Encyclopedia Brown Finds the Clues: 12/22/06
Of the four Encyclopedia Brown books I've read so far, Encyclopedia Brown Finds the Clues is my favorite. The mysteries are interesting, believable and easy to figure out. I was able to read the book in the course of about an hour and it was a fun hour.

These mysteries involve simple riddles, the sort of thing one could expect a child of Leroy Brown's age to be able to solve. Other books concentrate too much on Brown's intellect and his personality. Those other books make Brown seem like an obsessive spoiled and unlikable brat; he can be like The Great Brain minus the conscience of a younger brother to keep him in line.

Gratitude #22: The Ocean
I am thankful for the ocean. Having been born and raised in San Diego, just a mile or two from the Pacific Ocean, the sea is in my blood. I'm not the stereotypical Californian surfer, though I used to be an avid Boogie boarder and body boarder.

Summer is the time for tourists to go to the beach. Once fall gives way to winter, it is the locals' time to go. I love walking on the beach in the fog taking the aroma of salt, sea weed and wet sand. I love looking for shells revealed by the undertows that take the sand to off shore sand bars in winter.

Today Ian, Harriet and I dropped off Caligula to Shamrock ranch (aka "cat camp") where she stays every time we go away for more than a few day's of vacation. After dropping off our gleeful cat (she loves the outdoor runs and lying in the sunshine) we took Harriet to Taco Bell by the sea. We got there not for the food but for the view. We had a lovely view of the waves lapping just under the restaurant from our window seat. Harriet loved every minute of it. She bounced and cooed and smiled at the ocean. She has the ocean in her blood too.

 

Steps: 10000