Mid-August Roundup - Reading, Walking, Learning

Dog days of summer--lots of rain in Colorado (hurrah!), a bit cooler weather, still no tomatoes. What's up with that? But don't you love my sunflower garden? The teddy bear sunflowers are finally coming out, and they are adorable!

Lots of walking. I've been closing my circles on my Apple Watch every day since Jan 1, and accomplished the July challenge (average 60 minutes of exercise per day), and I 'm track to do the August challenge (average burn 668 calories from exercise per day). Am I proud of this? You bet!

In addition to reading, I've been listening to Great Courses on Audible. Here's what I've listened to so far:

• The Vikings, by Kenneth Harl - a 36-lecture course on the history and impact of the Vikings in medieval Europe. Absolutely, wonderful. The net-net is that Harl believes that the Viking raids, settlements, and assumption of power in certain areas was a major force in shaping Christian Europe. The Normans who invaded England in 1066 were essentially Vikings who had settled in Normandy and took control of the area. I did not realize that!
• A History of Hilter's Empire, by Thomas Childers - a 12-lecture course that outlined the development of the Nazi party, its rise and fall. Again, incredibly interesting.
• World War II: A Military and Social History, by Thomas Childers - I am just over half-way through this 30 lecture course. While I am getting more comfortable with the chronology and key points of the war in Europe, I am getting information that is largely new to me about the war in the Pacific and North Africa and the southern Mediterranean.

So why all this learning about WWII? My daughter and I are planning a trip to Germany in March/April. Because we are both interested in WWII, we want to visit a lot of the museums and historical sites from that time and the Cold War, so I wanted to do some pre-trip learning. I am also learning some German via Duolingo.

Now on to what I've been reading. 

The Midcoast, by Adam White - we're headed back to Maine for 10 days in September, so I wanted to read another novel set in Maine, and I saw this on a few blogs and thought I would give it a try. It was a solid 4-star novel, a debut novel, set in a very small town in Maine with an interesting story. Basically, the main character, Andrew, is a lot like Nick in The Great Gatsby in that he observes the rise and shattering fall of a family and how the facade of money and power can crumble when pushed even a little. The main character is an observer, not a player, without having much of a storyline himself. Not sure how this novel is doing overall in the market, but I think it could definitely use a better title, which I found dull and not enticing at all.

City of Vengeance, by D.V. Bishop - this is the first in a mystery series set in 16th century Florence and featuring Cesare Aldo, an officer working for the criminal courts in Florence, which bascially makes this a cop mystery. Absolutely loved the setting and Cesare is a great character with lots of potential for future stories. The writing was good and the mystery was interesting. Will definitely read the second in the series. Interestingly, I thought at the beginning of the book that it was going to be a take on The Merchant of Venice, as the first section deals with a gruff Jewish moneylender and his wayward daughter. The story didn't end up paralleling Merchant at all, but I was afraid we were straying into stereotypical grounds. Glad the author pulled back and told his own story without riding on Shakespeare's coattails. At 416 pages, this books squeaks under the wire to qualify for the Big Book Summer challenge.

The Diamond Eye, by Kate Quinn - WOW! I loved this book about a female, Russian sharpshooter during WWII. Not quite as good as The Rose Code, but wonderful nevertheless. I especially enjoyed the first part of the book, where Mila (aka Lady Death) is learning to be a soldier and developing her leadership skills (she eventually commands a platoon). The second part of the book deals with her visit to the US, Canada, and Great Britiain to drum up support for the US to aid the Allies and fight the Nazis. Mila Pavlichenko was a real person who wrote a memoir about her time in the Red Army and her trip to the US. The Author's Notes at the end is critical to enjoying/understanding the book, in my opinion, as she explains that 90% of the characters in the book are real people, and the only parts that she really fabricated were the larger story of Mila's estranged husband and the stalker who is trying to kill Roosevelt while she is visiting the White House. I particularly loved Mila's relationship with Eleanor Roosevelt, of whom I am a big fan! Reading this book while listening to the WWII Great Courses lectures was a perfect pairing.

Clocking in at 435 pages, this book also qualifies for the Big Book Summer challenge. 

Hope everyone has a good rest-of-August and happy reading, walking, and learning!

