965. "Interviewing the Dead" by David Field -- 4 Stars

Interviewing the Dead by David Field -- 4 Stars

Publisher: Sapere Books

ISBN: 9781913518707 

Interviewing the Dead is an intelligent and entertaining historical mystery. It is well researched with interesting characters that have differing views of science and religion.

1892 was a time when con men promoted spiritualism, science was evolving, and women were struggling for a place in professional positions. The descriptions of the tricks of mentalists reminded me of observations by Sherlock Holmes. There are visions of ghosts and fears of returning dead among Londoners, but I didn’t find it a “keep you up at night” scary story.  It was because the fad of spiritualism and belief of communicating with the dead was in fashion at the time. The note to the reader at the end about historical details of the book was interesting. I enjoyed this novel for the mystery and vivid descriptions of the people and setting in 1892 London.

Reviewer: Nancy

964. "The Deepest Grave" by Jeri Westerson – 4 Stars

The Deepest Grave by Jeri Westerson – 4 Stars

Publisher: Severn House

ISBN: 9781780109725

 I was offered a pre-published copy of a new Crispin Quest series book and decided to get this earlier one from the library to read first so I could learn about the characters and pick up background information. What I found from The Deepest Grave was that it was not necessary to read the previous books in the series.

 This book was well written with a rather simple mystery plot where detective, or “tracker” within, Crispin Quest takes on two different murder investigations: one began with someone or something digging up corpses and robbing a church and the other began with a 7-year old confessing to killing a neighbor. The stories take various twists throughout and capture your attention and interest in the solving of the murders. I would consider this a mystery with both a unique story and unique characters that provided a satisfying read.

 What I was not too excited about was the endings of the murder investigations. Like some of the TV shows that are limited to an hour, this book abruptly concludes with the killers of both murders freely confessing and telling exactly how they planned and did the killings. To get to the conclusions, Crispin guesses at possibilities and investigates each one in order rather than collecting all the facts and then pursuing the most likely suspect. He investigated a suspect on a feeling or hunch rather than on multiple facts. Regardless of his approach which differs from what I would believe is a normal way to investigate, he does finally “bump” into the killers who immediately spill their guts, which is not very realistic.

 If you want an entertaining novel that is cozy and requires little thinking, but is enjoying, then The Deepest Grave, and probably the whole series, is a recommended read. I’ll be reading the author’s new novel now that I know what style I can expect. Hopefully, it will be a bit more thought provoking than this one.

Reviewer: Rich

963. "End Game" by David Baldacci – 5 Stars

End Game by David Baldacci – 5 Stars

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

ISBN: 9781455586639

Characters Will Robie and Jessica Reel never disappoint, providing nonstop action throughout. The plot revolves around their missing director Blue Man who is vital to the Agency. Their mission is to find him off in the remote town of Grand, Colorado surrounded by retired Atlas silos bought and being renovated into secure, survivalist condos. Throw in a few suspicious radical group residents, aka white supremist, skinheads, and the Doctor King Apostles, and the result is hundreds of angry killers Robie and Reel must fight off in their pursuit. Who kidnapped Blue Man and why is the question throughout. As the body counts mount for the various groups, so do they for the good guys and specifically more who those who might have information about helpless hooded passengers stuffed in a van. Killing is their specialty and life, but their detective work supplements their talents. You’ll find this book it hard to put down. There is no need to read the previous books in the series – this stands alone just fine. The beginning introduces you to Robie and Reel and their skills via short action-packed separate missions unrelated to the main plot. After that, they again team up despite some controversies from a previous joint mission. This adds to the tasks they face and results in … well, I’ll let you find out.

 Reviewer: Rich

000. Blogger Help

A new version and look for Blogger came in 1Q 2020. Unfortunately, it isn't easy to get back to original design and impossible to change new blog to include "Design" on the top to get to the Blog owner's options for changing things. INSTEAD: Until something else changes, I goto Blogspot.com I automatically come up to new screen for customizing my blog. I assume if I ever signoff, I will get an options to sign in from that page. To date however it automatically knows me and signs me in.

