First Week of Hikeathon 2022

My first week of WTA Hikeathon 2022 started out with a spectacular hike. I did this one last year and I enjoyed it so much that I just had to do it again! Crystal Mountain near Mt. Rainier is a ski area and you can take the gondola up to the top of the mountain and hike down (or hike up and take the gondola down or just hike the entire thing! I prefer to gondola up and hike down.)

Do you see the elk? There are actually 2 in this photo

If you forgot your hiking poles, they have some for loan

Even with the clouds, the views are stellar

Also at the top of the mountain, besides the restaurant, they had a lot of picnic tables (so bring your own lunch and enjoy the view!) and lounge chairs. Plus there were several interpretive QR codes that you could use your phone to access, explaining everything from the Native American traditions in the region to the damage from the most recent fires. Very interesting. 

Lots of construction going on at Crystal Mountain and the noise was one of the only downsides

It was a great day and a fun way to get 5 miles for hikeathon right off the bat. The overcast clouds provided relief from the heat and there was a breeze that helped deter the mosquitoes too. (Although I did get bit a couple of times when I would stop for a break) There were lots of families and hikers with dogs on this Monday morning.  I started at 10am and by the time I was done at 1pm the parking lot was packed. 

My next day was an easy 2 miles along the Green River trail in Kent. I have done this hike in the past and I like to see the Historic Neely-Soames house along the river

My third hike this week was close to home at the Longfellow Creek Legacy Trail. I do this one pretty much every year because it is so close to my home and is a nice flat, simple walk in the woods (and along some sidewalks)  I did 2 miles. 

A Little Free Library along the sidewalk portion of the trail

                                                   

To wrap up the week, I spent Saturday out in Buckley, WA. I hiked 2 miles on the Foothills Trail which is just a rail trail that goes right along HWY 410. But the highlight was that I stopped at Maris Farms for their Sunflowers!! 

Mount Rainier in the distance

Here you can see where there used to be a railroad!

Veterans Memorial along the Foothills Trail

I started off Hikeathon this year strong with 11 miles done so far and over $400 raised in donations. 

Thanks so much to Kim, Lisa S. and Liz for their donations this week. 

If you have not donated yet, you can cut and paste this link to go to my WTA fundraiser page  

https://give.wta.org/fundraiser/3990693

or you can send me a check (made out to WTA (Washington Trails Association) or just a dollar in the mail would be very welcome. Thanks so much to everyone who has supported this cause in the past and hopefully again this year!

to: Amanda Arkebauer PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

 

Aviation Postcards: Wright Brothers

 

July 2022 Books I Read

 

My Sunshine Away  by M.O. Walsh (library) This was a very interesting flashback kind of book, looking at a crime that happened during high school and what really happened?

Agatha Christie's Poirot by  Mark Aldridge (library) a wonderful book for fans of Poirot, from the books to the films a terrific compilation of all essences of Poirot

Tracy Flick Can't Win by Tom Perrotta (library) The sequel to Election. I liked it, but then I really liked Election. It was interesting to see where he took Tracy and it was not what I had expected. 

Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich (library) read again and to see how it has held up, so true and probably more true today about the horrors of trying to survive on minimum wage

How I Survived Being a Girl by Wendelin Van Draanan A fun read in the tradition of Harriet the Spy and Freaky Friday. Tomboyish Carolyn figures out that you can be a girl and still do the things you want to do ("boy" stuff). 

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid (library) I really enjoyed this one and it would be a good book club book to start a discussion about race issues. African-American Nanny is accused of kidnapping her Caucasian charge.

Towards Zero by Agatha Christie One of her best in my opinion. And this is one of the first that I ever read when I was a kid, so it has sentimental value as well. 

Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey (library) Another enjoyable book, sad though--The protagonist is experiencing dementia and insists that her best friend in missing. No one will listen to her and she becomes obsessed with finding the truth. Another good book for a book club read. 

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz (library) This was a Pulitzer Prize winner. Meh, It was okay. 

Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult (library) another of her "ripped from the headlines" type books. Set during the pandemic quarantine and lock down! A girl gets stuck in the Galapagos Islands during the beginning of the lock down period and cannot get back home to her fiancé. I really enjoyed it. 

The Investigator by John Sandford (library) a fun read and entertaining -so glad that Sandford has found another character to write about !! 

Y is for Yesterday by Sue Grafton (audiobook) such a shame that we will never get to see Z

Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz (library) I really enjoyed the book within a book and so many twists and turns in this mystery. (second after Magpie Murders) Highly recommend. 

The Week by David M. Henkin (library) Non-fiction book about why we live in seven day increments, how it evolved and was reinforced over time. And how it is still evolving now (especially since Covid and the work from home/home schooling trend) 

Dopesick by Beth Macy (library) The story of how OxyContin led to heroin abuse in America in the 1990's. This was recently made into a mini-series

A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders (library) love love love it, but then I am a nerdy English Major. It is a non-fiction book that breaks down some Russian Short Stories and tells you why they are awesome. Great ideas for critical thinking about what you read AND tips on how to write your own stories!! Highly recommend if you are into that sort of thing. 

