Fruit Pizza and Christmas Pud for Christmas

Fruit Pizza and Christmas Pud for Christmas

One for tradition and one for modernity.( is that the right word?)

                                          Fruit Pizza

I found the photo and recipe for the fruit pizza on Pinterest and thought that it  would be a good  desert for  after a large Christmas dinner. It was really easy to make with a biscuit crust and different fresh fruit. Very tasty as well as the fruit are all placed on a cream base made with cream cheese and whipping cream. Voted a success!

Tradition dictates also having a  Christmas pudding so this year I made one from scratch and it turned out very well ( to my surprise).
I have made puddings in the past but really not many people these days like the heavy, steamed, suet pudding made with a combination of dark fruits and spiced with rum and brandy. In fact the only way we were persuaded to eat pudding when we were children was that inside the pudding were hidden presents - silver sixpences, and if you were lucky enough to find one , you kept it. A real treasure. 
( I think now that it probably was quite dangerous as a small child could easily have choked on the treasure but that was then...)  
No hidden presents in my pud. We did do the lighting of the pudding which I always like to do plus it gives us a chance to talk about the old-fashioned kind of Christmases we so enjoyed and remember.

Our Christmas was lovely. There were 16 people of many ages  mostly family and friends  collected together and  we had good food, good wine and drinks, lots of fun , warm weather, laughter and caught up on all the family news. No TV and phones/tablets kept to the minimum.!!
Thank to son Trevor and his wife Laura for being such good hosts.

The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez

The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez

This is a book about immigrants to America and basically the hardship they face.
It tells the story of a Mexican family. a mother, father and disabled daughter who sell up all they have and buy passage to move to Delaware. They do this primarily to get better medical and education help for their daughter. The father like many other immigrants works in the only job he can get at a mushroom farm.
The motel and area where they live, is home to many other kinds of immigrants coming from many other areas of the world.  It is through their interaction we learn of the trials, fears, homesickness and desperation of these new immigrants, these unknown Americans.
The younger immigrants cannot understand their new land or even much of the language and even  their parents find it difficult. within their own communities  the young ones have problems because their parents old customs   don't fit with the customs
It is a sad book to read because it tells us that we could do better and be more welcoming and understanding  to others.

Welcome Kartier

Welcome Kartier

I got a very nice surprise from my son this week. In the mail came a heavy box."What could it be?" I thought as I opened it.
Well, inside was the cutest little black dog you have ever seen.The best thing about it was this one is already house trained, extremely quiet and a friendly fellow who attracts a lot of attention.Everyone who has seen him, loves him.

So cute when he puts his head to one side 

We decided to name him "Kartier". a nice posh sounding name for a very unique little dog. 
There are other reasons as well as the letter that also came in the box explained that the origins of Kartier came from a 30year old Canadian Wonderland JuniorKart used in the "KartSTART" program.This for anyone who doesn't know is a Canadian program that teaches young children to drive with Go karts.

Like all dogs he is always ready for food!

For those that are interested in the finer details of Kartiers' genetic makeup,  here they are:- his head is a muffler, the main body is an axle, the rear legs are part of the kart frame and the tail is a tie rod end. The ears are a Rotax dashboard arms, the eyes are axle collars and the front legs are seat struts.

You will see he is already settling into his new home and even has made friends with Mr Froggy, the hockey playing frog from Canada.

Challenge ." Fall"

Challenge ." Fall"

Water color " Fall" 9" by 10"

This was the painting I did for the challenge Fall . It had to be done fairly quickly as November was a somewhat busy month. Fall was really peculiar in our part of Texas as it was fairly warm and we also had a lot of rain. Rather more like Spring. That said, the leaves were really late in starting to change color but just a few of them on my Bradford pear  tree had changed so I decided to paint those.
Even now the leaves haven't fully changed although they are falling rapidly so this year won't be a good color for the Autumn leaves.
Here is a photo of the leaves from 2014. A much better year for leaves!

