A rather short post this time as I am recovering from my second cataract surgery in two weeks and for the moment the computer screen is a bit blurry.

A favorite but frustrating book trail started with The Water Room by Christopher Fowler. It is the second in his wonderful Peculiar Crimes Unit series. The PCU tackles the most unusual crimes, usually murders, leaving the .... more mundane police units to solve the more common crimes. Quirky characters, sometimes strange settings and, well, peculiar crimes make this series one of my favorites, and The Water Room my favorite of the series.

There are rivers running beneath London. They ebb and flow, and change course, mostly confined by a ring-road which routes them around the city. There are overflow routes, too, built at least 100 years ago, that are opened by pressure when the rivers are extremely high. The final chase scene in this book is on foot, underground, and with the water rising.

These gates fascinated me! With regular maintenance to check for debris (and bodies) they function without the need for a key, or, these days, a button in a far away office, opening and closing as needed. I did some searching and found a book which I requested through an inter-library loan. It was enough of a disappointment in the lack of information I wanted that I no longer remember the title. I tried guide books for tourists and found little more.

There is a lot going on under the streets of London! Streams, sewers, Roman ruins, electric and fiber optic wiring, funnels for gas, and, of course, The Tube. Thieves have used the tunnels, as did the citizens of London during the World Wars. There are rats, naturally, a few pigeons who have adapted to a life with little sun, and, so the legends go, a few ghosts. London Under: the Secret History Beneath the Streets, by Peter Ackroyd touches on all these subjects, and was a fascinating read. A recommendation from Constant Reader led me to a mystery novel titled The Great Stink by Clare Clark. It has vivid descriptions of a very dirty, smelly Victorian London. One of the main characters prefers his work in the underground because there is just one stench, not layers of smells.

I still don't know as much as I'd like about the water gates, but it's been fun search (and one that will continue, I'm sure).

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In keeping with my 'trail' theme I'm thinking this might be 'overgrown trails'. These are favorites from my childhood. Many are out of print or hard to find, some are still on my shelf, others I never owned. All of them bring good memories.

I read a lot as a child. To start with it was mostly horse stories so that's the focus for today's blog. I quickly made it through all the Billy and Blaze books by C.W. Anderson, then it was on to anything and everything written by Marguerite Henry and illustrated by Wesley Dennis. I specify the illustrator here because he was my favorite horse illustrator and did most of Henry's books. Two favorites stand out: Justin Morgan Had A Horse about the origin of the Morgan horse, and White Stallion of Lipizza, which tells the story of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. As a teenager I saw both the statue of Justin Morgan in Vermont, and the Lipizzaner horses in Vienna.

The Big Book of Cowboys, by Holling C. Holling (not to be confused with another book with the same title) was an absolute delight. Filled with a great story, wonderful illustrations and packed with information (in the spaces around the edges of the pages) on cattle, and brands, horse gear and more.

Ride Like an Indian had so many things I loved ... a kid who was a reader, not part of the popular crowd, an Appaloosa horse with a hidden history, and a secret friend who saw or knew the value of both. Henry V. Larom's story is a bit dated these days, but these are the bits I still love. (To 'ride like an Indian' is to ride bareback, which I did for many years before getting a saddle). Happily, the version I have is illustrated by Wesley Dennis.

Season of Ponies, by Zilpha Keatley Snyder would lead, eventually, to my fondness for fantasy. A lonely young girl, Pamela, is living with her Aunts because her father is often away. He gives her an amulet that had once belonged to his mother. She learns there is magic in it when Ponyboy, a wild boy who lives in the woods, arrives with a herd of pastel ponies. (I imagined them as the glass blown horses a friend of mine collected at the time.) Although the book is about just one magical summer, the feeling this book gave me has never left.

Long before the recent best selling book The Eighty-Dollar Champion: Snowman, the Horse That Inspired a Nation, by Elizabeth Letz (which is an excellent read) there was Snowman, by Rutheford Montgomery from 1962 and illustrated with photographs. Montgomery actually got to meet Snowman, the horse that nobody wanted, the horse destined for the bone yard, and one that Harry de Leyer might never had seen if not for a flat tire. He saw something special in the dirty, gray horse and thought that if nothing else, he might make a good, steady horse, for his riding school. Instead, Snowman (named by his children) proved to be a champion jumper.

I hope all of you have favorite books from your childhood, too, and think of them from time to time.

