Good morning all!

The snow was falling as I worked on this entry. A steady snow with a bit of a wind from the North. When I told the Ohio relatives we had a four or five inch total they just laughed. When it reached eight inches they were more sympathetic!

I love when folks recommend books to me. One of the best for that is Constant Reader, who also has a new blog (isn't there something about great minds .....?) ;-) That blog may be found at: http://constantreader042.blogspot.com We've shared book suggestions for some years now. Some times we like the recommendations, some times we don't ... and we like that as well!

We both enjoy word books so that will be the trail of books I'll mention today. I'll start with an old favorite: Anguished English: an Anthology of Accidental Assaults Upon Our Language by Richard Lederer. It is filled with unintentional puns, headlines with a double meaning, and, shall I say, 'creatively' spelled words. While many have made the 'internet circuit' it's still a fun read. For a rollicking good time, try Dewdroppers, Waldos, and Slackers by Rosemary Ostler. Language is always changing, words come and go, or evolve in to new versions. Every time period has it's own fads with new words and phrases. Moving through the decades of the past century, this is a detailed journey through the language of each .... great essays and pictures highlight the lists of words and help evoke that era. It's been rather interesting, seeing which words I recognize (and from how far back)! An update here, now that I've finished the last chapter ... I recognize little of the most current slang. (No surprise, actually). :-)

Quotations With an Attitude: a Wickedly Funny Source Book, by Roy L. Stewart. Perfect for the snarky, the sarcastic, the smart aleck or just to have something funny to say. I had to read this book a little at a time because I was laughing so much. Even the title made me laugh. :-) Speak! The Best Quips, Quotes, and Anecdotes for Dog Lovers, compiled and edited by Connie DuBay. While not a scrapbooker in the more traditional sense, I do keep a sort of journal about my dogs. In addition to photos and text, I like to include the occasional quote so I was very pleased to add this book to my collection. It was fun just to read, too. ;-)

Some of my friends and I like to watch HGTV. Probably too much! We are puzzled by comments made by designers that book shelves are improved by removing at least one third of the books, arranging them by color, or wrapping them all in butcher paper to have a more uniform look. We agree that this might be a good idea when staging a house for sale, but on a day to day basis? Really? How do you find the book you want? Ah well, we all have, and will continue to have, shelves filled with books of all sizes and colors and in an order that works for us. :-)

Later 'gator!

Reading Hermit With Dog

Good morning!

While we were having a more typical pnw winter for a while, there is now snow in the forecast. We'll see! Reports from the relatives in Ohio tell me their winter just will not end and another storm is moving through the area.

One cold, blustery, winter day some friends and I gathered for a day of movies (and pizza). This was before Netflix, streaming and so forth, but between us we had a nice selection from which to choose. At some point, we decided there needed to be a connection of some sort. We came up with something like this: "Funny Girl" with Omar Sharif, "The Tamarind Seed" with Omar Sharif and Julie Andrews, "Victor/Victoria" with Julie Andrews and Robert Preston, "The Music Man" with Robert Preston and Shirley Jones, and "Oklahoma!" with Shirley Jones. We've yet to try this again as we no longer are able to gather for movie days, but it sure was fun. :-)

A 'back trail', I think, to start with this time. It was while I was reading John Adams by David McCullough that I returned to two favorites from oh, so very long ago. (Actually, this book would lead off in both directions, but for now I'll just back track a bit). :-) The biography of Adams is a big book and took me some time to read, but it was worth it. Reading about how determined Adams was that we needed to be rid of England made me want to return to Johnny Tremain and Mr. Revere and I. I believe it was my fifth grade teacher who started reading Johnny Tremain to us. Soon I had my own copy and was reading along, and then finishing it before the class did. At some point I replaced my well worn paperback copy with a hardback I found at a used book store. Johnny Tremain is an apprentice for a silversmith. When his hand is injured in an accident, he has to look for other work and ends up as a messenger for a patriotic newspaper with ties to the Sons of Liberty. He'll be involved with many of the events that lead to the Revolution. (No spoilers here)!

