Books read:
- Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
- Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Trails walked:
- Coffee Flats Trail in the Superstitions (Dec. 5th)
- Black Canyon Trail near Black Canyon City (Dec
11th)
- Charles M. Christiansen Trail in Phoenix (Dec 18th)
- Miner's Needle Loop in the Superstitions (Dec 20th)
- Hall of Mosses trail in the Hoh Rain Forest near Seattle (Dec 26th)
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This was our first Christmas away from Phoenix in many years. Traditions are hard to die. Our daughter is working in Seattle, so we decided to keep her company for the holidays. Our son and his wife spent the holidays in New England with her folks. In the end, spending special days with your family and friends are what make them special; no matter where that place may be. What was that song..."home is wherever I'm with you." This month I was able to hike the Superstitions twice (once with my daughter who was in town briefly), walked along a surprising trail a mile west of the I-17 freeway, spent a day in the Phoenix Mountain Preserves on an 11 mile hike through the desert in the 5th largest city in the country, and walked through a rain forest with my wife and daughter in the Pacific Northwest. I was happy to read another novel by the amazing Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie, tackled Tolstoy's War and Peace, and cried through the last 30 pages of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. It was another month of beauty in nature and in the pages of great books.
Song of the Month - Long Gone by Bill Morrissey: Bill Morrisey died too young at the age of 59 of heart failure. He was born in Connecticut, but made most of his art in New Hampshire. That art included 11 albums and two novels. Although mostly known for his dark and thoughtful lyrics, this song is fairly upbeat and positive. It's about life on the road, missing the one you love, and doing all you can to get back to her as soon as humanly possible. The song starts out with piano, then a quick Irish sounding fiddle riff, and then takes off from there with Morrissey's distinctive voice moving like a bus heading down the road to the next gig. The piano keeps the song rolling along at a good pace, and then the Irish fiddle comes in again and before you know it, you're hooked and tapping your toes. Like last month, it's another song about coming home. I guess it's just that time of year!
Coffee Flats Trail in the Superstitions: For
our first December hike, Hiking Buddy (HB) and I decided to explore the
south-central portion of the Superstition Wilderness by hiking part of the Coffee Flats Trail. You can access this trail from
the west via the Peralta trailhead, or from the east via the Woodbury
trailhead. We opted for the Peralta trailhead which is a
much easier drive. There were a few cars
at the trailhead when we arrived; 90% of
the people parked here are hiking to Freemont Saddle for that great view of
Weaver’s Needle. There were a couple of
forest rangers at the trailhead and we spent some time with them talking about
the Woodbury fire this past summer. Then
it was on to the Dutchman’s trail for a fairly easy 2.7 miles with sweeping
views of Barkley Basin and Miner’s Needle.
Then it was eastbound on the Coffee Flats trail for another 2.7 miles
through Barkley Basin, across Whitlow Canyon and then on to Coffee Flats Canyon
and creek where we stopped for lunch at a place called Reed’s Water. There used to be a freight wagon road from
Mesa to Superior in the late 1800s. The road
was so bumpy that it was used for freight only and not passengers. We could see part of the old wagon road on
this hike. Reed’s Water was (mis)named
after Abe L. Reid who worked as a ranch hand in the several ranches around the
Superstitions. He also spent much of 40
years searching for the famed Lost Dutchman’s gold. He established a camp and windmill here as a
base for his prospecting along the southern slopes of the Coffee Flats Mountains.
We had read about a giant saguaro cactus
near here, but it seems that the big wind we had over Thanksgiving weekend,
combined with recent rains knocked this giant over right onto the trail. It is a massive cactus as you can see in the
photos below. Sad to see this monster go
down. We ate lunch on some rocks next to
this sleeping giant with the sound of water rippling down Coffee
Flats Creek below the windmill. The hike
back was just as beautiful, plus we got the bonus of watching a very large
tarantula make its way across the trail.
Other than the trailhead, we only saw two other souls that day, both of
them older than us, which gives us hope for the future! One ol' guy was backpacking to Reed's Water and another ol' gal was day-hiking up to Miner’s Needle Summit.