I hope I can count on all of you guys again this year for support. Any amount from $1 to $100 is welcome.
You can cut and paste this link to go to my WTA fundraiser page

https://give.wta.org/fundraiser/3990693

or you can send me a check (made out to WTA (Washington Trails Association) or just a dollar in the mail would be very welcome. Thanks so much to everyone who has supported this cause in the past and hopefully again this year!

to: Amanda Arkebauer PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

Aviation Postcards: PSA

 

Pacific Southwest Airlines

Love that SMILE! 

PSA merged with USAir in the late 1980's

I hope I can count on all of you guys again this year for support. Any amount from $1 to $100 is welcome.
You can click on this link to go to my WTA fundraiser page

https://give.wta.org/fundraiser/3990693

or you can send me a check (made out to WTA (Washington Trails Association) or just a dollar in the mail would be very welcome. Thanks so much to everyone who has supported this cause in the past and hopefully again this year!

to: Amanda Arkebauer PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

Come Hike with me for Hike-a-thon 2022 in August

 In years past, I have hiked with lots of different folks for hike-a-thon. Do you want to hike with me in 2022? 

Give me a shout out if you want to try and arrange to hike with me during August, either here in Seattle or on one of my layovers across the USA and Europe! 

Thank You Mary, Lisa, Cecilia and Deirdre for your donations this week! 

You can cut and paste this link to go to my WTA fundraiser page  

https://give.wta.org/fundraiser/3990693

or you can send me a check (made out to WTA (Washington Trails Association) or just a dollar in the mail would be very welcome. Thanks so much to everyone who has supported this cause in the past and hopefully again this year!

to: Amanda Arkebauer PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

Aviation Postcards: Retro

 

Cute Retro Postcards

I hope I can count on all of you guys again this year for support. Any amount from $1 to $100 is welcome.
You can click on this link to go to my WTA fundraiser page

https://give.wta.org/fundraiser/3990693

or you can send me a check (made out to WTA (Washington Trails Association) or just a dollar in the mail would be very welcome. Thanks so much to everyone who has supported this cause in the past and hopefully again this year!

to: Amanda Arkebauer PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

Hike-a-thon 2022 is this August and Hikes that I ALWAYS do!!

Looking at my list of hikes for Hike-a-thon 2022 and there are hikes that I always do that are close to home.  Alki Beach Trail, Longfellow Trail, Lincoln Park trails and Des Moines Creek Trail are usually always part of my hike a thon every year!  Every hike I do to count towards hike-a-thon is on a NAMED TRAIL, so even when I am in Europe or other parts of the country, I like to hike a named trail to count for hike-a-thon mileage. 

Thank You Sharon (and Paul) for your donation this week!! 

You can cut and paste this link to go to my WTA fundraiser page  

https://give.wta.org/fundraiser/3990693

or you can send me a check (made out to WTA (Washington Trails Association) or just a dollar in the mail would be very welcome. Thanks so much to everyone who has supported this cause in the past and hopefully again this year!

to: Amanda Arkebauer PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

Aviation Postcards: Chicago

 

I hope I can count on all of you guys again this year for support. Any amount from $1 to $100 is welcome.
You can click on this link to go to my WTA fundraiser page

https://give.wta.org/fundraiser/3990693

or you can send me a check (made out to WTA (Washington Trails Association) or just a dollar in the mail would be very welcome. Thanks so much to everyone who has supported this cause in the past and hopefully again this year!

to: Amanda Arkebauer PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

Looking back at Hike-a-thons Past

I am raising money for Washington Trails Hike-a-thon this year and I have enjoyed looking back at years past and all the amazing hikes I have done during the month of August each year. Like these photos from 2013 up at Sunrise Mt. Rainier

 Or visiting the Washington and Oregon Coast in 2009

And even hobbling along a mile at a time with a sprained ankle in 2020! 

Thank You to Heidi and Judy for their donations. I hope I can count on everyone this year to follow my progress and donate to Washington Trails. You can cut and paste this link to go to my WTA fundraiser page  

https://give.wta.org/fundraiser/3990693

or you can send me a check (made out to WTA (Washington Trails Association) or just a dollar in the mail would be very welcome. If everyone just gave one dollar, I would have over $500 dollars just from my facebook friends. Thanks so much to everyone who has supported this cause in the past and hopefully again this year!

to: Amanda Arkebauer PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

Aviation Postcards: PAA

 

Pan American Airlines

I hope I can count on all of you guys again this year for support. Any amount from $1 to $100 is welcome.
You can click on this link to go to my WTA fundraiser page

https://give.wta.org/fundraiser/3990693

or you can send me a check (made out to WTA (Washington Trails Association) or just a dollar in the mail would be very welcome. Thanks so much to everyone who has supported this cause in the past and hopefully again this year!