Mr. Revere and I: Being an Account of Certain Episodes in the Career of Paul Revere, Esq., as recently revealed by his Horse, SCHEHERAZADE, late Pride of his Royal Majesty's 14th Regiment of Foot. Set down and Embellished with Numerous Drawings by ROBERT LAWSON. (Whew)! 'Sherry', as the horse is called, is sure her life has taken a turn for the worse when she ends up with Paul Revere. Soon, though, she finds she is proud to be with this patriotic family. Although told from the view point of the horse, the facts are accurate and this a great way to start learning about the American Revolution.

I love to look at picture books. Every so often, a special one emerges, such as this one. I used it when I was a substitute teacher as well as sharing it with the children of my friends. The Aminal, by Lorna Balian. There is 'something' underneath the porch, and as Patrick's friends gather and describe it, it gets bigger and bigger. The pictures are charming, and the ending a surprise!

I have friends with cats. At the time of this story they lived out in the county with horses, sheep, and, of course, dogs. One day they came home from work and as they entered the mud room there were no cats to greet them. As they moved from the mud room to the family room/kitchen end of the house there were still no cats. As they entered the kitchen they finally saw the cats (three, as I remember) ... all nicely spaced around their food dish ... watching a mouse who was happily eating away at the kibble. One of my friends commented to the other "Remind me again ... why do we have cats?"

Stay warm,

Reading Hermit With Dog

A soggy greeting today! We finally got some rain and clouds that hung over the bay all day long. Much more typical of the northwest.

Today I will return to dog books. There are dozens of titles I enjoyed growing up, but I am starting here with a more recent (as in the last fifteen years) find. First Lady of the Seeing Eye by Morris Frank and Blake Clark. Buddy was the first Seeing Eye dog in the United States. She was partnered with Morris Frank to show just what a Guide Dog could do for the blind. The result was impressive. Tales of their adventures together are wonderful .... from Buddy keeping Morris from walking into an elevator after the doors opened, but there was no elevator, just the empty shaft, to the time she picked up his wallet and carried it back to their room when he didn't even know he'd dropped it.

So That Others May Live: Caroline Hebard and Her Search and Rescue Dogs by Hank Whitemore and Caroline Hebard follows Caroline and her amazing dogs as they perform searches all over the world. One of the earliest books I remember seeing on canine search and rescue teams, others would follow as humans discovered just how amazing dogs were. This is further explored in Dogs With Jobs: Working Dogs From Around the World by Merrily Weisbord and Kim Kachnoff. Featured here are the stories (and pictures) of water rescue dogs, mine sniffing dogs, cadaver dogs ... herding dogs, sled dogs, service dogs ... dogs who sniff out tree snakes, or termites, and much more. The scope of what dogs can do is ... awe inspiring.

Continuing on the theme is Dog Heroes: Saving Lives and Protecting America by Jen Bidner. It starts with a chapter on the history of search dogs and ends with one on how to get started in the profession. This book includes the dogs who served in wars from the Civil War forward, those who worked at Ground Zero after 9/11, and at the scene of natural disasters. Dogs who can find bodies, or items, even in the water, or buried, or in the fuel tank of an airplane. No wonder it's easy for them to discover just where a treat is hidden!

In 1995 I found Death in Bloodhound Red, by Virginia Lanier. It was the first in the series about Jo Beth Siddon, who lives in the deep south and trains Bloodhounds for search and rescue. Often, the areas where she searches are full of nasty bugs and beasts not to mention the heat and humidity. The description of her companionship with her dogs is one of the best things about the books. Sadly, the author died in 2003 so there are just five books total.

For those of you still working ... are you working on a tough project? Something with few guidelines, a killer deadline? I have a friend in a high stress job who told me she felt like she was a magician expected to pull a rabbit out of a hat and all she found was a gerbil. Seems an apt description to me!

Stay dry,

Reading Hermit With Dog

Good morning,

NOAA is (and has been) predicting rain. I know it will come at some point, after all, this is the Pacific Northwest!

