True North times two

Last week I went over to Amazon to look at reader reviews of Jim Harrison's"True North" which I had started a few nights earlier and more on in a later post.Another"True North" caught my eye because the intro was by Lawrence Millman one of my favorite travel writers.His "Our Like will not be there again:Notes from the west of Ireland" is excellent as is his"Last Places,A Journey North" in which he follows the Viking route from Norway to Labrador.After I read that book I came across "The Lure of the Labrador Wild" by Dillon Wallace a harrowing account of a tragic canoe trip in Labrador in the early 1900's which Millman helped put back in print."True North" is another book on Labrador by Elliott Merrick who gave up an advertising career in the NY metro area during the depression to live amongst the natives and trappers in Labrador.It's quite a story so far and his description of the country is beautiful.The book was originally published by Scribners in 1933 and praised by Maxwell Perkins.This edition is a small press out of Vermont as is Merrick's later"Green Mountain Farm" which I also bought.In that one he and his Aussie wife who he met in Labrador buy a run down farm in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom some years later and the book is an account of their life on the farm.Millman writes the intro to this book also and both seem to be highly praised.I don't know why Labrador holds such a pull on me,maybe it's because to this day parts of it are still truly wild places but "True North" is the type of book I'm going to slow down on towards the end because I don't want it to end much like when I first read"The Lure of the Labrador Wild" years ago.This also marks the first time I have been reading two different books with the same title.So each night of late I talk to myself and ask do you want to read True North or True North tonight.

It's a Miracle

The streetlight right past our bldg has been out since last X-Mas eve.I called it in on Dec 26th and tonight it was finally fixed!.It's never taken more than ten days before to replace a bulb but after eight years of neocons in control even basic services are the shits.A few more years of Republican rule and we'd be on a par with Albania.

Grazing at the Supermarket

So I took my usual saturday morning trip up to my Ralphs market and it was free treats all over!.Well not all free.As I walked up the Girlscouts(actually a Brownie Troop) were selling cookies.Now I recently ran out of my east coast haul from last fall of nieces and friends daughter which is when they sell them in Syracuse and Rochester.I bought a few boxes from the young ladies and then made my way into the store.When I reached seafood/meat there were some kind of garlic shrimp samples so I had a few.Then coming out of produce I hit a goldmine.A Boars Head lady was set up offering cocktail franks of which I had several and four different cheeses in cubes which I stabbed a few of with my toothpick.Then it was on to the actual Deli where I sampled a slice of the turkey breast I was buying.At the Deli counter was a tray of Kerri Gold Irish Cheddar cubes so I partook of those also.Reaching the checkout line with about fifteen toothpicks I was next to a table set up offering pieces of the bakery's glazed donuts so I had two for desert.A little wine or beer giveaway and I might not have left for a few hours.

The Comanche Empire

Of all things watching "The Outlaw Josey Wales" got me interested on reading about the Comanche's and this book came out last year.It's by Pekka Hamalainen who is a Finn and there has been talk both good and bad about the book.I love reading Native Histories but the Southwest tribes are really the only ones I haven't read much on.Something about arid lands just doesn't grab me.So I went over to my History Book Club site and ordered this last night.One thing that stikes me about the cover is how almost Oriental the Comanche on the cover looks in that makeup.I have some other books to post in the near future.

Cover "The Comanche Empire"

The Long Leg,Edward Hopper,1935,comment

I just read tonight that this Hopper painting is going to be a new US postage stamp.It's off Provincetown and at first I thought it was harbor side and the Wood End Light as the Long Point light farther out is just a tower but looking at it closer it must be the ocean side and Race Point Light.By the way one can stay at Race Point during the spring through fall season.It is off the grid but green powered.As for Wood End and Long Point they remain close to my heart.In 81 when we rented the cottage off Bay side North Truro from my loft bedroom I could lay awake at night/early morning and see across the bay to Provincetown.Many times I just watched the light shows from Thunderstorms on the bay with the lights of Provincetown inthe distance and the green and red flash of the light houses.Made me feel like I was in a Fitzgerald novel.By the way I've never really noticed this Hopper till now but what I find amazing is the way he's painted the currents into it.It almost looks like a photo in that part of the painting.

The Long Leg,Edward Hopper,1935