Happy New Year!

Spoilt for choice Have a lovely New Year where ever you be xxxxx

Merry Christmas Everyone !

A Good Walk!

When shut indoors for too long with the much loved offspring after a while it becomes apparent that what they need is a really "Good Walk" in order for sanity to be preserved and harmony to return to our small house ..we love it , it's cosy.... but on a cold dark day the walls press tight and rambunctious girls need exercise and fresh air.
This was the case on Saturday ...so we set off for a good walk to the Municipal Greenhouse based in our nearby park. Not a long walk just over three miles round trip ...but on a cold day on icy paths it was enough to restore sanity!

The Greenhouse is lovely ..it's not huge, is open daily 8am to 3pm. Is free. Has seats, is warm and light, has a fish pool with koi carp and an aviary with Parakeets, fiches and budgies....and I'm informed ladybugs too

 

On the way home we stopped to play at the different parks we passed. Anchorage is a great city for parks!  The Polar bear park is very new and wonderful to look at. Even on a very cold day. 

Then it was home for hot drinks and tea and curling up with good books by the stove ...and everyone was in a much better mood. (Thank Goodness)

A Lazy day

Do you get those days when you don't feel quite well ...OK you feel completely yukky..so what are the choices ...give in and suffer or fight back ..so I went for the anti nausea pills plus cracking painkiller (for the headache) approach just a half pill though...and a very gentle approach to the day.

As the pills kicked in I did the minimum of ordinary chores and started to feel more human, fragile but human and checked mail, facebook and blog posts. The dog played with the hound next door whilst my neigbour and I chatted and finally feeling much more normal I returned home. Popped some spuds in the oven for an easy family tea and later made some muffins to fill the growing girls arrival home hunger pangs.
Just a very basic muffin recipe ...plus Raspberries from the freezer in 1/2 a dozen and grated appple, cinnamon and brown sugar in the other half. Baked for 20 minutes I think they look and smell fine.
Encouraged I made another dozen with grated apple, cinnamon and sugar to freeze.

During the muffin making I listened to two radio programs available on line the first was "In the psychiatrist's chair with Professor Anthony Clare" He was talking to Stephen Fry and it is available here
The second was a Desert Island Discs episode with the Artist and illustrator  Mairi Hedderwick who I had come across a few years ago when reading to my children. I found her books very pleasant reads ..set in the Scottish islands they were entertaining and lovely to look at with some nice humour thrown in. The episode of the programme I listened to can be found here

Well more pills and more tea and mellowness is the order of the day.
I'm reading "The Otterbury incident" by C. Day Lewis to the girls in the evening. I have an old Puffin copy illustrated by Edward Ardizzone and we are all enjoying it. We are listening to a chapter at a time ....but all want to know what happens next! So tonight we'll pile onto the sofa by the fire and see what happens in chapter six!

Well now I'll add some snaps to this post and fight the cats and the dog for a spot on the sofa and drink my tea.  Wishing you a cosy and pleasant evening x

Books read in October

Books read in October

I chanced l upon the Anne Travis series by Lynda La Plante
They Rattle along and are very readable...a bit graphic at times (but less convincingly than Val Mcdermid's books). They read slightly more like scripts than novels and that may just be me..? but they are enjoyable escapes from the everyday and quite unputdownable

1. Above Suspicion
2. The Red Dahlia
4.Deadly Intent
6.Blind Fury
7.Bloodline
8.Backlash

There is something about nights drawing in and the ground freezing that makes curling up by the stove with a good book and a big mug of tea very satisfying.... 

Lest we forget

Happy Halloween

We have Music ...
We have candy....
and at the moment a lot of painted cardboard and glitter.....so costumes in progress
Off to listen to Harry Potter whilst adding to the painted cardboard  now drying (please to goodness quickly) propped around the living room!
Still on the to do list Pumpkin carving ...but that's not my task so phew...

Ok I couldn't put this down...

‘Things I’ve Learned from Dying: A Book About Life’ by David R. Dow

I was waiting for the girls whilst they were choosing books in the library and I came across this book and in a mood of abstraction casually picked it up and turned the pages and started to read...just to pass the time.