I am one of those Washingtonians who does not carry an umbrella, I don't even own one. I decided to go to google and see what I could find on this subject. I entered 'do washingtonians shun umbrellas?' and got one of those annoying (at least to me) google corrections 'did you mean SUN umbrella's?' (I'd really, really like a 'No, I did not' response button). Argh, no I did not (and, does that even make sense .... a Washington sun umbrella, really?) So next I exchanged 'use' for 'shun' and got a good number of hits. Many seem to require I use Facebook or Twitter, which I don't, but overall, the jury seems divided on this issue with as many saying they did not use an umbrella as those who do. A bit to my surprise, I got this same divided response when I queried my friends. (I think I was expecting more who did not use or own one).;-)

My 'trails' for music books may have started with a book of Disney songs I was given sometime back in the late 1950's. I was thrilled when I could actually have my favorite songs right in front of me! I remember collections of songs my folks loved, and then, from my time in a junior church choir The Hymnal for Youth. At some point I started reading not only about music history, and more specifically (for me) about the French Horn, but biographies as well. I'm taking the easy path here and starting with song books, or in come cases, books about songs.

The Hymnal for Youth includes two very specific favorites. "Day is Dying in the West" and "There's a Song in the Air" which was one of my Mom's favorites. In fact, this is the only place I'd ever seen it until several years ago when I found it on a CD of Christmas Songs. (Which is the only time I've ever heard it from an actual choir, and not just played on the piano). Music Makers: Camp Fire Girls is filled with many of the songs I remember from Camp Kirby. While mine has the Camp Fire Girl cover, I'm going to guess that there are also versions with the Girl or Boy Scout cover as well. :-)

Stories of Our American Patriotic Songs by Dr. John Henry Lyons, with illustrations by Jacob Landau. This was a discarded book I picked up at a book sale decades ago now. It has the words, music and a the story behind ten of our national songs. It's one I often reread around the Fourth of July.

Washington Songs and Lore, compiled by Linda Allen, it was published for the Washington State Centennial. Who knew there were so many songs about our state? I'm sure glad someone did, and that they were gathered in this wonderful collection. Illustrations include historic photos, pen and ink sketches, the fronts of sheet music and so on.

John Denver's Take Me Home Country Roads, adapted and illustrated by Christopher Canyon. I almost included this book with an upcoming blog about some of my favorite fiction series ... the Jennifer Chiaverini Quilter's books, as these detailed illustrations have a definite 'quilty' look that gave a cozy, homey feeling to one of my favorite songs. In the end, I decided I liked it here. She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain by Philemon Sturges, illustrated by Ashely Wolff. Warning .... you may get this song stuck in your head after reading this. I did (but didn't mind). A clever, silly, whimsical and fun version of a familiar (and favorite) folk song.

John Denver: the Complete Lyrics, edited by Milton Okun. I'll admit it, I love John Denver. There are times his songs bring tears to my eyes ("Matthew", for example). I found this book of just the lyrics to be no less powerful.

Rise Up Singing: the Group Singing Songbook, edited by Peter Blood and Annie Patterson. A must have for anyone who likes to sing ... included are folk songs, Broadway songs, sea chanties, past popular songs ... enough to keep you singing for years! I can amuse myself for hours just by thumbing through the pages.

Dogs can be a source of endless amusement. There once was a dog named Scandal. She lived with her humans and several other dogs in a house with a nice yard, a view of who or what was approaching out the large front window, and one preferred pooch pillow. (There were enough pillows for all the dogs, but this one was the best, it seemed). If Scandal saw that the pillow was occupied she would go to the front window and bark once. This would bring all the other dogs to the window, most of them already barking. Scandal would then claim the preferred pillow. Oddly enough, none of the other dogs did this. Seeing that the pillow was occupied (by any of the dogs) they'd just sigh and walk away.

This brings me to a Puzzlement: I have seen many sorts of pooch pillows, for the tiniest of dogs to the largest. Many have a bolster, or raised pillow, and this is where the puzzlement comes in. The dogs I've had, have, or known, all like to sleep with their bodies on a pillow and their heads at a lower angle. The dog I have now sleeps on the sofa, feet tucked in one corner and with her head hanging off the front. Since this style of pillow is found in pet stores and catalogs, I am sure there are dogs who love the pillows, but my friends and I have yet to see one! : )

My alarm has sounded .... the kind with four feet and a black nose, it's time for our walk. Enjoy your day.