Goodbye Miss Tabs

Goodbye Miss Tabs

    So the spirit of our loving and calm cat Miss Tabs has passed on to join her brother and all the other kitty friends she lived with at our house over the past 18years. 
So many it is hard to recall all of them in detail-, Spindles (Miss Tabs twin brother), Cooper- the big old white fluffy one, Black Lucky, so shy and gentle with  lovely eyes, funny Pugs, who loved the water, Blue cat, who just loved people but wasn't that happy with his fellow cats, Pixel and Wizzywig, the computer cats and probably a few more that came in as fosters and then passed on to new homes. The ones we remember well are the ones that came but stayed.

So what will we remember about Miss Tabs.

She came in as a feral kitten from a feral mother with a feral brother so it's not really surprising that she preferred the great outside rather than the warm and cosy inside. The few times we tried to keep her confined inside was the only time she was any trouble making her feelings felt by peeing in bad places and yowling! 

She would usually appear once a day  to come and feed and then again disappear into the woods and garden to do her own thing.She would accept a gentle stroking from time to time but didn't want to be held and getting her into a cat carrier was very frustrating for both the cat and me.
She has one bad eye and as she got older it became worse and gradually we realized she was in fact blind. It was amazing to see how she still managed to find her way around the yard. It was only in the last few months I noticed she was suffering from kitty Alzheimer's. She would start walking around in circles and I would have to go out and put her down in another place that she would recognize so she could get her bearings again. 

Then she became deaf and started to lose her sense of smell. Finding her food became a challenge as she could be right by it and even with me banging on the plate she still had trouble finding it. But she managed without complaint .I knew her time was coming to an end when her back legs started to become so weak she could no longer jump up on to a favorite chair or onto the stool to get in the cat door.

We will certainly miss her as we do all our pets when they pass on but we know from a very uncertain beginning, she had a great kitty life- one of the best.
Rest in peace Miss Tabs. 

Read about her as well at my earlier blog  
 only700.blogspot.com March26 2013

The Dog Master by W.Bruce Cameron

The Dog Master by W.Bruce Cameron

If you like dogs and a good story, this is the book for you.
It tells the fictional story of how the first wolf just might have been introduced to the first human in order to form  a new species, the dog.
It takes place in the Paleolithic age, about 30,000 years ago when a variety of different tribes were roaming the earth. It was a time when man lived solely by hunting and gathering . It was also a time of the beginning of the ice age and food resources were  in short supply so competition for food was great.
That is setting the stage for the novel.
The plot of the book tells the story  a young deformed man, Mal of the Kindred tribe who befriends a dying mother wolf and her litter of pups and of his experiences within his tribe and with other tribes, both friendly and not so friendly. Mal,  after he is thrown out of his tribe, gradually  trains the young wolf pup, that he has saved, to become his helper.
 The book is well researched and it certainly could have happened this way that "wolf" became "dog".
It is a good story.
I really enjoyed it.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

This is an older book I picked up at a book sale and I remembered that the book had been made into a movie which had been very successful. I also noted that there was also a real life murder enquiry that went on this year that seemed to follow the pattern of this book so I thought I’d better read it and find out why it had held everyone's attention.

It is a murder/mystery enquiry. A young wife goes missing and when there are no clues to her disappearance, her husband is suspected as being involved as is often the case. He claims he is totally innocent of any crime but is he?

The book delves into the past relationship of the couple, the ups and downs of their marriage and the police enquiry, until a solution to the mystery is found . It is told as if it is written by the wife and the husband separately in different chapters and so the complete story unfolds  from 2 different angles - an interesting way to write a book.

It certainly holds your interest and has a surprising ending and like all good books, keeps your attention until the very end.

It was well worth reading and I shall look out for other books by this author.

Halloween painting.

Halloween painting.

A bit late but need to put  up  on my blog so it's there or else I will be wondering next year if I did one. This is an entry into  the Master Painters Challenge for this month and the title was 'Trick or Treat" This is not very original as a creation but stuck for ideas this month.

