The Kite Runner

If I could only use one word to describe The Kite Runner, it would be mesmerizing. I rarely read a book twice but I will probably do so with this book. In my usual fashion I plowed through the book at break-neck speed. I started it Monday afternoon and finished it Tuesday evening. The intensity of the story, characters and locations swept me up in a storm of emotion. All the while, I was aware of Khaled Hosseini’s exceptional pros, but I was unable to slow my pace enough to enjoy and savor them, as they well deserve to be.

Volunteer commitments, good gardening weather etc. have kept me from devouring another book this week. I have started Merle's Door, Lessons from a Freethinking Dog. I like it so far, in fact I feel it pulling on my leash right now, saying please, please take me for a read.

Odd Hours by Dean Koontz

I finished Odd Hours by Dean Koontz Friday evening. I am not one to pace myself and enjoy a book over a long period of time. Living in Puget Sound allows me to luxuriate with a good book for hours on end because I don’t have to feel guilty about staying inside on a gorgeous day. Don’t get me wrong if it’s even a marginally gorgeous day I’m out there.

I suppose, without fail, that I run out and buy Dean Koontz’s books as soon as they hit the bookstore because he usually has a very smart and unique dog in it and of course I can see many of that supernatural pups traits in my own four-legged companion. I also look forward to Trixie, his beloved Golden Retrievers picture on the book jacket. I actually cried when I bought his last book, The Darkest Evening Of The Year, I new the second I looked at the shining, smiling Trixie that she had passed on. The book was dedicated to her and the plot involved a Golden Retriever Rescue group. Of course the book compelled me to donate to a local such group.

Odd Hours protagonist Odd Thomas sees dead people. He has a wonderful ghost dog companion. Not surprisingly a living Golden Retriever, who can sense Boo, the ghost dog helps Odd at one point and then Boo helps Raphael, the Golden, find Odds other friends so he can ride off into the sunset with Boo, Odd and Annamaria, an ethereal pregnant twenty year old with psycic ties to the dead love of Odds life, Stormy Llewellyn.

The mix of mystery, fantasy and way to many adjectives is a good versus evil story with good having to do some evil to overcome evil. I think as in most of his books Koontz is making a social statement. The people "society" should be able to trust, ie law enforcement, clergy, elected officials are often times greedy, power hungry and will do anything including bombing 4 cities to complete their agenda.

Yesterday was a sunny work in the yard day, not a good curl up with a book day. I consoled myself by perusing the new, The New Yorker maganzine.

Just another day

I feel like a cat that just had my litter box cleaned. I can't wait to jump in and get going on one of the new books I bought today. After an action packed morning of snaking the drain pipe behind the washer, cleaning Patty's litter box, feeding, scooping and playing with Annabell and Audrey (under Patty's supervision), visiting my hospice patient and stopping by Barnes & Noble I'm ready curl up with a good book.

My choices are The Kite Runner by Khled Hosseini, Merle's Door - Lessons from a Freethinking Dog by Ted Kerasote, Odd Hours by Dean Koontz, Crime Beat by Michael Connelly.

Mole Mania

The sun is gone and so is my sunny disposition. I awoke to a dull primer paint grey morning. I pulled the covers up fell asleep, awoke again to the rain assaulting my window assisted by a south westerly breeze. Groaning and moaning I stumble out of bed and make my way to the window in hope of seeing a small sun break some where in the distance. No such luck. Instead I am enthralled by the magnificent black and white image of the rough wind stirred waters of Puget Sound and Vashon Island in the distance. Ahhh, it is beautiful. I lower my gaze to my lusciously landscaped yard, I gasp, I spit, I cuss..that f-ing mole has been at it again.
To date I have been unsuccessful in controlling much less eliminating the mole clan residing in my yard. (As you read this next paragraph you must be humming the tune “I’ve Been Everywhere” by Johnny Cash.) I’ve tried everything man I’ve tried everything – I’ve tried flooding tunnels, dawn detergent, cayenne pepper, caster oil. I’ve tried every thing man I’ve tried juicy fruit gum, dog dung, ex-lax and broken glass. I’ve tried everything man I’ve tried everything; I’ve tried mole traps front and back, vibrating stakes and poison bait. I’ve tried every thing man I’ve tried everything.
I am seized by mole mania, I grab my rain coat, coax Brittany my sleepy mutt to join me and stomp down the stairs. I grab the hose set the nozzle on jet stream, roughly turn the water spigot as far as it will go and I start spraying the 12 inch plus diameter - 8 inch high mole mound. The soft dirt turns to mud and spreads like molten lava until, ah ha, the 3 inch wide tunnel is exposed. "Take that you motley mole, (not my real words, although it did start with an m), eat dirt and die!"
Of course none of this will have any affect on the health of my mole and even if it did another mole would take up residence in the complex labyrinth of tunnels under my beautifully landscaped yard. It is just a way for me to relieve the pressure of mole mania. I sometime go through this exercise two or three times a day. Still the mounds abound

It's blogging weather again

Three days of sunshine and warm weather in Puget Sound. Like most Western Washingtonians I spent most of it out doors. It's funny everywhere you go, everyone you meet comments on the beautiful weather and either asks you what you are going to do on such a fantastic day or tells you, invited or not ,about what their plans are.

It was great! I was able to break in the shorts and sandals I bought last year and was only able to wear once. Hey if this keeps up I may even take the tags off.

Early Saturday morning I went next door to feed the vacationing neighbors cats. After I fed and scooped I was sitting on the floor petting and playing with Audrey and Annabell. They were squirming, rolling, rubbing and purring all over and around me when all of a sudden Audrey stands at attention stares at the window and starts swishing her tail. Curiosity got the better of me so I glanced up and low and behold, Patty my cat was sitting on the fence, well not really sitting but crouched in a mean cat sort of way, staring at me. If looks could kill I wouldn't be writing this right now. I would be discarded on the back door mat along with the rats, mice and birds she deposits there after she's tormented them to death.

Day 2 as a blogger

It's almost 2:00 in the afternoon, the promised sun and warm air has yet to arrive. Thus my motto: Another gloomy grey day, yeah, a perfect day to curl up with a good book. I probably average 4 or 5 books a week during the 10 months out of the year that the sun comes in breaks in stead of days.

To much wine

It took much wine to get me started blogging. I am so excited to start blogging because I am an avid reader and writer and of course opinionated. I want to share stories and opinions.