This post seems to be all about travel. Of a sort.

As a kid I remember reading a book about Tschiffeley's Ride so I was pleased to find Tschiffely's Ride: Being an Account of 10,000 Miles in the Saddle Through the Americas From Argentina to Washington, by A.F. Tschiffely. Much longer, and more detailed that the book from my childhood, this was more a diary or journal. In addition to talking about the amazing horses (Argentine Criollo), Tschiffely included legends, customs and history of the areas he rode through (at least in South America). Starting in 1925, the trip took three years and went from Buenos Aires to Washington, D.C. The horses, Mancha and Gato were 18 and 16 when the ride started. When they returned home they were retired to the pampas from which they came and lived into their forties.

I've read many times that something a musher enjoys the most is the time with their dogs when they are out on the trail. This is true in Alone Across the Arctic: One Woman's Epic Journey by Dog Team, by Pam Flowers with Ann Dixon. It's a journey that takes a year, there are polar bears, bad weather (as in blizzards), floating ice .. and the author is all alone. Except for her dogs.

This was a book that almost didn't happen, about an event that was almost lost forever. Fortunately, in 1984 an eighth grader entered an essay in the Washington State History Day Contest, an essay about a mother and daughter that walked across the continent. It captured the interest of Linda Lawrence Hunt and after months and years of research, Bold Spirit: Helga Estby's Forgotten Walk Across Victorian America was the result. Helga Estby always intended to write a book, but her first notes, from the actual journey, were stolen. Later, family will burn the notes she made in the following years. For reasons which the reader will learn, the walk became the story that was Never Talked About. Ever. It all started in May, 1896 when Helga Estby accepted a 10,000 dollar wager to walk from Spokane, WA (where the family lived) to New York City. Her husband was injured and unable to work, and they needed money. She and her daughter packed light, carrying with them the proper letters of introduction, a few bits of clothing, and a variety of weapons. They would meet up with tramps, Indians, and presidential candidates, wear out several pairs of shoes, and, as required in the challenge, switch from their usual Victorian apparel, to the 'new' bicycle outfit for women, when they reached Salt Lake City. I pretty much read this book in one sitting, it was that good!

Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland's History Making Race Around the World, by Matthew Goodman. It started with just Nellie Bly, as a means to increase the subscriptions to Joseph Pulitzer's newspaper World, but when a competitor heard about it, he too, sent his own female journalist in a dash around the world (in the other direction). Since I did not know many (okay, any) of the details here, this was an exciting read! Nellie Bly traveled light (so unlike women of that time period), taking just a small, carry on bag. Elizabeth Bisland had less than eight hours to plan for her trip (she took a bit more luggage). As it so often does, their travel was affected by weather, but both women were clever and adaptable and found ways to continue their journey. One won, obviously, the other didn't and the aftermath for each of them was as interesting as the race itself.

The Lunatic Express: Discovering the World ... Via Its Most Dangerous Buses, Boats, Trains and Planes by Carl Hoffman. The author spent six months traveling around the world on the absolute worst means of transportation he could find ... airplanes with a reputation for crashing, ferries that sank, trains that derailed. His thinking was that this is the way most of the world really does travel, the regular folks, not those with money. Often overcrowded, with primitive (if any) facilities he actually had a pretty good time. Even with the language and cultural barrier, he made friends. The worst part of the trip would be, well, I'll let you read the book to find out!

From Tall Reader came this recommendation: Living High: an Unconventional Autobiography, by Jane Burn. Maybe not travel in the traditional sense, but then, none of the books here are that sort of travel! ;-) For this couple (then family) wanderlust was a key characteristic. That and 'roughing it' as the places where they actually settled down and lived for a year or two rarely had things such as indoor plumbing, electricity, or sometimes, even a door. From homesteading a small island in the San Juans to a road trip in an early version of an RV, they traveled across the United States several times. When they ran out of money, they found jobs until they had enough to move on again, sometimes they were on foot, at one time they had a mule cart. Before their first son was born the parents spent a year in Alaska as teachers (in the Aleutians). For those of you who might remember two small cabins above a parking lot at WWU near Fairhaven College, they built and lived in those for a while, too. Tall Reader gave me this book at 9 am, I finished it at 10 pm. Just so you know!