Henna House by Nomi Eve

Henna House by Nomi Eve

I know virtually nothing about the Arabian Peninsula in the 20th century and even less about the practice of henna decorations so when I picked up this book at the library, I knew I was in for an interesting read  .I certainly was not disappointed. What I didn't know was that the book would have a great story as well.
It tells the story of Adela, a young Yemenite Jewess who lives with her parents in an area of yemen controlled by Muslims in the 1920s. They live  as 2nd class citizens in the area and although managing to make a simple living, always in fear. Adela, at the start of the story is only 9years old and  is especially fearful that she will be taken away and forcefully adopted by a Muslim family. Her mother is very strict and will not let her join in the local ritual custom of decorating her body with henna. This changes when her aunt, uncle and cousins  from Aden  then a British protectorate move to live with them. Her aunt is a skilled henna artist. The family story is fully of the history and traditions of the time as well as the eventual passage of the family to the new state of Israel.
It is also a love story and a tale of interfamily relationships, hardships and held my interest right through the book.
A most interesting book, well worth reading,

Challenge painting" Oranges and a red flower"

Challenge painting" Oranges and a red flower"

This is an acrylic painting that I did for the challenge group on Blogger. Paintanddrawtogether which you can see here.http://paintanddrawtogether.blogspot.com/
The original still life looked fairly simple but it turned out to be more difficult to get the correct shading. Plus I think it looks like my oranges look like they are floating. ( ghost technique for Halloween!)

Original challenge painting
"Still life with Oranges"

Every month or so  a challenge in the form of a photo is given and then artists from all over the world  respond to the challenge. Sometimes the artists will paint just part of the original but all will choose their own medium of paint /pastel or even pencil and their own style to make a painting to share with the others.It is most interesting to see the variety of paintings that come each month.

The film. "The Martian"

The film, "The Martian"      

played in the film by Matt Damon

To view the trailer go here:

The Martian | Official Trailer [HD] | 20th Century FOX ... 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej3ioOneTy8

Yesterday I did something that I hadn't done for probably over 6years - I went to the movies!
I usually stay at home and watch any movie I want to see on " Netflix" or streamed onto my computer.Those movies are fine for me as I am really not into loud, thrilling-action, loud, fast moving, complicated, loud, overwhelming type movies. You did notice that I said loud, didn't you.? 
I find the sound in the large multi- theaters just overwhelming as is the film if you sit too close. 
I prefer movies where there is a definite plot and where people actually have conversations rather than either mumbled talk or besotted glares at each other or there is so much action you lose the story line.
So why did I go to the movies ? 

The Martian was being screened.  I had read the book  a few weeks back and really loved it so I wanted to see how this would be translated into a film and could it be done successfully.
I am very pleased to say I thought the book was captured extremely well in the movie.The plot was followed, the technicalities of the intricate space venture and equipment were easier to follow on the film than to imagine when reading.Also, Matt Damon acted the main character very well and was very believable.The book delved more into his thoughts and emotional processes.
The scenery on the film was very realistic, even though mostly imagined, but gave a great sense of what the red planet would be like if ever humans land on it.
I would certainly recommend seeing the film but go before you read the book or you will know how it ends !!
And by the way, it was loud, in some places but bearable!!

To see my blog on the book go to my blog archive  for September 9th

A Few Days in Fayetteville, Arkansas

 A Few Days in Fayetteville, Arkansas

With the very late arrival of Fall to this part of North Texas- it was still in the high 80s and even 90s , we decided to take a short road trip to the Northern Mountains of Arkansas. Surely the leaves would be changing there. We were not disappointed as in the high mountains the leaves were beautiful even though the weather continued to be still sunny and warm.It was worth the 7hour car trip it had taken us to get there to see it.

But what Mike really enjoyed were the winding lanes with steep hills and curves through the mountains around Boston, AK. You approach the mountains through the foothills  and then quickly you start to climb until you are on many small roads surrounded by the forest of trees,all blazing with color. From time to time you catch a glimpse of a spectacular view as you reach the top of one mountain and look over the valley to the mountains on the other side. Unfortunately there are not many places where you can pull over to the side of the road or overlooks to appreciate the views. That would have been really nice.

We also found a small lake just outside the college town of Fayetteville which was just so beautiful and peaceful. No one else was there and we could take photos and  walk on the boardwalks through the forested areas and enjoy our time.