I wasn't quite sure why it was in my hand or why I was reading it as it isn't a me kind of book. It's written by a death penalty lawyer, (the founder of the Texas Innocence Network I believe) about the approach of and eventual death of his Father in Law from cancer, the death of his dog and last but not least the death by execution of his client ..not a bundle of laughs by anyone's imaginations. But I couldn't put it down. At first I wasn't sure of the point of the book ..where was he going , what was the purpose... but it was compelling and sad. The indictment of the legal system in Texas that controls such cases was scathing, attitudes and approaches to his father in laws illness were interesting ..I realize his Father in Law was angry but really sympathized with his point of view. I don't believe in treatment at all costs . If there is not a realistic chance of a cure...then  treatments that significantly reduce quality of life could be cruel. 

Anyway an unusual book for me ..but I couldn't put it down ..it was quite thought provoking.

Walking the dog

All photos courtesy eldest daughter (13)
Walking the dog along the cycle path that goes from the Town of Indian to Girdwood along side the Seward Highway and the Turnagain Arm of the sea. It was a beautiful warm Summer day. My OH cycled the path 13 miles each way and we (the girls and Echo and I) strolled along the path as far as the creek. Admired the view and strolled back. So we did the short pleasant walk version. We then sat in the breeze in the back of the pickup and relaxed until he returned and we set off home.

 If you look inland this is what you see...

 If you look out to see there is a gorgeous view...the rail line follows the coast, sometimes it's visible , sometimes hidden by trees.

 Clover.

 Fungus on a Cottonwood tree.

 Keen to set off.

 More flowers..

 Sunhats were necessary.

 The railway bridge over the creek at our turn around point.


 The track follows the shore very closely at times, the views inland are beautiful.

 

At the end of the day we had a very happy dog! and left an inviting path to explore another time.

 

Otters

A very short glimpse of a Mother and Baby Otter that swam up to check us out. Sorry they are not too close but the Otters control how close they are..they came up to us and checked us out :0)

You can tell we are quite a distance away as Sea otters to my amazement are huge ...up to 5 feet in length!
 http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=seaotter.main

Northern Sea Otter Species Profile, Alaska Department of Fish and Game

www.adfg.alaska.gov

General information about Northern Sea Otter in Alaska such as description, life history, range, habitat and more.

Slight hitch with the Wellington boots...

We packed and almost didn't panic..pretty civilized for us actually...it was only when we were driving quickly to catch the tunnel opening to get to the ferry port. (It's a tunnel that was formerly exclusively for trains now everyone takes turns, vehicles to Whitter,then 1/2 an hour  later vehicles from Whittier etc Interspersed with scheduled trains.. it's a long tunnel and you actually drive over/on the train tracks very Lord of the Rings inside the Mountain, or Gringotts tunnels to the vaults depending on your reading choice.) When while racing along rapidly realizing that the distance from Girdwood to Whittier was 20 miles not 10 so we had cut the time a little fine ...ho hum we did the same thing last year so at least we are consistent.....  I put on my Wellingtons ready for the boat trip and found that I had one of mine and one of Mike's old pairs just 5 sizes too large ...oh dear...decided not to mention this until we arrived at the Charter boat as what could we do until then?
Anyway we made the Tunnel, and when we arrived at the Charter boat base I confessed my boot trauma and they kindly ran inside and found me a pair ...if I had been twenty years younger I would've kissed the kind chap as it was I settled for heartfelt thank yous. We kayak in Wellingtons so much more practical that feet in icy water.
 We traveled for the Third year in a row with Epic Charters and can happily recommend them they were as usually Brilliant!

We loaded all our kit, 11 duffels, a large metal box, wood stove , 4 of us and dog and two huge tandam Kayaks and set off. About 90 minutes of boat ride later we were set on the rocky shore..Waved goodbye to the crew and set about setting up camp. There were tents where we usually camp so we moved onto an empty section of spit and set up there . One of the established camps had a couple of loose dogs which came up to say hello. Not really a plus as loose dogs are a nono in this wildlife area ...to say nothing of the fact we Know there are resident porcupines that you do not want you pets to meet. Still we set up fine Big tent and cook tent and then collapsed in a happy heap. We'd made it!.