I remain a happy house hermit.

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Thomas Jefferson loved books and it is his library (sold to Congress to replace what was lost in the War of 1812) that is the core collection for the Library of Congress.

Probably the best known biography (or at least it was at one time) about Thomas Jefferson is the one by Dumas Malone, Jefferson and His Time. It took the author 34 years to research and write, fills six volumes, and won the Pulitzer Prize. I read two of the six volumes (the first and the last) many years ago. Well written, but with little discussion as to Jefferson as a slave owner and any relationship with Sally Hemmings. (Not surprising, given when it was written.)

Thomas Jefferson: an Intimate History, Fawn M. Brodie, published as it was just before the American Bicentennial, sparked a lot of controversy. Brodie focused on Jefferson's relationship with Sally Hemmings. Again, it's been ages since I read this book, but I remember learning more of the personal side of Jefferson (rather than the political).

It was winter, 1983. Then, as now, Village Books sent out the colorful insert with information about books that would make great gifts. There was one that caught my interest immediately ... Jefferson's Monticello, by William Howard Adams, ... a coffee table book (read "pricey"). I took a look at it when I was in Village and it was glorious! Photos and architectural plans, aerial views, close up views, rough sketches in Jefferson's own hand all with wonderful explanations. I was surprised, and overwhelmed, and so very happy when I got it as a gift that year ... three good friends (they still are) had gone together to be sure it found a place on my shelf.

In the musical, 1776, when Martha Jefferson is asked by Benjamin Franklin and John Adams how she ended up married to the 'most silent man in Congress', her response (in song, of course) was "He plays the violin." Well, he really did, and this story may have a basis in truth. Sandor Salgo explains all this, and more, in Thomas Jefferson Musician and Violinist. I enjoyed this mini-biography of Jefferson ... no politics, no affair, just music.

Jefferson's Sons: a Founding Father's Secret Children, by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley is a fictional, tween read about the children of Jefferson and Hemmings. They do get special treatment (better work, an education), but they are still slaves and could never mention who their father was, but were freed at Jefferson's death. What was this like? Nicely written.

Mr. Jefferson's Women, by Jon Kukla. From his first love (who turned him down) to his last this is a detailed, critical look at the women in Jefferson's life, how they affected him (French women had too much power), and where he thought they 'belonged'. (Not necessarily barefoot and pregnant, but certainly not in politics).

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Petula Clark sings one of my favorite songs, "Color My World" and so does Kermit the Frog with "The Rainbow Connection" so it came as no surprise when Color: a Natural History of the Palette, by Victoria Finlay caught my eye on the shelf at the book store. What a great read it was! As it turns out, color (for dyes, and painting) can be very dangerous. Some were poisonous, some came from hard to access places (mines, before dynamite, etc). Some were so valuable that workers were searched every day when they left work. Many contained urine (there is one hysterical story about Londoners and the surrounding towns about this). The author goes on a world tour to find out the origins of colors, how they were discovered, created, and so forth, often times going in and out of war zones.

While Color was about paints and dyes, The Secret Language of Color: Science, Nature, History, Culture, Beauty of Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue & Violet, by Joann Eckstut and Arielle Eckstut covers a wider spectrum of topics. There are chapters on the physics and chemistry of colors, of where the colors are found in nature, in animals, in the universe as well as paintings and dyes. Between the text and the pictures, you'll learn a lot!