I tried out my new Ipad air video maker on this one. Not sure what I was doing and it was difficult to actually see on the screen but here it is.
https://youtu.be/ny0pnp3wFUw. 

I can't make it play here. Oh well . I guess I did something wrong.

What the Fly Saw by Frankie Y. Bailey

What the Fly Saw by Frankie Y. Bailey

A detective led "who-done-it" novel about solving the crime of a mortician,  being murdered at his own funeral home. It happens in a bad snow blizzard that has shut down the city and the clues are complicated. He has been shot by his own crossbow, a very unusual murder weapon, but that clue will leads to an archery club run by the  local mega church and a wife who feels that her husband had been keeping something hidden from her. 
The murder victim is very involved in the various committees at the local mega church and is very friendly with not only the minister but the counsellor, who is a psychiatrist. No one can think of anyone who would want to kill the victim who everyone seems to have loved and respected.
It is up to Detective Mccabe and her partner, Mike Baxter to sort through the evidence which seems in some way to be linked with another case and has  a sexual component.
Quite complicated to read and not totally engaging but the answer to the murder comes as a  total surprise.

"Metamorphosis" challenge painting

"Metamorphosis" challenge painting

I forget if I did a blog on this painting as I know I was rushed for time when I was painting it. so here it is.
 Just couldn't find an original idea to convey a "deep" topic. So I settled on the easy idea of the frogspawn, tadpole that turns into a frog. I know it was always a wonder to me every spring when I would fish frogspawn into a jar and watch as the metamorphosis began. Just occasionally they tadpoles would actually turn into frogs which in itself was amazing as I had no idea what tadpoles ate!!
I painted this in acrylic on matt board, not a great idea as the acrylic paint soaks into the board too readily and the color gets diffused.Lesson learned !
Some of the other paintings from the other artists were very creative and if you wish to see them go to the facebook page, Monthly Painters challenge. I always love to see what the other artists make of the topic.

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

A great book written by a Pulitzer Prize novelist is an epic tale of a girl/boy,- a hermaphrodite who grows up in a Greek immigrant family that settle in Detroit.
Calliope is the teller of the tale and she tells the tale with stories within her own personal story of her Greek family.
 It is full of drama, starting with the fleeing of her grandparents from Smyrna  and then continues with the interesting tales of the whole family as they settle, prosper and try to understand the ways of American life through the 20thcentury. 
During the book, Calliope , later Cal, her masculine persona, tells of her family background and the mixed genetics which has resulted in her being born as a hermaphrodite. Unfortunately,  Callie,  or her family have no idea or understanding of the problems she will encounter or face .
It is a multifaceted book  that touches not only on biology and science  but on the love and emotional aspect of immigrant and family life and the history of a large city in America.
Not a book you can read quickly but a book that holds your interest and is a real page -turner.

Sophisticated Eating

Sophisticated Eating

We were recently visiting in Uxbridge, Ontario , Canada .went into a delightful, new trendy restaurant. 
Uxbridge is a small country type town set in the lovely rolling hills north of Lake Ontario. Just a beautiful charming area with beautiful farmlands and scenery in all directions.
While we were there we went into a delightful, new, trendy restaurant with our son called the Urban Pantry. This restaurant would have fit easily  into any of the large cities of North America and it obviously was doing well as it was well frequented by local people. Maybe a sign of changing times in the area as we noticed many retired people are now choosing this part of Ontario for retirement.
We had just come in from a long day  travelling by airplane through a very crowded Toronto airport and then out into the traffic of a  busy rush hour of crowded street and traffic jams so the restaurant was so lovely to visit,-quiet and uncrowded with good service and food.
We decide to have appetisers and above in the photo you can see a specialty of the pantry " a Charcuterie Board" For 3 of us we ordered 2 and there was so much food we didn't even finish it all!
On a large section of each tree trunk shaped board, we found 2 or 3 different kinds of local meats, 3 or 4 specialty cheeses, various sweet and sour pickles and preserves, eggs and crostini bread. The tubes that look like spaghetti are actually pickled long beans. Add to that a good glass of wine and our vacation had really started,
I would really recommend giving "the Urban Pantry" a visit if you are in Uxbridge, The food is good , the atmosphere very pleasant and the service attentive and just right.