THEME: First thing to set up is the Theme you will use. Blogger allows you to select one you like. Each presents its format and colors that I think you can further customize. After selecting a Theme, I had to discover on my own how to get to Design mode like before (See above).

FEATURED POST: I was stuck here! I already had a featured pose from original format, but now had no way to change it or modify it. Here is what I discovered: 

1. Bring  up Blogspot.com

2. Select Theme from left sidebar

3. Select Customize for the Theme

4. Select Gadgets (I already had the Featured Post gadget from before), thus didn't need to add it on next screen

5. "Show Featured Post" is checked for me. So, unchecking it will remove it from the top of my posts. However, once you uncheck, you have to SAVE and that isn't shown on screen until you maximize your window, SAVE is the File ICON on bottom right. Otherwise, to customize Featured Post, select Configure, then uncheck and save.

ADD Contact Form: Y9ou may add a gadget called ADD CONTACT FORM to your sidebar.The order of each gadget in your sidebar can be changed by simply using the mouse to move it where you want. BUT, don't forget to SAVE again (Maximize window and FILOE ICON in bottom right).

962. "Those Who Hunger: An Amish Vampire Thriller" by Owen Banner -- 5 Stars

Those Who Hunger: An Amish Vampire Thriller by Owen Banner  -- 5 Stars

Publisher: Owen Banner

ISBN:  9781589470346

Those Who Hunger is a unique variation of the vampire legend. These vampires are not like Bram Stoker’s Dracula. They do thirst for blood, but an attack is more than a bite on the neck. Vampires, the Amish, the FBI and a bunch of nasty bikers make up an interesting mix that works together to form a great plot. The characters are well constructed and believable. Haddie, an Amish teen, is the central character. I felt her struggle to control her bloody urges while staying true to her religion and family. This is a fairly long book that held my interest throughout. It was fun to read a horror novel that was different from the rest.

 

Reviewer: Nancy

961. "The House that Fell from the Sky" by Patrick Delaney -- 4 Stars

The House that Fell from the Sky by Patrick Delaney -- 4 Stars

Publisher: Oblivion Publishing

ISBN: 9780578660790

The House that Fell from the Sky is difficult to review, but I thank Netgalley and the publisher for making it available to me for an honest opinion.

 I enjoyed the story and loved the imagination put into it. The “House” is really much more than a house. I don’t understand the title at all, nor its characters suggesting it is a house. It appears as a physical, but paranormal, structure covering city blocks and at least seven stories high. Plus, the powers of the “House” go beyond just the physical structure alone and affect anybody close to it. The descriptions of the horror within it are vivid leaving little more to imagine; they are outright, unbelievably frightening. The four main characters (Scarlett, Tommy, Jackson, and Hannah), each with mental flaws or inhibitors that prevent them from moving on in life successfully fit the story well for each has a major disadvantage in facing the horror of the “House” that demands they work together  to do so. A fifth character Vincent, a magician from the past who has an unknown, until the end, connection to them helps coordinate the teamwork and direction through the house.

 I enjoy horror and began liking the detailed descriptions of the rooms within. However, the repetitive detail for each and every room became annoyingly tiresome to wade through. Hey, I get it. The place is scary, but I really didn’t care after the first four times to know what every crook and cranny looked like. Likewise, the “monsters” or occupants or spirits or whatever descripting are necessary, but later when still more ghouls were introduced, the same descriptions again with minor variances became boring. It was like going through a haunted house at a fair where every so many feet a figure pops out that isn’t much different – it’s the popping out that is scary. Yet, I must emphasize that the initial descriptions were shockingly memorable and provided a clear visual of the horror.

