Things are heating up here in the Sonoran Desert, like they always do in May, and Denis and I have been focusing on enjoying our favorite outdoor places before it's too hot. We've already made another trip to the Desert Botanical Garden, and this week we've wandered through the Phoenix Zoo because I had to see the baby flamingos and other additions to the exhibits. Of course, I'll be sharing photos, so there will be those to look forward to while we try to see if there are other places we can visit before we have to switch to indoor venues. Meanwhile, I'm dusting and straightening a ..read more

  First Lines: The End. Emma Carpenter drops her e-reader. Like surfacing from a deep dive with aching lungs, she has never been so grateful to see those two words on her paper-white screen.   Emma Carpenter prefers her life of isolation, house-sitting with her dog in an old beachfront house on the Washington coast. The only humans she comes in contact with are her cranky old neighbor, Deek (through telescope and whiteboard games of Hangman), and Jules, the house owner (through texts).   Emma spends her time voraciously reading Amazon's free and bargain books on her Kindle, and ..read more

Denis and I had wanted to go back to the Musical Instrument Museum (hereafter referred to as MIM), which is located 'way up in northeast Phoenix on Mayo Boulevard, but I'd been reluctant to do so. When we'd gone before, we still had our own wheels, and I was afraid that a trip of that distance on the Dial-a-Ride bus would rattle me around so much that I'd just want to find a hidden corner where I could sit and cry. (And I hate being a wuss.) But I thought going was worth the risk because I thought our two nieces from England, Daisy and Suzanne, would really enjoy the place. I am so glad we we ..read more

  First Line: When Monica Yablonski asked me if I'd drive out to Dulles Airport on what we both knew might be a wild goose chase, I said I'd go because she didn't ask me that often these days, and when she did, it was because she knew the story would be right up my alley: edgy, a bit risky, a challenge.   Thinking it's going to be a simple photography job, Sophie Medina agrees to work for billionaire philanthropist and art collector Robson Blake. However, when she goes to his house, she finds an open door, a state-of-the-art security system turned off... and her client dead. At firs ..read more

  Now that Suzanne and Daisy are gone, I have found it difficult to get back into my usual daily routines, but (you knew that was coming) I did have plenty of "digital rewards" burning a hole in my digital pocket, so I had to do a little book shopping.   I've grouped my purchases according to genre/subgenre, and if you click on the link in each book's title, you'll be taken to Amazon US where you can learn more about the book, you know... in case I managed to find one that tickles your fancy.   Let's see where temptation led me last month!     === Private Investigato ..read more

  First Line: D'Andre Miller pushed open the glass doors of the Rainier Beach Community Center and stepped out into the frigid night.   When a young boy is killed in a hit-and-run, Seattle homicide detective Tracy Crosswhite discovers that the suspect is an active-duty serviceman at a local naval base. After a key piece of evidence goes missing, the serviceman is cleared of charges in a military court, but Tracy refuses to turn her back on this kind of injustice.   Continuing her investigation, she uncovers the serviceman's ties to a rash of heroin overdoses in Seattle. This is ..read more

  I don't know why, but I'm having a hard time realizing that May is here. At least I've had some fun (Daisy and Suzanne's visit) lately instead of a boring round of nothing but weekly medical appointments. It's been almost a year since I was sent to the wound care clinic, and I think it's time for me to admit that my legs might never heal. Nothing I (or the doctor and nurses) do seems to work, but that doesn't mean I'm going to stop trying! Time may fly, but I will always keep my eyes peeled for new reading material. (You knew that already, didn't you?)  The following list contain ..read more

  First Line: It is a long way, as the heron flies, between lights in this part of the countryside.   Inheriting his uncle's property out in the country allows police detective Jake Jackson to retire and make a new life for himself away from London.    Although the amenities in his new home are sparse, the landscape is stunning, and his neighbors may be a bit eccentric, but they're friendly and invite him to join their annual treasure hunt.   When the hunt turns up a young woman's bones, Jake is pulled back into the role of detective and he's soon on the trail of a da ..read more

  I don't know what Daisy and Suzanne brought with them, but ever since they left, I've been writing tons of To Do lists and feeling quite smug as I mark each item as completed.   Things are heating up here in the desert. I'm writing this on Wednesday, and tomorrow Denis and I are going to the Desert Botanical Garden in hopes of seeing all the cactus flowers that weren't blooming when we visited with Daisy and Suzanne. I'm sure there will be photos, but they will have to wait until I've shared other photos from our nieces' visit. Enjoy the links!    ►Books & Oth ..read more

One of the places we visited while our nieces were here from England was-- of course-- the Desert Botanical Garden. I can't remember if Suzanne had visited before, but I knew Daisy had. We visited the Butterfly Pavilion, and there were plenty of wildflowers in bloom, but all the various types of cactus had yet to really pop. Denis and I are going back tomorrow, so I hope to have several photos of those to share in the future. Meanwhile, let's see what Daisy, Suzanne, Denis and I got to see!   Outside Gertrude's Restaurant at the Desert Botanical Garden. Although they are pretty wh ..read more