, I don't care much...though I'd love lower humidity. The plants wouldn't, so I try not to complain. Too much.

>69 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. I really enjoyed that Bears win. Since you are no longer a Panthers fan, that makes it even sweeter. I hope you got to this feeders.

>70 Caroline_McElwee: I will be sure to stop by, Caroline. Thanks for the heads-up.

>71 richardderus: Hey, RD. It has been a very good day and our weather continues to be gorgeous. Sorry, to hear that it is gloomy there.

'Morning, Mark! Happy Tuesday to you.

>72 msf59: Awwww... I'm glad my switch to soccer makes the Bears win against the Panthers sweet. Nope, didn't have a chance to get to the feeder. Maybe this afternoon.

Too dark to see birdies at feeders, am up because of late caffeine consumption but am going to go try to get a few more hours of sleep before heading out to Friends book sorting/book sale followup meeting and then Virlie's.

>73 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. You are an early bird. Dark and chilly here. Only 44F out there. I hope you get to sleep a few more hours.

Have a terrific Tuesday, Mark!

Belated happy new thread.
Love the topper and Jack is such a cuty. 😃

>75 alcottacre: It has been a very nice Tuesday, Stasia. Thanks!

>76 Ameise1: Thanks, Barb. It was a beautiful trip and we never get tired of cutey Jackson.

^Matt, my introspective son. At both Theodore Roosevelt NP and Glacier NP.

>78 msf59: Good captures, Mark...he really seems to be looking for, far away!

Happy Tues. Weds. too, of course. Thurs. goes without saying.

>78 msf59: Though those shots sort of illustrate him extro-specting!

‘Morning, Mark! Happy Wednesday to you.

It’s a nice chilly 46F here. Too dark to see the feeders, but yesterday I had a Carolina Chickadee and female Cardinal and a Downy at the suet feeder.

>78 msf59: A Matt sighting. Thanks for sharing the pics.

>79 richardderus: Happy Wednesday, Richard. I sure had a good time hanging with Matt on that trip. We got along well.

>80 quondame: Wow! Good word, Susan. Extro-specting fits better, but there may be some introspection going on as well but that is complete speculation. LOL.

>81 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. You are early again. Looks like we are both starting out with chilly temps. 48F here but will creep up into the low 70s, with plenty of sunshine. Nothing to report at my feeders.

^I am sure hoping for the best for this state and it's residents. It is so sad that the "deniers" see no connection here.

Praying from over the pond too. The forecasts we receive here are frightening.

>78 msf59: What a great waterfall. I can imagine in warmer days it would be the perfect secluded swimming spot.

>83 msf59: I saw this on the news here in Canada. I hope that those who think about staying come to their senses. It is not fair to put emergency rescue people at risk simply because they did not want to leave.

Happy Wednesday reading.

>83 msf59: Dire situation...I just heard a spokesperson for emergency response telling people that if they were in the mandatory evacuation zone and decided to "stay in their homes" their next home would be a coffin. Cannot get much more explicit than that, and yet...there will be hold-outs.

To be fair, some people are dumb and selfish but others are unable to evacuate for a variety of reasons.

>87 katiekrug: That is sadly true, Katie. I wonder if there are options for people without transportation or anywhere to run to.

I packed up 5 of the 8 bookcases in the house yesterday. A friend came over and we packed! We ran out of boxes for the books and so for the third day in a row went to Home Depot to purchase more - for the third day in a row there were none. So we went to Lowe's. They had one bundle of Bankers Boxes and they were out. This afternoon I am headed for Home Depot on the south side of Birmingham to purchase as many of those boxes as I think I will need. (40 of them). I like the Home Depot boxes a bit better as they are made of heavier cardboard. The Lowe's ones are cheaper and come 5 to a bundle while Home Depot are 3 to a bundle, but since neither store here in Tuscaloosa has them, and I need to drive to get them I will go to Home Depot.

I haven't read much in English Creek in the last two days but I love the style of writing.

>84 Ameise1: I am sure Florida appreciates all prayers, Barb. They will need them.

>85 figsfromthistle: Happy Wednesday, Anita. I don't think the water was deep enough in these spots for swimming. I am also sure the water was ice cold. Lovely spots, though.

I sure hope most of these people evacuate.

>86 laytonwoman3rd: If these people choose to stay and are completely able to do so, then they are on their own, right? I am sure there are assistance groups, helping people relocate if needed.

>89 benitastrnad: Happy Wednesday, Benita. Thanks for the packing update. Good luck acquiring those much-needed boxes. I also hope you can squeeze some reading time in.

>89 benitastrnad: Is there a U-Haul store near you? They also sell boxes, specifically designed for packing books.

Nice pix of Matt, Mark. Yes, I've been following Hurricane Milton too.

>92 laytonwoman3rd: I meant to ask Benita that same question.

>93 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deborah. I finished The God of the Woods. Excellent book. She is quickly becoming a favorite author.

^ I have never heard of this word but I am certainly one of them.

"This greathearted novel is the finale of Ivan Doig's passionate and authentic trilogy about the McCaskill family and their alluring Two Medicine country along the hem of the northern Rockies...
Jick McCaskill, the illustrious narrator of English Creek, returns as the witty and moving voice in this classic encounter with the American road and all the rewards and travails it can bring."

I enjoyed the first 2 books in the McCaskill trilogy. I liked English Creek (Book One) more than Rascal Fair which I read 6 years ago. I am hoping Ride With Me, Mariah Montana is an upgrade and based on the first 20-plus pages, I think it will be a treat. A few of us are doing a shared read of this one. Stasia has started it, as well.

>95 msf59: It would be a great weirdness if you *weren't* given your wonderful outdoor activity since retiring. And that was pretty much a continuation of your whole life's interests.

>97 richardderus: Thanks, Richard. I have been blessed. 🌳🌳

108- Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton 4.2 stars

Birnam Wood is an activist collective, that operates guerrilla style, planting crops in un authorized areas, unregulated and self-sufficient. It was founded by Mira Bunting. When an opportunity arises and a sizable farm becomes available after a natural disaster, Mira thinks she may have found the mother lode and decides to move her group to this area. She immediately runs into trouble with an enigmatic American billionaire that is also interested in this large property, but it seems that he will be using it for nefarious means. Catton is a good writer and a fine storyteller. I loved the New Zealand setting. This eco-thriller becomes especially intense as the story moves along.

**Has anyone read Catton's first novel The Rehearsal? I have been curious about that one. I loved The Luminaries.

‘Morning, Mark! Sweet Thursday.

>92 laytonwoman3rd: I just sent Benita a PM about UHaul – there’s at least one in Tuscaloosa. They are the only boxes I’ll use for books.

>99 msf59: I have two by Catton I haven't read - The Luminaries and Birnam Wood. Sigh.

>95 msf59: I, too, am a dendrophile!

>89 benitastrnad: Lowes & Uhaul May be better - not sure of their politics - but, last word is that Home Depot is huge on trump.