 It took 15% to get to any horror. Until then, the four main characters and a few others were the story and that wasn’t well done. Much too much dialogue between the characters and little cohesive foundation. It took me a while to realize that Todd was Chief Briggs and he was Jackson’s father. Plus, Hannah was sort of a “left-town” person with very little description of who she was and details of why. I feel character building should have been done more effectively. This brings me to the “BEFORE” chapters which to me were no more than the author realizing that the initial character introductions were already too long, but the content in those chapters still needed to be told. They were of no real value and became page fillers. So, my summary of character building is that it was overloaded with chit-chat between young adults that acted like teens and from the dialogues I was being asked to form my own opinions instead of the author presenting meaningful meat and potatoes.

 Despite struggling through the things that annoyed me, I couldn’t put this book down. The constant horror, twists and turns, and need to continue were gripping. Eventually, the entire picture became clear and the end came, not entirely as expected. However, it was presented effectively and was memorable.

 I find that there were many 5-Star parts of this novel, but just enough 3-Star annoyances to make this an overall 4-Star performance. I look forward to improvements in this author’s future books to solidly define him as a great horror writer.

Reviewer: Rich

960. Homecoming, Prime Video Review -- 5 Stars

Homecoming is a show that requires several episodes in order to begin to learn how things fit together. Each episode leaves many questions and unexplained character relationships. For the inquisitive and analytic minded viewers who know they will be rewarded for their time and patience, Homecoming is wonderful. With that said, I must recommend that this is not the show for the The Big Bang Theory crowd who can’t even decide on when to react without canned laughter to tell them. Think of each season of Homecoming as an entire novel where there are constant twists and turns throughout and always intrigue and unknowns from chapter to chapter. If your mind can’t focus like that, try reading more. But, do understand that this is how life occurs and one cannot expect a reward like a piece of biscuit given to a dog each time he learns to sit. People were supposed give brains to perform analysis of events, some events so diverse it may take time to collect all the facts to formulate even close conjectures of truth. So be the events and action in Homecoming as it progressives throughout its episodes. I commend the producers and writers for such an excellent program that exercise the viewers’ imagination and continued thought; something our younger generations duly lack and later generations tend to forget. I can’t get enough of this show. In addition to what I already stated, I find the characters very unique and well defined, once you put the pieces together. The complete picture is like a jigsaw puzzle being put together. Individual puzzle sections start to be connected and those images start to shed light on how the final picture will appear. Homecoming is extremely creative and cleverly presented. Unfortunately, as you will read, there are many viewers who can not focus on the big picture and give up – just as in life. Well, pooh on them. Each episode is short enough for an evening or afternoon of relaxation and mind stimulation experience. Thanks for such a great show. I certainly belong to the 5 Stars folks.

959. "The Lantern Men" by Elly Griffiths -- 3 Stars

The Lantern Men by Elly Griffiths -- 3 Stars

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

ISBN: 9780358237044

I thank Netgalley.com and the publisher for an early copy of The Lantern Men in exchange for the opportunity to provide an honest opinion. This novel is a creative mystery based on a local legend, but the progress of the plot is often slowed by the narrative of the lives and relationships of Eve’s many friends, their numerous children, and the police force. I found the drama of their personal angst to be unnecessarily excessive. While the mystery in this book is complete with a satisfying conclusion, the character’s stories are progressive with each book in the series. Those and many references to events that occurred previously demand that the series should be read in the order the books were written.

Reviewer: Nancy

958. "Bone Canyon" by Lee Goldberg -- 5 Stars

Bone Canyon by Lee Goldberg --  5 Stars

Publisher: Thomas and Mercer

ISBN: 9781542042710 

Bone Canyon is fun to read. The pace of the plot is steady. The dialogue is often witty without being silly. There is just enough description of California and the cities in Los Angeles County to be interesting. The characters are the best part. They portray the culture of Los Angeles and Hollywood craziness. I have lived there. It is a unique place. Eve, the central character, grew up and lives in the world of the film industry. She is a strong young woman trying to stand by her principles of justice while being reminded of the video that got her the job and being encouraged to be the central character in a television series. Duncan is Eve’s partner who is nearing retirement. I hope he stays in the series. He is a support for Eve as a friend and wise mentor. I like him. Bone Canyon is more than a Hollywood story. There are bad people among the good in every profession. It is a strong and disquieting story that could have taken place in any city. The setting, however, did add to the entertainment.

