The Fort Worth Public Library Is Closed Friday So I Am Going To The Burlington Public Library To Check Out Mrs. Burwash

This morning, soon upon getting vertical for the day, it crossed my mind that I had not been to my neighborhood library in quite a long time, hence a shortage of reading material.

So, I decided I would go to the library today.

Then I remembered I was in Fort Worth and my neighborhood library is closed on Friday.

Soon thereafter I was on Facebook and saw that which you see here, that being the library in my old hometown of Burlington, Washington.

In this particular Facebook post the Burlington Public Library's librarian, Janice Jackson Burwash, is announcing that the Burlington Public Library hours have been expanded to open at 10am, Monday through Saturday.

The population of Burlington is only around 8,000. Fort Worth's population is around 100 times bigger than Burlington's. How does little Burlington manage to so well serve its 8,000 some residents, library-wise, whilst big Fort Worth so ill serves its 800,000 some residents?

Regarding the Burlington Public Library librarian, Janice Jackson Burwash, it was from Mrs. Burwash's mom, decades ago, I checked out my first  library book, at the old Burlington Library, a block away from where I grew up. That old library was eventually replaced by a new one across the street, long after I no longer lived in Burlington. That new library has been replaced by an even newer library, which is where Mrs. Burwash is standing, on the right, holding a piece of paper, the significance of which I was unable to determine.

Mrs. Burwash is married to Mr. Burwash, first name Martin, author of the acclaimed, possible Pulitzer Prize winning, historical novel, Vis Major, the tale of the most deadly avalanche in American history, available on Amazon and in well stocked libraries and bookstores all over the world.

I do not expect to find Vis Major in my neighborhood Fort Worth library the next time I manage to be there when it is actually open...

Who Is Helping A Needy Family This Holiday Season Besides Me?

Janice Providing Needy Holiday Needs

I know I am all about celebrating this holiday season, but that is not really what this particular blogging is about.

Yesterday I got email from Spencer Jack's dad, he being my Favorite Nephew Jason.

Below is the email from my nephew with a link to an article in my old hometown newspaper...

I noticed a picture of one of your old girlfriends in today's Skagit Valley Herald. She is delivering food, gift cards, bags of oranges and potatoes to the needy. The article didn't mention anything about delivering a Smart Car to a needy uncle.   

I guess the news that I asked Santa for a Smart Car has been widely broadcast.

The "old" girlfriend to which my nephew refers is Janice. I do not think Janice would much appreciate being referred to as "old". Janice has not aged a day in decades. A fact that regularly annoys those who have.

Janice's current husband is the eccentric best selling author of a historical novel titled Vis Major, all about the Wellington Disaster, early in the last century, in the Cascade Mountains of Washington state.

In addition to being a best selling author, Janice's current husband's other eccentricities include being a Civil War buff and having a fetish like attraction to trains.

Janice's current husband's Civil War buffness manifests itself in him having one of the world's longest handlebar mustaches and by only taking black and white photographs, in an attempt, I think, to emulate Matthew Brady. The train fetish manifests itself via things like spending hours outside a train tunnel in the Cascade Mountains waiting to take a black and white photo of an emerging train.

I am amazed Janice finds the time to deliver goodies to the needy and still manage to attend Civil War Re-Enactments and train vigils.

And, Jason, one more thing, you need to tell Janice you are very sorry for saying she is old.

In Texas Observing Three Generations Of Pacific Northwest Train Fanatics

In the picture you are looking at one of the Pacific Northwest's best selling authors, Martin Burwash, on the left, with his dad next to him and son, Seth, on the right, near the town of Lombard, in the state of Montana.

Martin is married to one of my best friends, dating all the way back, decades ago, to high school.

I am not sure, because my Adult Attention Deficit Disorder causes me to remember things incorrectly, but I believe Seth is about to be a baby daddy, making Martin a grandpa. I could be wrong about this, so don't go repeating what I say. I'm not a reliable source.