On a recommendation from Constant Reader I read Mauve: How One Man Invented a Color that Changed the World, by Simon Garfield. I had no idea how important coal-tar was! Once considered waste material, it would be used to create something called a rain coat, ;-) in creosote on railroad ties, in medicines, and, (the reason for this book) dyes. Some of the colors still contained poison, causing rashes and other skin problems, and when used in sweets, making people sick. There was quite a bit of chemistry involved, obviously (!) which made it an excellent companion book to Color: a Natural History of the Palette.

The 'chemistry' aspect of Mauve brought to mind the Flavia books. Set in an old English manor house in 1950 the main character, Flavia de Luca, is an 11 year old girl who loves chemistry. (She especially enjoys poisons and taints her older sister's lipstick with poison ivy.) A dead bird, an old stamp, and a red-headed stranger sets the stage for the mystery in The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, the first in the series by author Alan Bradley. A young adult read that is enjoyed by many of my friends, all of us 'a certain age'! :-)

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I was at Village Books one morning recently. They were playing Simon and Garfunkel, which put me in a nostalgic frame of mind. I came home, put my Simon and Garfunkel cds in the player ... and decided to write about favorite horse books from my past! (I guess there's no direct route in time travel to the past). (Which brings to mind a quote from Doctor Who, but that's for another post). ;-)

As I mentioned in an earlier post ... any and all of the horse books by Marguerite Henry!

A delightful read, but an adventure that I'm sure is much too tame for even young readers today, Pat Rides the Trail, by Genevieve Torrey Eames and illustrated by Dan Noonan, has been a favorite of mine for decades. There's a pesky younger brother, who is not all that much of a pest, an evil character who is not all that evil by today's standards, and the hazards, well, they aren't really all that hazardous. Still, it's about a girl and her horse, a challenge and a good (if not the expected) resolution.

I'll Take Cappy, by Lee McCabe and Norbert Fagan and illustrated by Wesley Dennis (!), is a book is about a boy and his horse. (It came out in 1948, I don't know if that had anything to do with it or not). Unlike the fancier horses at the Hunt Club, Cappy is just a common little pony so Sam is surprised when someone offers to buy him. Since his father needs money, Sam comes up with a clever solution to both earn some money and keep his beloved horse.

To my great delight when I was young, there was a series of books called "Famous Horse Stories" and needless to say, I read every one I could find. (Justin Morgan Had a Horse by M.Henry was included in the series). There was one about Midnight (a champion bucking horse) by Rutherford Montgomery, and this one, Mountain Pony: a Story of the Wyoming Rockies by Henry V. Larom with illustrations by Ross Santee. (Larom also wrote Ride Like an Indian mentioned in an earlier blog). Andy buys the horse that will be known as Sunny from an abusive owner. In time they become close companions, and with his uncle and Sally (who works at the dude ranch) they have several adventures (including one with rustlers). Again, probably tame now, but lots of fun 'back then'. :-)

Dorothy Lyons wrote wonderful horse books, all with a color in the name. I read them all and had a few favorites: Blue Smoke, Dark Sunshine, and Red Embers. It's been a long time since I read these, but I remember good characters, and horses acting like horses (didn't always happen).

"He doth nothing but talk of his horse." -- William Shakespeare -- (Consider this a warning)!

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I have always loved the night sky.

Thanks to my reading friend in California, I am lucky enough to have a copy of the original version of Switch on the Night by Ray Bradbury with illustrations by Madeleine Gekiere. I also have a newer version, it's that good! A little boy does not like Night, he does like the Sun and all kinds of lamps. When he meets a little girl named Dark, his life will change forever.

I have two favorite 'starry' short stories: Nightfall, by Isaac Asimov. It was expanded into a full length novel, but I have a preference for the short story. It was the result of a question posed to Asimov as to what would happen, how would humans react if the stars were visible only one night every 1000 years. And, The Nine Billion Names of God, by Arthur C. Clarke. In Tibet there is a monastery. The monks who live there have just one job ... to write down every one of the names of God. There are approximately nine billion of them. They've been working on this project for some time but there are still at least 15,000 more years of work so the decision is made to install a computer, which will complete the project much more quickly. Does it? If so, what happens?