There are authors whose books I enjoy so much that I anxiously await the next one to be published, Lee Goldberg is one of those. I thank him and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and enjoy this book.

   

Reviewer: Nancy

957. "Written in my Own Heart’s Blood" by Diana Gabaldon – 5 Stars

Written in my Own Heart’s Blood  by Diana Gabaldon – 5 Stars

Publisher: Delacorte Press

ISBN: 9780440246442

Book 8 in the Outlander Series: A short 813 pages to this one and every page enjoyable. We again got to follow both Jamie & Claire’s family in their time, but we also now have the Roger and Bree family with their time travel adventures. Plus, it doesn’t stop there with more ancestors joining the travelers. Let it suffice to say Jem disappears and suspected to have gone through the Stones. But did he? Roger thought so, so without hesitation jumped time to find him along with an interesting and related kinsman – remember Buck who turned him over to the British to hang? Roger and Bree had collected more details about time travel, but Roger had to make his departure from the present day to seek Jem. So, not everything goes as planned, but he does run into many known relatives back in the 1730’s, Buck’s time. Meanwhile Bree begins studying time travel scientifically though the various Stones’ locations and flips with family to now find Roger. Phew! You’ll have to read to determine the details and outcomes. Let me just say the ending of the book will get you wondering how much they learned when Jamie and Claire hear a “Hallo the House.”

As far as Jamie and Claire, along with Lord John’s relatives and William, the Revolution progresses from Valley Forge and battles around Philadelphia. Of course, Jamie can’t stay out of it and is made a General by Washington. Many new and real individuals become characters in the Fraser’s lives.

We now have on the British side Lord John, William, John’s brother and his uncle who all have key action in this novel. There are some difficult situations between them and the others Rebel families while they have to work together to avoid arrest and capture, requiring joint rescues on both sides of the factions. Never a dull moment. William also lets his personal side avail and makes some interesting decisions and takes some risky actions.

My new favorite character Ian is in love. We met Rachael, the Quaker, previously. Shall we add another family to follow? Fergus’s family and Jenny also contribute a lot to the narrative and action.

I probably said enough. You really want to continue onto this Book 8 and then, along with me, await Book 9. I’m amazed that Ms. Galbadon could devise such a masterpiece and then present it in eight large novels to date and in such an excellent manner. Thanks.

Reviewer: Rich

956. "Sea of Spies" by Alex Gerlis – 5 Stars

Sea of Spies by Alex Gerlis – 5 Stars

Publisher: Canelo

ISBN: 9781788639026

As in Mr. Gerlis’ previous book Prince of Spies, Richard Prince continues with his escapades with a second mission that challenges every one of his faculties. Unlike the typical spy novel where things frequently go right, it seems Richard hits every possible obstacle and rabbit hole. His mission is to report on the Chronium trade between Germany and Turkey, the raw material being used to build armored vehicles and other equipment. Obviously, this needs to be stopped to prevent the Germans from gaining an advantage in WW II. Turkey, a supposedly neutral country, is covertly trading when it should not be, but won’t admit it. Richard, as Michael Doyle, gets the call to uncover the lie and expose Turkey. What was intended to be a 30-day mission turned out to be months, all during the same period the British government promised to find Richard’s son Henry.

The life of this WW II spy couldn’t be more exciting – for the reader that is. Not for Richard who has to work with dozens of new contacts, not all trustworthy. The Gestapo is constantly searching for him and captures most of his trustworthy contacts just before he escapes them. His adventure is nail-biting – so many close calls, so many suspicious contacts, so many locations he is not familiar with, not to mention his lack of experience in the necessary languages and customs. His life is relegated to that of a rat hiding from an army of cats. It is unbelievable how anyone can endure this life. Yet, Richard, of course, finally succeeds in his mission which I must state doesn’t end with a pleasant flight with champagne back to England. A complete, realistic life of a spy is depicted from the absolute beginning to end.

