First week of Hike-a-thon 2014

Ryan and I have been doing a lot of hiking together so far for Hike-a-thon 2014. We did 3 miles on the Soos Creek Trail in Renton, WA on August 2nd. Then we did 4 miles at Cougar Mountain on multiple trails there. Ryan could not resist clearing some trail that was blocked by limbs blown down in our recent thunderstorms last weekend

Shangri La Trail closed, but only at the very end of the trail

Big Leaf Maple limbs

Luckily, they were easy to clear

Looks a little better now

 On August 7, we did 2 1/2 miles on the Alki Beach Trail. One of the most gorgeous urban trails ever! Of course, we are biased cause we live here.

Alki Beach Trail

Wow, crowded on a Thursday

Divers in the water off of Alki

On August 8, I did 2 1/2 miles by myself on the Interurban Trail in Tukwila, WA. One of the more depressing trails I have hiked on ever. And I hike on a lot of urban trails! But it is a needed trail. It provides a safe place for bicyclists and walkers to travel across Tukwila.

Interurban in Tukwila, one of the saddest trails I have ever hiked

a prettier section of interurban

So far I have 12 miles hiked this first week and only $413 dollars raised but we are just getting started and we have many more miles to go this month...just follow this link and help me help Washington State Trails.  If you don't like sending money over the internet, you can always send me a check (made out to Washington Trails Association -WTA) or cash to Amanda Arkebauer  PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

Monday's Postcard 2014: Postcards from Dad

Today was my Dad's birthday!  I got an awful lot of postcards from my Dad over the years and here are two more!

From Sydney Australia in 1993 and from Cabbage Key, FL in 1985

Don't forget, I have to have all my hike-a-thon pledges in by the first week of September, so don't delay and get those cards and letters (all with a dollar or two stashed inside) in the mail to me now! Or you could ...just follow this link and help me help Washington State Trails. I'll be busy hiking, but I will be sure to send you a postcard as a thank you! Thanks so much to Linda and Robin for your donations this week. And be sure to email me your address if you want a postcard :-)
  If you don't like sending money over the internet, you can always send me a check (made out to Washington Trails Association -WTA) or cash to Amanda Arkebauer  PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

July Reading

For Throwback Thursday, here is a photo of me in my room from Summer 1980. You can see my Nancy Drew books displayed on the shelves behind me


The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh (library) enjoyed....reminded me of Winter's Bone a bit. Dreary and depressing.
Field of Prey by John Sandford (library) so easy to read and always entertaining.
Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain essays on food and the business of food If you are a fan of Bourdain and his TV shows you'll enjoy it
The Burglar who counted the Spoons by Lawrence Block (library) fun from Laurence Block the interesting thing about this one is that it is SELF PUBLISHED !! and this from an established and popular author. Very interesting!   Here is an article that sheds more light The Burglar Who Counted The Spoons
Sammy Keyes and the Dead Giveaway by Wendelin Van Draanen (audiobook) I had to find books that Ryan would want to listen to on our road trip to Montana :-) we both love Sammy Keyes
Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halperin (audiobook) listened to on our roadtrip to Montana, very funny

Duchess of Death: The Unauthorized Biography of Agatha Christie by Richard Hack (audiobook) On the way back from Montana, we enjoyed this ....well, I enjoyed it.
Written in my Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon (library)  the latest in the Outlander series.  814 pages :-)
Killing Floor by Lee Child (audiobook) listened to on the way to drop Ryan off at the trailhead for his BCRT trip for the WTA (Washington Trails Association...see below)
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie had to read again after hearing her biography
The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America's favorite planet by  Neil DeGrassse Tyson (library) Ryan read it and recommended it to me. Very enjoyable and interesting
The Black-Eyed Blonde by Benjamin Black (library) a Philip Marlowe mystery. Fans of Raymond Chandler NEED to read this one. Very good
Mystery of the Tolling Bell by Ellen Jane Macleod Children's mystery with a Christian bent
Mystery of the Tolling Bell by Carolyn Keene I am comparing and contrasting with the previous book for a possible article to write for the Nancy Drew fanzine
Death Trap by John D MacDonald a nice thriller, I enjoy reading these when I have time to read at work on the redeye flights. 
Elegy for April by Benjamin Black (library) I enjoyed Black-Eyed Blonde so much, I decided to read more by this author. 

