There was a flood, caused by the collapse of a dam, near Los Angeles on March 12, 1928. It was huge and caused a lot of damage, and yet, it's something that is not remembered, even in California. Floodpath: the Deadliest Man-Made Disaster of 20th Century America and the Making of Modern Los Angeles, is the result of an interest, tons of research, interviews, hiking to the area, etc. on the part of author Jon Wilkman. A rather fascinating read! A leak in the dam WAS reported, and the proper people DID come out and take a look and determined it was safe, dams do leak from time to time (as had this one). Boy, were they wrong!

This was a fun read, even for a dog person: My Life in a Cat House: Tales of Love, Laughter, and Living with Five Felines, by Gwen Cooper. These cats all have their own personalities, quirks, issues ... and each is different in how they interact with the humans in their lives. The author sometimes takes on kittens that would have a hard time getting adopted: there's one who has three legs; and one who is blind (she's written books about just him, too). The blind cat once attacked and scared off a burglar.

Reading Hermit With Dog