The Power of Habit

I decided to read a non-fiction book this time so I chose The Power of Habit, Why We Do What We Do In Life And Business by Charles Duhigg. This book was written by a newspaper reporter who suggests if you want to change a habit, start by changing a small one and success will domino from that change. He gives examples from businesses such as Alcoa, Target, Starbucks, the British subway system, and Proctor and Gamble. He also gives examples of individuals who made or did not make changes in their habits. Although this book was easy to read I found the examples he gave did not always support the point he was trying to make. Several times I thought he was trying to fit a round peg into a square hole. He writes about the cue, the routine and the reward over and over and over again. Some of the stories about businesses were interesting but the author would start to tell one story and then another before going back to the first story. I would prefer to hear the story about one business straight through without interruption. Although my feelings about this book are mixed I have to admit I am more aware of my habits than I was before.

Seven Bridges Road

Today was a warm and sunny day so I decided to hike seven bridges road again. I thought I counted more than seven bridges though. Here I am at the top having gone a little further on a snowmobile trail past the road. So this bridge doesn't count because it's past the road.

This bridge doesn't count either because it is on a snowmobile trail past the road.

So here we start counting as we walk down seven bridges road back to where I parked my car. The first bridge is Skyline Parkway crossing Amity Creek. One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

Eight. Eight bridges! I wonder why they don't call this Eight Bridges Road!

Masterpiece

Fiona Davis wrote the historical fiction novel Masterpiece. The setting is Grand Central Station in New York City. In the 1920's there was an art school in Grand Central Station where Clara Darden was the sole female art teacher. She struggles to be treated equally to the male art teachers. Then the economic downturn of the great depression comes and with that a hard time for all artists. People are starving and do not have money for art. Another woman named Virginia gets a job at Grand Central Station in the 1970's. She discovers the remnants of the art school looking for the women's restroom. Her curiosity leads her to learn about Clara Darden and eventually helps Clara get credit for the work she always deserved. I enjoyed this book. I remembered a day in the summer of 1995 when I took a train into New York City and got off at this station. My family and I were following my sister-in-law who was giving us a guided tour. I walked through the station flabbergasted by the size and grandeur. I was so grateful to be with someone who knew what she was doing and where she was going to I could give in to my feelings of a tourist in awe.

Western Waterfront Trail

I hiked the western waterfront trail in Duluth. This trail starts out near the zoo in Duluth. The gravel trail follows the Saint Louis river for three and a half miles. The weather was cold; not winter parka cold but cold enough. As the path curved around a hill and sheltered me from the brisk wind I unzipped my jacket. When the path curved out into the wind again the zipper went up. I saw my first turtles of the year. I went to take a picture but the closer turtle swam away. This is a highly cropped picture of four turtles warming themselves on a log.

As I walked near a warm sunny cove I heard a long, slow snore of a frog. I didn't hear the chuckle indicating a leopard frog. I heard it twice before I left the area.  On my way back to my car in the same cove I heard the long slow snore again. I kept walking and then I heard the chuckle. I stopped to look. I could hear at least four frogs talking in the bull rushes. Then I saw a leopard frog. This frog didn't appear to be talking. To hear a leopard frog call for the first time was pretty exciting for me.

Attic Ward

Attic Ward is a young adult novel written by Bill Gourgey. The story is about a teen aged runaway girl from Virginia who travels to Washington, D.C. Her name is Brooke and she is a talented artist. Only 15, she gets a job at an art gallery helping out and cleaning. Once the owner of the art gallery realizes her artistic talent Brooke starts painting forgeries for her employer. Brooke sneaks into the Smithstonian art gallery at night and sleeps in the attic. She signs her art work Attic Ward because she lives in an attic and is a ward of the state of Virginia. She overhears a plot to steal a famous painting and she takes it upon herself to keep that from happening. I enjoyed reading Brooke's descriptions of famous paintings more than anything else in this story. Her art appreciation skills surpass mine and I realize I have much to learn about art and artists.

Wood Frogs Calling

Yesterday I traveled to a swamp near Fredenburg where I monitor a stream. As I pulled my bucket and secchi tube out of my car I could hear frogs calling for the first time this year. The sounds of frogs is music to my ears.  Winter is finally over! The sound of male frogs croaking their love song is proof that spring has sprung. Wood frogs call only two weeks a year and I feel lucky to hear them.