This year there were changes ..people here already and NO SNOW!  Normally the snow is deep and we set up camp upon several feet. But this year the ground and the mountain slopes were green and the greenery was in leaf and lush!  There were also some of those unmentionable creatures present ..the Alaska state bird (The Mosquito) oops but not to many and the cool breeze off the Glacier really holds them back! Thank goodness.

The weather for the beginning of our trip was not Sunny...it was dry for our arrival and set up ..which was great . Then rain set in so we curled up by the stove and sorted ourselves out. 
The first week  turned out to be not quite as planned. Neighbours left and new ones arrived. We didn't move our campsite to our favourite spot as we didn't have the energy..it turned out that the virus that our youngest had a week or so ago which we hadn't caught..wasust biding it's time and ran through the rest of us in turn ...effectively poleaxing us...Oh dear.
While Mike was flatout the wind and rain increased and I worked on the kitchen tent wth extra guys and stakes ...then we listened to the weather radio ....and the word Gale was mentioned. So out again into the rain and I took down the kitchen tent and covered it with rocks ..checked the main tent , Mike staggered out and took down the stove chimney and we snuggled inside to sit out the storm. It was a bit of a blow! Quite exciting in fact..but the tent and Mikes investment in homemade 2 foot iron rebarr  tent stakes paid off and she road the Gale well and we fell asleep cosy and dry in the middle of the storm.
In the morning the beach showed signs of the storm and our neighbours encampment had suffered somewhat . They had been caught out somewhat. To the best we could tell they hadn't staked out their tents fully. We couldn't quite figure out why. There group tents (Kitchen etc) sustained damage from fighting the gale and I think some kit was damp. They were a big group who we'd seen other years so should've been fine? anyway they mended and restaked out tents . If we hadn't been taking it in turns to suffer a particularly unpleasant Nausea and headache virus we'd have invited them over to the stove. But no one would've wanted the virus. 
 Anyway it's a beautiful place to be even when ill...on the bright side we were well up on stores and lost some weight....and we did eventually recover but boy our energy was limited . So we settled for Crossing the river at low tide and walking the lagoon each day. Paddling in the lagoon. Collecting ice from beached bergs for the most delicious drinking water. Reading, playing cards, knitting, the girls made felt dolls with outfits.
Read alouds included Treasure Island.
The Chalet School series books 1 to 4 by Elinor Brent Dyer. a
The Hound of the Baskervilles and other Sherlock Holmes short Stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
  By the second week we began to Paddle further and Made a couple of trips to the white sands of Deep Water Bay an about 10 mile round paddle.
   Highlights....playing on the White Sand beach, watching The otters come and check us out, The Hummingbird that came regularly to see what we were up to at breakfast,

THIS IS NOT MY VIDEO BUT THESE ARE FILMED IN THE SOUND

Eagles fishing, Seals on the bergs, Wildflowers, Beautiful blue icebergs. Echo's pleasure at curling up with everyone in turn at night! The peace and views!  The last week we were alone on the Beach..we don't mind sharing but the peace was lovely.

Totally shattered but it was brilliant fun!

A quick glimpse of our campsite....Spielberg I'm not....but I was sober honestly! I just don't seem to have a talent for holding the camera steady....sorry!
Off to collapse in a heap and drink gallons of tea ....more later

chaos as usual

It's the middle one....

It's raining...and we've only half built the Guinea pigs palace....and it's got to be finished by Friday as we are setting off Camping on Saturday...and I will not panic (well Ok just a bit)...

Also where the heck did we put the bear barrels? we have 4 and one is yellow for crying out loud so you'd think their potential to hide would be limited ....wrong they're awol..darn it .

Anyway ..if we take a large metal box instead we should be fine ..just don't think of the hauling it about bit..off a rocky shore and up to the campsite will probably be interesting ..it's 3feet long by 2 feet high  and 18 inches wide so a tad heavy ..but with great locks that will hopefully keep interested bears out.

Then we have the tandem kayaks ..we love them but they are more battleship than light weights..The Beagle the second and The Seawitch the second ..national pride reflected in the naming methinks  like Darwin I was born in Shrewsbury but probably mine was a slightly less significant birth lol and my Dear Heart is an East Coast Yankee so A record holding Tea Clipper came to mind....