Sara Teasdale's star poems are some of my favorites. Stars To-night with illustrations by Dorothy Lathrop is my first choice, but it is long out of print so any complete collection of her poems will work. Decades ago I memorized 'The Falling Star' and it still comes to mind when I see one blaze across the sky.

Celestial Charts: Antique Maps of the Heavens, by Carole Stott was an unexpected find in a used book store. This is a stunning collection of maps of the night sky and what artists thought might be there.

There Once Was a Sky Full of Stars, written by Bob Crelin and illustrated by Amie Ziner. Wonderful illustrations and a warning set in poetry explain the effects of light pollution, how it affects humans, animals, and plants.

National Geographic publishes beautiful books for readers of all ages. Once Upon a Starry Night: a Book of Constellations by Jacqueline Mitton and Christina Balit is no exception. A companion book to Zoo in the Sky, this book has the stories of the gods and heroes found in the night sky.

For a more thorough (but very interesting) take on the night, there's Acquainted With the Night: Excursions Through the World After Dark, by Christopher Dewdney. Chapters break up the night from dusk to dawn and what happens during that time, and how that has changed over time. Learn about stargazing, dreams, reading to children, and insomnia, as well as "things that go bump in the night".

"We are, all of us, descended from astronomers." -- Carl Sagan --

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Did you know that the Japanese invaded Alaska in World War II?

An entirely new 'trail' started with Ghosts in the Fog: the Untold Story of Alaska's WWII Invasion, by Samantha Seiple. A highly secret, mostly forgotten part of WWII. In 1942 Japan invaded Alaska. The Navy denied it happened. What followed would be the loss of many lives, the evacuation of several small towns (some of which never recovered) where those who were relocated were treated ... indifferently ... and POW's treated badly (Japan did not follow the Geneva Convention). When the survivors finally returned to their villages (if they were even still standing) they found that everything had been stolen except the toilets and bathtubs. It was very sad to read how badly humans can treat each other. Finally, in 1988 President Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act, a reparations law for the Aleuts and Japanese Americans so they could receive some restitution for their loss and suffering. This is a tween read so it won't take long.

This quickly took me to The Thousand-Mile War: World War II in Alaska and the Aleutians, by Brian Garfield. The author originally was going to write a novel (he has written many Westerns) but when he realized what a small amount of information was available he decided the true story needed to be told. For several years he tracked down every report or document, and interviewed and/or corresponded with veterans or local citizens of the islands. The result was a book that was nominated for the Pulitzer.

Staying in the 'area' I then read Sideways Rain: 20 Years of Medicine, Music, and Good-luck Landings in the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands of Alaska, by Nancy Elliott Sydnam, M.D. Born in Lynden, WA, the author worked as a physician in Alaska. At age 60 she left a growing, established practice in Anchorage to work in the Alaskan Bush. (In a time before cell phones, computers, etc.) Fortunately she kept a journal which resulted in this book. She liked to hike and hunt and take pictures so she made sure she did so anywhere she was based. (She often traveled with a dog. Or her cello.) One of the entries was about the 50th anniversary of the WWII bombing of Dutch Harbor.

For thirty years or so The Alaska Geographic published a quarterly magazine, each with a specific theme. (You'll see a few others in future posts). The one that completed this 'trail' was the one titled The Aleutian Islands. There are articles on the flora and fauna, the geography of the islands, the people who live there, and, of course, the weather. Travel here is by boat or plane so in each and every book the weather was of primary focus, and often delayed arrivals and departures ... of supplies or invading armies. (Some of our PNW weather starts here). As with all these publications, the pictures are wonderful.

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Bagpipes! Love them? Hate them? How about plaid? Maybe it's because I have ancestors from both Ireland and Scotland, but I love them both. Not haggis, though, I draw the line there!