To complement the story of a spy, Mr. Gerlis presents a historical background of the Turkey’s involvement in the war, the locales Richard visits, and many real incidents. I always enjoy learning history by reading such a novel.

I’d love to continue to write about some of the details since I enjoyed it so much, but I’ll leave them to you to do so. As for Richard’s son Henry, same deal. Enjoy the book.

Reviewer: Rich

 

955. "An Echo in the Bones" by Diana Gabaldon -- 5 Stars

An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon – 5 Stars

Publisher: Delacorte Press

ISBN: 9780440338871

My desires to read about the Fraser and MacKensie families made reading about Lord John and Willie difficult and a bit boring until the interface between Willie and Ian (as the Indian) connected. Then, as usual in Ms. Gabalton’s Outlander series, Willie and Lord John became as interesting and every character. Every character is developed to the degree that begs you to seek their future and connection to the Frasers, and in this book, the American Revolution.

Jamie remains Jamie, meaning, he continues his adventurous and always lightning, courageous, dangerous activities while faithfully protecting his family. As we learned in the previous book, Roger and Briana and children journeyed back to the future, but remained so close in their minds that Jamie and Claire wrote letters of there feats and disappointment, boxed them up, and sent them in the mail to the MacKenzies IN THE FUTURE! They received it when they moved to Scotland and continue to follow the  Fraser’s events in the Revolution. And, to further connect them to the past, Roger’s GGGGandfather shows up at their door. Now, how can that be? Can the time travelers now jump to the future when they are really born in the past? Mindboggling, but still an open question.

As before, Ian never disappoints and finds his honey. Of course, Ian can’t make life simple. His choice is a Quaker. How will that work out? Again, we need to find out in the next book. Yet, now the Hunter family is added to characters to follow and enjoy.

Claire continues to impress us with her medical feats, handling of precarious events, and stubborn perseverance given the tons of stress thrown at her. The love between her and Jamie burns so strong they stick together, even if a marriage to someone else must happen to prevent prosecution as a spy. Say what?

Meanwhile, the next generation, Jemmy MacKenzie, steps up to the plate to keep our interest in future books. How will the Stones affect his and family’s life?

The Outlander Series could last forever. However, at the time of this reading, Book 10 is supposed to be the last. Well, I’m off to Book 8. Don’t forget that Ms. Gabaldon has also spun off a Lord John series of books and several novelettes supplementing the Outlander series. Despite a great Startz TV show where the Outlander series presents a visual of the excitement of her books and varies slightly to shorten the 1000-page reads of her books, I will always choose reading first to get ALL the details. I love both.

Reviewer: Rich

954. "Eddie’s Boy" by Thomas Perry - 5 Stars

Eddie’s Boy by Thomas Perry -   5 Stars

Publisher: Grove Atlantic

ISBN: 978080215775 

It has been several years since I read the first three books in the Butcher’s Boy series. I was glad to see that Michael has not lost his talents as he aged. I especially enjoyed the flashbacks to his early years when Eddie taught him his trade, to kill and survive.

As would be expected in a novel about an assassin for the mob, there is plenty of action and violence. Michael kills a lot of bad guys. His talents for intricate planning and manipulation are as good as his ability to survive an attack on his life.

There is enough past history included in this book to enjoy it without reading the first ones in the series, but I am sure it will encourage you to read the first three as well. I was excited to find that the Butcher’s Boy is back. While Thomas Perry’s books are always enjoyable, these are my favorites.

Reviewer: Nancy

953. "The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne" by Elsa Hart – 5 Stars

The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne  by Elsa Hart – 5 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

ISBN: 9781250142818 

There are so many things I enjoyed about this period mystery. At the center was a vast collection of “curiosities” collected by Barnaby Mayne that was so large that it filled all of two houses. Collecting became more than a pastime for some who had the money and leisure time to pursue it. The author described how the possession of items and the stories accompanying them became a greedy obsession. Cecily Kay, the central character, was a strong and intelligent woman in a time when those traits were neither fashionable nor encouraged. The mystery was complex with twists and an unexpected conclusion. The writing was intelligent and vividly portrayed London in 1703.