Today many small tasks were accomplished but I'll be happier when all is packed ..Ok I'll be happiest when we are on shore with the tent up and possessions stowed and nothing of significance left behind..fingers crossed. It's a an hour and a half boat trip to where we set camp and once we are dropped off there we remain until we get picked up to go home.

For now I better go read the girls a story ..we are on the second Chalet school story at the moment. Then a mug of tea and bed ...and leave the rest until tomorrow.

(Sanity was saved today by listening to Desert Island Disc podcasts ...Julie Walters who had Roy Plomley  in stitches, Julia Mckenzie and James Stewart   all enjoyable and worth a listen )

A Good Read... A Presumption of Death by Jill Paton Walsh

OK  I have to share. This story is a really good read or in my case it was a really good listen . I listened to an unabridged audio of the book. I am generally wary of 'follow on' books ..or books written ' in the style of' and shy away ..but occasionally it works and this is one of those cases.

 The characters are those created by D.L.Sayers   ..Lord Peter Wimsey, his wife Harriet Vane, his nephew and his children and of course Bunter. The setting , which is very familiar to those who have read Sayers 'Busman's Honeymoon' is the Wimsey's country home Tallboys.

The mystery involves discovering who was responsible for the death of a Land Girl with a rather wild reputation. She was brutally killed by someone's  bare hands....but whose?
The field in War time was rather greater.... as who hadn't received instructions on unarmed combat and how to kill  quickly  ?. The War setting permeates the whole novel and the gossip and behaviors ring true. The unexpected expectation of taking in evacuees reminded me of my Grandfather who was farming at that time..he collected two evacuees from the railway station and chose them "because they were wearing Wellington boots"..probably as good a reason as any.





Jill Paton Walsh makes an excellent job of writing with DL Sayers Characters and in her style..I thought when listening that this was the book DL Sayers didn't finish and that Ms Paton Walsh was asked to complete and I didn't notice the join...but it turned out that I was wrong and that was another book entirely. This was all her own work and jolly good at that! A really pleasing read/listen.

Well now I'm off to search out The Late Scholar another outing with DL Sayers characters via Ms Paton Walsh's imagination . ...and I'm looking forward to it!

But first real life intrudes and I better get the girls their tea :0)

Happy Easter Everyone

Lost Post

Some days it seems  that you have an idea...or  a view of the World  that may be worth sharing, an insight and then you turn round and it is gone...how did that happen...who knows..

I started a post... a little incoherent possibly... but perhaps with a kernal of a idea hidden in there ... then poof I lose the post ..I saved it and returned to edit it and it had gone..perhaps it was never there? nope......I think I prefer lack of skill to delusion..I probably clicked or didn't click a button and life has moved on.

I lost an excuse for being stupid last week ...no more Aromatase inhibitors (pills) after a mix of Tamoxifan then Exemestane for 6 years I (Whoo hoo!!!!) completed my course ..just as well as my hair was falling out and I was wondering if it would survive the experience. So a bit battered and IQ deficient I trundle on.

The Sun is back here and it makes such a difference....there is still a thick layer of snow in the garden but the roof is clearing and the roads are mainly clear..and the gym is accessable and it seemed a good time to start a'get fit for the Summer' programme. Then I find a visit to the dentist for my sadly neglected teeth is necessary..darn it I need a tooth out. Still an appointment is made (joy to come) and then I step out of the back door ..well I mean to step out...... as it is I dive like fonteyn ..

Ok I dive like Goofy

 and end up sitting in a puddle  clutching my foot ...ow,ow,ow,ow ow..actually it could've been worse at least the door hadn't latched behind me so when I walloped it with my head and shoulders it did give way.

So now I type with my ankle in an air cast boot waiting for the bone to mend...apparently I have impressive bruises on the back of my head and the  top of my back as my husband comfortingly looked at my back and pronounced "good job that wasn't higher that's the sort that would kill you" understated lot Americans...actually I didn't even have a headache just have some tender spots and a bit of a sore foot (but not all the time so it could be worse)  

So now I sit and type with my foot up on a stool ....occasionally joined by the Collie ...who is far too big to be a lap dog except when pursued by a tiny tabby who scares the flip out of him.