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What nice weather we've been having! Even the Ohio family reports some nice days before a drop in the temps again. I have a happy porch pooch!

A trip across the pond for this Book Trail, I think. I'll start with The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett. A Corgi is out, but not just any Corgi, it is a Royal Corgi and the Queen is in pursuit when the little dog jumps into a book mobile van parked near Buckingham Palace. Once she has caught the runaway beastie, the Queen feels it is only polite to check out a book and just return it the following week. Instead, she actually reads the book, and then wants more. Her new habit is most upsetting to the rest of the staff, and to the royal schedule. (She figures out how to wave from the car and continue reading!) This is a sweet, funny read, and one that won't take you very long. The next 'Brit' book I came across was The Tower, the Zoo and the Tortoise by Julia Stuart. Among many wonderful characters there is Balthazer Jones and his wife. He is a Beefeater, so they live in the Tower ... with all those stairs and pretty much on display to the public all the time. He is given the job of setting up a zoo for many of the animals the Queen has been given. Naturally, things go wrong! The penguins escape, the giraffes are stolen, and at the worst possible moment, his beloved wife leaves him. Quirky characters add to the plot. Lots of fun!

Still fun, but with a touch of sadness, was Mrs. Queen Takes the Train by William Kuhn. The Queen and her family have been in the news for decades and she is feeling a bit tired by it all. She heads out to the stables to see the horses and a stable hand, noticing that the Queen is without a jacket, and that it is now raining, gives the Queen a black hoodie. Realizing that she is rather well hidden she decides to go to a place that has happy memories ... the royal yacht, Britannia, recently dispensed with as costing too much, so she heads for the train station and Scotland. The panic that ensues when the staff realizes she is missing leads to the hysterical chase across the country to bring her home.

I once had a pen pal, then email pal .... she was actually a friend of my mom's, but after I visited England we became friends, too. She would visit here once, and then for decades we kept in touch until a fast acting cancer took her away a few years ago. We shared a love of dogs, reading, and a similar sense of humor (humour)! Sometimes we'd discuss the differences between our two homelands. Terry Eagleton has taken this theme and run with it, as the saying goes. Across the Pond: an Englishman's View of America is his humourous discussion of how Americans are seen by the English. At times I was laughing out loud, other times I felt rather bogged down, but mostly I enjoyed the book.

As I mentioned at the beginning, my dog is very happy to being out on the porch again. The hard thing is making her wait until the sun comes around the side of the house as I like to leave the door open enough so she can push her way back in when she wants. After all, I don't want to be 'heating the great outdoors'! (I do hope other parents said that, I know mine sure did). :-)

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The official start of spring is just a few days away. There are blossoms on many of the trees in the neighborhood, and the crocus and even a few daffodils are up. I've even seen a few hardy gardeners already out in their yards during some of the lulls in the rain this past weekend. Soon those of us with allergies will start sneezing!

I'll admit it right up front ... I am a fan of CSI shows. NCIS is a favorite, as is Castle, Murdoch, and Elementary, and, from the past, Columbo and Ellery Queen. It has certainly influenced my reading, both fiction and non-fiction.

Dead Men Do Tell Tales: the Strange and Fascinating Cases of a Forensic Anthropologist by William R. Maples and Michael Browning. Dr. Maples really can tell the age, gender, and race from looking at bones, or even fragments of bones. They tell him how the victim died, and, most of the time, who the victim is. Read about his most unusual cases in this book, including the death of President Zachary Taylor. Stiff: the Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach. Through the ages bodies have been used for more than just the study of anatomy. From testing guillotines to being used for practice for surgery to studying how they decompose under various circumstances on a body farm the author tells all .... always with respect, but sometimes with a humorous touch. (It is Mary Roach, after all).

Unlucky Stiffs: New Tales of the Weirdly Departed by Cynthia Ceilan. Death is not funny, however, sometimes the means of death can be and in this, the author's second such book (the first was Thinning the Herd: Tales of the Weirdly Departed), more spectacularly dumb deaths have been gathered together. Maybe it's a good thing none of these folks were around to see the headlines they caused?

It did give me cause to do some thinking, however, which lead to Exit Strategy: Thinking Outside the Box by Michelle Cromer. There are dozens of suggestions here for something other than the traditional burial, including making jewelry from the ashes of a loved one, to becoming part of a reef in the ocean or being jettisoned into space. There are many 'green' suggestions, as well as some that are rather bizarre. I liked this book well enough to buy my own copy.