I was searching for something different from most of the current mysteries and am delighted to have found this book.

     

Reviewer: Nancy

952. CLUELESS and disinformation generating Media!

Do we not have journalists and editors and their papers that want to know about facts or even enough details about what they are writing about before misinforming We the People?

How many times have you jumped to a heading and found the content doesn't support the heading? I would venture to guess that a very large proportion of the public NEVER go beyond the reading of the headline and therefore believe what is said in up to 10 words! For example, I have a close relative, won't specifically cite him/her (will use he/his in following), but he ALWAYS believes and runs with the headline fabricating the facts as he imagines they are and spews the information upon all his friends who blindly pass it down the line, like the game Pass It Down the Alley. until it is radically changed to the imaginations of others and completely wrong when it makes the last on the queue. EXAMPLE: He heard saw the headline that a Vaccine Patch is being tested. He naturally assumed it is a COVID-19 patch and told everyone that SHORTLY there will be a vaccine patch available to resolve the deadly virus issues. REALITY: No COVID-19 vaccine is close and 12-18 months is still the stated time frame at the earliest. PROBLEM: The are people working since at least 2017 on a patch that would replace an injection for vaccines. In other words, a technology that simply does that -- replaces an injection with a patch. But, NOT a specific COVID-19 patch. That requires a discovery and FDA trials of a specific vaccine itself that when available might be deliverable by a patch. Can you imagine the impact of how a simple headline to capture readers can cause mayhem?

Here are another headline/story that I have seen that was misleading: CNN's statement that Kim Jung Un is seriously ill. We've seen this happen before and it was fake news. Again CNN! Get the facts first! Another: All the cats will get COVID-19. Two cases were reported of positive detection. Yet, the contents of the article stated different chemical tests for animals, not the scientific ones for humans being used, were used and how determined was not explained in any detail.

The point is, you will see ONLY a headline that will get your attention. If you don't read the article for content, and do not question the content for accuracy, like I would say 90% of the population, you will believe fake news and worse yet take that incorrect belief to the polls. It's no wonder why this country is so screwed up and divided! THANKS MEDIA! America needs to get a handle on all the crap that comes out of the media and Internet. I don't see anyway of filtering out the crap other than proving some well vetted websites and papers/magazines that provide CORRECT detail and news. It is certainly obvious that the publishers don't care because attention words=revenue and they have insurance to cover their fake news. Maybe the insurance providers need to jack up their costs exponentially. And the lawyers need to start making more case lawsuits against them. It is such a mess and so destructive.

951. COVID-19 Models - Don't be a clueless Dem

Please. Understand how models are created and the limits of them before reacting to all the hoopla by the media who DON'T understand them. Accurate models projecting deaths can't possibly be developers. Why? There isn't enough data about this virus to base them on and and same goes for data with respect to behavior since recognized.

Anybody can develop a forecasting model. Let's use a financial example. Suppose someone assumes the stock market moves according to a linear line upward at 12% on the average. Since there already exists plenty of historical data, I could use history to determine if my forecast projects were close to the linear line model hypothesized. What will be the results? No way Jose. So, someone else assumes the projection curve is exponential  Again, wrong. Without going into what projection is correct, I am simply clarifying that whatever the projection curve you assume, it CAN be checked and refined based on historical data. Well, to a degree that is. There sill still be outliers (differences from the norm) due to specific events that need to be explained. For example, why was the stock market growing at 10% compound growth before 2000 and now only 6.5% today. It was something like that, but I am not stating that it was those percentages or the turning year was 2000. I am stating that events happen that change a long-term model and again need to be factored in when designing a model.