A Star for Mrs Blake by April Smith

A Star for Mrs Blake by April Smith

After World War One, when many soldiers were killed and buried in France the USA government  made an arrangement for the mothers  of these young men to go to visit their graves They were called the 'Gold Star Mothers" and in 3 years over 6693 mothers made the trip.
They came from all states and from all classes in a loving pilgrimage to say a last goodbye to their lost sons. The expense for the trip by sea on a ocean liner, a side trip to Paris and a visit to the  battlefields and graves was paid for by the USA government.
This novel is based on a diary of Colonel Hammond who was the liaison officer for one of the groups of women.
The book tells the fictional story of one group of ladies of varying backgrounds accompanied by an officer and a  nurse. They start out as strangers but over a short time become friends and help each other  to fulfill   a sad but dedicated task. On the way they see many new sights, make new foreign friends, have different opportunities to experience new foods and people.
It is a very interesting story to read, heartbreaking and sad in  places but  well written to show  the lives and feelings of the ladies  and  how their journey is accomplished.
This is a part of history that I never knew and I am pleased I found this book.

The Martian by Andy Weir

The Martian by Andy Weir

This is an excellent suspense novel  very similar to a modern day space version of "Robinson Crusoe". It is very well written and  very readable although not always understood completely by a non-scientific non -technical person like me. It certainly holds your attention and is in the category" can't put down until completely read !!"

"The Martian" is the name Mark Watney, a botanist astronomer has given himself when he is inadvertently left on Mars, when the rest of his team leave to return to the mother ship on the voyage back to earth. The crew and NASA think he has died.

Mark, has not died and with considerable ingenuity and using his  technical and botanist know-how manages to cope with his situation by using the left- behind items of the space venture .He also manages to start communications again to let NASA and the world know he is alive but will run out of food after so many days. Even in this dire situation he seems to keep his wits about him and even at times seems to be enjoying the challenge.He writes a daily log and it is well documented and even funny.
So will he be rescued or can he even be rescued?
This book will appeal to not only people who like suspense novels, but it is loaded with technical expertise and so anyone interested in space travel will find it very interesting.
I am usually not interested in books about space but this one certainly held my interest. 
I certainly recommend it

Challenge painting MPC: "Then & Now"

Challenge painting MPC: "Then, & Now"

Watercolor and ink, 8"x10"

The challenge topic on  Monthly Painter's Challenge for August was the topic: "Then, and Now".
This of course, brings to mind all kinds of things as so many things have changed over the years and some change even in the course of a few hours.
I finally decided on the way cartoon characters are so popular for a short while and  new ones come up with each new generation of children.The old ones aren't forgotten but new ones quickly take their place.
In my day , then, it was Mickey and MInney but now, the obvious favorites are the MInions. I must admit not having young kids around I had to find some photos to see what these quaint little creatures really look like. They obviously have stolen the hearts of not only children but adults too as you see them everywhere. 
I even heard they had made an appearance on the Great Wall of China!!

Check out the other entries to this challenge on Facebook at the page "Monthly Painters Challenge".

The Global War on Morris by Steve Israel

The Global War on Morris by Steve Israel

A most entertaining book if you have an interest in government and the ludicrous complexity of the bureaucracy that it supports. 
It is entertaining as it is a satirical, humorous book written by a congressman about a typical American family and how they get drawn into  the "war on terror".
Morris is an unassuming, middle-class American living a quiet placid life in suburban USA. He is a salesman for a pharmaceutical company. 
He has a dalliance with a receptionist at one of the companies he visits. In an attempt to hide his misadventure from his  wife Rona, he inadvertently gets mixed up with a drug criminal who is under observation from homeland security and at least 2 other government agencies.  Each agency doesn't know about the other agencies activities and life quickly becomes very complicated for everyone concerned.
The whole situation gets even more convoluted  when Rona feels sorry for a young Arab pool attendant and his friends in Florida and decides she is going to help them with counselling, her profession.
 Unfortunately for Morris and Rona, the young Arabs  really are terrorists just waiting for their turn at "going to paradise".
The plot thickens and if you read on through many layers of confusion and misinterpretation by all the agencies, eventually you will then find out if  Morris and Rona will ever get their old life  back.