>100 karenmarie:
Thanks for all the box messages. I am not a fan of the U-Haul book boxes. They are too big and weigh too much to move around. At the library we used the old fashioned Bankers Boxes. When full these weight between 20 - 25 pounds. This met the weight standard for our job descriptions. The boxes are tough and sturdy. We stacked them 5 high as that is the height that most moving dollies can handle and the driver can see over. The problem has been the the Bankers Boxes. Apparently, they are in much demand in Tuscaloosa. (not surprising given that there is a big time U here.) The Home Depot in town told me they would get them back in - but they are moving in Christmas merch and so didn't know when. There are two Lowe's in town. Both stores are not close to me. The one was all out of Bankers Boxes and the other in town listed only 5 bundles of 5 boxes on the web site. When I looked at the Home Depot web site it simply said that Banker's Boxes were unavailable at the Tuscaloosa store. However, there were two stores in Birmingham that had 25 bundles each. That is where I went. I now have a total of 40 of these boxes here and will use every one of them.

Another advantage of Bankers Boxes are - no tape! They are ingeniously designed so that they fold together and the bottom is double layered and NO TAPE needed. I like that environmental aspect. Cardboard is recyclable and tape will be in the landfills for thousands of years.

U-Haul has great dish and glass packs. I purchased two of them and have now used both boxes twice. Once to move my dishes to Kansas and once to move my mother's dishes to Nebraska. Then the boxes came back to Alabama with me and will hold another load. This time they will go with the mover.

I have also put boxes I thought were great moving boxes into the U-Haul used box bin and hope that somebody else will use them.

Now if I could just find a newspaper so that I could get cheap newsprint paper to pack my knickknacks and tchotchkes in. That is not likely to happen because where is there a newspaper in this country? So yesterday I also purchased bubble wrap, which I abhor because it is so environmentally unfriendly, and a bunch of the packing paper sheets, which I think that Home Depot and Lowe's over charge for. I held my nose while making those selections.

Today I should get the rest of the books off of the shelves. Then I start on the closets and then move on to the dishes.

>102 m.belljackson:
I would have used Lowe's because I like that business, but the boxes at Home Depot are a better quality. A little sturdier. Once I get the stuff to Kansas it is going to have to sit in the carport for awhile, so I thought the sturdier boxes would be better.

So here is a Bankers Box story.

At the library we used Bankers Boxes by the truckload. Everybody at an academic institution knows what a Bankers Box is. They hold everything and are multipurpose. What we ordered was generic Bankers Boxes so I don't know what company made them. I do know that by state law UA had to put it out for a bid so I think they were just generic boxes.

When I got ready to start packing books I went to Home Depot (it is 4 blocks south of my front door) to see what their Bankers Boxes looked like. I went to the Info desk and asked where they had their Bankers Boxes. The person there looked at me like I fell out of the sky. Finally I described them. She replied - oh, you mean Doc Boxes!

When I couldn't get them at Home Depot anymore I went to Lowe's and asked where the Doc Boxes were. That person looked at me like I fell out of the sky. So I said they were also called Bankers Boxes. She immediately brightened up and told me what aisle they were on with no hesitation.

So - If you are shopping at Home Depot call them Doc Boxes. If you are shopping at Lowe's call them Bankers Boxes.

Another Bankers Box story.

At the library we held training sessions on how to put Bankers Boxes together. They are the product of a genius origami thinker but they are not intuitive. The librarian who was in charge of our storage facility made everybody who was likely to pack books take her training session on how to put the boxes together. Most people thought it was unnecessary. Training is necessary to assemble a Bankers Box because most people don't read the instructions printed right on the box.

The other day when my friend came over to help I showed her how to put the box together. Since these boxes were from Lowe's I found it easier to use a box cutter because the flaps in step two didn't have clear perforations. I guess that I am a pro at putting together Bankers Boxes and so thought she got how to do it. She didn't.

She packed one box and then went to put together a second box. Soon she told me that she thought she must have goofed because the box wouldn't go together without tape. Sure enough instead of just cutting through the perforations on the flaps in step 2 she had cut the flaps off. Without the flaps on the sides the bottom of the box won't hold together. So there was one box ruined.

Another orison of praise to the humble Bankers Box is that once you use them, they can be unfolded and stored flat. That makes them reusable. I have a cousin in Kansas who will be moving soon and so I am sure that my boxes will get double duty before they go into the recycling bin. But who knows I might just put them on the overhead storage shelves in the carport and keep them for when I have to move into assisted living.

Dropping by to let you know that I finished The Wishing Pool and Other Stories this afternoon. I ended up giving the book 4.5 stars even though horror is not typically my genre. Thank you so much for sending it my way!

I hope you have a great one!

Yo ho ho, Birddude, spend a splendid Thursday.

>103 benitastrnad: - Really, no newspapers??!! That's insane. You can buy packing paper, though, which is recyclable and more environmentally friendly than bubble wrap.

>105 benitastrnad: I've always thought of them as File Boxes. Don't know if that was just a me thing or I heard them called that. They are structurally the same as storage boxes for comic books and those for magazines. I've (had Mike) cut down comic/magazine boxes to fit sewing patterns so that I can make big stacks of them.

>100 karenmarie: Sweet Thursday, Karen. I hope you can get to one of these Cattons. She is a fine writer.

>101 foggidawn: Hooray for the Dendrophiles, Foggi!

>102 m.belljackson: Wow! I will have to save all this information, for when we are finally ready to move. I was not familiar with banker boxes or Doc Boxes but now I am completely educated. I do know what bubble wrap is and I also know it is not environmentally friendly. I am not surprised that you have a hard time finding newspaper. We ended our subscription 5-plus years ago.

^Banker Boxes. 😀😀

>107 alcottacre: Sweet Thursday, Stasia. I am so glad you enjoyed The Wishing Pool and Other Stories. I am keeping an eye on this author.

>108 richardderus: Sweet Thursday, Richard. We have Jackson over, for the afternoon and night, so all good here, plus the weather has been gorgeous.

>111 msf59: Moving closer to kids?

Given Climate Change, it's surprising we aren't all moving to Northern Minnesota...
October has been so far up here a month of awful drought...hauling heavy hoses everywhere...

Bankers Box is a registered trademark. It's a bit like "Kleenex" or "Band-Aid"----it's become a generic term for the style of storage box in Mark's photo above, even when made by another manufacturer. (We used them for closed file storage at the law firm I worked for, but they were the longer ones with the button/string closure on flaps, not the ones with lids.) Accept no substitutes!

>115 laytonwoman3rd:
The ones we used at the library had flaps. That meant we really saved on tape. UA wasn't one of those "green" universities, but we tried hard at the library to be as responsible as we could within the parameters of the state bidding system. Sometimes we did well. Sometimes we didn't.

>114 m.belljackson:
It has been very dry here in Alabama as well. No rain from Hurricane Helene, and not much rain since August 1 or so. It really needs to rain here.

Chiming in to recommend Bankers Boxes for storing/moving books! We used them on a move 3+ years ago. They held up really well so I broke them down and stored them in the attic for future use. They've come in handy since, and not just for books obviously.

'Morning, Mark! Happy Friday to you.

A male Cardinal on the wild bird seed feeder, my only visitor.

I've got nothing planned for today, which is a change and which makes me happy.

>114 m.belljackson: Hi, Marianne. My daughter moved further southwest of us, so we plan on moving out there in the next couple of years. Sue is tending to an aging aunt, who lives nearer to us. She doesn't want to be farther away from her, at this point in time. Sorry to hear about the ongoing drought. I hope that improves.

>115 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks for the banker box info.

>117 benitastrnad: Sorry to hear about your lack of rain too, Benita. With all this hurricane activity, you would think you would be getting plenty of rain.

>118 lauralkeet: Thanks for the input, Laura.