Now COVID-19. We have no history. People first made assumptions that it was like the influenza. In what respects? Anything that could accurately project Covid-19? Nope. But the media picked up on whoever touted such a model to project spread rate and geography. They were wrong! The problem of the model being wrong is not the point. Those knowing it couldn't possibly be accurate had to have something to base decisions on and a base model to change as more facts became known. The problem became the media jumping on it like it was the Holy Grail for predicting death and demise, then exciting or incorrectly lulling the masses to no be concerned. Statistics based on incredible facts are useless and can be made dangerous by clueless media.

As we saw more data become available, more refined models were developed for projections of spread, rate of spread, deaths, etc. Still not enough data and facts are known to ensure an accurate model. But today the total deths were projected to be lower than the previous model. What changed in the model? We will never know. But the problem becomes the Dems will now collect into there ball of hate an accuse Trump for overstating the expected deaths a few weeks back when the model had far less data to work with and the experts were only trying their best to project SOMETHING worse case. So, the political pot will be stirred again and the Dems will blindly want to spend taxpayer money on another witch hunt instead of realizing what a model is OR getting their own experts to develop a model. Watch the senseless reactions to the latest leftest media new headings! That's my prediction for next week.

But, let's be practical and understand models and the experts developing them. Not Trump! We still have no clue why certain states have high rates of infection and death. We still have no real clue whether the mid-west states will follow suit with the NE states. Do realize that the worse was in NY and NJ and then later Michigan and Chigo area. Plus Kentucky and Louisiana. Why? There are hundreds of variables that need to be analyzed to determine why? IF someone can pinpoint the contributing variables then it might be possible to project impact on the mid-west. Until then, we run with inaccuracy and each of us lives with or without hope.

Had we accurate data out of China in January already, a lot of the actions taken might have had even more of a jump start. The fact is, we didn't have the information. But, the actions that were taken were as prompt as necessary and right on. We need to thank the experts who bent over backwards to collect information and develop plans. We need to thank President Trump for gathering the resources needed and not only moving the protection plans forward but just as importantly keeping our economy afloat.Damn the Dems who instead obstruct viable, positive plans to move the economy ahead. Particularly Small Businesses!!! Isn't it time to get these not only clueless but obstructionists out of Congress! They have been endangering America since Trump's inauguration.

I wasn't planning on a political rant, but let's win the this war before starting another! Stay safe people. Follow the precautions passed along by Trump;s experts, NOT the other hateful politicians.

950. The garden and the 3-day April winter

We waited (NOT) for winter the whole season and finally got it on the evening of  4/12 until morning of 5/15. Who would expect the temperatures to drop below freezing for 19 straight hours plus other days then in Amarillo? I already planted a lot in my garden, so I took the time to cover everything -- a mere 400-450 sq feet. Had my tomatoes in Wall-of-Waters, so they kept a cozy temperature throughout. Unbelievably, everything survived. My beets and radishes I left uncovered, so I was surprised about those. two of my potato plants showed some leaf damage, but that's all. My cold frame stuff -- lettuce, onions, beets, cilantro -- were fine. Cabbage, leeks, and spinach came through, even those uncovered. Another slight scare of 30-32 degrees tonight, then we're finally deep into Spring here with daytime temps in 70s and nights above 47. Tomorrow the Snow peas, Green beans, squash (in Wall-of-Waters), and possibly 1 or two cucumbers (ground temp was 62F) more. Inside my Green peppers are looking great, more cucumbers in pots,  and the hot stuff - chilies, cayenne, Serrano, jalapeno, poblano, Habenero -- should be ready to sprout in a few days. To weather the hot sun in Summer, I am going to try a 30% sun filter cover over the tomatoes. It would be nice to have them last until Fall.

Freezers are cleaned and ready for the harvests. We are already enjoying the lettuce, radishes, a few onions, cilantro,  and cabbage and are 2 pints away from depleting the apple sauce. We still have a few dinners in the freezer of stuffed peppers and other 2019 harvests vegetables.

Well, here's to SUNNY days. I think we'll all need them after this COVID-19 virus shut-in. Fortunately for us the special measures suggested and required are no different than we already live. Does that mean its good to be older? We hope everybody else can enjoy the happy days ahead. They are coming.