Travelogue: Maine (Acadia NP and Down East)

One of the casualties of 2020 was a planned 2.5 week trip to Maine in August. One of the many benefits of getting vaccinated in March/April was being able to take the trip in late May/early June. The impetus was my husband's desire to take a 2-week class at the WoodenBoat School in Brooklin. 

We flew into Portland late in the day and stayed the night near the airport, then headed up to Freeport for breakfast (Freeport Cafe--very good and very local) then a pilgrimage to the LL Bean complex. 

Beginning the great Maine adventure in front of the LL Bean boot.

Then we worked our way  north to Camden, stopping to bird along the way using the excellent Birdwatching in Maine. 

Guess what? We saw a cardinal! I know, I know. They're a so-what bird in the eastern US, but they are a rarity in Colorado so that was a good omen for the trip.

We stopped for lunch in charming Camden at Peter Ott's on the Water where we had our first lobster roll and crab roll of the trip. Tied to the dock opposite our table were a pair of beautiful wooden boats, Olad (a 50-foot schooner) and Owl (a cutter). We decided that we would figure out a time when we could book a trip on Olad while in Maine. 

Beautiful Camden Harbor

Acadia National Park 

We stayed two nights in a cute cabin in Trenton, just outside Mt Desert Island, where the bulk of Acadia NP is located. I honestly had no idea there were so many places to stay on Mt Desert Island--probably next time we will stay on the island as it was a bit of a drive to get in and out of the park. 

Big News! Our first stop was at the visitor's center where I got my lifetime senior National Parks pass. One of the perks of turning 62 is qualifying for this pass. Red letter day!

Proud owner of National Parks Lifetime Senior Pass

Loved driving up Cadillac Mt, highest point in the park. It was the only place in the park that required advance reservations. 

Loved Sieur de Monts garden--chatting with the botanist ranger was super cool. I haven't met a ranger yet that I didn't really like. They all seem to love their jobs, talking with visitors, etc. 

Had an absolutely magical meal at Salt & Steel in Bar Harbor--ate my first fiddlehead ferns there. What a cool plant!

On our second day we explored the western part of Mt Desert Island...in the rain. It was rainy and cool and windy for the two days we were in Acadia. Hiked the Ship Harbor Nature Trail and visited the Bass Harbor Head lighthouse, then had a fabulous lunch at Sips Cafe in Northwest Harbor. Oh, and we saw a couple of new birds...

Northern Parula - new bird for this westerner

White-throated sparrow -  yes, another new bird

Brooklin

The WoodenBoat School is located in Brooklin, a one-store, one-restaurant tiny town. We rented a cottage (actually an apartment over a garage), that was the best Airbnb type place we have ever stayed. Brooklin is also where E.B. (aka Andy) White, author of Charlotte's Web, et al, and his wife bought a farm while both were still working for The New Yorker. They worked remotely, and it was at this farm where White wrote about Charlotte and Wilbur. I found the house and smiled every time I passed it.

My temp office at Duck Cove Cottage with a view of Herrick Bay

While my husband went to class, I had 3 days of vacation to play before settling in to work remotely from Brooklin. Here's what I did.

Farnsworth Art Museum, Rockland - a mere 2-hour drive from Brooklin, I went down to check out the paintings of 3 generations of the Wyeth family. Wonderful museum--fell in love with the paintings of N.C. Wyeth, Andrew, and Jamie all over again. Here are a couple of my favorites.

Maga's Daughter, by Andrew Wyeth (this is his wife Betsy)

The Harbor at Herring Gut, by N.C. Wyeth

Bangor - did I mention how cold, rainy, windy it was when we arrived in Maine? Well, I packed for summer and so drove over to Bangor to buy long pants and long-sleeved shirts. I found a mall and did my minimal shopping then went for a walk along the Penobscot River.

Jordan Pond, Acadia - back to Acadia NP. Did a 7 mile hike around Jordan Pond and down the Jordan Stream Path to the cobblestone bridge and back and rewarded myself with lunch at Jordan Pond House where I feasted on chowder and popovers with butter and strawberry jam. I was told this was a must-do in Acadia and it was! 

Cobblestone bridge spanning Jordan Stream

Jordan Pond House - yes, the popovers are as good as everyone says they are!

The Bubbles by Jordan Pond

Weekends 

We made a pilgrimage to Deer Isle, which is where John Steinback started his road trip that he chronicled in Travels with Charley. Did a little birding, ate more chowder in Stonington, and dodged the rain and wind.