What next...I have much serious literature to read ...just kidding I'm drinking tea and reading Jilly Cooper's Rivals and enjoying it and later I think it'll be a toss up between Margaret Rutherford playing Miss Marple (bearing no relation to Agatha Christie but great fun) or Rake  an Aussie series that I find very entertaining..well it makes me laugh out loud...and then decisions decisions Asprin and Tea OR Rum and hot milk????   I think Rum is winning....

So how was your week?

e books and chores

Ok it's brightly sunny out and also freezing cold...So sunglasses and warm mittens are a must.
I have chores to do ..so just a quick post.
A couple of New to Me Authors to try.. actually  there  are three   .. so a splurge bliss!
They are all E Book finds but probably available as real books too.

Why ebooks ?
 For me e books are often easier to buy (I don't have to leave the house) and often much cheaper ..hence a 3 book splurge..they also are trickier for me to lose, don't have storage issues and don't take up space...and when I'm tired I can make the print bigger . That is not to say anything against real books ...When I moved to the States I bought over two pallets worth and still added more but when you have 14 full height book shelves that are full to the brim you have to explore other options.

When we go off and camp and enjoy the countryside we do take real books but also our e readers and an old car battery to recharge them ...it works :0)  Also when I buy a book it can go on all the readers at the same time so no one has to wait ! spoilt I know.

Right what did I find ?

1.The Murder at Sissingham Hall by Clara Benson ...$1.99 Barnes and Noble
.....................not read yet

 

2. The Cornish Coast Murder by John Bude  (Kindle copy I think $3.99)

.........................also not yet read!

and last but not least

 

3 . A Kindle copy of.....
 Despatches from the Home Front : The War time diaries of Joan Strange 1939-45 by Joan Strange.

This I have begun and it promises to be a good read ...I love interesting diaries and this one looks to be extra rich as the Strange family had much to do with refugees and family and friends living in Europe. I've had to pry myself away from reading in order to do some necessary chores but I've promised myself I can dive back in as soon as they are completed :0)

Oh and btw I don't have a Kindle just their free app so I  read these on a cheap laptop ...I also have the nook app so any larger page book,  (craft books especially) work  far better on the laptop as it allows the display of large colour pages. We have the most simple nooks.

And just in case anyone is interested it's easy to make your own ebooks of articles of interest using a free program called Sigil and manage them all using Calibre . So I can add my address book and cookery and craft notes to my e reader ..including snaps of old hand written cookery books ..which is a good way to share Great Granny's recipe book with relations :0)

Now I better find my mittens and go to do some chores ..I think I better feed the hens first!

On the Wireless and Elsewhere..2.. Charles Causley

photo from wiki thanks

Charles Causley

I'd downloaded a selection of episodes of Desert Island discs as treasures to listen to as I tootle about and I chanced upon this episode this morning and it was lovely. Mr Plomley and Mr Causley certainly gave the impression of settling down for a very relaxed and enjoyable chat. It was a pleasure to listen to. Interesting and gently entertaining in a very well mannered way. His life story and musical choices were quite delightful and his voice lovely with a nice touch of self depreciating humour in it.

Discussing the real joys of travel Mr Causley pointed out the dangers

"One mustn't do too much of it, a very dangerous thing for a writer he should Stay home and get on with the job............................the thing about All creativity  is that it's a compulsion, one never really feels one wants to do it, one tries to invent all kinds of jobs that will, er, prevent one from making a start, if you know what I mean, but it is compulsion, one gets a notion in ones head that sort of ticks away, and it really gives one no rest until, it's been laid like a kind of ghost, then something else slowly begins to appear.."

Charles Causley in his own words talking to Roy Plomley in 1979 on Desert Island Discs Here

A brief Biography at the Charles Causley society here

from The Independent in  November 1998

The Books Interview Charles Causley: Innocence and experience

Causley at the Poetry Archive 

His obituary from the Guardian here

A lovely celebration by Susan Hill is here  and I can't resist quoting the last paragraph of it

"I think he knew the value of his own work. But he was never vain, never anything but young in heart and spirit.
Shortly after receiving the Heywood Hill prize, he was made a Companion of Literature by the Royal Society of Literature, a rare honour, and asked me, again, to accept on his behalf. "What would you like me to say?" I asked.
The reply might well have been: "What an honour." Or perhaps, "What a surprise . . ."
But our greatest living poet, aged 83, asked me to say, "My goodness, what an encouragement." "