>119 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. My feeders were crazy busy yesterday. Enjoy your quiet day.

Hi Mark, I love your topper picture - just gorgeous. I have fallen behind with LT but I have been reading a lot. There is a chance that my husband will becoming home this weekend which would be appropriate as it is our Thanksgiving. I picked up a copy of The God of the Woods for this years Thingaversary now I just have to fit it into my reading schedule!

>120 msf59: Your move is still in Illinois? -

and not to the real Southwest, with near zero groundwater
and undrinkable water in Las Vegas, according to my nephew who lives there.

>120 msf59: I completely understand about moving closer to family. Kerry and I are planning on moving to East Texas to be closer to my mother, Catey, my sister, and Kerry's daughter, Felisha, and 3 of his grandkids.

Have a wonderful weekend, Mark!

Friday orisons, Birddude!

>122 DeltaQueen50: Happy Friday, Judy. Glad you like the toppers. I will be sharing more of them. I am also glad that your husband will be coming home soon and that you picked up a copy of The God of the Woods. It is such a good read.

>123 m.belljackson: I am sorry, Marianne. I should have been more clear about that- Bree has only moved about 30 minutes from here, so not really too bad. I have absolutely no plans to move to the "real" southwest but I would not mind visiting there from time to time.

>124 alcottacre: Happy Friday, Stasia. That sounds like a perfect plan. Family is so important, I would never like to be far from them. How far is East Texas for you? Why did you settle in the Sherman area?

>125 richardderus: Happy Friday, Richard. I have not been on LT much today but it has been a fine day never-the-less. PB, Jackson and books. You can't beat it, my friend.

-R.J. Matson



-Mike Luckovich

>128 msf59: A blue van?
I like the Big House!

>129 quondame: I was thinking about the same thing in regard to the "blue" van.

Jack loves his little bike and zips around on it pretty good. I have a hard time keeping up. This kid...❤️

110- Wellness by Nathan Hill 4.4 stars

We first meet Jack and Elizabeth, both in their twenties, trying to get a foot-hold in an unfamiliar city. Fortunately they find each other, in the Chicago art scene of the early 1990s and become the perfect match. The novel follows their marriage over the next 2 decades, navigating all the latest fads and scams, trying to find the right path to good health and happiness, along with the trials of raising their son. Nathan Hill is an exceptional writer and he is able to tell this story, with the perfect mix of humor and intelligence. I can compare him to David Foster Wallace, if DFW had taken a more conventional path. Also terrific on audio. Highly recommended.

*Thanks again to Katie for putting this on my radar. Has anyone read The Nix? Thoughts?

‘Morning, Mark! Happy Saturday to you.

>120 msf59: Ah, following Bree, Sean, and Jackson. Makes sense.

>124 alcottacre: Wow, another move to be closer to family. (One of my paternal Great Grandfather and Grandmothers lived in Emory from about 1900 to 1916 when he died and 1919 when she died.)

>131 msf59: Cute boy on a cute bike.

I have two Carolina Chickadees - one on the suet feeder and one on the wild bird seed feeder.

>133 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. I am actually looking forward to moving, especially the down-sizing part. Once again, this will be in a couple of years. Yep, he is certainly a cute kid on a cute bike. Hooray for the Carolina chickadees.

>132 msf59: Your review would make me reach for my wallet if I didn't have it already! It hit you just right, yay!

Enjoy the weekend.

>132 msf59: - Good comments, Mark. Glad it was a winner for you!

>131 msf59: Jackson's got a plethora of rides! This one is a good fit.

>131 msf59: Oh, he is growing up so fast! What a great picture! “Kid happiness” in a single shot.

Happy weekend, Mark!

Karen O

Jackson is so cute on the bike!

>135 richardderus: I am glad you have a copy, RD. Looking forward to your thoughts.

>136 katiekrug: Great rec, Katie. You haven't read The Nix either, have you?

>137 quondame: "Jackson's got a plethora of rides! " OMG, you have no idea. LOL.

>138 klobrien2: Thanks for the Jackson comments, Karen. He is a special one. Happy weekend to you too.

>139 banjo123: He certainly is, Rhonda. Happy Saturday to you.

At last - a Sparkle of unpredicted Rain -

while the Wisconsin Geese all head back to Horicon Marsh,
either to pick up their friends or to let us know it will be a light winter!

>1 msf59: I spot a man in his natural environment! :)

I have been hearing about Florida in our news here, sounds disastrous. tRump should have got his sharpie out and re-routed that thing....

Well, the dreaded Snowgeese are headed back my way, Mark, and soon my walkways will be turd ways. Yuck!

Great pic of Jack!

>141 m.belljackson: Glad you got a bit of rain. I hope more is in store for you. Not much geese activity here. Just the usual.

>142 LovingLit: Hi, Megan. Great to see you. I was definitely in my natural environment. Sad, that I stuck in an urban landscape. Yes, tRump and his sharpie. Where was the magic man?

>143 vancouverdeb: Bummer about the snow geese. They will be there until early spring, right? Lots & lots of poop. I also like that Jackson pic. Thanks, Deborah.

112- The God of the Woods by Liz Moore 4.5 stars

The setting is a summer camp in the Adirondacks, August 1975. One morning, a thirteen year old girl turns up missing. She also happens to be the daughter of the wealthy camp owners. Her older brother disappeared the same way, fourteen years prior. This sets into motion, a multi-threaded narrative, that reveals dark family secrets, with plenty of twists and turns. It is perfectly paced and the gripping suspense is always full throttle. Moore got my attention with her last novel, Long Bright River and she delivers an even better book this time around.

We have been on a Nicola Walker kick lately. She sure picks the perfect vehicles for herself. We recently finished the 1st season of Unforgotten, about a cold case investigative team. Very well-written and acted. We also just started the 2nd season of Annika, set in the Scottish Isles. This police procedural has more cheeky humor. I have also been solo watching the 4th season of Slow Horses. Of course, this one is minus Walker but it has the great Gary Oldman.

I know there are so many quality British crime shows out. What are some of your favorites?

‘Morning, Mark! Happy Sunday to you!

>146 msf59: We loved Nicola Walker in MI5.

My feeders are all filled, but I currently have no visitors.

>145 msf59: You make me want to try it...bad Mark! Bad Mark!

>146 msf59: I love 'Unforgotten' Mark. Looking forward to the second series of 'Annika', took me a while to get used to her talking to herself, but I did.

Have you seen her in the series 'River' with Stellan Skarsgard?

MI-5, The Bay, The Tower, Murder is Easy , The Pale Horse are some of my latest favourites , Mark. Glad you enjoyed God of the Woods

>147 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. I noticed that you had been watching M5. I may give it a go, or at least a couple of seasons.

>148 richardderus: It looks like I may have hit a BB target. Bad Mark but I have good aim. I'll take it.

>149 Caroline_McElwee: Hi, Caroline. Annika S2 is off to a good start. I remember watching "River" a number of years ago. I had forgot that Walker was in that one as well. She has got to be the busiest actor in England.

>150 vancouverdeb: Thanks for the list of your TV favorites, Deborah. I will jot them down. Yep, The God of the Woods was a good one.

'Morning, Mark.

My feeders are currently visitor-less. They are, however, filled with seed and suet just waiting for customers.

>127 msf59: East Texas is about 150 miles southeast of where we are in Sherman. We moved here originally because of Kerry's job.