16 books read this month...you can tell the months when I have a social life....I don't get as much reading done ! LOL

Starting tomorrow, I'll be doing lots of hiking to help support Washington Trails during the whole month of August.  I am kinda bummed cause in 2007 I already had raised $750 by August 1st, 2009 I had $700 already pledged and even last year, 2013 we already had $750 raised and this year I only have $250 raised....you guys have me worried!!  I hope you can help me out by donating a dollar or two to the cause!  I now things are tight, so if in years past you donated $50, perhaps this year you could do $10. If last year you donated $10, this year $5 will do the trick ...just follow this link and help me help Washington State Trails.  If you don't like sending money over the internet, you can always send me a check (made out to Washington Trails Association -WTA) or cash to Amanda Arkebauer  PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116  and for those folks curious about what a BCRT trip is....here is a link to a trip Ryan did in 2012.

Monday's Postcard 2014: Exotic Holidays

I am not the only one who is a world traveler! As is evidenced by all the postcards I get from far away places!!

I'll be doing lots of hiking this August to help support Washington Trails. If everyone who reads my postcard posts just sends a dollar, well, I would have a lot of dollars for the WTA!! LOL ...just follow this link and help me help Washington State Trails. I look forward to at least one dollar from all of you!  If you don't like sending money over the internet, you can always send me a check or cash to Amanda Arkebauer  PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116.   Checks should be made out to the Washington Trails Association. And thanks to Mark, Tom and Stephanie who have just added a few dollars to bring our total up to $260 raised so far!!

Hike-a-thon 2014 is going to be the BEST YET!

Wow so excited!! About our plans for the Washington Trails Association Hike-a-thon this year. Ryan will be home and we are going to do some hikes together. I am planning a Wine Trail theme this year with lots of hikes near wineries and in the Wine Country of Washington State!!

Here are a bunch of photos from previous years hiking.

Hurricane Ridge on the Olympic Peninsula. The Peninsula is always one of my favorite hiking destinations.

Cougar Mountain is always a great place to go hiking here in the Seattle area! I think I have done hikes there just about every year since I first participated in the 2005 hike-a-thon!

Thanks so much to Heidi, Janet, Slade, Susan and Don, and Diane and John for being the first folks to donate money to the cause this year! Diane and John have even been along with me as I got mileage for the hikeathon in 2010.

My first night backpacking was on the Baker River Trail after an aborted attempt to go to Artist Point that year, but this year might be the year we make it to Artist Point!!

$25-$99 Can provide treats for a team of volunteers
$100-$249 Can Outfit a crew in hardhats
$250-$499 WTA can purchase 5 or more new trail tools
$500-$749 WTA can lead 1 annual maintenance trip on a popular trail
$750-$999 WTA can lead two rehabilitation work parties
$1,000+ WTA can restore 1 mile (or more) of backcountry trail

Ryan and I will be having more adventures this August in Washington and wherever else the trail takes us!

I'll be doing lots of hiking this August to help support Washington Trails. I hope you can help me out by donating a dollar or two to the cause! We've already raised $225 on the way to our goal of $1,000 this year...just follow this link and help me help Washington State Trails. Go ahead and pledge now and you won't have to remember about it come August....just sit back and let my Thank You postcard come to you! :-)   If you don't like sending money over the internet, you can always send
me a check (made out to WTA) or cash to Amanda Arkebauer  PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

Monday's Postcards 2014: More Artwork

These cards are from touristy destinations, but are more artistic than just a plain photo

I'll be doing lots of hiking this August to help support Washington Trails. I hope you can help me out by donating a dollar or two to the cause!   ...just follow this link and help me help Washington State Trails. Go ahead and pledge now and you won't have to remember about it come August....just sit back and let my Thank You postcard come to you! :-)   If you don't like sending money over the internet, you can always send me a check (made out to Washington Trails Association -WTA) or cash to Amanda Arkebauer  PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

Monday's Postcard 2014: Postcards from Ryan

Today is Ryan's birthday and here are a couple more postcards that he has sent me over the years!!

