The Sea of Galilee Boat by Shelley Wachsmann (1995)

 Book by an Israeli archaelogist who excavates a 2000 year old boat in the Sea of Galilee. It's a great story that tells us something about the Holy Land back in the day and these days about how to preserve ancient stuff.  And he's a good writer.  Read it!

Camino Winds by John Grisham 2020

 This is the second of this series by John Grisham. I'm not wild about the main character, Bruce, a wit who owns a bookstore.  The story was not that well told. I'm wondering if the Grish is running of steam, or maybe just hit a clunker.

Meet the Frugalwoods: Achieving Financial Independence through Simple Living by Elizabeth Willard Thames (2018)

 This is the personal journey of FIRE finance blogger Elizabeth Willard Thames to retirement at age 32.  It's pretty good writing, better than the blog, and a compelling account.  This is an important read.

Alone in Antarctica by Felicity Aston (2013)

 This is a personal account of a woman's ski trip across the Antarctic continent alone.  It's interesting how she keeps her sanity, or not.  At some point in the trip she starts talking to the sun, who becomes her best friend.  However, I don't think that much of her, as this is an ordeal by choice and although she didn't address I suspect it was potentially risky for others who would have to save her if things went south (so to speak). 

The Syndrome by John Case (2001)

 This is described on the jacket as a biomedical thriller. That's one way to put it. The beginning is gross and bizarre, the end is a let down, but the middle is engaging.  It's a decent read, if there's nothing else around.

The Tenth Justice by Brad Meltzer (1997)

 This is a debut legal thriller by Brad Meltzer. It is about a Supreme Court justice's clerk who finds himself in a fix.  The setting is interesting, plot is kind of interesting, but the main character is annoying. The sarcasm routine gets old. 

Soil and Sacrament: A Spiritual Memoir of Food and Faith by Fred Bahnson (2013)

This is a book written by a former divinity student, teacher and writer about his experiences with religious farms.  He is based in North Carolina and managed a community farm attached to a Methodist Church.  This is all about spirituality that gets its hands dirty, in a good way.

The Dogs of Winter by Kem Nunn (1997)

 This is the second surf noir novel I've read by Kem Nunn.  This one is set in way way Northern California.  It involves conflict between a group of surfers and members of a local tribe.  It's an interesting story.  You get a good sense of place, and the characters are interesting.  And it's well written.  This one is better than the other one.

Tapping the Source (1984) by Kem Nunn

 This is supposedly the novel that the movie, Point Break (surfing bankrobbers), was based on. The genre is surf noir.  I see the similarities but there are quite a differences.  Really they don't have much in common besides the genre and the feel.

This one is set in a grimy version of Huntington Beach and involves a murder by two washed up Vietnam vet surfers who get involved a satanic cult.  

He's a good writer and really does get the mood right, but it's a little hollow.  The one thing I took away from it was the strange similarity between the inland empire and this urban beach.

America: the Farewell Tour by Chris Hedges (2018)

 So far as I can tell, Chris Hedges is a well informed, well read journalist/ presebyterian minister. So he is about facts and the gospel. I like the blend.  The book is an interesting take on where America stood in 2018.

Imperfect Union: How Jessie Fremont and John Fremont Mapped the West, Invented Celebrity, and Helped Cause the Civil War (2020) by Steve Inskeep

 A book about nineteenth century power couple, Jessie Fremont and John Fremont, by NPR reporter Steve Inskeep.  The writer is crisp and clear, unlike some academic history texts.  John Fremont comes off as unlikeable and kind of overblown but his wife is a heavy hitter. 

The Road to Guilford Courthouse by John Buchanan (1997)

This is about the Revolutionary War fought in the Carolinas.  It was people v. people, much more than in the North where it was Brits v. Americans. This book provides the background to the Mel Gibson movie, the Patriot, which is consistent with the history.

Camino Island by John Grisham 2017

This is a recent thriller by John Grisham, involving a literary heist at Princeton University.  Most of the book is set in a rare bookshop Camino Island, which is an island off the Florida coast. It's an enjoyable summer read but not much more.

1776 by David McCullough (2005)

This is a book about the Revolutionary Wra in 1776 by historican David McCullough.  This is a warm up the massive reseach project I'm at the very beginning of.  The subject is still blurry but does appear to be coming into focus.

batting mat

We had a problem in the cage.  We have a dirt batters box.  The balls are always kicking up dust.  Summer is worse than winter but it's a problem in the winter too.  If the balls get dirty and go in the machine, it could damage the motor. Also, there are deep holes where he stands.