Purple
Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Purple
Hibiscus was Adichie’s first novel, published in 2003. It won or was nominated for several awards. I’ve now read all three of her novels and
they’re all great. Purple Hibiscus is
set in post-colonial Nigeria and tells the story of 15-year-old Kambili and her
younger brother Jaja who are raised by a devout Catholic father who is an
important editor of an opposition newspaper, and a brutal abuser (physically
and emotionally) of his family. With the
backdrop of yet another coup in their country that seems to be disintegrating, Kambili
also sees her family disintegrating.
Even though her father is fighting the Nigerian dictatorship, he is
acting as brutal dictator of his own family.
Kambili and her brother were finally allowed to spend time with their Aunt Ifeoma, who is also Catholic, but who has established a loving and happy
family. Kambili and Jaja are at first
confused by this laughter and love that they see in this family. It opens their eyes into the kind of life
they have been living with their cruel father and enabling mother; and to the
kind of life from which they have been deprived. Life changes for them when their mother
finally has had enough of the father and takes matters into her own hands.
This incredible debut novel tackles issues of domestic
abuse, Christianity and tribal religion, political power and the media, sexual
awakening, and extended family relationships.
That’s a lot to address, and Adichie does it while telling a beautiful
story about a very shy, but intelligent 15-year-old girl in search of meaning
in her chaotic life. I’m not sure there
are many authors that can pull this off.
Black
Canyon Trail near Black Canyon City: I’ve
lived in Arizona for 38 years and it still surprises and amazes me. The 80-mile Black Canyon trail follows an ancient
Native American route which eventually became a livestock trail for sheep and
cattle between summer and winter grazing lands.
One hundred years ago, in 1919, the Department of Interior labeled this
as the Black Canyon Stock Driveway, and 50 years ago, in 1969 it was dedicated
as the Black Canyon Trails area. The
route extends from the Carefree Highway 74 all the way to Highway 69 near Mayer. HB and I did NOT hike 80 miles this day, but
we did walk around 7 miles, both south and north of the trailhead near Black
Canyon City. If you’ve ever been to the
Rock Springs café to try their world-famous pies or their excellent burgers,
then you’ve been just a stone’s throw from the trailhead. When you exit I-17, instead of turning left
on the frontage road to the café, turn right and you will see a big sign for
the Black Canyon trailhead on your left, about 50 yards from the turnoff. Follow the dirt road a bit and you will see a
restroom facility and trailhead sign. At
the trailhead, you wonder to yourself if this is gonna be a terrible hike. You hear the trucks droning on I-17 and there’s
a huge ugly gas tank nearby, along with rusted old gas tanks from years gone by. However, around a mile into the hike you spot
an old wooden bench with a terrific view of the Agua Fria river below, and this
time of year the trees are changing color, and with the recent rain the river
was roaring! Just past the bench there
is a trail junction. We turned left
(south) and headed about a mile down to the river. Once we started walking downhill, the sound
of the freeway disappeared. We got to
the river’s edge and couldn’t believe how much water was flowing. We talked to some mountain bikers on the other
side who just crossed the river and said it was freezing cold (well, duh, it’s
the Agua Fria…). We explored the river a bit and just enjoyed
the serenity of this place and the fact that it’s so close to the busy I-17
freeway, yet it seemed so far away. Next,
we headed back up to the junction and this time headed north for a couple of
miles to its junction with the Agua Fria further north. On the way down we were treated to a peaceful
gathering of a family of javelinas munching on prickly pear cactus. We watched them for a while and as we started
getting closer they spotted us and sprinted away into the bushes, with the little
babies trailing behind wondering where everyone was running to. The river crossing here wasn’t as
picturesque, but it was still nice with some very loud rapids that could be
heard from up high. I loved watching the
bends in this river. On the southern end,
there is a bend around this hill that looks like a horseshoe whose ends nearly touch. We spotted some interesting looking man-made walls
on the hill which could make for some fun exploring someday. As we headed back up to the trailhead, our
pace picked up as we knew that Rock Springs Café burgers were being grilled
with our names on them. They were so big
and so good that we didn’t have room for their great pies…. next time.
