Books

A study says that people who read several books each year have a tendency to live two years longer than people who don't.  Now, I definitely don't want to live forever, but there for a while, I was reading a book a day; I've currently slowed down to one every two or three days.  How much more will that extend my life, I wonder?  - Not much, I'm sure.
  Today is my sister's 68th birthday....  Kathy Jo was born at the Chincoteague Naval Air Station today, with the help of forceps, as she was a breech presentation.  Mom had so much internal damage they told her she'd never conceive again - but here I am!  (Our family likes to confound the medical profession.)  For her birthday, I gave her a copy of Killers of the Flower Moon - The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI.  I'm on the reserve waiting list for a copy from the library.
   I've been re-reading some favorites, and found a three-in-one Andre Norton hardcover.  Apparently I read two of the novels when I was in 7th grade, but I don't remember the third one, which I'm about two-thirds through...  I have a copy of the new C. J. Cherryh Foreigner series book, Emergence, to read; and I'm awaiting the arrival of my autographed copy of City on the Edge of Darkness by Preston and Child.
  I just received my new Bas Bleu catalog, and I've spotted another 10 books that look intriguing - I'll have to order them from the library - and I still need to sitdown at my PC and read May Day Over Wichita, which my cousin Sarah highly recommends.
 
    After several nights of single digit temperatures, the Chinook winds arrived early this morning, and it was 47 degrees when I left to care for Pip and Squeak; 49 when I returned.  It's supposed to reach the mid-60s again this afternoon (it was 68 yesterday), before getting chilly again tomorrow.  Then snow is forecast for Sunday, with a high of 30....  We'll see!

Chilly, Books, Vikings

It was a grey, chilly day here.  After temperatures around 90 degrees (F) over the weekend, having a high of 55 seems a bit cool.  Not to mention the 100% humidity level we've had all day.  It's almost 6 in the evening, and I can finally see the mountains, even though they are very hazy.  And it looks odd to see the pockets of cloud tucked into the shoulders of the various peaks and arroyos.  It's also the first time I've actually seen that the leaves on the trees a block away are green in color.  It's typical during snow, but odd during the fall.
   I've been catching up on this season's Vikings - saw two hours over the weekend, and three hours today.  I'm still in love with Floki, even if he did kill Athelstan.  And I was shocked when Aslaug handed Ivar the Boneless over to Floki as his instructor in the gods and the old ways - but it makes perfect sense, in retrospect.  Linus Roache is amazing as always in his portrayal of King Ecbert; and I have truly enjoyed every minute that Ivan Kaye has been on screen as King Aelle.  Rollo is certainly making waves with Gisla, and I'm rather enjoying the actor taking the part of Count Odo.  Bjorn Ironsides is maturing quite nicely...  And Lagertha  certainly gave her husband an unexpected wedding gift...
   I am re-reading Visitor to capture the nuances I missed, and have already found several items that I did not register in my first, hurried reading.  I'm about to order the new Pendergast novel by Preston and Child, The Obsidian Room, that will ship out next month.  In the meantime, I'm awaiting my own copies of The Rain Wild Chronicles (volumes 1 to 4) for enjoying a leisurely perusal.  After that, I'll start the new Robin Hobb series, The Fitz and The Fool.  I know there are two components already published, so maybe I'll be just in time for the third of the series...  And then it should be time for a new Sigma Force  novel by James Rollins, and then a new CJ Cherryh Foreigner book.   Looking forward to good reads over the next several months!

Not Much....

Boulder had mostly sunny skies yesterday, and a lot of the snow on the ground melted or evaporated away.  I awoke to bright sunshine this morning - which was very strange: the kits let me sleep in and  I forgot to turn my alarm clock on last night.  I checked to be sure the alarm was set for the correct time, but then I, apparently, did not turn the thing on...  Oh, well.  It;s now completely overcast outside and we've had snow flurries falling since I arose at 6:30.  I had a great time with Rosie yesterday, and I think she enjoyed our hour outside immensely, except when a fir tree dumped a large amount of snow on us both.  Rosie jumped forward, shook herself, and then gave me a very reproachful look.  I don't think she realized I was in the middle of dusting myself off, too.  It was funny, looking back.
    On Sunday night, I watched the premiere episode of Battle Creek - only because Dean Winters is one of the stars of the show.  I loved his character, Detective Russ Agnew, and I loved his lines; the guy who plays opposite him was not very likeable, which I suppose is the way the show is written - but I would have been happy to have seen the show without him.   Dean Winters, however, was fantastic - it seemed as if he carried the whole show on his shoulders.  I also enjoyed seeing Gotham last night.  The story lines are very twisted, there is a surprise in every episode, and I always want to see more...
    I started reading Two Graves last night, and had a hard time putting the book down for the night.  Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child have formed an unbeatable team in writing about Special Agent A. X. L. Pendergast, and Gideon; and, indeed, all of their books.  I have a copy of each of their books and re-visit them frequently.  They are great!!!