>131 msf59: Aw, cuteness!

>132 msf59: Already in the BlackHole thanks to Katie!

>145 msf59: Another one that is already in the BlackHole!

Have a marvelous Monday!

>152 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. I need to tend to my feeders today. I neglected them over the weekend. They have sure been pounding through the seed. Hard to keep up.

>153 alcottacre: Morning, Stasia. Now, I know where East Texas is. LOL. I figured you moved there because of a job. I hope you can bookhorn in Wellness & The God of the Woods. Love to hear your thoughts on them.

I forgot that a few of us were doing a shared read of The Sentence for October, so I pulled it off shelf, as a reminder. I still have to finish my current book and then Creation Lake (a library loan), so it will be a week or so before I can start it. Anyone else want to read along? Her latest, The Mighty Red just came out earlier this month. Boy, this woman is prolific. Hard to keep up with her.

anti poetica

who cares how long i’ve spent with my poems—those shit psalms those rats of my soul—head first thru the window me at their ankles demanding substance, revelation, sudden gravity—shamed of my leafless, drug shanked brain—this grey popper worn hell—that dark dull circle i try to conquer beauty & the state from within. i’m not revolutionary i’m regular. nothing radical in being the enemy of america, the country of enemies. we find our laughter between the horror. stop asking me to explain having a body & a mind & a heart—their harmonies, their plots to murder each other. i’ve lived long in a low solstice—wife of a pipe & the blue lit plain—leo trash—saved by occasional dick & the knowledge of my mother, friends i confess my pocked seasons only after their caul. arachnid moods—self-cornered—text back weak—i haven’t been much lately—the dark season lasted years, swallowing seasons, collecting itself in my shallows like a motor-sheered fish. where did the poems go? what is their trouble? what kind of water is i?

-Danez Smith From Bluff: Poems

>155 msf59: She has the same energy as does Joyce Carol Oates. Manic is one word I can think of to use but it's so negative....

Happy new-week's reads!

I’m never going to catch up, so I’ll just jump in right here and try to stay current going forward. Love the toppers, the pics of Jack, and the political cartoons!

Happy new week!

>157 richardderus: I have read very little JCO. I did love Blonde.

>158 Storeetllr: Hi, Mary. Good to see you. Glad you like the various pics and cartoons.

-Peter Kuper

>160 msf59: That's one very apprehensive canary!

No sightings of the grands , Mark. They spend every holiday with her side of the family. But we had a good time with the rest of the family, about 16 of us.

Happy Tuesday!

The feeders at my place are up now. The hummingbirds have left but the robins are still here. Bluejays and Cardinals are starting to use the feeder more now.

Happy reading and Jackson time!

>162 vancouverdeb: I hope you see the grandkids soon, Deborah. Glad you had a good holiday with the rest of the clan. I might see Jack for a bit today.

>163 figsfromthistle: Happy Tuesday, Anita. Thanks for the feeder report. I need to take my hummingbird feeder down. There hasn't been a sighting around here in awhile. The regular residents have really been gobbling up the seed.

‘Morning, Mark. Happy Tuesday.

>160 msf59: Sad. Prophetic.

My feeders are empty – it’s timing, because I see most of the usual suspects during the day.

>165 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. I hope you are now seeing the birdies. 😀

"A new novel about a seductive and cunning American woman who infiltrates an anarchist collective in France—a propulsive page-turner of glittering insights and dark humor...Written in short, vaulting sections, Rachel Kushner’s rendition of “noir” is taut and dazzling."

I really liked Kushner's novel The Mars Room and when Creation Lake landed on the Booker List, I knew I wanted to read that as well. She seems to be one of those divisive authors, but she seems to be a good fit for me. I wanted to read The Flamethrowers but never got to it. I will start Creation Lake today. Thoughts on Kushner?

So Birddude...this great BookTube channel featuring the literary monadnock Don Noble interviewing Trish O'Kane about her inspiring memoir, Birding to Change the World.

She's very interesting on many levels. Give it a watch when you have some time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EP3ukHcSvck

>155 msf59: I sure hope you enjoy The Sentence, Mark. I thought it was terrific!

>167 msf59: Not read any Kushner so I have no thoughts on her work. Even if I had read her stuff I am not sure I would have any thoughts on it the way my head feels today.

>168 richardderus: Thanks for this, Richard. I listened to Birding to Change the World while on our Big Trip. It was a good memoir. I will have to circle back and listen to the You Tube interview.

>169 alcottacre: Looking forward to The Sentence, Stasia. She has rarely let me down.

>168 richardderus:
I know Don Noble! He is a local celebrity and lives right here in T-town. He has been reviewing books for years on the local NPR and PBS stations. I usually hear his reviews on Monday mornings on the NPR station. The PBS shows are longer interviews. The program is 30 minutes in length. He is a retired professor at UA, and no surprise here, he was an English professor. He reviews literature that is somehow local. It can be an Alabama author, a Southern author, about one of the Deep South states, or about people from the Deep South. His review of Bloody Tuesday was another good review - not about birds, but about civil rights and what happened here in good ole' College City USA, that nobody talks about.

>171 benitastrnad: Thanks for the info on Don Noble, Benita. I will have to find time to listen to that interview.

-Clay Bennett

113- The Wide Wide Sea by Hampton Sides 4.8 stars

Of course, I had heard of Captain James Cook, one of the greatest explorers of all time but I had never read anything specifically about him. Well, leave it to Hampton Sides, one of my favorite nonfiction authors, to set me straight. In July 1776, Cook embarked on his final journey. His mission was to map out as much of the Pacific, as he could. From New Zealand to Alaska and back. Two and a half years later, after sailing thousands and thousands of miles, he ends up being killed on a Hawaiian island, by the natives there. This is a fantastic tale of the Age of Exploration, with both it’s triumphs and it’s fateful consequences, crafted by a master storyteller. Highly recommended.

*Also excellent on audio

>173 msf59: - But we've known this forever. This is not news, fake or otherwise.

>171 benitastrnad: Tusker's-Loose-y'all isn't much on the country's mental map. The one time I was there in 1975 I hated it, like the rest of Alabackward. Why Noble chose to set up shop there...! His PBS reviews are all on YouTube, so I go pick one every once in a way to bask in his friendly, collegial-in-the-old-sense style of talking about books.

>174 msf59: It's such an iconic story I feel guilty not wanting to read it. My 21st-century brain's gonna kick off about colonialism and extinctions and blahblahblah, and frankly I don't need to hear it from my brain. I'll pass, with an impressed whistle at that rating.

'Morning, Mark! Happy Wednesday to you.

>174 msf59: Just for the heck of it, I searched my catalog, all fields, for “Captain Cook” and found two books – Come On Shore And We Will Kill and Eat You All: A New Zealand Story, an ER book I gave 4* to in August of 2009, and as yet unread, Blue Latitudes: Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before by Tony Horwitz.

A Carolina Chickadee and a female Cardinal right now, but a Chipping Sparrow and a Downy Woodpecker earlier this morning, too.

>175 jessibud2: Amen to that, Shelley. I saw his dancing interview from yesterday. Ugh...sigh.

>177 richardderus: I completely understand your conflicting feelings about Cook and colonialism, Richard. Sides addresses that early in the book and makes the case for Cook, as more of an explorer than a discoverer of anything. He was not sent on this mission for that reason. That said, the intrusion of these Europeans, even if they were simply visiting, caused miseries to the native people and their environment. Of course, this also led to Cook's death.