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| Hikers and Horses use the gate, mountain bikes use the funky ramp |
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| Agua Fria river with trees changing color |
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| River bend |
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| Lots of water after recent rains |
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| A gathering spot for various critters |
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| Nice area to explore - the river crossing will be easier in another couple of weeks |
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| Bend in the trail and in the river |
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| Black Canyon City development near the river (I had no idea there were NICE houses in BCC!) |
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| Long view of the river |
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| Post hike burgers! |
War and
Peace by Leo Tolstoy: It took
Tolstoy six years to finish this novel (1863-1869). When I first picked it up, I thought it would
take me six years to read it! The version
I read was 1,215 pages and translated by the husband and wife team of Richard
Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky (he is American, she is Russian). I have read Russian novels translated by
others and, for me, this husband and wife team provide the most enjoyable and readable
translations (and according to most experts also seem to provide a truer translation
of the author). The only previous information
I had about War and Peace was watching Woody Allen’s hilarious satire of
Russian literature, Love and Death (1975).
So, I wasn’t sure what to expect.
I have to say that I loved the many hours I spent reading this
book. It’s an epic telling of the Napoleonic
wars between 1805 and 1812, culminating in the French invasion of Russia in 1812. The story intertwines the various battles
with the stories of five different Russian aristocratic families and all their internal dramas
of love, money, and politics. As Tolstoy
brilliantly jumps from battles to family drama, he examines a philosophy and
meaning of life. The epilogue is
mainly a philosophical discussion about why one million people fight battles
only to kill half a million people. The
book includes actual historical figures and events, invented characters, and a
discussion of the meaning of life. Tolstoy
never called War and Peace a novel (he said Anna Karenina, written 8 years
later was his first novel). He didn’t
have a name for its genre, and many critics of the time had trouble categorizing
it.
I loved this line in the book:
“On the twelfth of June, the forces of Western Europe
crossed the borders of Russia, and war began – that is, an event took place
contrary to human reason and to the whole of human nature.”
I took the time to read all the footnotes, both within the
text, and at the end of the book. They
helped to provide insight into real events during that time and into Russian
culture.
The main characters from the five families were all
interesting. Count Pierre Bezukhov was my favorite character,
and some say that Tolstoy put a lot of himself into the Count. When Pierre and Prince Andrei were discussing whether it was best to live for oneself or to live for others, Andrei said it’s best to
live for oneself, because “every time I’ve tried to live for others, my life
became ruined.” Pierre responded that it’s
best to live for others because “every time I’ve tried to live for myself, my
life became ruined.”
So many interesting topics of discussion: is religion good or bad, do doctors and
hospitals keep people needlessly alive to burden their families, does man have
free will, who should write history – the winners or the losers – and should
only the leaders write it, or should the everyday people of the time write
it.
And there are beautiful scenes, like the sleds driving
through the snow on Christmas, and the aristocratic family celebrating Christmas
at the humble home of peasants and seeing life from this different perspective,
and when Pierre is in prison with the most positive and hopeful human he’s even
known.
Books have been written about this “novel”, so I should stop
here. Do yourself a favor and read this
translation of War and Peace sometime. When you finish, you’ll feel like you've just
hiked the Grand Canyon; it was a big accomplishment, and a bit of a struggle,
but you saw great beauty along the way.
Charles M. Christiansen trail:
This incredible trail, which rambles through
the Phoenix Mountain Preserve, was christened in 1986 and named after Charles
Milo Christiansen. Christiansen was an
avid hiker and head of the Phoenix Parks and Recreation department for many
years. In the 60s and 70s he fought
tooth and nail with land developers and their bulldozers to keep the Phoenix
Mountain Preserve pristine and intact so that the people of the city could have a nearby
refuge for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. The trail winds from Tatum Boulevard just
south of Double Tree Ranch road for 11 miles to its terminus at Mountain View
Park on 7th Ave south of Peoria.