And lastly, for some quick reading, there's The Little Book of Bathroom Crime Puzzles: Two Minute Forensic Mysteries to Challenge Even the Best Amateur Detective by M. Diane Vogt. All the information you need to solve the crime is provided ... but just in case you can't, the answers are in the back of the book. :-)

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As usual, I am working on this a few days before I will post it ... and, as usual, it seems, my Ohio family is once again in the snow. Around here, it's been warm enough for my dog to have some serious porch time. I haven't told them that! ;-)

Let's start with a ride in the 'Way Back Machine' when, many years ago, I came across a book titled My Thirty Years Backstairs at the White House by Lillian Rogers Park. The author worked as a seamstress at the White House from 1931 - 1961, following in her mother's footsteps who worked there from 1909 - 1939 (as a housemaid and then head housemaid). It is a delightful look at what the First Families were like behind the scenes, away from the public. Look for the original release, reviews have mentioned that a re-released edition with 'extras' is not as good.

Jump forward to a book with a title that was hard to pass up: Fiesty First Ladies and Other Unforgettable White House Women by Autumn Stevens. Aren't First Ladies supposed to be dignified and proper? Stay in the background? Think again! From Martha Washington forward many of the presidential spouses were strong, independent thinkers. On to The First Ladies Fact Book: the Stories of the Women in the White House from Martha Washington to Laura Bush by Bill Harris. (The 2005 edition). This book has lots of little bits of information ... achievements and personal habits ... childhoods and siblings ... hobbies and quirks ... this was just plain fun to read. :-)

Moving a little closer to home now, just this past week I read The Light in the Mansion by Mary Lou Hanify. It's a nice little collection of stories about the wives of the governors of Washington State from Sarah Ferry, through Nancy Evans. The writing style is a bit choppy, as if it was written from newspaper articles, (which it may have been) but overall it was an interesting book.

Then it was on to First Ladies by Margaret Truman, which I finished with my first cup of tea Monday morning. Other books by Truman (she writes fiction, too!) will show up in future blogs, and I really wish I could find her book, White House Pets, but it seems to be out of print and the one copy I found via amazon was listed at 688 dollars! First Ladies was a wonderful 'visit' with the presidential spouses and how they coped with living in the White House. Some loved it, others hated it, but they all left their mark.

And, since I've been dealing with women this time, the 'puzzlement' is Pandora. Remember her? The one who opened a box (although more recent reading has said that it was actually a jar) and let all the troubles out into the world? Is this a good name for a new service? A quick query of friends though, revealed a variety of answers: some remembered the name, but not the connection with bad things; some liked the name regardless; just one agreed with me, and lastly, it was pointed out that the name Pandora means 'gifted' so that might make it a decent name for a service. Thanks to everyone for their input! :-)

As for a Pandora 'moment' here at home ... I have a box for dog toys. My last dog was content to pull one or two toys out at a time and did not mind when I tossed them back in his toy box. My current dog, however, seems to take great exception when all the toys are put away and determinedly takes them all out and scatters them about the house again. (Actually, this was a pretty good way to keep her entertained when the snow kept us from our usual walks).

And, finally, a short entry here, just because St Patrick's Day is coming soon: "Erin Go Bark!: Irish Dogs and Blessings" photographed by Kim Levin and written by John O'Neill. This is a sweet collection of wise doggy sayings and some very nice photography. I will end with one of them: "May your lazy afternoons stay that way."

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Dallas Seavey is the winner of the 2014 Iditarod! He is the son of Mitch Seavey, two time winner (and presently in third place). Ally Zirkle was a close second. The teams still out will trot under the burled arch in Nome over the next several days.

Two coffee table books are part of today's post: Iditarod Glory, photography by Jeff Schultz, essay by Brian Patrick O'Donoghue and Iditarod Spirit by Kim Heacox. I love looking at these books with a cup of tea. The pictures are spectacular ... Alaska is a stunning and harsh land. There are behind the scenes photos (Jeff Schultz was the official photographer for more than two decades). There are pictures along the trail of the mushers and their dogs working so well together, of the volunteers who help each year along the trail, of the checkpoints and the tending of the teams, and of course, the finish in Nome.