to: Amanda Arkebauer PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

Washington Trails Hike-a-thon 2022

It is that time of year again when I begin fund-raising for Washington Trails Association.  I am going to let the WTA speak for itself this year. They just finished creating a new trail on the Olympic Peninsula near Port Angeles, WA. It took 3 1/2 years of work to create this 3.5 mile addition at Striped Peak.  The blog post below has some great before and after photos and explains how they go about creating a trail. 

https://www.wta.org/news/signpost/striped-peak-trail-complete

Your donations during hike-a-thon help to make this work. From purchasing gear like hard hats and chain saws, to providing snacks for the volunteers working on the trails. And it is not just for creating new trails, but maintaining ones that are already there and might be damaged by storms and erosion. The WTA also advocates for our trails with the state legislature in Olympia, WA. So every penny I raise during hike-a-thon goes to protecting and creating recreational opportunities in the Pacific Northwest! Thank You so much to everyone who has donated in the past and I welcome any and all contributors! From $1 to $100, every donation helps make a difference in protecting and maintaining our Washington Trails. 

You can cut and paste this link to go to my WTA fundraiser page  

https://give.wta.org/fundraiser/3990693

or you can send me a check (made out to WTA (Washington Trails Association) or just a dollar in the mail would be very welcome. Thanks so much to everyone who has supported this cause in the past and hopefully again this year!

to: Amanda Arkebauer PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

June 2022 Books I Read

 

Pushing Cool by Keith Wailoo (library) about the racist advertising aimed at Black consumers for menthol cigarettes

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave (library) an interesting thriller set in Sausalito, CA and Austin, TX. 

The Hound of Death by Agatha Christie collection of short stories, one is the first incarnation of Witness for the Prosecution. 

Easy to Kill by Agatha Christie this one holds a fond place in my heart, because I think this was the very first Christie that I ever read. We bought it at a bookstore on Kauai, Hawaii in 1977. 

Steak by Mark Schatzker (library) another book about how food is just not as good as it used to be!

Mysterious Mr Quin by Agatha Christie short stories with a mysterious enigmatic Mr Quin

The Last Slave Ship by Ben Raines (library) the story of the Clotida and Africatown in Alabama. 

Something to Hide by Elizabeth George (library) ripped from the headlines. Lynley and Havers investigate deaths related to female genital mutilation among immigrants. It slogged on a bit and I found myself wanting to jump ahead to get to the good stuff. 

Billy Summers by Stephen King (library) really more of a thriller than a horror book. I quite enjoyed it. 

The Peach Rebellion by Wendelin Van Draanen (library) set in 1930's with immigrant migrant workers and 3 young girls who bond despite different backgrounds. 

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (audiobook) It has been decades since I read this book and it was fun to listen to it in the car.

An American Marriage by  Tayan Jones (library) I wasn't excited about reading this, picked it for my summer reading bingo card for the Seattle Library, but I was pleasantly surprised. A man and woman are married and he gets falsely charged with rape and incarcerated --she sticks by him for a while (he is innocent), but she finally goes back to an old boyfriend and wants out of the marriage. Then he gets released early from jail (the charge finally overturned) but it has been 5 years and he wants to get back together, but she has moved on. Set in Louisiana and Georgia.

Once Ghosted, Twice Shy by Alyssa Cole (library) a lesbian love story, which basically is just a regular love story, but the characters happen to be lesbians. Also picked for the summer reading bingo. This one reads like a Harlequin or a Hallmark movie type love story. 

The Intuitionist by Colon Whitehead (library) fantasy/sci-fi in a world wear elevators are new and amazing technology. I had a hard time getting into this one. But it all boils down to a mystery at it's heart. An elevator accident happened and a woman is being framed for the responsibility of it.She is trying to clear her name and figure out what really happened. 

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie still trying to read all of Agatha Christie before the end of the year. I still have about 47 more books to read yet!!!

Murder in the Mews by Agatha Christie (library) this one is actually 4 novellas. Easy reading and fun to pick up and put down again when I am reading at work. 

The Power of Regret by Daniel Pink (library) extremely interesting book about regret and how it affects our lives

Atonement by Ian McEwan (audiobook) UGH why did I listen to this? This book makes me so angry (and the movie) I think Briony is the most self absorbed, selfish, arrogant, self important character in all of literature. Every time I read or hear or see the movie I get angry all over again. It is a tragic tragic tragic story. be warned --I only read it because I needed to read something with an unreliable narrator for my summer reading bingo this year. As my evidence, when the older Briony is a nurse and comforting a dying soldier, she wants him to say her name (when he is mistaking her for someone he knew)  Because it is all about HER. She is being a nurse as her "penance" but she is still the star of her imaginings. UGH And so she as a writer creates this alternate reality where Cecilia and Robbie are together like a GOD (which they say in the book, about writers being like God) UGH the whole thing makes me angry all over again

Aviation Postcards: Denver

 

This is the original Stapleton Airport

Aviation Postcards: Northwest Airlines