Did a little lighthouse exploring. If you've ever looked at the Maine coast line, it's easy to see why the coast is jam-packed with lighthouses.

Owl's Head Lighthouse

Went for a 2-hour cruise on the Olad out of Camden, with a 26-year old captain and his 25-year old mate. They both have been sailing since they were young kids, and were personable, capable, and very impressive. It's wonderful to see people who are able to pursue their passions. 

The Olad

Jeff helping to raise the main sail

Went out for 2-hour cruise out of New Harbor with the Hardy Boat Cruises--went to Eastern Egg Island specifically to see Atlantic Puffins. We had seen Tufted Puffins in the Strait of Juan de Fuca between Washington state and British Columbia a few years ago, so it was natural to seek out their east coast cousins. We also saw Common Eiders, Laughing Gulls, Black Guillemots, Common Terns, Herring Gulls, and other black-and-white birds!

The guide was from the Audubon Puffin Project--another example of someone doing their dream job, well, maybe not dealing with a boatload of tourists, but he is a biologist working on the island as well as educating the public.

A pair of puffins

The one that got away...

Common Eider - love how their beak slopes

Portland - we finally got to the Old Town near the docks where we had a fabulous final meal in Maine at David's. They were completely booked when we wandered in but were able to sit at the counter opposite the chefs and enjoyed watching them work.

Flowers

I was blown away by all the flowers, wildflowers and garden flowers. The road sides were blanketed with wild lupines, and I discovered so many cool new plants.

Yellow lady slippers

Lupines everywhere

Maine, Hollywood, Wyoming (Longmire)

Hope everyone had a great holiday season. Much as I enjoy the festivities and yearly rituals and gatherings, I also really like getting my house cleaned up and my schedule back to normal. In addition to reading, I also managed to complete four puzzles between Thanksgiving and last night.

Here's the last one I did--we're going to Maine for 3 weeks in August and I figured it was a good way to start my learning about the great state. My husband is taking a 2-week course on building a sailboat and we have an Airbnb rented near Brooklin, ME. While he's in class, I will do some days of work, and some days of hiking, sightseeing, beachcombing, blueberry picking, and reading, of course! I cannot wait to explore Acadia National Park.

I'm really liking the White Mountain puzzle these days.

Here's what I've been reading...

Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years, by Julie Andrews Edwards - this was a Xmas gift and even more enjoyable than her first memoir about her pre-Hollywood youth, which I read a few years ago. Loved reading about Julie learning her craft in real time while making Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music. I have to say, though, that I don't envy Julie her life, not one little bit. Yes, she had tremendous talent and luck, but she worked so hard, sacrificing family stability, moving several times a year, juggling nannies and other support staff, and being married to a very volatile man. While reading the book, I had the notion that I would like to watch all of her movies in order. I started The Americanization of Emily with James Garner but disliked it so much that I couldn't finish it and promptly abandoned the plan. I hope she does another memoir about losing her voice and also becoming the Queen of Genovia in The Princess Diaries.

My husband has been reading the Craig Johnson series of Longmire mysteries for a few years now. He started after we watched the TV series, and since we recently rewatched the entire series  last fall, I decided to read the books as well, starting with The Cold Dish.  For the uninitiated, Walt Longmire is sheriff in fictional Absaroka county, Wyoming. His best friend is Henry Standing Bear, of the Cheyenne nation, and his staff includes deputy Vic Moretti, a tough-taking transplant from Philadelphia. The novels vary from the TV series quite a bit in plot--where the TV series developed its own story arc that included a casino on the reservation that causes all sorts of trouble for Walt as well as a rival for his office whose family is more than a thorn in Walt's side--the books are more episodic and don't carry a story line from one to the next. The TV series did an excellent job of representing the characters, however, and I see Robert Taylor as Walt while I read and especially Lou Diamond Phillips as Henry. Taylor, who is Australian, does a pitch perfect Western American accent, with my only gripe being he calls the other square state Col-o-rod-o instead of Col-o-rad-o.

If you like Westerns, this is an excellent mystery series, and if you liked Gunsmoke, the TV series will be like deja vu. 

Walt Longmire and Henry Standing Bear

Oh, and the TV series has some of the best music. Here's my favorite - Back in the High Life Again by Warren Zevon. Picture Robert Taylor riding a horse across a mountain valley with this song playing and you'll get a pretty good idea of the TV Longmire.