Mary E. Trimble

Sunset at Rialto Beach (Photo by Bruce Trimble)

Olympic National Park, located in Washington’s northwest corner, is one of our all-time favorite destinations. Mild temperatures and abundant rain result in massive ancient forests of Sitka spruce, western hemlock and western red cedar. Mosses and ferns carpet the dense forest. Visitors are surrounded with raw, rugged nature at its finest.

Olympic National Park, at more than 1,400 square miles, boasts a diversity of terrain including the Hoh Rain Forest, the Pacific coast and the towering peaks of the Olympic Mountains. Ninety-five percent of the park is designated wilderness.

One of our favorite places to camp is Mora Campground, open year-round. Mora has amenities such as fire rings with grates, accessible restrooms, water, and bear-proof food storage. Mora also has a boat ramp and picnic area. We love walking through the five camping loops, all on relatively level terrain. Mora is a reservation camp, but visitors are allowed to camp on a site that isn’t reserved. Note: Although there was plenty of room for our truck and camper, Mora is not suitable for RVs larger than 35 feet.

When at Mora Campground, we always take at least one day to explore one of our favorites, Rialto Beach, about three miles from camp. The two-mile stretch along Olympic National Park’s wild Pacific coast offers smooth-pebbled black rocks, giant drift logs, pounding waves, and magnificent views of offshore islands known as “seastacks.” Rialto has wide sandy beaches for easy walking. Before going to any Olympic beaches, be sure to check the tide charts.

For an experience of pure, wild nature, Olympic National Park is a fulfilling destination.

To make reservations for Mora Campground: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/247591

Book Review: The Lost Cowboy

Posted on July 8, 2024 by Mary

The Lost Cowboy by J. B. Zielke is an awe-inspiring true story of the author’s quest for knowledge about modern-day cowboying around the world. Zielke, in his twenties, traveled to six continents, working on ranches and learning the hard way the life of the cowboy, often in untamed land.

Zielke, an experienced horseman and rodeo competitor, began his quest in Australia where cowboys are called “ringers.” When he first arrived he was met by two rough, dusty looking men, shoeless, wearing button-up shirts with no sleeves and very dirty shorts. Zielke worked with these men catching wild bulls. His time in Australia was spent working for and with some of the roughest, toughest people he had ever met.

Next on his quest was Argentina, thrust into a Spanish-speaking world where he worked at a guest ranch, then later worked round-up on a cattle ranch. Much of ranching was different than Zielke expected—even the saddles were constructed differently than either American or English.

Sweden, he found, was one of the most unique places to raise cattle in the world. The Swedish government is very much involved, enforcing strict rules, restrictions and regulations. A couple of examples: It is illegal to rope any animal, and all stock must be sheltered in a four-sided structure in winter. Still, as in most places, Zielke made the most of his stay and made a significant contribution to the work force.

In South Africa, Zielke, through his contacts with Future Farmers Foundation, helped mentor and work with students, some of whom were just getting started working with agriculture, and some who were running massive multimillion-dollar farms. Overall, Zielke found that Africa was like seeing the world as it really was.

In Mexico, Zielke worked on a large farm, mostly harvesting corn, then later worked on a ranch. He was constantly impressed with Mexican ingenuity and their ability to make broken-down machinery work.

Asia, specifically Mongolia, was Zielke’s final destination. One of his aims in Mongolia was to visit the last people on earth who still ride reindeer. He found the Tsaatan, people who live in northern Mongolia, the last semi-nomadic people who depend on reindeer for transportation.

The Lost Cowboy is a story of a man who sought his adventure the hard way. He endured hardships most people would not be willing to suffer. He wasn’t a rich man, but he labored to earn enough money to experience the riches and hardships of cowboys the world over. This review only touches on the highlights of what is a thoroughly entertaining, in-depth, and educational story of one man’s attempt to experience the cowboy life in different cultures.

Book Review: Lila’s Journey

Posted on July 1, 2024 by Mary

“I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear….”
Walt Whitman

Lila’s Journey by Jane Coletti Perry is an engrossing historical novel that takes place in 1860s, Kansas.

Lila Bonner, sixteen, must leave her widowed father out of fear and desperation. She travels by stage coach along the Santa Fe Trail. In Council Grove, Kansas, she manages to find a job at a boarding house which gives her a place to sleep and eat.

John Reynolds has accepted a position as teacher in a new schoolhouse in Council Grove. Lila and John first met in her home town and happen to travel on the same stage to Council Grove. John is enchanted with Lila, but his life becomes complicated when a young woman from his past appears unannounced.