"Cherries" first challenge painting for August

"Cherries" first challenge painting for August

Acrylic 8" x 12"

Yes, I know the cherries look more like plums or small apples and it's very dark but that's the best I could do! I always have trouble painting a subject when it is larger than the original item. 
 The challenge photo on "paintinganddrawtogether" seemed to me to have larger cherries than normal and it was a very dark painting.
See below. What do you think?

original photo challenge

I did try it first in watercolor paint on a smaller size but I find water- color paint didn't seem right for this subject. Just too light!!
See the rest of the paintings here.Some are wonderful
www.paintanddrawtogether.blogspot.com

Unfinished watercolor.

Leaving Berlin by Joseph Kanon

Leaving Berlin by Joseph Kanon

Intrigue, spying, daring, difficult to understand at times but once you get involved, this is a book you just can't put down especially as you suspect the book has episodes that closely relate to true experiences.

This excellent spy novel is set in 1949 Berlin at the time when Germany and Berlin, in particular were divided into war zones. The Berlin airlift was  providing supplies to the excluded parts of Berlin that were in the German and Russian zones. It was a time just after the finish of the war and set in the devastation. disorganization  and ruins of a bombed out country.

Into this mess and confusion, comes Alex Meiers, a young Jewish writer, who fled Germany during the war but because of his youthful politics and his support of Communism, has been told he will be deported from America. He makes a deal with the CIA to win back his place in America by becoming an agent in his native Berlin. Having no choice, he agrees to do so. He appears to be welcomed by his old remaining German friends as an honored native returning writer but quickly becomes involved in a complex game  where he never is sure just who his real friends are and just what he has become involved in.

A very interesting book to read and a real page-turner!!

Welcome to Little Nathan

Welcome to Little Nathan
Nathan Ian Burton, born on  August 9, 2015.

Nathan with proud Mom and Dad
The baby was 7lb. 1 oz, and was 19" long, He weighed 7,1lbs

Something very special happened in our lives this week. Something that hadn't happened anytime before.
We became Great grandparents for the first time.

It wasn't a complete surprise as Chrissy, our granddaughter had kept everyone well informed during her pregnancy and we knew at sometime during August, little Nathan Ian Burton would make his entry into this world.

Great Nanny Bond with Nathan








                                                Great Grandad Bond with Nathan

He was eager to get here I am sure as he was a few weeks early but came into the world healthy and like all brand new babies so very, very cute.We all loved him immediately.

His family, the Burtons and the Bonds were all there to welcome him.  All the relatives and friends from near and far , so many it seems, sent their good wishes cards and calls.

We all wish him a happy, joyful, healthy, successful and fulfilling life .
We send our congratulations to his parents, Chrissy and Ben and know
that with this addition to their family, life will now change but also for the better, how could it not, with such a beautiful baby boy to love and cherish.

2nd Challenge painting for July

2nd Challenge painting for July

The other challenge for July was the creative challenge issued for the topic"Extra Second" for the Facebook page, Monthly Painters Challenge .

 With this Challenge, the artists are given a topic at the beginning of the month, set by the artist who got the most "likes" for a previous challenge.
It really makes you think of a topic that would be just right for the challenge and then also something that you could actually paint! Creativity plus skill !!
It leads to a lot of discussion in our house.
I finally narrowed my choice between a person running across a train track at the last minute, or a racehorse with one extra second needed to win the race!!
You can see which one I chose.This is an acrylic painting on canvas.
If you wish to see the other entries go to the Facebook page , select Albums and check out"Extra Second"

Challenge painting- Fruit Bowl

Challenge painting- Fruit Bowl 
Acrylic  12'x10" in the still life style of the Old Masters

This is my attempt at the challenge put out on the  PADT (paintanddrawtogether.blogspot.com for July
This was chosen by the administrator of the blogspot . The idea is for all the artists to be challenged to take the original painting and from it make their own painting by taking some ideas or parts or style so all the finished paintings are similar but different.You really need to visit the blog to see what I mean. It is fascinating to see how each artist interprets the original idea in his/her own way. Maybe you would also like to join in and give it a try!!