So we ordered a batting mat online.  We paid about $525.00 for it. It came a few days ago and we installed it yesterday.  We haven't tried it yet but it sure looks a lot better.

It also fixed another problem.  There is the bottom of a low concrete wall sticking out in the back toward the fence.  The concern is a low pitch will hit it and bounce back and hit the batter. We're always having to adjust the backstop to prevent.  Now, the batting mat covers the concrete, so we don't have that issue.

James' new Diamondback

We had to replace James' bike. He said it was too small and he kept bumping his knees on the handlebars.  It is an old one.  We got it for him some years ago.

So we got one from a guy selling his on Craigslist.  We got an insight Diamondback, hybrid road bike/ mountain bike.  We paid $140.00.  There was some stuff wrong with it. The brakes didn't work well. It's supposed to be a 14 speed, but there's only 7.   The one gear changer we had didn't work well.

So we took her into Steve's at Altadena for a tuneup and new handles. It set us back $61, but James loves it and we ride it nearly every day.  I can't keep up with him. I may need a motor on mine.

Covid 19 bicycle

James and I have doing 3 rides a day ever since the lock down. A morning ride is about 1 mile, afternoon about 1.5 miles, and evening about 4 miles.  The distance is getting to me; it's the hills.

We decided to retire the Murray. It's a one speed without hand brakes.

We got a 7 speed cruiser at Steve's bike shop in Altadena for $370.00.

I had my first ride on it today.  James is still faster than me, but it's a lot easier getting up the hill.

Pirate Hunters (2015) Robert Kurson

This is an account of the efforts of a couple of divers in 2009 to locate the ruins of a sunken 17th century pirate ship. It's got interesting history in it and it's a good adventure story.

Summer of '49 (1989) David Halberstam

This a book about the American League Pennant race in 1989 by writer great, David Halberstam. James and I read it together. He's taken a liking to golden era of baseball.

Duel in the Sun by John Brant (2006)

A book by Runner's World writer John Brant about the 1982 Boston Marathon.  Alberto Salazar, the Goliath, beat underdog Dick Beardsley by just a couple seconds.  It's interesting story about the profound affect that race had on both of their lives.

Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson (2004)

A book by an investigative journalist about divers who in 1991 discovered a German WWII U-boat at the bottom of the ocean off the New Jersey coast. The story is about the divers and also about those who lost their lives on the U-Boat.  It a well told story about an interesting subject.

Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale by Adam Minter 2019

Where does you stuff end up when you donate to Goodwill and no one buys it there?  This book answers that question, along with others. It's a good read for those interested in the subject of stuff.

Christ: a Crisis in the Life of God by Jack Miles 2002

A look at the New Testament and Jesus from a literary perspective. What is the character of God, as manifested in Jesus, and how has he changed from the Old Testament?  He's a good writer and is looking at this subject in an interesting way.

Good Husbandry: Growing Food, Love and Family on Essex Farm 2019

This is the second farming book by journalist/ farmer, Kristin Kimball. It's a good one.  Farming, like life, is a vigorous team sport played by athletes of ordinary ability.  It's about doing the right thing in each season.  Read it.

Ahead of the Curve: Inside the Baseball Revolution by Brian Kenny (2016)

This is a book on baseball by commentator, Brian Kenny. His an opinionated guy who sides with the math guys on sabermetrics.  It's an interesting read if you know nothing about this subject.

The Dirty Life: On Farming, Food and Love by Kristin Kimball (2010)

This is first hand account of starting a farm and marrying a farmer by travel writer, Kristin Kimball.  She can write well, and the story is worth telling and hearing. It is about the transformation of a piece of land, and a life. It's about growing your own food, satisfaction, hard physical work, learning, and a long to do list.  Read it!

Fringe-ology: How I Tried to Explain Away the Unexplainable-And Couldn't by Steve Volk, 2011

Investigative journalist Steve Volk explores the paranormal and provides a personal ghost story and learns to dream lucidly. Other than the chapter on quantum physics, it's pretty easily digestible and interesting.  The main point?  Could have happened, or maybe it was imagined, or maybe it actually happened. Scientists and religious people should work together instead of working against each other.