Ordinary Girls

Jaquira Diaz wrote this memoir about growing up in housing projects in Puerto Rico and South Miami, Florida in Ordinary Girls. Jaquira is no ordinary girl. She is fierce and she is angry. She grew up in a family where drugs and violence were common and every day occurrences. She was neglected by her criminal father and her mentally ill mother. Later her father makes the move to lawful employment but Jaquira is already marching down the path to being a juvenile delinquent. Her fierceness is her saving grace. Eventually she makes more and more good choices. This book was interesting to read. My journey through the chapters was scary, riveting, and enthralling.

Happy Earth Day!

I had an errand to run (walk) and on my way back I was wandering through the U of M campus near the medical school when I found this gorgeous daffodil showing it's pretty yellow flowers for all to see.

It Occurs to Me That I Am America

I listened to this collection of short stories entitled It Occurs To Me That I Am America by a variety of authors. Some of the authors I knew and some I didn't. This collection got started three years ago when we elected our current president. Some authors worried about the future of our country as well as the future of a free press and literature. Most of the stories did not mention the president but his presence in our lives was implied in all the stories. This book is a terrific collection of short stories with once exception. There is a story called "White Baby" which is seriously disturbing and bizarre. Other than that they were all good.

View From Enger Park

Today I walked three miles west to Enger Park. I had a cool sunny day for a walk. From this view you can see the Duluth lift bridge in the upper left quarter. I live east of the lift bridge so I had a long walk home again. I feel lucky to live in a city with so many pleasant views.

The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida

Clarissa Goenawan wrote this novel about a group of college aged friends living in Japan. The story is told by Ryusei, his older sister Fumi, and another friend Chie. The story is about Miwako. Ryusei and Miwako are friends. Ryusei would like to be more than friends but Miwako holds him at a distance. He has secrets from his past and so does she. Keeping secrets is not healthy for either of them. The character development in this story was great. I also enjoyed reading about the food, the stores, and the parks in Japan. When Ryusei and Miwako go into a small noodle restaurant I can picture it exactly because last year I went to Japan and ate in a small noodle restaurant. I enjoyed this novel very much.

Carrie Fisher: A Life On The Edge

Sheila Weller wrote this biography about Carrie Fisher. Born into Hollywood royalty her mother was Debbie Reynolds and her father Eddie Fisher. Carrie grew up to be a talented writer, singer and entertainer. She was Princess Leia in Star Wars which made her a feminist icon heroine. Her life wasn't all fame and fortune. The author writes emphatically about her struggles with bipolar disease and addiction. Carrie didn't seem to shy away from her problems. If someone brought up an awkward question or commented on her behavior she acknowledged the point and took it up a notch. Carrie led an interesting life usually in the fast lane. She held great parties with all kinds of famous celebrities at her house. She was kind and generous and accepting of others. Her choices were influenced by her illnesses which resulted living a life on the edge. Reading this story made me grateful for my own life which is boring by comparison with hers.

Chester Creek Path

Today I found a new way to walk down the hill. I can walk along Chester Creek instead which is a welcome change from the sidewalks for me. Unfortunately the creek goes underground for a few blocks so it's back to the sidewalk for me.

I took this picture to show how very deep this creek gorge is. The creek is w a y down there. Along this path it's easy for me to forget I am in the city. The numerous waterfalls and rocky ledges are captivating. .

Ush-kab-wan River Again

I went back to monitor the Ush-kab-wan River this week. The water was much lower. Last week the River completely covered these four cement pipes that allow the river to flow under the road.

The water was 37 degrees but very clear other than a tea color. I stood in the grass and threw my bucket into the water where it promptly got caught on some branches next to the cement pipes. I had to carefully step down through the grass and stand on one of the cement pipes to retrieve my bucket and gather my sample.

Last week this part of the road was under inches of water. The flooding must happen frequently at this spot or they would not have used this special pavement. The holes in these bricks are deep. I struggled to walk without tripping in my flat shoes. I suspect these are permeable pavers. I think I understand why this road is not plowed in the winter. Doesn't anyone live up this road? Maybe next week I will go exploring and see where this road leads.