On the Wireless and elsewhere- 1-Daphne DuMaurier

Dame Daphne DuMaurier

    It is a while since I read any of her books and I am probably overdue for a revisit.
Which one to read first ? I'm not sure . My favourites are probably "Rebecca", "Frenchman's Creek" and "Jamaica Inn"

Rebecca and Frenchman's Creek were produced as Saturday Night Theatre plays on the BBC in 1976 and Jamaica Inn in '75 I believe. Other versions and other stories have been produced by the BBC ..I think some have been produced as Classic serial versions in the '90's

There are the famous film versions but I started out on the books and then next for pleasure is the radio.

What started this train of thought?
this did

Desert Island Discs Dame Daphne DuMaurier
You can listen to this episode online or download it as a podcast (if you right click it'll download as an mp3 audio file that you can listen to.
link to page is here  Desert Island Discs Dame Daphne DuMaurier


I like her choice of book and luxury

Happy listening :0)

Treasure Island

The side roads are thick uneven layers of ice topped by puddles of water as it warms up or rains or both!..and now the temperature has headed down again ....if they hot mopped the road outside and I could skate (two big if's there) we'd have a great ice rink on our doorstep :0)  (actually come to think of it I do remember a Winter where the local teenagers played ice hockey on the road in front of the house...)
As it is you just have to wear ice grippers on your boots and get on with life.

Oh and you can read the Alaska trail entries like this one for amusement...
  "Trails still bulletproof/bombproof/drive a truck on them-proof as of 2-4 p.m.
If you want real skiing, do laps on the Gasline. If you want icy skiing, that's really not too bad considering the conditions, do the lighted loops. If you want to ski on a lot of tree debris, do the TOA trail (or the uphill half of Spencer). If you want to see your life flash before your eyes, do the Spencer Loop."   I think Spencer must be more than a tad icy....


Anyway It's obviously time for a good book and as I had some chores to do and because I've never actually read an unabridged version before I listened to Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson and really enjoyed it... it was more violent and exciting than I remembered and was  "A Jolly good listen."

from wiki

The version I listened to was this one Treasure Island  which was a "Playaway" from the local library.
You add an AAA battery and your own headphones and you are off. The player is smaller than a pack of cards and fits handily into a pocket ..you can pause/play/jump backwards and forwards by chapter. It really worked for me.

Now as the weather doesn't look set to improve I'm off to chose another title :0)

A Cold Wet Day....requiring an sws

An sws is a Special Weather Statement ..and this is ours today (Courtesy of NOAA)

Well as you can now tell we are having interesting weather. We had a deep layer of snow and now it's raining on it! Yuk.
This makes travel somewhat treacherous ..puddles on ice..and the wind is blowing.
So it's time to hide indoors by the stove and read.

Today we ventured out to restock with reading material at the main library..that was when we realized how yukky the weather had become. Still we had a nice visit and we made it  home safe ...just!.....It was a little bit of an adventure getting home ..two bus rides and a walk..alternately sliding around the streets and post holing in the snow banks... even getting drenched by certain charming cars (but most were careful) but anyway we made it to the wood stove, mugs of hot tea  and a tasty supper.

When we went out I forgot to take my reading glasses...I think now that it was that kind of day...
but anyway we found cozy chairs in the children's section of the library and Laura Ingalls Wilder books were right next to us on the shelf , so I picked up the first and read it. It was Little House in the Big Woods (1932) and it was a very pleasant, easy read (great print size too :0) ) It was the first installment of her recollections of her childhood and was lovely. It's a simple tale of simpler times with interesting domestic details and a few amusing episodes (the pig accidentally hitching a ride on a sled springs to mind) Her father made a living by trapping animals in the Winter and selling their furs and by farming and the like in the summer. Panthers, Wolves and Bear feature in the stories as does the fun to be had from living simply ..her father could and did play the violin and sing, told stories and played with his children. The girls learned how to make butter and cheese, preserve meat and vegetables, and how to load and look after a rifle.

It was a very satisfying read and well worth the afternoon  to read. I'm now quite curious to read the next installment. But for the moment I'm content to drink tea and warm up by the fire!

Laura Ingalls Wilder photo from wiki