Author Hugh Cheape is the curator of modern Scottish history at the National Museum of Scotland. In Tartan: the Highland Habit, he traces the journey of the plaid from a 'love of display' in medieval times to it's development as a means of clan identity (which can be important in a time of war) in the Victorian times. Colors mean a great deal, and those are explained, too. (Side bar here .... many states have their own designated state plaid, including Washington!)

Thistle Soup: a Ladleful of Scottish Life by Peter Kerr is a heart-warming and heart-breaking memoir of life in the rural areas of Scotland. The author is three years old at the beginning of World War II, and will be the fourth generation to farm the land. Bagpipes will be his salvation, and an old folktale told by his grandfather will save the hay crop.

Bagpipe Brothers: the FDNY Band's True Story of Tragedy, Mourning, and Recovery, by Kerry Sheridan. Have a box of tissues near by when you read this, it's an intense read, I had to put it aside more than once. It starts with the history and traditions of the bagpipe and drum band made up of NY firefighters. One of which is that they play at a Brother's funeral. After 9/11 this is what they did (in addition to regular work hours, and digging for remains at Ground Zero) ... for every one of the services. Almost 400 of them. In some cases there were two services, a Memorial Service followed (weeks or months later) when remains had been identified. The toll this took on the members of the band was huge. The tragedy of 9/11 makes this a hard read, the response makes this a heroic read.

A delightful collection of short stories, epic poems, and one joke make up The Piper Came to Our Town: Bagpipe Folklore Legends & Fairy Tales, edited by Joanne Asala. This is an easy book to pick up and put down as you read others, or while waiting for a haircut, etc.

For a fun, fictional take on, oh, bagpipes,kilts and so forth, Kaitlyn Dunnett writes the Liss MacCrimmon Scottish Mysteries. Set in Moosetookalook, Maine these cozy mysteries are a hoot! The first title is Kilt Dead.

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At some point libraries went from using quarto to oversize for the larger books. Personally, I miss the 'q'. ;-) I read more of them than I thought! This batch is mostly about art.

Images of the World: Photography at the National Geographic. From back in the day of film cameras ... black and white photos, nature photos, travel photos ... this is just an amazing collection of pictures that I have enjoyed for decades. You'll find my favorite on page 148. (1981 edition).

Look carefully! There are pintos in the snow, buffalo in the rocks, Indians amongst the birch trees, spooky shadows, amazing reflections, and sometimes you have to look down to see what's up. It's all found in The Art of Bev Doolittle with text and poems by Elise Maclay.

The World of M.C. Escher. It's possible to get dizzy looking at Escher's art. The twists on perspective are captivating. Floor tiles that become birds, remarkabe intertwined mosaics, and hands that are drawing each other. I rather like the flying birds that become the fields below.

Using everything from rocks, to trees, leaves and snow, Andrew Goldsworthy: a Collaboration with Nature features art that will not last. It is designed to melt, blow away, or collaspe and return to the earth. It's a good thing he takes photographs of his work. :-)

If you like a marine world teeming with life in technicolor, then take a look at The Art of Lassen: a Collection of Works From Christian Riesen Lassen. Great detail, from the stars in the sky to the starlight on the waves to the minute detail on a clown fish or coral beneath the surface of the ocean creates art where there's always something new to see.

On a trip to Victoria, B.C. I 'discovered' the artist Stephen Lyman. His work was amazing ... there's one where the light comes from the aurora borealis and the embers of a campfire that is stunning. He grew up in the PNW so his work has a familiar feel to it. Sadly, when I purchased the book Into the Wilderness: an Artist's Journey (with text by Mark Mardon) the cashier informed that Stephen Lyman had died in a hiking accident just a few days earlier. (1996)

I added Visions of the North: Native Art of the Northwest Coast to my collection mostly for the information and pictures of totem poles, but there's a lot more here. From petroglyphs to jewelry, paddles and masks, it is a fascinating book (and rather small as coffee table books go).

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Where would a book blog be without at least one post on (drum roll please) Books on Books?!

Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury. A classic (and the subject of a paper of mine at WSU for a favorite professor who was also a Bradbury fan). It is the future and books are not only banned, but burned. The reasons for this sound eerily familiar (and remember, this was written in 1953): People embraced the newest media, the pace of life accelerates. Books are abridged 'edited' to accommodate a short attention span or because minority groups protested over the controversial and/or outdated content so the government decided it was best just to burn the books. Join Guy Montag as his attitude is changed when he meets an unusual young woman, and starts reading some of the books he burns.

Dewey Decimated, by Charles Goodrum. The title made me laugh so I was delighted when I also liked the book (not always the case, sadly). It takes place in the Warner-Bok Library, which is a stand in for the Library of Congress (where Goodrum worked). Since the author is a research librarian he includes all sorts of behind the scene information which adds wonderful details to the mystery. Good characters, too. It is the first of a series.

A fuzzy memory of a book with a list of books on the inside of the book jacket sparked a futile google search and then a frantic email to Terry, who recommended the book to me so many years ago. Success! She remembered the title! A Gift Upon the Shore, by M.K. Wren. Whew! I remember two woman, in a post-apocalyptic world, who were trying to preserve a stash of books (the ones listed on the book jacket), but that's pretty much it. Sounds like a re-read is in order. :-)

Although I have no coffee tables I do have several 'coffee table books' (which will appear in a blog in the future). Home With Books: How Booklovers Live with and Care for Their Libraries, by Estelle Ellis, Caroline Seebohm, and Christopher Simon Sykes however, fits best here. Wonderful pictures show how those of us who cannot live without books shelve, display, and organize our books (not one, decorators on HGTV take notice, by color, or with books removed for dustables.) (See blog from Feb 25). What sort of furniture to we put with our books? Cozy chairs? A desk or work table? What sort of lighting? A most enjoyable book whether you carefully read all the essays, or just look at the pictures.

It Takes a Village Books: 30 Years of Building Community, One Book at a Time by Chuck and Dee Robinson is a story of a journey, that of creating a wonderful book store and gathering place here in the Northwest Corner of Washington State. It was a learning experience for sure! They dealt with issues such as censorship and privacy, met authors (lots of them!), and presidents, as well as other independent book owners. I think my favorite bit (or perhaps just the one I remember as I keyboard this entry) was when the question was asked as to how to get people coming to the store for events etc., they were told to have MORE events ... the question was not IF something was happening that day or evening, but WHAT was happening.

Char shared Bats in the Library, by Brian Lies, with me. It is a children's story, with perfect pictures and told in rhyme all about fun-loving, book-loving bats who frolic through the library (be sure to check out the shadows on the walls) after hours before they settle down for story time.

Escape from Mr Lemoncello's Library was a recommendation from Constant Reader. This 'tween' book, by Chris Grabenstein, is the story of twelve 6th graders who have been chosen to spend the night in Mr. Lemoncello's Library. In the morning, when the doors fail to open, they have to follow bookish clues and solve puzzles to discover the escape route. (Among other things, the kids get an introduction to using the Dewey Decimal system).

In need of a job, Clay takes the grave-yard shift in a book store that is open 24 hours a day. There are few customers and the regulars don't buy so much as exchange books. What are they doing? Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, by Robert Sloan is an adventure of real books, e-readers, computers, a secret society on a quest, readers, programmers ... all in all a clever and witty adventure/mystery story.

The Little Bookstore in Big Stone Gap: A Memoir of Friendship, Community, and the Uncommon Pleasure of a Good Book, by Wendy Welch. Wendy and her husband, Jack Beck, had always wanted to run a used book store. When the perfect house came on the market in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, they pretty much bought it immediately. Learning as they went along, (you'll laugh a lot), their store 'Tales of the Lonesome Pine Used Books' grew into a much loved center of the community. This is a warm and wise memoir, and happy proof that even in the age of the e-reader a small book store can survive.

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