There are lots of volunteers along the Iditarod trail, including pilots! These bush pilots transport food, supplies, photographers, and dogs to and from the various checkpoints in all kinds of weather (unless it's really, really bad, as it was a few years back when the supplies were brought in by, you guessed it, dog teams!) They take off on the ice, they look for missing teams in blizzards, and take dogs dropped from teams back to the start. Learn about these amazing pilots in Adventures of the Iditarod Air Force: True Stories About the Pilots Who Fly for Alaska's Famous Sled Dog Race, by Ted Mattson.

Iditarod Country: Exploring the Route of The Last Great Race, with stories by Tricia Brown and photography by Jeff Schultz tells a bit about each of the towns along the Iditarod route as well as stories told to Tricia Brown from several of the mushers. It's short, and a quick, fun read. The Iditarod Fact Book: a Complete Guide to the Last Great Race, edited by Sue Mattson, illustrations by Jon Van Zyle, photographs by Jeff Schultz has hundreds of facts about the race, the history, the mushers, the terms they use. It's great to read this book during commercials. ;-)

And finally, a delightful little book of quotes, tales and facts: Lessons My Sled Dog Taught Me: Humor and Heartwarming Tails From Alaska's Mushers, collected by Tricia Brown, illustrations by Amanda Brannon. You'll find all sorts of wisdom here, this one from Sonny King: "My dogs have taught me patience ... strength ... skill ... and determination. That's what it takes to get to Nome" as well as the old standby "The view never changes unless you're the lead dog" (Anonymous).

I once had a dog ... a northern breed mix. He loved the winter cold and snow. You also need to know, for this story, that my roof is designed to shed the snow. At some point during a snowfall there are rumbles and thuds and then there are snow drifts in my yard. It was after a particularly snowy time, but most of the snow was now gone and it was one of those rare 'spring is on the way' moments that last for maybe an afternoon and then disappear for several weeks. It was the weekend so many of the neighbors (of all ages) were home, and outside. The kids were riding bikes up and down the street, adults were getting a start on a yard cleanup, and the dogs, well, the dogs were gleefully romping and rolling in the new, tender, green grass. Except for mine. He was happily stretched out on that one remaining pile of snow. :-)

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This warming trend, however brief, has sure been nice! I've even had the doors open to get some fresh air blowing through the house. My dog, who adores being on the front porch happily carried every one of her stuffed toys out the doggy door.

It's time to 'spring forward' again. Why are we still doing this? Is there really a purpose? My answer is NO! The farmers don't like it (cows aren't going to change when they expect to be milked). Much of the rest of the world, parts of Canada, and even places in the U.S. don't change, so for the duration they have to consider what time it is elsewhere when thinking about travel, business meetings, and so on. It makes scheduling planes, trains, ferries more difficult. So again, I ask, why?

Turns out, this is a very controversial subject! Spring Forward: the Annual Madness of Daylight Saving Time by Michael Downing. For a hundred years DST has been a hotly debated issue in Congress. The front flap of the book jacket says it best, and I quote ... "It is a true-to-life social comedy with Congress in the leading role, surrounded by a supporting cast of opportunistic ministers, movie moguls, stockbrokers, labor leaders, educators, sports fanatics and farmers. This dizzyingly hilarious debate seems destined to continue for as long as we ask one another, "What time is it?" " Of this blogs two books, this was the most fun.

Seize the Daylight: the Curious and Contentious Story of Daylight Saving Time by David Prerau. A bit more serious than "Spring Forward" this was still an interesting read. Included are charts of what countries switch to DST, who knew there were so many? I sure didn't! (Although there are three states that do not make the time change). The author discusses the influence of DST on things like street crime and voter turnout, automobile accidents and sporting events. According to the author's biography, he has co-authored several reports to Congress on the effects of DST. Personally I'd like to see how much time and money as been wasted, er, spent on this subject.

And lastly, a book that doesn't seem to fit anywhere else, a book I've seen once, loved, and tried to order only to find out it had a limited printing. It has not been released again, and I've never seen another copy. Still, it was a wonderful, clever story and became an instant favorite. It is The Damp and Daffy Doings of a Daring Pirate Ship by Guillermo Mordillo. It was a picture book with delightful illustrations including the requisite brave pirates, a sea monster, and a buried treasure. There was a desert island with a trap door, too!

Don't forget to change your clocks!

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Along with a dusting of snow this past weekend there was also sleet, freezing rain, and whatever the various mixes might be called as the temperature went from the upper twenties to the low forties. It's raining now, and the sky is gray. Once again, though, my Ohio relatives report another storm moving through in their 'winter that will not end'. It's 17 (plus a wind chill) degrees (Monday morning) with snow in the forecast for the coming week. (Seems even the reminder that March 'comes in like a lion ...' was a welcome reassurance).