Along the way you pass near exclusive homes; ramble through countless
arroyos; experience quiet solitude in the middle of the 5th largest
city in the country; walk through tunnels underneath the 51 freeway, Cave Creek
Road, and 7th street; pass by the sheriff's posse horse stables; listen
to music playing poolside at the Pointe Tapatio resort; gawk at panoramic views
of the valley’s surrounding mountain ranges; gain great views of downtown; get an
interesting view of the hodge podge architecture
of the homes hiding in coveys along Cave Creek Road; and allow yourself to be happy
that you live in a city that offers this kind of respite to get away from the
daily grind of life.
On the day we
walked, the temperature was in the upper 50s and lower 60s with a nice breeze
at our backs. We encountered 4 mountain
bikers, 4 hikers, and 2 runners on the entire 11-mile walk. Other than the 3 tunnels, there was no need
to negotiate any urban streets or intersections as it was all dirt trail within
the preserve area. Most of the trail is
fairly flat walking, although there are a couple of steep hills between the 51
and Cave Creek Road. We ate lunch at a
spot west of Cave Creek Road overlooking an interesting neighborhood that
included what looked like a two story “house” made from shipping containers. I will need to drive to that area sometime to
get a closer look. At this spot we also had
a great view of the Superstition Mountains and downtown Phoenix. Most of the hike is through desert areas
familiar to most residents, although there were 3 or 4 nice little riparian
areas that surprised me. There are many
opportunities to walk sections of the trail if you’re not up to an 11-mile hike. There are good trailheads at 40th street south of Shea, Dreamy Draw Park, North Mountain Visitor’s Center, and
Mountain View Park. The trail signs are
very good for most of the hike with the exception of the Dreamy Draw junction and just north of Mountain View Park.
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| Nice riparian area near the Tatum trailhead |
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| The Charles M Christiansen trail is also known as trail 100 |
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| Squaw..er..Piestewa Peak view from the east |
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| Tunnel underneath the 51 freeway |
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| Downtown after passing through the 51 tunnel |
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| Nice homes along the trail near Shadow Mountain with views of Piestewa Peak |
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| Arizona Christmas tree along the trail |
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| Another nice riparian area near the Cave Creek tunnel |
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| Cave Creek Road tunnel |
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| Lunch spot west of Cave Creek Road with views of downtown and non-HOA housing areas |
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| Sheriff's Posse horse stables |
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| Nice trail sign near the Pointe Tapatio resort so guests won't get lost... |
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| 7th street tunnel |
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| Shaw Butte on the left - typical desert areas on the western portion of this trail |
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| Trail sign at Mountain View Park |
Miner's Needle Loop: Our daughter surprised us with a visit this month to see mom on her birthday. So I stole her for a day and hiked with her and her wonder dog in the Superstitions. We picked the Miner's Needle Loop, a 9-mile loop that starts at the busy Peralta Trailhead. Like I mentioned above, 90% of the people here are walking to Freemont Saddle, so we had the loop mainly to ourselves. We saw 4 or 5 other hikers on the trail. This is a great trail to give you an overview of the western portion of the Superstitions; you have far away views past Barkley Basin, unusual views of Weaver's Needle, some nice canyon hiking, a few riparian areas, and even a glimpse of the damage done by last summer's Woodbury fire. We decided to hike the trail clockwise in order to get the cardio going right away. The Bluff Springs Trail climbs about 600 feet in half a mile, so it's a thigh burner. I've seen Boy Scout troops hiking up this trail with their little backpacks and couldn't help thinking how bad an idea this is for a kid's first backpack....I've seen them in tears trying to haul their packs up this hill...cruel scoutmaster! At the junction of Bluff Springs and Dutchman's trails (mile 3.6), there are several nice camp spots and a spring that flows most of the time (hence the occasional boy scout trips here). On the Dutchman's trail heading east, we see some of the fire damage. This is the very western edge of the fire, so it wasn't too bad at this spot. Early next year we'll hike into the eastern portions to see the impact there. We ate lunch at the Whiskey Springs junction with a great view of Miner's Needle and the rugged mountains to the southeast, then headed down the Dutchman's trail back to the trailhead. There are no easy trails in the Superstitions, all trails are rocky with many hills to climb, but this 9 mile loop is a nice moderate hike which will allow you to experience the western Superstitions without the crowds.