Ryan does the long distance, but I'll be doing lots of hiking this August too to help support Washington Trails. I hope you can help me out by donating a dollar or two to the cause!   ...just follow this link and help me help Washington State Trails.  If you don't like sending money over the internet, you can always send me a check or cash to Amanda Arkebauer  PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

Nancy Drew Henna Tattoos!

Recently while in San Diego, I visited the San Diego Zoo and in the children's section with the face painters and the glitter tattoos there was a girl doing Henna Tattoos. My friend Lea and I decided that we wanted to get Nancy Drew Henna Tattoos and so we did!! It was a lot of fun and I would do it again.
Henna is a paste made from the crushed leaves and twigs of the henna plant. When this paste is applied to the skin and left for a few hours it leaves an orange or maroon stain which fades away in 7-14 days.

Traditionally, Henna was used to adorn young women's bodies for social and holiday celebrations in the Eastern Mediterranean. Henna was considered a blessing and applied for joy and luck as well as beauty. It was considered a divine experience to adorn your body with Henna. Now a days, henna has become a fashion statement.

We had pictures of the Nancy Drew silhouettes that we wanted on our arms. Because it is not every day that someone shows up at the zoo and wants Nancy Drew on her arm.  You can see in the one picture that the girl is looking at our silhouette while she draws it on the skin with the henna dye.

It was really gunky just after application and we were supposed to let it dry for an hour before we could touch it at all. We were also to be careful about getting it on our clothes. It is a dye after all! And if you smear it, it could smear the design.  Once the paste is dry, it starts flaking off. For the best color, we were told to leave the paste on as long as possible. The hard outer shell part would flake off and then you would be left with the light orange image like in the photo to the right. You can see some of the "shell-like" or "scab-like" parts still on my skin there, but most of it has flaked away. This photo was taken the same night that we had the tattoos applied.  The Orange would deepen in color and become mostly brown by the second day.

The previous photo was taken at a party the next night after having our Henna Tattoos for one full day. As I said, I would definitely do it again. The bottom photo is my tattoo after one full week and you can see it is fading away.  Mine lasted for about a week and a half. Fourteen days after it was applied, it was gone.

I'll be doing lots of hiking this August to help support Washington Trails. I hope you can help me out by donating a dollar or two to the cause!   ...just follow this link and help me help Washington State Trails.  If you don't like sending money over the internet, you can always send me a check or cash to Amanda Arkebauer  PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

Monday's Postcard 2014: Monuments

Some nice retro postcards from folks who got to visit Kitty Hawk, NC and Washington, DC

I'll be doing lots of hiking this August to help support Washington Trails. I hope you can help me out by donating a dollar or two to the cause!   ...just follow this link and help me help Washington State Trails. If you don't like sending money over the internet, you can always send me a check or cash to Amanda Arkebauer  PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

June Reading

Here I am in 1996, this is around the time that I got seriously into collecting girls series books. The Nancy Drew books on the shelf behind me are all from my childhood and the Vicki Barr books  with dust jackets were new acquisitions.

This was when I discovered that there were revised texts and different cover art etc. I also started collecting series that I might have only read one of in my youth. Connie Blair and Dana Girls, Ruth Fielding and Penny Parker, Beany Malone and Judy Bolton. So my shelves would soon be overflowing with books.