A ziggy-zaggy sort of trail this time, starting actually, with a TV show. It's the "Trouble With Tribbles" episode from the original series of Star Trek. It was about cute, furry critters who breed in great numbers when removed from their natural habitat. Fast forward a few decades to when a co-worker told me it was from an old Disney short called "Pigs is Pigs". I found that on a Disney Classics dvd only to see in the credits that it was based on a short book with the same name. Published in 1905 by Ellis Parker Butler, it is a delightful children's story about guinea pigs left in a train station when there was some dispute over whether they were pets or farm animals. (Pets shipped for free, farm animals did not). I figured that was that until 2013 when I came learned of yet another version ... this time an early Robert Heinlein, and one that I missed 'way back then .... The Rolling Stones. The tie in with both Pigs and Tribbles is just one part of this family adventure in space. This time the furry critters are known as 'flat cats' who are happy, purring beasties who love to be petted ... and to eat. Naturally, they too reproduce at an alarming rate.

A cat (well, mostly) story seems to be in order this time. Someone I know used to live in a log cabin on the lake. Nighttime was reading time, on the sofa, with the cat. Behind the sofa was a window. All would be quiet, the reading would be going well when the cat would look up, out the window, and look .... startled. The question my friend would ponder .... turn and check what's out there or not?! I've had similar experiences with dogs, once there was even a low growl. I pondered that same question ... and usually went with 'ignorance is bliss' and returned to reading, hoping that if the situation was truly serious, my dog would react more strongly.

It's a subtle change at the moment, but the days are getting longer.

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Happy March! The Iditarod starts today. I'm having a hard time connecting to the Official Site, but I understand there is not enough snow.

The recent snowfall here, however brief, along with the start of the Iditarod, inspired a return to sled dog books. In truth, not many of the mushers in the Iditarod make the front runners. Many are novice drivers, some are driving new teams and are giving their teams experience, others run because the race 'gets in your blood' and you have to return and do it again. And again. Back of the Pack : an Iditarod Rookie Musher's Alaska Pilgrimage to Nome by Don Bowers tells of these teams. The children's book, Togo written and illustrated by Robert Blake is a well done, easy-to-read history of the serum run. Balto may be the best known dog from the 1925 Serum Run (there is a statue of him in Central Park) but Togo was the dog that lead Leonhard Seppala's team most of the distance. At first considered to be too small, Togo's strength, speed and sense of direction soon had him at the head of the team. While they ran a greater distance than the other relay teams, at the end, the serum was passed on to another driver at Golovin Village to run it on into Nome. This is a beautifully done, well researched tale of Seppala and Togo's journey. Storm Run: the Story of the First Woman to Win the Iditarod Sled Dog Race by Libby Riddles, illustrations by Shannon Cartwright. Illustrated with family photos and delightful drawings, this is the autobiography of Libby Riddles. (She and Susan Butcher would inspire the motto "Alaska: Where Men Are Men and Women Win the Iditarod"). Dogteam, written by Gary Paulsen and illustrated by Ruth Wright Paulsen. I have learned from the reading I've done that mushers enjoy running at night and this book certainly (for me) explains why! I love the description of how quiet it is, except for the huff of the dogs, the shoosh of the runners over the snow, and the jingle from the harnesses.

Those of you who have read Winterdance are familiar with the time when Gary Paulsen tripped as he and his dog team were heading down the driveway. My mushing friend tells me he, too, had a 'tripping' experience with his team. It was when his mother was visiting. She was very interested in the dog team and was eager to take a ride in the dog cart. (There was no snow at the time). Mom was helped onto the platform behind the steering handle and told to step on the brake while the dogs were hooked up. The dogs were too quick, however, and before my friend could step in behind his mom, they took off, leaving him behind, watching his mom racing down the driveway and imagining the dogs speeding out onto the road in front of a gravel truck. His mother, who was pretty much unflappable, hung on gamely, steering the cart down the long, curving driveway. Finally she either got the team stopped, or they got tangled enough to stop themselves. When my friend finally caught up with them, all was well and his mom was smiling at the adventure she'd had.

'Mush!' (from the French marche) is not used much anymore, instead, the more common command (at least in English) is 'Hike!'

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