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| It's thataway! |
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| Wonder Dog and I |
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| Water along Bluff Springs trail |
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| Picture in picture |
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| Agave reflections |
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| Weaver's Needle peek (and peak) |
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| Burned area from Woodbury fire this past summer |
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| Miner's Needle on right - great lunch spot |
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| Interesting rock formations |
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| The car is at the base of those cliffs in the distance |
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman: I suppose one way you know that a book had an impact on you, is that you find yourself bawling for the last 30 pages. This really happened to me. Sarah Gilmartin of The Irish Times called the title character "one of the most unusual and thought-provoking heroines of recent contemporary fiction." And the book won debut novel of the year in 2018 from the British Book Awards. I think that everyone has a great novel inside them, but most of us just don't have the talent or wherewithal to write it. Gail Honeyman, at the age of 46, wrote her great novel. Both my daughter and daughter-in-law had recommended this book to me and I'm glad I listened. I really don't want to divulge much about this book because the beauty in reading it is in the way the character reveals herself with each turn of the page. I will say that it's the story of an unusual 30 year old woman who has been working the same boring accounting job for 9 years, has a quirky personality, is incredibly intelligent, a loner, and has a troubled and fascinating past. Although there are no action sequences in the book, the character that most reminded me of Eleanor Oliphant was Lisbeth Salander from the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo series of books. I suppose, in the end, this book is about the power of kindness, both to yourself and to others.
Hall of Mosses trail in the Hoh Rain Forest: I was able to enjoy a gorgeous walk near the end of the year in Olympic National Park with my wife and daughter (and of course daughter's wonder dog). This was my wife's very first hike after her ankle replacement surgery in August and she was very excited about it. It's a nice, easy walk through an other worldly place. The forest averages 140 inches of rain each year, but we were lucky enough to visit when the rain had stopped. These old trees are covered with moss, and there are ferns everywhere. We felt as though we were walking through a forest created by the Brothers Grimm. This is definitely where Little Red Riding Hood encountered that wolf....
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| A Walk in the Woods |
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| The trees seemed ready to capture Hansel and Gretel |
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| Green everywhere - that's what 140 inches a year does |
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| Blue Green |
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| Hey lady, you're off the trail! |
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| Just incredible |
Until next time, happy reading and rambling into the 2020s.....
Song of the Month - Long Gone by Bill Morrissey: Bill Morrisey died too young at the age of 59 of heart failure. He was born in Connecticut, but made most of his art in New Hampshire. That art included 11 albums and two novels. Although mostly known for his dark and thoughtful lyrics, this song is fairly upbeat and positive. It's about life on the road, missing the one you love, and doing all you can to get back to her as soon as humanly possible. The song starts out with piano, then a quick Irish sounding fiddle riff, and then takes off from there with Morrissey's distinctive voice moving like a bus heading down the road to the next gig. The piano keeps the song rolling along at a good pace, and then the Irish fiddle comes in again and before you know it, you're hooked and tapping your toes. Like last month, it's another song about coming home. I guess it's just that time of year! 
Coffee Flats Trail in the Superstitions: For
our first December hike, Hiking Buddy (HB) and I decided to explore the
south-central portion of the Superstition Wilderness by hiking part of the Coffee Flats Trail. You can access this trail from
the west via the Peralta trailhead, or from the east via the Woodbury
trailhead. We opted for the Peralta trailhead which is a
much easier drive. There were a few cars
at the trailhead when we arrived; 90% of
the people parked here are hiking to Freemont Saddle for that great view of
Weaver’s Needle. There were a couple of
forest rangers at the trailhead and we spent some time with them talking about
the Woodbury fire this past summer. Then
it was on to the Dutchman’s trail for a fairly easy 2.7 miles with sweeping
views of Barkley Basin and Miner’s Needle.