Temporary

Hilary Leichter wrote Temporary, a comic novel about working as a temporary employee. This story is narrated by an unnamed female temporary worker who goes where her agency assigns her to go. One job is filling in for the Chairman on the Board of a major industry. She signs papers and makes decisions for him in his absence. During the time she is filling in for him he dies. She collects his ashes and wears some in a necklace around her neck. Every so often the necklace tingles and burns. This means the Chairman of the Board will appear to  her for a few minutes and discuss what has happened to her in the past days. She gets a new job organizing shoes for a wealthy woman who has hundreds of shoes. The employment agency assigns her to work on a pirate ship. She is thrown overboard. As she swims to shore other people try to enlist her to work with them as human barnacles. This bizarre story is sad and comic at the same time. All the poor narrator wants is a permanent job where she can feel needed and secure. She is a hard worker and she fulfills every reasonable request asked of her on the job. This surreal novel is thought provoking and interesting.

Zoom!

Last night I had my first meeting using Zoom - a video conferencing website. Eight members of my book club met online. On the screen we could see a small picture of each person unless they spoke in which case their picture was enlarged front and center. Seeing this group again was great. I have known some of them for ten years. Normally we meet in the teachers lounge at a middle school where the pop machine motor is so loud we can hardly hear each other speak. Seeing people in their own homes was a pleasant change of venue. One lady had a wall of books on shelves behind her. Another had a nice yellow kitchen wall as a background. Another member had just got home from the hospital that day after having a baby. She looked pale but well and we were glad to see her. Zoom meetings are free as long as you talk for forty minutes or less. We didn't have time to discuss our book. We spent our forty minutes planning for the future if we cannot meet in person and if we could meet in person. I have used other methods of video chats including Skype, Facebook messenger and Whatsapp. Frankly I would rather meet in person. Since meeting in person is not possible right now, Zoom is better than not meeting at all.

Silver Creek Cliff

Today I hiked part of the Gitchi-Gami trail north of Two Harbors, MN. Here is a picture of the rock formation above the tunnel that goes through the cliff. If I were younger I would try to climb those rocks.  I am standing on the trail that, prior to 1994, used to be Highway 61. At that time, this sharp curve on the cliff was my favorite part of the trip to and from the north shore. Walking around the cliff front is fine too though. I could have walked further if the temperature was warmer, the wind wasn't blowing so hard, and snow flakes weren't falling into my face!

Hawk Ridge

Today my daily walk took me to Hawk Ridge. From this vantage point over the city of Duluth I can see Lake Superior and the harbor. If you look closely you can see a ship sailing toward t,he port. I didn't see any hawks today but I did see turkey vultures, woodpeckers, sparrows, and some warblers who refused to sit still long enough to be identified. As the sun shone on the water the lake looked gray, blue, green, and silver in spots.

Janis; Her Life and Music

Reading the story about Janis Joplin by Holly George-Warren was informative and saddening. This biography of a talented yet addicted artist was very detailed. I could tell the author did her homework. Janis' early life in Port Arthur, Texas seemed typical but Janis was a sensitive child. She felt unloved by her family and bullied by the students at her school. In response to those feelings she was at times provocative followed by times where she tried everything she could to fit in and please others. In the end she settled on being provocative. She had a passion for music and she followed that passion. Her addictions got in the way. If she wasn't drinking too much Southern Comfort she was taking tranquilizers or shooting meth and/or heroin. Janis was a complicated artist, an electric performer, who died too young.

Stream Monitoring

I tried again to find my second stream monitoring site where the Ush-kab-wan  River meets Lost Lake Road. I found Lost Lake road last time but it came to and end and only a snowmobile trail went forward. This time I came to the same place and now there was a road instead of a snowmobile trail. The road looked soft and sketchy so I parked. Before I could turn off my car a man driving a four wheeler came out of the road past my car. I thought it might be best to walk to the river because I knew it was close. Well, as you can see I found the river. The Ush-kab-wan river flows under the road through some culverts but it also flows over and across the road. The part of the road under water has some white bricks instead of gravel for pavement. The river was maybe 3 or 4 inches deep at the deepest part.