From the Metropolitan Museum of Fine Art
Fruit Basket- still life painting
Juan VanderHamen y Leon 1629

The Rebellion of Miss Lucy Ann Lobdell by William Klabber

The Rebellion of Miss Lucy Ann Lobdell by William Klabber

A historical novel based on the Story of Lucy Lobdell who lived in the early nineteen century.  This was a woman who was born before her time and wanted to be allowed to do the things that men could do but women were not allowed to do.Loved by her father she had been taught well to fire a gun and do chores as any young man would do and she enjoyed it. 
An unhappy marriage and a husband who deserted her and her child,led to her running away to try to make a life of her own . So she decided to dress and act like a man which she wished she was.
Her travels, to make a living for herself in early America had her travelling even to the Western frontier. She had a hard life but determined as she was,  she managed to find another woman to love and in some ways fulfilled her dream.
 A sad book to read as her trials were many but the book holds the reader well and despite the sadness it makes you have hope that all will end well.

I wrote this review before I went on my vacation and just now found it so here it is. Way behind with the book reviews but I'll catch up eventually!!

Finally.The major Event- A ride on the Train

                              The Major event of the Vacation
                     Train ride on the Silverton-Durango  Railway

Parlor car, ready to go.

We first saw this railway in 1982, but at that time to go on it , you had to book over 2 years in advance, which we didn't know at the time.
So when we knew we were coming to Durango we really wanted this time to actually RIDE the train.

View as you leave Silverton

It was a grand experience and Mike had booked us just one way as 3 plus hours each way would be rather too much we thought. So bus up and train down was decided and to make it even better, we took the posh parlor car seating.

Car looking towards the back.
You can see it isn't very crowded!

 In the parlor car you get extra perks of a comfortable seat, free drinks and cookies etc, a knowledgeable storyteller, who makes it very interesting and lot fewer people, so you can get up and walk about in the carriage.

Here's Mike enjoying a drink as the scenery chugs on by.

I also liked that this car was the end car and well away from the smoke stack of the engine so we wouldn't get covered in smuts. I remember travelling in steam trains in England and the smudges of soot and noise I can do without.You could also stand outside on the balcony to take photos or just to view.

An occasional stop while the rail lines are checked.

The scenery is just beautiful and the rail line follows the river and you can see views and areas that are just not accessible by road.I spent my time taking photos and hanging out the window and marvelling on the beauty of the mountains and the wonder that this railroad had ever been built at all and survived.


The video is a combination of videos by Mike and some by me. His videos are the clearer ones!! It takes about 5minutes to watch. Enjoy as we did and share our vacation !!

https://youtu.be/penTQkoxEx8

Vacation #5 Silverton , CO

Vacation #5 Silverton, Colorado

We had visited Silverton years ago and were not really surprised to see that it hadn't changed in many ways. It had been settled by the early miners and  the railway had been built originally to transport ore down the mountain to be smelted in Durango. Now the mining is nearly finished and the second industry, tourism has taken over. There are still relics of the old mining days all over the quaint little town.

I'm not sure what this machine is for but it looks like the contraption would be used for panning whether it would be gold or silver or iron ore.

It is an interesting rather than pretty little town and the tourists are keeping it going. The population by winter, when the snow sets in ,diminishes rapidly.On the day we went the tourists outnumbered the normal residents.

Many of the unused lots had these lovely poppies growing. Couldn't resist taking lots of photos.Here's Mike  checking them out.

Many of the buildings were either tourist shopping places or bars or cafes.

The buildings all seem to be older buildings that have been renovated.

Touches of humor all around the place.

Then all too soon, it was time to head back to the station to catch our train Back to Durango.

Lucky us we were travelling in the parlor car , the end car so we didn't have far to walk and we had a great journey back.