>178 karenmarie: Happy Wednesday, Karen. Blue Latitudes had been on my TBR for many years and then it fell off the list. It is back on there now. I am a Horwitz fan too. Thanks for the feeder report.

>167 msf59: I haven't read her to date, but Creation Lake is next up, probably starting it on Friday Mark.

>173 msf59: That's awfully generous!

Just dropping by to say that I finished Mariah Montana earlier today and posted the review on my thread. I do not think I enjoyed it as much as you did, giving it 3.75 stars.

Adding to Ride with me Mariah Montana - now that you have finished it,
you may appreciate my 3 Star LT Review.

>180 Caroline_McElwee: Hi, Caroline. I am enjoying Creation Lake. I love her smart writing. I will watch for your thoughts.

>181 quondame: Yes, I am was being very subtle. LOL.

>182 alcottacre: Hi, Stasia. I gave Mariah Montana 4 stars, so we are really not that far apart. I will stop by your thread.

>182 alcottacre: Good to know that you have read and reviewed Mariah Montana. Did you read the entire trilogy?

>168 richardderus: I finally watched the interview with Don Noble/Trish O' Kane. It was very good. She is such a smart woman. A good birder and a great activist. I really enjoyed her memoir Birding to Change the World. Thanks for thinking of me.

The only poem I can write

is the one in which she devours an egg sandwich on the overcast train ride to Montauk. Both of us desperate to quit the city, even just for one day, so foolishly we underdressed for the sea. How far a few bucks take us: to the top of a lighthouse, a tote bag full of ceramic souvenirs, a single lobster roll. She poses for photos along the bluffs. I dip my feet into the cold ocean. We talk about our parents, their failures, our own. As she naps on the sand, wrapped in a gauzy scarf, I shiver and watch the clouds move fast across the horizon to reveal sunset’s approach. It is just a sunset. It’s beautiful, and means nothing more than the end of a long day. At dinner, we bicker about the bacon in our pasta. The argument is more about exhaustion than it is about pork. We spend what feels like hours in silence drinking water from a patient bartender. We don’t speak again till we board the last train back to the city when she offers me gummy candy from the depths of her bag. She is alive, and our bodies recline on the train’s seats and thrash with laughter from a joke only we know.

-Helene Achanzar. From Poem-A-Day

'Morning, Mark, and sweet Thursday to you.

No birds on the feeders, alas. I do see a male Cardinal in the Crepe Myrtle. I just remembered that I saw a Tufted Titmouse yesterday afternoon.

Sweet Thursday, Karen. Hooray for the titmouse. It has been several years since I saw one at my feeders. I am way overdue.

Thursday orisons, Mark! Off to fiddle with my spreadsheets.

>188 msf59: I just saw a titmouse on our feeders yesterday. The feeders are busy these days. We saw another rose-breasted grosbeak last week.

Have a great weekend, Mark!

>189 richardderus: Sweet Thursday, Richard. How did the spreadsheet mission go?

>190 atozgrl: Sweet Thursday, Irene. Good to see you. Hooray for the grosbeak. I have not seen one at my feeders this year and they nest here in the Midwest.

"A chilling, mesmerizing novel that combines the best of modern forensic thrillers with the detail and drama of historical fiction. In medieval Cambridge, England, four children have been murdered...Adelia, a "mistress" of the art of death is tasked to track down the serial killer."

I have had a copy of Mistress of the Art of Death on shelf for more than a decade. Why was it languishing there? I have no friggin' idea. Somehow, I also missed Richard's glowing review. Usually, that seals the deal. Well, I am finally getting to the audio version and based on the first 3 hours or so, it has been a solid read. Any thoughts on this one or the others in the series?

>192 msf59: I thought I'd got through your thread with no BBs, Mark, but then you posted that!

Mistress of the Art of Death sounds like fun,Mark. I'll have to keep it in mind.

>192 msf59: Mark, I read the first four books in this series 9 years ago and was absolutely thrilled.
Happy Friday.

>192 msf59: Hi Mark! I've read Mistress of the Art of Death, likely also on RD's recommendation. I also read the second book in the series and need to get to the third. For reasons unknown my library has all the books in the series except #3, so one of these days I'll break down and buy it.

>193 Familyhistorian: Hi, Meg. I would have bet big money that you had already read Mistress of the Art of Death, along with the rest in the series. Whew! I am glad I didn't. You will like this one.

>194 vancouverdeb: I am sure you will like Mistress of the Art of Death, Deborah. It is just your cuppa.

>195 Ameise1: Happy Friday, Barb. I am not surprised at all that you have read and loved the Art of Death series. Glad I am finally getting to it.

>196 lauralkeet: Hi, Laura. Thanks for chiming in on the Art of Death books. I am still not sure why I let this one languish on shelf for so long.

-Paul Noth

^I love early voting! Get to those polls folks!

‘Morning, Mark! Happy Friday.

>198 msf59: Electoral College, crazy whack jobs, Internet letting them find one another and organize… sigh.

>199 msf59: I’ll early vote next week.

Some of the usual suspects on the feeders, including a Carolina Chickadee and a female Cardinal.

>192 msf59: - I have the Franklin book on my shelf but haven't gotten to it yet. Maybe if you like it, I'll finally get around to reading it :)

>199 msf59: - Good on you! I'm a traditionalist and like to go in person, preferably Election Day itself. It helps that my polling place is just two blocks away :)

>192 msf59: Hiya Mark - chiming in to say I loved the whole Franklin series, although I thought the first one was the best. Have a great weekend!

>200 karenmarie: Happy Friday, Karen. Boo to the " crazy whack jobs"! Hooray for early voting.

>201 katiekrug: Hi, Katie. I am sure I will be recommending the Franklin book. It has been very good and the audio works very well too.

>202 vivians: Happy Friday, Vivian. Good to see you. I am glad to hear you are a fan of the Art of Death series.

>192 msf59: Oh yay! It's a fun read, says my memory. I hope you end up thinking so, too.

My spreadsheet mission is ongoing. I'm probably never going to finish it! Lots of variables and not a lot of skill on my part...*sigh* Happy weekend.

'Morning, Mark! Happy Saturday to you.

Just a male Cardinal on the wild bird seed feeder and a Carolina Chickadee on the suet feeder. I need to fill the sunflower seed feeder again.

Saturday orisons, Birddude. Enjoy the slow slide into winter.

>205 karenmarie: >206 richardderus: Happy Saturday, Karen & Richard. I have had a lazy afternoon with the books. Just what the doctor ordered.

>197 msf59:
I read the entire Mistress of the Art of Death series back in 2012. They were very good.
There are only four books in the series. Ariana Franklin died in January or 2011. Ariana Franklin is her pen name. Her real name is Diana Norman and she wrote under both names. Franklin is the name she used for her historical fiction works.

Her last book in the series was Death and the Maiden and it was finished by her daughter, Samantha Norman after her death. Siege Winter was her last work of historical fiction and it was also finished by her daughter. (in the UK the book was published with the title Winter Siege - Why do publishers do that?)

Franklin was married to movie producer Barry Norman who wrote a memoir of Franklin's life titled See You In the Morning.

'Morning, Mark, and happy Sunday to you.

It's still pretty drk, but I think I see a male Cardinal and a Carolina Chickadee. I'll have to do some work on the bird feeders today.