Reading Hermit With Dog

Good morning! It is a lovely, soft, gray morning as I work on my blog (Monday). There is a light rain, with more (and heavier) rain in the forecast. It will be nice to get out of our drought! On our morning walk we had one of those quirky pnw weather moments. There was blue sky overhead, but we were walking in the rain! Ohio, however, is still in the cold. There is even a hazardous weather warning about the windchill factor. There is snow in the forecast for the end of the week. My Ohio relatives remind me to be happy I don't have to shovel rain ... believe me, I am, I am! :)

Book Trails this time has a World War II theme. One of my favorite movies is "The Great Escape" and, after watching it for the first time I tracked down the book by Paul Brickhill (with the same title). It was different than the movie, of course, but gripping and engaging in it's own way. There's a lot more detail of what went on, maps of the tunnels, and pictures of the actual men involved.

In grad school I took a Canadian history class. For one assignment I read And No Birds Sang, by Farley Mowat. Mowat served as a Private in the Canadian Army from 1940 to 1945. This book is a personal account of his experiences there in. He describes the harsh conditions that took a toll on the men (the dust, or mud, depending, the smell of men in close quarters who had not been able to shower for several days, the lack of sleep, the bombs) along with the frustration and silliness of some of the Army rules (such as being sent on leave when there was no place to actually go). In contrast to this (as part of the assignment), I read one written by a General or Admiral who had an entirely different view of the war. Mowat's book is the one that stayed with me all these years later.

My WWII reading was jump started again with Once Upon a Town: the Miracle of the North Platte Canteen by Bob Greene. North Platte, Nebraska was a water stop for the troop trains transporting soldiers across the country. Local residents initially planned on greeting just the train that was taking their own troops east. Instead, it evolved into a Canteen for every train that stopped, from early each morning until after midnight each night. Food was offered, from hot meals to home-made desserts (often using the baker's ration book coupons for sugar) to coffee (the cups could be taken on the train, then put into a box that was sent back on a train going in the other direction). There were books and magazines, materials for letter writing and even, sometimes, music for dancing. Entirely staffed by local volunteers from this small community it continued until the war ended. It's an amazing book, one that I've recommended and given as a gift.

This lead to A Higher Call: an Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War Torn Skies of World War II by Adam Makos. An American pilot, in a damaged plane, was in the air over Germany when a German plane came up along side him. Instead of shooting him down, the German pilot signaled to follow him and led the American safely out of German air space and to a point where he was able to get his disabled plane and crew home. The book chronicles the lives of both pilots before, during and after the war. Recommended by my friend Terry. A similar theme was used on an episode of NCIS this season.

Another reader friend of mine (aka Constant Reader) suggested Wine and War: the French, the Nazis, and the Battle for France's Greatest Treasure by Don Kladstrup. It is the story of how the winemakers of France worked to save their treasured wines and grapes from the Nazis. From creating false walls in the caverns, complete with spider webs and dust, to mislabeling bad wine as good, and sabotaging trains, they also hid Jewish refugees and helped sneak men and women of the Resistance across the country. Although I'm not a drinker of wines and probably missed things when wine was discussed, I found this to be an enthralling read.

Shortly after finishing the Kladstrup book I came across A Train in Winter: an Extraordinary Story of Women, Friendship, and Resistance in Occupied France by Caroline Moorhead. While both men and women were involved in the French Resistance, this is a book about the women. They came from all walks of life, some were very young, others in their sixties. Eventually they were hunted down by the Gestapo, imprisoned and eventually sent to Auschwitz. This is a story of their ordeal, it's grim in many places, but well written and has one of my favorite things ... a wonderful bibliography.

I love kid's books! Some of them will show up with other 'Trail' themes, but this one is a stand out all by itself (at least for now) and I thought it might offer some relief from the rather grim trail of today's blog. A Mother's Promise written by Lisa Humphrey, illustrated by David Danioth. For reasons I will never be able to explain, I plucked this book off the shelf at Village Books. I started with a quick scan and ended up standing there, reading the entire book. I loved everything about it ... the text, which is about our connections to the natural world, and the pictures, which depict them so beautifully. It is a quiet gem of a book.

There has pretty much always been a dog in my life. My mom and I went to the local shelter when I was five and since then I have always had a rescue dog. Many of my friends also have dogs so when we are together (whether 'live' or via email) we are talking about our dogs. (I'm pretty sure we're could hold our own against any grandparent). ;-) A few dogs back I had a dog that would sing ... well .... what she had was a 'rou' of a bark, which I could get her to do if I 'rou'd' back to her. We'd sing 'Rou, rou, rou your boat' and 'Michael, rou your boat ashore'. (Other dogs, however, have actually left the room when I sing).