Where the pipe draws water upstream whirlpools form in the stream.

On the downstream side of the road the water flows fast and furious out of those pipes. This is going to be an interesting place to visit every week until October.

The Resistors

Gish Jen wrote this futuristic novel called The Resisters. Set somewhere in America society is split into two groups. The "Netted" are people with jobs. The "Surplus" are people who are not allowed to work. The surplus people live on swamps or on boats while the netted can live on dry land.  The netted children go to school and college. The surplus people do not go to school or college. The Internet is partly artificial intelligence and partly surveillance technology. The country is now called AutoAmerica  and the land is flooded. The main character is Gwen. She is born to a surplus couple. Her father was a professor. Her mother was a lawyer. They live on a swamp and raise their own food because they don't trust that the food the government gives to the surplus people is not tainted or modified in some harmful way. Gwen is born with a talent for great pitching of baseballs. As she grows up her talent is noticed by the netted who want to use her to win the Olympics. I enjoyed this story and how Gwen and her family managed to keep their lives as normal and as human as possible during trying times.

What?

Today I walked to the post office to mail a letter. I walked through the University of Minnesota campus to get there. Since classes are online the campus is a good place to walk and keep appropriate social distance. I walked by this statue and could not, for the life of me, figure out what it was. Was it  a slug worming through a magnifying glass? Was it a fantastical giraffe? Was it a bird carrying an extra long stick through a circle? Maybe a skinny flying dragon coming out of a tunnel? This is a big statue of almost 90 feet in height. Maybe it is a virus or bacteria coming out of a petri dish tilted on it's side. The circle shape sure looked like a magnifying glass to me and I was close to the science building. Curiosity got the better of me. According to the college newsletter, the sculpture was erected in 2006. The title is "Wild Ricing Moon." The artist is John David Mooney. He chose these images to represent the natural features of this region. This is just me but don't you think a stalk of wild rice would reach all the way down to the ground?

The World That We Knew

I listened to Judith Light read the book The World That We Knew by Alice Hoffman. This is another novel by Hoffman that involves magic. A grey heron is part of the magic. At the end of the story Judith Light interviews Alice Hoffman about her writing. This book is set in world war two in France and in Germany. Hoffman wanted to capture the emotions of that time without letting the history get in the way of the story. In my opinion she did capture the emotions of the parents and the children during the war. Lea is a young girl in Berlin. When she is assaulted by a Nazi soldier, her mother asks a rabbi to construct a golem (a magical guardian angel) to lead her to safety in France. The rabbi refuses but his young daughter helps out. The rabbi's daughter eavesdropped on the rabbi and his conversations. She knew how to make a golem. The golem is named Ava and her duty is to lead Lea to safety and to love her as a mother would. Ava does her duty although Lea is not always grateful for the supervision and instruction. Given that Ava is a golem and not a human she can see and hear things that humans cannot. Ava can talk to animals and birds such as a grey heron. I enjoyed every chapter of this book. The author brings a lot of nature into the story and the scenery.

Shuggie Bain

I can get a lot of reading done lately. I'm grateful I have access to the cloud library which is where I found Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart. The author wrote this story, set in Glasgow, Scotland, based on his mother and his childhood. The story is heart breaking because Shuggie takes care of his mother, Agnes, more than she takes care of him. Shuggie is the youngest of three children. The older children abandoned all hope of helping their train wreck of a mother with her alcoholism and set off on their own. Agnes tries to be sober and is able to do that for short periods before going back to her lager and spending all the money on liquor. Shuggie tries but he can't keep Agnes from self-destructive behavior. This book would be almost too heart breaking to read except the love Shuggie has for his mother, for life, for his family balances the sadness with beauty.

Bertha's

I signed up for a community garden. The home I am renting has no space for one so I had to go elsewhere. I can't go all summer without gardening, can I? I hoped to get a space in the community garden just a few blocks from here but that was all booked up. Instead I got a half size plot at Bertha's garden which is 1.2 miles west of my house. I can walk there once gardening season starts. Now I can start thinking about what to plant. Tomatoes and peppers for sure. I wonder if sunflowers would make it. This garden plot is in an urban area but I see deer tracks around my house. I think I will give sunflowers a try. I so love sunflowers but so did the deer who lived in my yard. Year after year I planted sunflowers only to find the tops chewed off and nothing left but a row of sticks.