>208 benitastrnad: Thanks for chiming in on Franklin and the Art of Death series. I did not realize Franklin had passed and so long ago too. Did you read the Norman memoir?

>209 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. I cannot see anything right now. Glad you get to see the Carolina regularly.

"A small independent bookstore in Minneapolis is haunted from November 2019 to November 2020 by the store's most annoying customer. Flora dies on All Souls' Day, but she simply won't leave the store."

Boy, is Erdrich prolific. It seems like, as soon as I finish her latest, she pumps out another one. The remarkable thing is, is how consistently good she is. I am glad I am finally getting to The Sentence, just as her latest book arrives in stores. Sighs...I will start it today.

This will be a shared read, but I am not sure who will be joining me.

114- Ride with Me, Mariah Montana (Montana Trilogy) by Ivan Doig 4 stars

Jick McCaskill returns here, in the final book of the Two Medicine trilogy. He is in his mid-60s now and as scrappy and humorous as ever. It is 1989 and it is Montana's centennial summer. He is asked by his daughter and her ex-husband, who work for a Missoula newspaper, to travel with them, as they do a grand tour of their beloved state to document this milestone. He reluctantly agrees and they take off in his trusty Winnebago. They bicker throughout but even deeper bonds form too, as they travel across this beautiful state. Doig can get a bit exhausting at times but he is an entertaining storyteller and he knows his home state with deep adoration. A good solid trilogy.

*Glad to have done a shared read with Stasia on this one. Benita is still catching up with the first 2 books in the trilogy.

" Doig can get a bit exhausting at times " His sometimes too clever wordiness gets in the way of his storytelling here. That was my primary complaint about this novel, and I really think it's the first time I've thought that. But, I do have a few of his works unread, so maybe it occurs more than I realized.

>212 msf59: Doig's books have always been hit-or-miss with me. I seem not to resonate with Jick somehow. I liked This House of Sky back in the day, but that's a memoir. English Creek was okay...but I've never wanted to go back to the series. Interesting how we all resonate, or not, with so many different writers!

Happy weekend.

Saw on Richard’s thread you’re making a stop on the Bourbon Trail. Which ones are you visiting? Back in September we did a tour of Stitzel-Weller and Maker’s Mark. We also really like Woodford Reserve - beautiful place!

>213 laytonwoman3rd: I've only read The Whistling Season and I remember enjoying the story but feeling like I was tripping over words--they felt consciously placed. Haven't been tempted to try another.

>212 msf59: Hi Mark you may now enjoy my Mariah LT review!

We saw our first juncoes yesterday, joining the sparrows, chickadees, cardinals,
blue jays, woodpeckers, and 4 Tall Wild Turkeys safely crossing Portage Road.

>213 laytonwoman3rd: Glad you hung in there with it, Linda. It sounds like it is one of Doig's short-comings, as a writer. He definitely has talent.

>214 richardderus: I also really enjoyed This House of Sky, Richard but I can see why he is so divisive.

>215 drneutron: Hi, Jim. I had not heard of Stitzel-Weller. Good? I would like to make it to Maker's Mark but I don't think we will on this trip. We went to Woodford Reserve last time we were in the area. Gorgeous setting but the bourbon offering was weak. We will be hitting Buffalo Trace, probably every day. We also have a tour set up for Rabbit Hole. We may also make it back to Castle & Key, which was a very cool distillery.

>217 m.belljackson: Happy Sunday, Marianne. I will check out your Mariah Montana review. Hooray for the juncos and tall turkeys. I have seen juncos this fall but I don't think I have seen them in my yard yet.

^Jackson has been on a Teenage Ninja Turtles kick lately, so of course this will be this year's Halloween costume. It takes this stuff very seriously. 😀❤️

When are you going on your Bourbon trail trip? That is one weekend trip that I have wanted to do while down here in the South and just never got around to doing. I thought it would make a nice long weekend trip.

If you are going to be in Louisville area make sure to stop at the Bernheim Arboretum and see the Forest Giant's. That arboretum has a great sculpture trail that would make a fun hike - and it has birding trails.

All caught up, Mark. Lots of good books being read, some bird sightings, poetry, political cartoons, even more about banker’s boxes than I’ll ever need to know. 🤣 But my favorites are the pictures, both of your trip to Montana AND the Jackson updates. His joy of life shines through loud and strong. What a cutie!

>219 msf59: Cute picture of Jackson, Mark! He the age to take Halloween seriously. No grandchild sightings as yet, but today I got a text from William and they had two small individual apple pies for Dave and I, hot out of the oven . The kids were already in bed. I asked him if the kids would like to come to the Halloween party at my church, but no dice, as they already have some planned. More thinking and scheduling to do for me!

>220 benitastrnad: We leave tomorrow for Frankfort, KY. We camped in this same area 2 years ago and we found it perfectly accessible to several distilleries. We will not visit Louisville on this trip. We visited there early last year and had a ball, distillery hopping. The arboretum sounds lovely. I will have to keep that in min for next time.

>221 Donna828: Hi, Donna. Great to see you. Glad you got caught up. As you can see, I have not tired of sharing Jack pics. Right now, he is our only grandchild so he gets all of our attention.

>222 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deborah. I may even go trick or treatin' with Jack this year. It is really not my thing but I can make an exception. I hope you can connect with your grandkids for the Halloween festivities.

You'll be out with a ninja turtle! Wow...it's the 90s all over again.

Have a wonderful trip!

Hi Mark!

>219 msf59: Raphael, eh? Of course, I had to look it up.

Have fun in KY! We ended our camping season after my son's Cub Scout event.

>219 msf59: OH MY GOODNESS! So adorable. And of COURSE he takes it seriously. It is serious business.

My grands have had their costumes ready since October 1. Their mom isn’t letting them wear the costumes yet because she’s afraid they’ll get destroyed or parts of them will get lost, but also to keep the kids excited, I think. As if they aren’t already beside themselves with excitement.

Have a great time in Kentucky!

>223 msf59:
I had planned a weekend trip to that arboretum in March of 2020. I was going to go with a friend. We both wanted to see the Forest Giants because at that point they were new. Of course, everything shut down and then I started making trips to Kansas and we just never got around to making that trip. Maybe once I get settled in Kansas I can do it and the Bourbon Trail. I especially wanted to go to the distilleries in the Elizabethtown area.

>224 richardderus: Of course, Bree and Matt were children of the 90s, so they were fans of Teenage Ninja Turtles, the first time around. I don't see the attraction but the love continues.

>225 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. Yes, "R" stands for Raphael, the fearless leader of the Turtles. So, of course, that is the figure that Jack picked.

>226 The_Hibernator: Thanks, Rachel. How was the Cub Scout event?

>227 Storeetllr: Thanks, Mary. Yep, kids at this age take Halloween very seriously. I will have to stop by your thread and see what your grandkids will be wearing for this spooky event.

>228 benitastrnad: Well, it looks like we will be venturing back to Louisville, after all on this trip. We are signed up for a tour at Rabbit Hole Distillery. Not sure what else we will be doing in Louisville. Lots of choices.

I enjoyed Castle & Key too, want to revisit sometime. Buffalo Trace is next on my list!