The Orphan Masters Son by Adam Johnson (library) reminded me of 1984 or Brave New World. Is this actually what it is like in North Korea??? I am intrigued. I recommend
The Spy Catchers of Maple Hill by Megan Frazer Blakemore (library) fun YA book very much like Harriet the Spy. Wish there were more, I'd love to read more adventures with Hazel and Samuel.
The Trip to Echo Spring by Olivia Laing (library) About writers and drinking. I really enjoyed it. Details about F. Scott Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Cheever and Tennessee Williams.
To Rise Again at A Decent Hour by Joshua Ferris (library) really interesting, a dentist has his life "stolen" when someone creates a website and posts as him on the internet.
Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King (library) another winner by Mr. King
Bull Run by Paul Fleischman picked this up at a Little Free Library. It is a really cool YA book about the Civil War battle
Love and Math by Edward Frenkel (library) believe it or not, I was once really great at math. This book explains the beauty of mathematics  in simple terms I loved it!
Missing You by Harlan Coben (library) The latest by him, I love his thrillers
Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris (library) Hilarious, I was reading bits out loud to Ryan.
In Our Time by Ernest Hemingway A bunch of Hemingway short stories. I had not read this one before now.
The Love Machine by Jacqueline Susann I was going to read Valley of the Dolls for my retro book this month and I can't find my copy!! Did I lend it to someone?? So I read Love Machine instead. I was a huge fan of Jacqueline Susann's books while in high school and college. I think I just liked the soap opera aspect of her books. So much angst and drama and sex too! :-)
Any Other Name by Craig Johnson (library) Liked this one a lot, moves fast as Walt Longmire has to solve the mystery in time to get on a plane to Philadelphia to be there when his daughter has her baby!
A Few Seconds of Radiant Filmstrip by Kevin Brockmeier (library) wow, seventh grade was forever ago
A World Away by Stewart O'Nan Big fan of Stewart O'Nan....I love all his books
The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond Fun Rom-Com book by a blogger. About meeting her husband and changing her life!
The Good Lord Bird by James McBride (library) satire about slavery and I found it amusing. By the author of the Color of Water.
How Did You Get This Number by Sloane Crosley short stories. Enjoyed them, I also liked her book, I Was Told There Would Be Cake.

17 books

PS: It's WTA Hike-a-thon time again....just follow this link and help me help Washington State Trails

Monday's Postcard 2014: From my Sister

Now I get lots of postcards from my sister, these are from several years ago

Monday's Postcard 2014: Postcards from Dad in Asia

My Dad worked for EVA airlines and was based in Taiwan in the 1990's so I have quite a few cards from Asia from that time

The Monkeys are trained to work helping harvest the coconuts in Malaysia and the other card is from the Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza in Bangkok, Thailand. I actually got to stay at that hotel when I visited Bangkok!

Monday's Postcard 2014: California

I have lots of friends and family in California, so I get lots of postcards from all over the state

Monday's Postcard 2014: Letterboxes

Many of you know about my letterboxing hobby. Well, here are a couple of postcards from Letterboxers, either telling me about letterboxes or just saying "hello"

Monday's Postcard 2014: France

Paris and more !! France is a popular vacation destination for my friends and family too.

May Reading

Always with my nose in a book!


Coolidge by Amity Shlaes (library) after Reading Bryson's book about 1927, I wanted to know more about Coolidge
Harbor by John Ajvide Lindqvist (library) spooky ghost story set in Sweden
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (library audio book) it was interesting because I was listening to this audio book while driving around and then reading Harbor the old fashioned way when I was not driving. Both books had magicians featured.
Dust by Hugh Howey (library) continuation of Wool Series
Hell on Wheels by Dick Kreck (library)  History of the Union Pacific Railroad expansion into the west, I really enjoyed it a lot and learned a lot
Revolution in the Head by Ian McDonald (library) The story of the Beatles songs how and when they were written and composed. Very interesting
Kindness Goes Unpunished by Craig Johnson (library) another Longmire novel. love these, this one set in Philadelphia, when Sheriff Longmire visits his daughter, reading it out of order cause it was so hard to find and had a huge waiting list at my library
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls This is my Retro read this month...I cried buckets of tears over this book when I was a teenager and yeah, I cried again
How Elizabeth Barret Browning Saved My Life by Mameve Medwed (library)Really enjoyed this one, gonna recommend it to all my friends who like Antique Roadshow!!
A Serpeant's Tooth by Craig Johnson (library) crazy religious cults in Montana and Wyoming, this has been one of my favorites of this series. I really enjoy the evolution of the main characters
Careless People by Sarah Churchwell (library) I really enjoyed this book about the writing of The Great Gatsby
Mind of Winter by Laura Kasischke (library) Creepy, about a mother who adopts a child from Russia. And something is not quite right....
Hollow City by Ransom Riggs (library) the second in the Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children series
Spirit of Steamboat by Craig Johnson (library) A Christmas story
The Shift Omnibus by Hugh Howey (library) more of the Wool Series...out of order
August Osage County by Tracey Letts (library) loved the movie, so that is what led me to the book, which is the script for the play
Based on the Movie by Billy Taylor. Funny satire about the film business from perspective of a grip


Only 17 books read this month.   I blame my 6 days in Dallas in Training with American Airlines. I had no time for reading!! Very frustrating!! :-)