Good afternoon ... once again I am posting a bit early this time. I have made the move to Win10 (don't ask). I ordered a new (faster) modem. It was supposed to arrive today. It did not. AND my old modem would no longer connect (aarrgh!). "My" amazing IT guy came in and got everything working again, at least for now, but given the age of this quirky modem I decided I'd rather post to my blog early than late. (I know, I know, comes as no surprise, does it). ;-) So, here is the Saturday, July 9th post:

Just what do the folks in Alaska think about those of us here in the rest of the U.S.?Find out in Modestly Alaska: a Lighthearted Look at Alaska and the Lower 49 States, by J. Stephen Lay and Sue Mattson. Lots of fun trivia here! There are chapters on other countries, too. Most enjoyable!

Here's one of those curious books I seem to pick up every so often: Keep the Change: a Collector's Tales of Lucky Pennies, Counterfeit C-Notes, and Other Curious Currency, by Harley J. Spiller. Many coin collectors prefer shiny, even uncirculated coins but this author likes old, dirty, damaged coins with a story.

This book would fit well with my 'nostalgia' post from May: A Pony in the Picture: Vintage Portraits of Children and Ponies, by Victoria Randall. While I don't remember photographers who traveled with ponies and took pictures, I do remember the little fairs that would arrive here every so often and there'd be pony ride. :-) This is a delightful collection of kids and (very patient) ponies. There are a few errors (Gene Autry rode a horse named Champion, it was Tom Mix who rode Tony), but over all, it's a book that will make you smile.

And, to end with today, a cozy mystery. :-) Seems Laura DiSilverio has several mystery series out (she uses various pen names) and The Readaholics and the Poirot Puzzle is from The Bookclub Mystery Series. This month the local book club is reading Murder on the Orient Express and discussing how Poirot solved the murder, could his methods really work? And do they find out when the brother of one of their members is accused of murdering his business partner? Some fun twists and turns here, an enjoyable read.

Reading Hermit With Dog