Stitzel-Weller is an old distillery that closed back in 1993 and sold off their brands like W. L. Weller. They opened back up a few years ago and found some barrels that had been sitting in the rickhouse for 22 years - we got a taste at the end of our tour - wow! 😀

>231 drneutron: Glad you were able to visit Castle & Key, Jim. Very cool setting. We never did go inside. There were a couple of weddings going on. Thanks for the info on Stitzel-Weller. Is this the same Weller that Buffalo Trace owns now?

^We are heading out on our final camping adventure of the year. We are returning to Frankfort KY and hitting the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, or at least visiting a few of the many distilleries along the way. We did this 2 years ago. I think there are at least 6 couples going, so it should be a great group and the weather looks perfect for late October. A nice way to be distracted from this nerve-wracking election that is fast-approaching. We return on Sunday.

'Morning, Mark!

Enjoy the trip, the bourbon, the time with Sue, the time camping.

>232 msf59: Yep, same one. They started a few new brands since reopening - I picked up there a single cask bottle of I. W. Harper finished in French oak that's pretty good. Other brands were good, but not take-home worthy.

Sorry I didn't make it to read along with the Doig read. I like him as a storyteller, but less so as a writer. My favorite that I've read is Last Bus to Wisdom as it evoked childhood memories of riding the grey dog with Mom and my brother from Montana to my grandmother's house in the Dakotas.

>233 msf59: Ooo, you are not the first I've heard doing the Bourbon Trail. That's going on my bucket list. Have fun!

Not trying to catch up, Mark, but I wanted to stop by and let you know I am back in Texas :)

Safe travels of your own!

>233 msf59: Have a fun trip!

You will have a great trip because there is no rain in the forecast for the entire South for the next week. In fact you better make sure your AC is working. High temps here in t-town for Homecoming Football game is almost 90. It is very very dry here and in fact we are in drought conditions and some of the counties north of here, at the end of the Appalachians, have been fighting wildfires.

Hi Mark, Oh, Jackson is too cute in his Halloween costume. He is at such a fun age!

I saw a flock of sand hill cranes fly overhead while out walking a few days ago. A lifer sighting for me. Merlin sound app helped with the ID. They were very loud! Our juncos are back so I guess it's truly fall/winter bird season now even though it's still warm enough for shorts.

Slow Horses, Grace, Endeavour, Van der Valk, and Bad Sisters are all fun series. I love Nicola Walker too. She was great in The Split and Last Tango in Halifax. And River, of course. I just started watching MI5 and she's not in it yet. Not British, but Bad Monkey is fun, too!

Have fun on your camping/drinking weekend!

My daughter bought me a cool new birdfeeder for my birthday: it has a camera attached! I hope to get it set up this weekend so I can spy on my birds from afar.

Hope you're having a great trip, Mark! I believe my sister and her family were in that area of Kentucky on vacation this past summer. My niece enjoyed ziplining in a cave (not my idea of fun, so more power to her!)

Jackson looks great in his Halloween costume.

Ah, Kentucky. I lived there for four years between the ages of 8 and 12. It's been a few years ago. Haha. We lived in Pleasure Ridge Park (what a name) which is a suburb of Louisville. I remember holding my nose when we visited the city because of the bourbon smells. Still not a fan! Have fun on your trip, Mark.

Howdy, Mark! Too much time as elapsed to scroll through everything but just stopping by to say hi. Winterization around here is pretty much done so I'll have more leisure time to read and visit the threads.

Hey there, Mark! A grandchild sighting for me at last. I went over to take some Halloween goodie to Melissa and Miles and their parents. Unfortunatly Melissa was having a bath, but Miles came to the door and we chatting through the mail slot. They have a lock that you punch in a code and Miles doesn't know the code, nor can he reach it. But we had a fun and I passed what I could through the mail slot. Then William came to the door and we had a little more of a visit. The grandkids are coming over to our place November 7th for the day, so that will be nice. Miles and Melissa have that day off school and William and Serenade have to work.

>219 msf59: Bless.

>233 msf59: Enjoy you final camp of the year Mark.

I'm a little tipsy-feeling today for some reason. I thought I'd come visit your bourbon-soaking thread to see if something fun had happened.

We are safely back home. The travel trailer is back in our driveway. I will winterize it tomorrow and then take it back to our storage area. Sorry, I did not check in while in KY. I also got very little reading in, which was not a surprise. We had a great time, with a terrific group of friends. The campground was very nice. The fall colors were popping all around us and the weather was picture perfect. Of course, I spent a stupid amount of money on bourbon, but that also was no surprise. This will carry us for a couple of years before we return back to KY. We did several very good distillery tours. Fascinating process. I even got eight of us to play pickleball for a couple of hours. I was in heaven.

There was a nice little creek flowing along right behind our campers. There was a playful otter, that visited us from time to time. Besides a few regular birds seen, I also saw black vultures and mockingbirds, which we do not see very often in IL.

>234 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen. We had a fine time. See the comments above.

>235 drneutron: I hope you make it back to the Bourbon Trail, Jim. Especially the Frankfort area.

>236 streamsong: Hi, Janet. No worries about joining us for the Doig. I really liked the trilogy but if you are not really a fan of his writing, I can't really recommend that you read more by him.

>237 mahsdad: I highly highly recommend hitting the Bourbon Trail, Jeff. Start in Louisville and work your way east along I-64. Just bring a few hundred dollars. 😀

>238 alcottacre: Happy Sunday, Stasia. I hope you had a wonderful time in Joplin. We had a very nice time on our final camping trip of the year.

>239 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita.

>240 benitastrnad: We had a terrific trip on the Bourbon Trail, Benita and you were correct-the weather was perfect.

>241 Copperskye: Thanks, Joanne. We had a fine time. Hooray for Jackson and the sand hill crane sighting. They have not started migrating through here yet. I appreciate you sharing your Brit series choices. I have also enjoyed most of them but have not seen "Grace". I also had a good time with "Bad Monkey".

>242 labfs39: Congrats on getting the new bird feeder, Lisa. Please keep me updated. I have never had one with a camera included. Cool.

>243 bell7: We had a fine time in KY, Mary. What area did your sister visit? I have heard about the cave zip-lining. It might be pretty cool but I am still undecided on it. I think I would rather keep caves undisturbed.

>244 Donna828: Happy Sunday, Donna. Glad to hear that you have lived in KY, as well. You have bounced around. Sorry, to hear you are not a bourbon fan but it is definitely not for everyone.

>245 Carmenere: Happy Sunday, Lynda. Good to see you. Glad you got the winterizing done. Enjoy that extra reading time.

>246 vancouverdeb: Happy Sunday, Deborah. Glad you had a grandchild sighting and were able to chat a bit with Miles. I am also glad you have something arranged for November 7th. Yah.

>247 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks, Caroline. It was a nice finish. A very productive camping season.

>248 richardderus: Happy Sunday, Richard. Still having a tipsy-feeling day? Yes, we spent a lot of time in bourbon distilleries and we purchased more than a few bottles too, but we did not get crazy drinking the bourbon. Our campfire gatherings were subtle affairs this time around. Are we just getting older or was this just a one-off?

'Morning, Mark.

>249 msf59: Glad you're back, glad you had a great time, spending stupid amounts of money on bourbon, to use your words, and even playing a bit of PB.

>254 msf59: I want one.

>254 msf59: LOLOL

That's perfect. I'm going to see if one's actually available as we hurtle towards the unknown future *anxiety sweat*

Glad you had a good trip, Mark. Doing the Bourbon Trail sounds like fun...back in our drinkin' days, I think we would have enjoyed that a lot.