UPDATE: 5/28/2020 - 😠 THREE small apples growing!!! A far cry from the 500+ in previous years. This is the second year in 15 that a freeze wiped us out. Bad News = No apples, apple sauce, apple pies, etc. this year. Good News = No flocks of birds in my trees. Tough to be a farmer depending on the weather. We'll just have to make due with the 14 tomato plants, 15 green peppers plants, 15 Chile and various hot pepper plants, zucchini, summer squash, cucumbers, green beans, garden peas, snow peas, lima beans, cabbage, spinach, lettuce, beets (love those pickled beets), potatoes, etc. This year I am covering my tomatoes with a 30% shade cover in an attempt to preventing them from burning up in the hot, summer Texas Panhandle heat. Will report back in Fall.

949. Maytag now on my S--- List

After the GE refrigerator mess (see previous posts) I thought I couldn't possibly hit a worse one. Step in Maytag and a freezer I bought about 10 years ago. Seems the 'frostless" freezer never did properly defrost automatically and we had to unplug and manually defrost. Since it was out of warranty, we settled on that until a few days ago when during our manual defrost work I decided to remove the inside back panel to check out the inside. There hung the evaporator coils by two bolts on top and no other securing. Well, that was NOT the issue that concerned me. Below it the back panel, the one the evaporator coils were attached to, had a hole at the bottom as if someone had tried to secure the coils at the bottom. But instead the panel was both cracked and had a hole. Think maybe that's why my freezer was frosting up and not defrosting properly? Actually there was about a 4 inch long by 1/2 inch gouge out of the panel and the center of it was eroded with at least one hole all the way though. Another crack and hole was on the left side facing the evaporator coils. The appearance suggested that the back panel was damaged during manufacture and patched p with something that did not last. I wish I had taken a picture to add to this post! Just imagine it is a 4" x 1/2 tooth with a large cavity. Of course a patched hole would not be recognizable when purchased since it was covered with another panel on the inside of the freezer. Thus, a major flaw was covered up and warranty period not adequate to catch it. Nice work Maytag. Thanks a lot.

I repaired the "cavity" and other hole/crack with a plastic bonding glue and Flex-Seal and covered it with thermal tape. Hopefully this should do the job and we might see the defrosting actually work. If not, no loss, it is old and a manual defrost every 2-3 years can be tolerated.

This illustrates again the poor workmanship of America's workers. Certainly not like 40-50 years ago when you could depend on quality. I guess I just have to ignore the quality problems and act like a 20-30 year old and just throw it out and buy a new one. My parents who lived through the Depression years couldn't afford this and I, despite being able to, still have their expectations.

948. "The Essence of Darkness" by Tom Clearlake 2 Stars

The Essence of Darkness by Tom Clearlake  2 Stars

Publisher: Moonlight

ISBN: 9782956131649 

I read 56% of this book and could not get any further. It started with an interesting case of missing children then kept becoming more and more convoluted. The descriptions of the Adepts and their technology were slow and did not make much sense. I labored through those parts hoping to get back to faster paced events only to once again get lost in lengthy boring narrative. I had enough.

  

Reviewer: Nancy

 

947. "A Private Cathedral" by James Lee Burke – 5 Stars

A Private Cathedral by James Lee Burke  –  5 Stars

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

ISBN: 9781982151683 

As in all of the books in the Dave Robicheaux series, there is violent action, vivid descriptions of places and people, and narrative of the thoughts in Dave’s head. There is a love story and insight into the evils of mankind. It is the introduction of Gideon, a time-traveling mystical presence, which makes this story unique. Louisiana is special in its history and culture, so a being from the 16^th century seems possible. After all, in the past, Dave has met ghosts of confederate soldiers.

Dave and Clete have lived through personal tragedy and witnessed the dark side of life. Once again, they struggle to right wrongs and defend those that the world has treated cruelly.

 I have been reading the books in the Dave Robicheaux series for years and have enjoyed each of them. This is another interesting and intelligent story.

Reviewer: Nancy