Wintering

The middle of summer would be a great time to read Peter Geye's book, Wintering. The story is set in a small town east of Grand Marais. A man named Harry and his 18 year old son, Gus, take off in the fall to follow the paths taken by the voyageurs. Gus is delaying college to take this trip and he thinks their trip is a test of the manly wilderness skills. Harry hides the real reason for the trip which is to escape the town bully who is sure to come after him with revenge in his eyes. They take two canoes, snow shoes, skis and basic provisions. They eat fish and bear and whatever they can find. Luckily they find an abandoned shack to spend the winter because they are completely lost in the wilderness; not knowing if they are in Minnesota or Canada. Naturally Gus is angry with Harry for taking him on this adventure without all the facts. I thought this was a really great story but I would rather read about frostbite and hypothermia in the summer instead of early spring.

Everybody's Fool

I picked up Everybody's Fool because I remembered Richard Russo being a great writer. Halfway through I remembered that Sully, one of the main characters in this book, was a main character in another Russo book I read called Nobody's Fool. I also watched the movie of Nobody's Fool where Paul Newman limped through the show as Sully, a poor construction worker who smokes too much and drinks too much. Melanie Griffith and Jessica Tandy in the movie too. Both books are set in the town of Bath. This book all takes place with 48 hours. The characters are all flawed. The comedy keeps the book flowing. Once I got started I could hardly put this book down.

American Dirt

I read the controversial novel American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins. I was transported by her words. She details the journey of a woman and her son from Mexico to the United States. She has to leave because her life and her son's life are threatened by the cartel. The journey is dangerous and traumatic. The controversy over this book is that the author is a white woman. There are other books about migrants written by Latino writers but their book wasn't chosen by Oprah Winfrey for the Oprah book club. Some people claim their story was appropriated from them. The fallout of the complaints was not handled well by the author nor her publisher. For instance, the author told the press her husband was an undocumented worker. She left out the part that he migrated from Ireland. I understand the complaints about the book. On the other hand, don't all authors do this same thing to some degree? If a man writes about a woman character (or vice versa) is that appropriation too?

Superior Hiking Trail Segment #1

When I was deciding where to live after selling the house I considered trying all four corners of the state. I still might do that. I also considered my wish to walk some if not all of the Superior Hiking Trail. I decided on Duluth because the trail goes right through town and because I try to do the more physically strenuous goals sooner rather than later. Yesterday was a pretty nice day for a walk. I decided to do the section of the hiking trail from Hartley Nature Center to Martin Road. Most of this hike is on roads which are plowed and not icy. I parked at Hartley Nature Center and walked downhill for quite a while before crossing Woodlawn Avenue and heading uphill. Vermillion Road took me north between two large cemeteries. By the time I got to Martin Road I was pretty tired and had already been walking for an hour and a quarter. When I looked at the guide I didn't think a 3.2 mile hike was that long. I forgot I had to walk back. When I finally got back to my car after two and a half hours of walking I was very tired. But I wasn't sore or in pain or limping and that is huge. I don't think I can walk six miles day after day after day but I can walk six miles and still be fine which is a great thing because it hasn't always been that way for me. These titanium hips are serving me well.

Anatomy of a Miracle

I borrowed Jonathan Miles' book Anatomy of a Miracle from the Cloud Library. Since this book was listed under medical fiction I figured it was fiction. When a army soldier is paralyzed in Afghanistan from an exploding land mine left by the Russians, you would think it a miracle when four years later, living in Biloxi, Mississippi, he gets up out of his wheelchair and walks again. The veteran's name is Cameron and he is as confused as everybody else. When his doctors can give him no medical explanation, he begins to think it is a miracle that he can use his legs again. My favorite part of the story is Cameron and his relationship with his sister, Tanya, who has always had his back. Tanya is a force to be reckoned with. She talks too much and she has no filter but she is loyal to her brother. The truth of the matter is Cameron's story is not fiction. He and Tanya are real people living what some claim to be a miracle. This was a very easy and enjoyable book to read.