I finished The Sentence yesterday, and am very ambivalent about it. Won't say more here, as I assume you're still in its midst.

>255 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen. It was a good time. Currently looking for my own "election shirt".

>256 richardderus: If there was an actual "election shirt", I can see someone becoming an instant billionaire selling them. I can feel the stress building.

>257 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks, Linda. Great time on the Bourbon Trail. Sorry to hear that The Sentence fell short for you. I am on the last 3rd and so far enjoying it.

'Morning, Mark! Happy Tuesday to you.

Too dark for a bird report, but I finally had Jenna put the 50-lb bag of sunflower seeds in the metal trashcan in the garage, so can fill up the one that they always empty in a day or two.

Yesterday did include Downys and Carolina Chickadees.

job prescription

will poetry change the world? no one asks
this about football, the thrill of watching or
playing. we get that nurses & doctors are
healers. no question that rabbis, priests, &

imams guide individuals & groups through
spiritual thickets. we don’t tell cooks to put
down their wooden spoons & go make a real
difference instead of a real soufflé. teachers

are honored for the learning they impart. so
let poets keep on exciting passion in them-
selves & others. don’t discourage us from our
efforts to diagnose the human heart or create

trail markers for those coming behind us on
this journey. trust me when i say that poetry
heals, guides, feeds, & enlivens. poetry may
not change the world, but might change you.

-Evie Shockley From Poem-A-Day

>259 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Dark here but the main feeders are filled. I NEED to get suet. I have been out. Glad Jenna filled up your can for you.

Checking in on you, Mark! I am glad to hear that your last camping trip of the year was a good one!

>262 alcottacre: Morning, Stasia. Yep, it was a good trip, capping off a stellar camping season. I put the travel trailer to bed at the storage place yesterday.

Saw the bottle pic on Richard's thread - looks like you scored some good ones!

>260 msf59: As art does. Windows into other peoples' truths are real gifts, and constructed beautifully invite our view.

>264 drneutron: It was a very good haul, Jim. 2 Eagle Rares. I wish I would have picked up something from Rabbit Hole Distillery. It was excellent but I needed to cut back. 😀

>265 quondame: Perfectly said, Susan. Nailed it. 🔨

-Peter Kuper

>267 msf59: It's a nail-biter!

Hi Mark. I have fallen behind here but hopefully will catch up over the next week. My husband is still in the hospital, they are working on building his strength up so that he can come home with full mobility. I have set aside my copy of The Painted Veil to read later in the month.

'Morning, Mark, and happy Wednesday to you.

I'm happy about your stellar camping season and hope you can get everything put to bed for the winter. *smile*

Still too dark for a bird report, alas.

>267 msf59: Sigh. Setting ballot boxes on fire.

>268 richardderus: Climate change and the upcoming elections, sadly all fits that scenario, RD.

>269 DeltaQueen50: Thanks for checking in, Judy. Sorry, to hear that your husband is still in the hospital but I am glad you will be joining us for The Painted Veil.

>270 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Our first camping trip is usually late April, so we have a 6 month wait. No worries...I stay busy.

Happy mid week!

I went to the store to get suet but the weather has been quite warm so I have not put it out yet. At least I am ready when the colder weather comes.

>272 figsfromthistle: Happy Wednesday, Anita. I put out suet year-round. Many birds seem to enjoy it. I just picked up 3 blocks. Waiting on a bulk sale.

"Four lives are drawn together in a sweeping, panoramic new novel from Richard Powers...Set in the world’s largest ocean, this awe-filled book explores that last wild place we have yet to colonize in a still-unfolding oceanic game..."

Like many of my pals here, I loved Powers' Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Overstory. I wasn't as enthusiastic about his follow-up Bewilderment but still appreciated his immense talent. His latest, Playground has been getting high praise and I decided to get to it early on, (it came out in September). I am dipping into it today.

Has anyone read Orfeo? If so, thoughts? How about any of his other earlier novels?

>274 msf59: I just purchased that one recently but have not yet gotten it read. I cannot wait to see what you think of it.

>275 alcottacre: Glad you have a copy of Playground. I am hopeful about it.

-Joe Heller



-Bill Bramhall

Well, not long until we find out who is elected in the USA. I hope it is Kamala Harris. Glad you enjoyed your last camping trip of the year,Mark.

'Morning, Mark, and sweet Thursday to you.

>277 msf59: Both spot on.

Just had a Downy on the suet feeder.

>278 vancouverdeb: Sweet Thursday, Deborah. I just hope this election ends quickly and smoothly. I am sure that is wishful thinking.

>279 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. I just can't believe this election is this damn close. I really liked Biden but I am also really glad he dropped out. He would have had no chance on this campaign run.

^Sue took Jack to a kid's haunted house at our local library. He loved it.

>274 msf59: I loved The Time of Our Singing Mark. Playground is in my near future, currently half way through Rachel Kushner's Creation Lake.

>282 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks for chiming in on early Powers, Caroline. The Time of Our Singing sounds good. Looking forward to your thoughts on Creation Lake.

^Happy Birthday to the best Grandma ever!! ❤️❤️

>277 msf59: I understand completely how the lady in the first cartoon feels!

>281 msf59: I love that picture of Jack!

>284 msf59: Happy birthday, Sue!

I hope you have a great day today, Mark!

>274 msf59: I hope you end up loving the read, Birddude!

Thursday orisons on this NL-victory delight of a day.

>281 msf59: Oh, Halloween is Jackson's thing! What a look!

Adding to Sue's birthday wishes. Hope you have a birthday treat planned.

Happy Birthday, Sue!

>277 msf59: Unfortunately that second one is only too true. I dread it.

>284 msf59: Happy birthday to Sue!

>285 alcottacre: Sweet Thursday, Stasia. Glad you like the Jack pic and Sue's birthday wishes. Thanks. It has been a good day.

>286 richardderus: Sweet Thursday, Richard. I am really enjoying Playground. It is a complex narrative, in the early going but the writing and content is excellent.

>287 quondame: Waiting for more Halloween pics from Sue. She is out trick or treating with Jack.

>288 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks, Caroline. We went out for a nice lunch and we will be joining friends later for a few beers.

>289 vancouverdeb: >290 atozgrl: Thanks, Deborah & Irene. I will share that with Sue.

-Clay Bennett

>284 msf59: Happy birthday to Sue!

>281 msf59: Is Jack going out for halloween? If so what is his costume ?

>294 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita. See post #219
Sue said he had a very good time trick or treating.

>272 figsfromthistle: >273 msf59: I meant to reply to this one also when I was on here earlier. I put out suet year-round as well. I put out no-melt suet in the summer. And I've still got it out now, as it hasn't gotten cold enough yet for the regular. The birds do like it all year around, though they eat more in the winter. But the woodpeckers especially eat it all year.

>296 atozgrl: Thanks for chiming in on the suet, Irene. It seems like most of the suet I buy is no-melt. I have had no issues putting it out in the summer. I have not seen any red-bellied woodpeckers at the suet feeder in a long time but they do drop into the tray feeder from time to time to snag a peanut. I am curious about that one.

>281 msf59: So cute! What fun!

>277 msf59: I’m the lady in the top cartoon.

>298 Storeetllr: Hi, Mary. I think many of us feel like that lady in the cartoon. I think Jack was really able to enjoy this Halloween.