Then it was eastbound on the Coffee Flats trail for another 2.7 miles
through Barkley Basin, across Whitlow Canyon and then on to Coffee Flats Canyon
and creek where we stopped for lunch at a place called Reed’s Water. There used to be a freight wagon road from
Mesa to Superior in the late 1800s. The road
was so bumpy that it was used for freight only and not passengers. We could see part of the old wagon road on
this hike. Reed’s Water was (mis)named
after Abe L. Reid who worked as a ranch hand in the several ranches around the
Superstitions. He also spent much of 40
years searching for the famed Lost Dutchman’s gold. He established a camp and windmill here as a
base for his prospecting along the southern slopes of the Coffee Flats Mountains.
We had read about a giant saguaro cactus
near here, but it seems that the big wind we had over Thanksgiving weekend,
combined with recent rains knocked this giant over right onto the trail. It is a massive cactus as you can see in the
photos below. Sad to see this monster go
down. We ate lunch on some rocks next to
this sleeping giant with the sound of water rippling down Coffee
Flats Creek below the windmill. The hike
back was just as beautiful, plus we got the bonus of watching a very large
tarantula make its way across the trail.
Other than the trailhead, we only saw two other souls that day, both of
them older than us, which gives us hope for the future! One ol' guy was backpacking to Reed's Water and another ol' gal was day-hiking up to Miner’s Needle Summit. 
Purple
Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Purple
Hibiscus was Adichie’s first novel, published in 2003. It won or was nominated for several awards. I’ve now read all three of her novels and
they’re all great. Purple Hibiscus is
set in post-colonial Nigeria and tells the story of 15-year-old Kambili and her
younger brother Jaja who are raised by a devout Catholic father who is an
important editor of an opposition newspaper, and a brutal abuser (physically
and emotionally) of his family. With the
backdrop of yet another coup in their country that seems to be disintegrating, Kambili
also sees her family disintegrating.
Even though her father is fighting the Nigerian dictatorship, he is
acting as brutal dictator of his own family.
Kambili and her brother were finally allowed to spend time with their Aunt Ifeoma, who is also Catholic, but who has established a loving and happy
family. Kambili and Jaja are at first
confused by this laughter and love that they see in this family. It opens their eyes into the kind of life
they have been living with their cruel father and enabling mother; and to the
kind of life from which they have been deprived. Life changes for them when their mother
finally has had enough of the father and takes matters into her own hands. 
Black
Canyon Trail near Black Canyon City: I’ve
lived in Arizona for 38 years and it still surprises and amazes me. The 80-mile Black Canyon trail follows an ancient
Native American route which eventually became a livestock trail for sheep and
cattle between summer and winter grazing lands.
One hundred years ago, in 1919, the Department of Interior labeled this
as the Black Canyon Stock Driveway, and 50 years ago, in 1969 it was dedicated
as the Black Canyon Trails area. The
route extends from the Carefree Highway 74 all the way to Highway 69 near Mayer. HB and I did NOT hike 80 miles this day, but
we did walk around 7 miles, both south and north of the trailhead near Black
Canyon City. If you’ve ever been to the
Rock Springs café to try their world-famous pies or their excellent burgers,
then you’ve been just a stone’s throw from the trailhead. When you exit I-17, instead of turning left
on the frontage road to the café, turn right and you will see a big sign for
the Black Canyon trailhead on your left, about 50 yards from the turnoff. Follow the dirt road a bit and you will see a
restroom facility and trailhead sign. At
the trailhead, you wonder to yourself if this is gonna be a terrible hike. You hear the trucks droning on I-17 and there’s
a huge ugly gas tank nearby, along with rusted old gas tanks from years gone by. However, around a mile into the hike you spot
an old wooden bench with a terrific view of the Agua Fria river below, and this
time of year the trees are changing color, and with the recent rain the river
was roaring! Just past the bench there
is a trail junction. We turned left
(south) and headed about a mile down to the river. Once we started walking downhill, the sound
of the freeway disappeared. We got to
the river’s edge and couldn’t believe how much water was flowing. We talked to some mountain bikers on the other
side who just crossed the river and said it was freezing cold (well, duh, it’s
