A family member recently commented on the diversity of my reading. I never thought much about it before.
I always have several books going at the same time and often it takes me months to completely read one.
Formal education really sort of ruined the joy of learning for me, similar to how evangelical dogma sort of ruined an authentic faith for me too.
However, in my old age I love reading about all sorts of things and I now have a faith that is based upon God’s love…of all things and people. I have come to believe in miracles along with being appreciative of science.
I am really enjoying this book that I am reading …it’s about apricots. The author, Robin Chapman, is a superb writer. The story of the California Apricots goes back at least 5,000 years ago to China and its story involves many different subjects/topics. I have planted about 10 apricot trees so far. They are a family favorite. Nothing like them when they are tree ripened and fresh picked! According to the author, a mature tree can produce 200 pounds of apricots every summer. I picked about 20 pounds off of a very young tree last summer. Someday I might have a ton of apricots.
So, what are YOU reading? I enjoy recommendations and I enjoy supporting writers!
Oh, by the way, this is Morro Rock out in Morro Bay, Central California Coast. It is a volcanic plug and one of its main components is petrified bird feces. I am beginning to feel like Cliff the mailman on the tv show “Cheers.”
A view of the rock in the far distance.
It’s a very beautiful part of California.
Another Picture On The Wall 
Still, only reading what’s required, but as always, greatly admire your joy of reading.
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What am I going to do with you. How many years now??? I know you read All They Will Call You by Tim Z. Hernandez. As we drove through Coalinga and Avenal, I thought of that book and that terrible tragedy.
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I’m not reading anything right now, spring cleaning is a big part of my life right now, but I do want to get get back to a book I started a few months ago Empire of the Summer Moon by S.C. Gwynn it’s a historical recount about the rise and fall of the Comanches, it’s grittier than I would usually read but my son really liked it and recommended it to me.
I love the bit about the book you’re reading it sounds so interesting. Wow on your crop of apricots they are such a magical fruit.
I love the pics of Morro Rock, there are some beautiful areas in California, postcard kind of beauty.
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You have wild fires blazing in your neck of the woods! Crazy winds again, I guess.
Yes, I read Empire of the Summer Moon. Gritty is a good word, but good book. I read a book by Hampton Sides, Blood and Thunder, a biography about Kit Carson. Oh my God, the butchery between Whites, Indians, and Mexicans was unspeakable. The techniques used for torturing was beyond unthinkable. Santa Fe and Taos were major parts of the story….it is hard to capture the beauty of a wide and deep landscape….driving back home we passed through some of the richest farm soil in the world. Harvesting up and down the road between Paso Robles and Salinas, Steinbeck country.
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It’s supposed to be moderate today, around 50 but the winds are blowing at 30mph with gusts up to 50mph, but helicopters did water drops last night, the prepare to evacuate is still in place and the fire reached Sunset Crater National Park burning trees, tools and a mini dozer. This all from a potentially human started fire, terrible, terrible.
As much as movie makers have glamorized the west, the truth would be shocking, I am sure people would be horrified if they knew the truth of the discovery and populating of the wild west.
There was an area we drove past going into northern California along what the driver called “the grapevine highway” a massive cattle ranch, thousands of cattle, the air stank of cow droppings for miles, I can’t remember the name of the ranch lol but that is the memory I have of it.
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It is at the bottom of the Grapevine and we just drove by it on our way to Paso Robles and I thought my wife was going to puke. When we rolled up the windows, the odor was stuck inside the cab. It is a huge stockyard. As bad as that is, south of Chico a few miles is a rendering plant where large dead animals are processed and they have these ponds of waste. The odor rivals the stockyard but with its own unique characteristics that makes you want to put both hands on your throat and hurt yourself. Won’t find it in the tourist guides!
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Fresh picked apricots… yum! Have you tried drying them? I bet rehydrating them in winter would bring that taste of summer.
Your book made me think of the loss of citrus orchards in SoCal and FL to development. Like the wildlife they displaced, the orchards are now the ones being displaced. I’ll stop the pondering right there before I get too far down that road… 😉
I often have multiple books running at the same time, too. While I like learning through non-fiction, I always need a good story to take me off somewhere else for escape.
California is a gorgeous state… I just wish there weren’t so many people who agreed with me… such wicked traffic!
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Oh, for me, it is a white knuckle drive through San Jose and up the 680. Average speed is 75 mph with cars on all sides of you bobbing and weaving. I think I take about 10 breaths through that 60 mile stretch. I am surprised I don’t soil myself after getting through it…yes, a long time ago, we tried to dry apricots like my grandfather used to do. It turned out not so good. I am going to try again this summer, if the winds don’t blow the rest of them off. Lost every single cherry on a great tree due to winds this spring. But, I repeat myself….your son got quite a bit of snow this past 10 days!
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Yes, he has, but it melts pretty quickly these days. We’re hoping to head out to Truckee to see him in early June. How far are you from there? Maybe we can do a day trip. Everything is still pending, but we’ll square it up hopefully in a week or so.
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I think we would be about 3 hours from Truckee. You take I80 to Hwy 20, go through Grass Valley and drop into the valley. It is a nice drive!
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I’ll keep you posted… Grass Valley is a favorite of ours. 🙂
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Grew up there.
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Did you? A cool little place. Did you like it or were you like a lot of youths that were bored? 😉
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It was a perfect small town for children. When got older, spent many hours in the Yuba River. Great schools. I think it was best though that we moved away and got different perspectives. However we chose Paradise later on because it reminded us of what we loved about Grass Valley.
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Im reading ‘Wintering’ by Katherine May. (The Power of rest and retreat in difficult times) I cant remember which blogger suggested it but its a good read.
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That sounds like a great book and a great idea! I will check it out.
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