Happy trails! (Remember Roy Rogers?)

Reading Hermit With Dog

Welcome to the Reading Hermit with Dog blog!

Newly (and unexpectedly) retired, and with my third (self-published) book completed and 'launched' in August 2013, I found myself in need of a project. Since I've always enjoyed the old-fashioned ritual of letter writing, several people suggested I try a blog. After mulling it over, (I have become something of a procrastinator), this seemed like an excellent idea.

While I have a plethora of good friends, getting together is proving difficult: some are still working; some live hundreds or thousands of miles across the country; and some are doing the 'sandwich' thing where they are caring for both grandchildren and elderly parents. A blog seemed a good way to give me a new project, and engage in a form of 'idle chat' with them, but was something they could then read on their own schedule.

As with any project of mine, I started with doing some research. I learned that I should select the subjects I wanted to discuss, that I should decide on how often I would update my blog, and to have at least three sets of entries ready to go before I went live. That's done, and I think I'm ready!

The things my friends and I like to talk about, then, will be the topics in my blog. Given the chance, we talk about books (all kinds), pets (mostly dogs), the weather (an oldie but a goodie!), and something we call "Puzzlers" which is intended as a humorous comment on some of the little things that we find, well, puzzling!

For now I plan on updating my blog twice a week on Tuesday and Saturday.

This section is something I'm calling "Book Trails" .... where one book leads to another and another and so on. This can go on for years. After several days of staring at the books I've shared with others, and would like to share here, I am starting with books about (drum roll) sled dogs! I got seriously started on this subject in 1999 when I adopted an amazing dog. Or rather, he saw me at the Shelter and told me to take him home! New to Northern Breeds, they became the focus of my reading. Breed books morphed into the books you will see here.

I'd actually read, Winterdance: the Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod by Gary Paulsen a few years earlier. It immediately became one of my all time favorite books. After working with a small team of dogs, the author decides he just has to participate in the Iditarod. (The subtitle of 'a fine madness' pretty much says it all). The first part of the book where Paulsen is getting used to his team and getting them in shape for the race is one of the funniest things I've ever read, especially when he tried a bungee cord to attach the team to the sled. The second part, which details the actual running of the race was so compelling that when I put the book down I was surprised to see the sun was shinning and it was warm outside. This was one of several titles I have given as gifts to a friend of mine who now runs his own small team of dogs.

The Cruelest Miles: the Heroic Story of Dogs and Men in a Race Against an Epidemic by Gay Salisbury and Laney Salisbury, and The Great Serum Race: Blazing the Iditarod Trail by Debbie S. Miller and illustrations by Jon Van Zyle. In 1925 there was an outbreak of diphtheria in Nome Alaska. It was winter so there were no ships coming in, the open cockpit planes could not fly in such cold weather, and trains covered just the first 400 miles out from Anchorage, where the serum was. The only way for the serum to get to Nome was by dog sled. Twenty teams braved the bitter weather, covering 600 miles in six days. The Cruelest Miles is written for adults and includes pictures and maps and a wonderful bibliography. The Great Serum Race is written for children and has beautiful illustrations. It has a list of facts in the back and is one I turn to when I need to do a quick check on this subject.

Other books inspired me to return to books I'd enjoyed as a child, or "Back Trails". These will show up from time to time.

Pacific Northwest Weather: I'll admit it, I am fond of rain and overcast skies! In the winter, especially, it's easier to drive on an overcast day because the sun is so low in the horizon it's hard for the visor to be effective (especially for a short driver). Today is a cold, clear, windy winter day. There are whitecaps on the water and I've seen no birds at all at the feeder next door. My personal feeling is we could really use some rain! I will not, however, go so far as to complain as I have relatives in Ohio .... ('nuf said). :)

The Puzzler for February 8 is: women who wear high heels in the snow! Not boots, not something that protects their feet, but dressy heels. And not for a quick dash from a building to a car, or bus, but for serious walking. 

That's it, my very first blog entry!  Thank you for visiting!  

Reading Hermit