the Agua Fria…). We explored the river a bit and just enjoyed
the serenity of this place and the fact that it’s so close to the busy I-17
freeway, yet it seemed so far away. Next,
we headed back up to the junction and this time headed north for a couple of
miles to its junction with the Agua Fria further north. On the way down we were treated to a peaceful
gathering of a family of javelinas munching on prickly pear cactus. We watched them for a while and as we started
getting closer they spotted us and sprinted away into the bushes, with the little
babies trailing behind wondering where everyone was running to. The river crossing here wasn’t as
picturesque, but it was still nice with some very loud rapids that could be
heard from up high. I loved watching the
bends in this river. On the southern end,
there is a bend around this hill that looks like a horseshoe whose ends nearly touch. We spotted some interesting looking man-made walls
on the hill which could make for some fun exploring someday. As we headed back up to the trailhead, our
pace picked up as we knew that Rock Springs Café burgers were being grilled
with our names on them. They were so big
and so good that we didn’t have room for their great pies…. next time. 
This incredible trail, which rambles through
the Phoenix Mountain Preserve, was christened in 1986 and named after Charles
Milo Christiansen. Christiansen was an
avid hiker and head of the Phoenix Parks and Recreation department for many
years. In the 60s and 70s he fought
tooth and nail with land developers and their bulldozers to keep the Phoenix
Mountain Preserve pristine and intact so that the people of the city could have a nearby
refuge for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. The trail winds from Tatum Boulevard just
south of Double Tree Ranch road for 11 miles to its terminus at Mountain View
Park on 7th Ave south of Peoria.
Along the way you pass near exclusive homes; ramble through countless
arroyos; experience quiet solitude in the middle of the 5th largest
city in the country; walk through tunnels underneath the 51 freeway, Cave Creek
Road, and 7th street; pass by the sheriff's posse horse stables; listen
to music playing poolside at the Pointe Tapatio resort; gawk at panoramic views
of the valley’s surrounding mountain ranges; gain great views of downtown; get an
interesting view of the hodge podge architecture
of the homes hiding in coveys along Cave Creek Road; and allow yourself to be happy
that you live in a city that offers this kind of respite to get away from the
daily grind of life. 
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman: I suppose one way you know that a book had an impact on you, is that you find yourself bawling for the last 30 pages. This really happened to me. Sarah Gilmartin of The Irish Times called the title character "one of the most unusual and thought-provoking heroines of recent contemporary fiction." And the book won debut novel of the year in 2018 from the British Book Awards. I think that everyone has a great novel inside them, but most of us just don't have the talent or wherewithal to write it. Gail Honeyman, at the age of 46, wrote her great novel. Both my daughter and daughter-in-law had recommended this book to me and I'm glad I listened. I really don't want to divulge much about this book because the beauty in reading it is in the way the character reveals herself with each turn of the page. I will say that it's the story of an unusual 30 year old woman who has been working the same boring accounting job for 9 years, has a quirky personality, is incredibly intelligent, a loner, and has a troubled and fascinating past. Although there are no action sequences in the book, the character that most reminded me of Eleanor Oliphant was Lisbeth Salander from the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo series of books. I suppose, in the end, this book is about the power of kindness, both to yourself and to others. 
Hall of Mosses trail in the Hoh Rain Forest: I was able to enjoy a gorgeous walk near the end of the year in Olympic National Park with my wife and daughter (and of course daughter's wonder dog). This was my wife's very first hike after her ankle replacement surgery in August and she was very excited about it. It's a nice, easy walk through an other worldly place. The forest averages 140 inches of rain each year, but we were lucky enough to visit when the rain had stopped. These old trees are covered with moss, and there are ferns everywhere. We felt as though we were walking through a forest created by the Brothers Grimm. This is definitely where Little Red Riding Hood encountered that wolf....