Martin's best selling historical novel is called Vis Major. I read somewhere that "Vis Major has received glowing reviews and is climbing the Best Seller lists. It's been reported that Burwash has been negotiating for screen rights to Vis Major, with Brad Pitt playing Burwash as the story's narrator."

Vis Major is about the Wellington Train Disaster, way back early in the previous century. A train disaster in the Stevens Pass zone of Washington's Cascade Mountains. One of the worst train disasters in history.

On Facebook Martin regularly posts black and white photos, that he has taken and then developed in his secret darkroom, of trains rolling across various tracks in the Pacific Northwest.

I have long wondered from whence Martin's rather extreme interest in trains came.

This morning, via Martin's blog, I got the answer, in a rather charming blogging titled "Three Generations."

I do not know what the current status is of Vis Major: the Movie. I do know that Martin told me that he preferred to be played by Sam Elliot, not Brad Pitt. I see Meryl Streep as Martin's wife in the movie. Or Jennifer Anniston. Or maybe Kim Kardashian.

A Saturday Walk Through The Steamy Tandy Hills Jungle With Green Poles & Strawberries

It was no where near 100 degrees when I went to the Tandy Hills today. It was 95. And slightly breezy.

I parked on the top of Mount Tandy. My intention was to not overheat. To accomplish that goal I decided that after I descended from the slopes of Mount Tandy I'd stay on the Tandy Highway as it meanders through mostly shady jungle.

Walking on the Tandy Highway takes me along the route of a sewer pipeline. This pipeline was worked on in the recent past. After the work was done strange green poles appeared by each manhole cover.

The message on the green poles is "SEWER PIPELINE CAUTION."

Molly the Fort Worth Longhorn is also on the green poles, along with a phone number to call if you have a sewer pipeline emergency.

As you can see in the picture some graffiti has been added to one of the green poles. The graffiti says "SLYCE." Who is Slyce and why did he or she put his or her name on this particular pole?

Is Slyce the Tandy Hills Guerrilla Artist responsible for hanging Hello Kitty balloons from branches and constructing the Tandy Hills Bamboo Teepee and other Tandy Hills artworks?

For years the Tandy Hills got by without those green poles advising "CAUTION." Were we in danger and did not realize it?

Like I said the green poles are near manhole covers. On the manhole covers it says "Sanitary Sewer."

This has perplexed me before. A sewer is not at all sanitary, is it?

Changing the subject back to my favorite subject, that being the temperature.

We have gone over the 100 degree mark again.

Does that make it Day #16, or is it #17, in a row over 100?

I have reached the part of the HOT season where I stick my water bottles in the freezer a couple hours before departure. Cold water with chunks of ice in it really helps a lot in the Battle against Heatstroke.

After successfully battling Heatstroke, once again, I, once again, went to Town Talk to cool off in the Town Talk cooler. In the cooler I found big containers of fresh Dole strawberries, 2 cartons for a buck. I got 4 cartons. And a lot of other good stuff.

I have particularly craved good strawberries of late. I long ago gave up on the strawberries I find in the regular grocery stores here. If you grow up with Skagit Valley strawberries, knowing what a real strawberry is supposed to taste like, well the cardboard substitutes from California just don't cut it.

Since the Town Talk strawberries were a Dole product I thought there was a chance they might be good. Turns out I was right to take that chance. No, they are not a Skagit Valley quality level of strawberry, but much better than I've had in Texas previously.

I have been being reminded of Skagit Valley strawberries daily, of late, via Facebook, courtesy of this annoying guy who is married to one of my friends from high school. He has hundreds of acres of strawberries in the Skagit Valley, which are currently in harvest mode. Mentioned daily. Like today he mentioned that tonight he is going to his 50th High School Class Reunion. And bringing a flat of strawberries with him, along with his latest book, a best seller called Vis Major. It's about trains. And an avalanche. I think. I've not read it. I'm waiting for the movie, which I believe is in pre-production.