Lila faces many challenges in her new environment, but is determined to make her own way. She bravely deals with mere survival, barely earning enough money to meet basic needs. Life in Council Grove is not easy with Indian unrest and an epidemic, but Lila becomes a part of the community, makes friends, and is thrilled with a promising romance. Her blossoming life is suddenly threatened by an evil betrayal. Will she have the strength to fight this challenge, and does she have to face this fear alone?

Lila’s Journey is a realistic novel of depth. The author’s vivid descriptions of the attitudes and mindset of the times makes the story come to life. I thought Lila’s situation believable—a young woman, sixteen, having to make life-changing decisions. This novel would be of interest to teens and adults.

Book Review: So Long, Chester Wheeler

Posted on June 24, 2024 by Mary

So Long, Chester Wheeler by Catherine Ryan Hyde is an uplifting contemporary novel about two very different people who find themselves thrown together in an unwanted relationship. The story begins in Buffalo, New York.

Lewis Madigen, 24, is suddenly laid off from his job as a software developer. As if that isn’t bad enough, his live-in boyfriend has suddenly moved out of their rental house, left the state, and absconded with their joint funds.

Chester Wheeler, Lewis’s wheelchair-bound, cantankerous neighbor, is a constant source of irritation. He hurls homophobic insults to Lewis every chance he gets. Chester has worn through a number of caretakers—no one can stand to be around him. His daughter Ellie is with him at the present time, but now she has a problem. Her out-of-state daughter is about to give birth and Ellie very much wants to be with her. Ellie approaches Lewis with a proposition that he be her father’s temporary caregiver. Lewis certainly doesn’t need the aggravation, but he does need the money. He reluctantly agrees.

Their time together is as bad as Lewis predicted it would be. Chester complains about everything. Nothing Lewis does is right. To make matters even worse, Chester insists that Lewis drive them to Arizona in Chester’s beat-up Winnebago to see his ex-wife for the first time in thirty-two years. Chester is dying of cancer. How can Lewis deny a terminally ill old man his dying wish? Chester’s daughter has offered to pay for the cost of the trip if Lewis would be willing to do it.

On the road, cooped up in the Winnebago, is miserable. The two bicker constantly. But then a glimmer of hope surfaces and what follows is testimony to the value of recognizing another’s viewpoint, and offering and accepting forgiveness.

Catherine Ryan Hyde has done it again. Her scope of understanding the human condition shines through as she tackles the complications of being gay, and the tragedy of nearing the end of life in bitterness and defeat. This story rings true on so many levels: an extremely difficult person nearing life’s end, a vulnerable gay young man, a troubled family that needs mending. So Long, Chester Wheeler, appropriate for teens and adults, is rich in wisdom and tolerance.

Book Review: On Brassard’s Farm

Posted on June 3, 2024 by Mary

On Brassard’s Farm: A Novel by Daniel Hecht is a fast-paced contemporary story that takes place in Vermont’s farm country.

Ann Turner seeks a change from her urban life in Boston. She buys a piece of land, a forested section of a dairy farm owned by the Brassards. She clears enough land to set up a tent in the deep forest. Life in the wilderness is a lot harder than she anticipated. She’s faced with harsh weather, aching loneliness, unsettling encounters with wild animals, and intruding neighbors. To make her life even more difficult, the money she plans to use to purchase the land is suddenly unavailable and she is indentured to the Brassards.

Brassards farm is in deep trouble. Milk prices have gone down, feed and equipment prices risen to the point that it’s hard to make ends meet. The money the Brassards were expecting from Ann is desperately needed. She signs on as a farm hand to pay her debt and learns the hard way what it takes to run a dairy farm. The work is relentless, the hours grueling. She chaffs at the cutting and sarcastic remarks from her stern boss, Diz Brassard, the farm’s matriarch.

Ann finds comfort and understanding from Earnest Kelley, an Oneida Indian, a friend of the Brassards who makes his home on the farm, but works as a tree surgeon. For Ann, Earnest’s wisdom and quiet humor is a balm to an otherwise bleak existence on the farm.

On Brassards’ Farm is not only a good read, but informative about the life of a dairyman. The author, Daniel Hecht , does an amazing job of describing the feelings of a woman. The story is told in first person, vividly showing the struggle and demanding work of farm life, the growth, toughness and resiliency Ann develops, and finally the joy of unexpected love.

Book Review: The Kanyini Game

Posted on May 27, 2024 by Mary

The Kanyini Game by Mary Ann Hayes is an engaging adventure of a young boy and his magic carpet.

Chase, nine, has a big problem. His magic carpet, Mariah, is about to be sold! His family has just discovered the Persian carpet’s worth, but to Chase the carpet means more than money. He and Mariah can fly at the speed of light, explore foreign countries in the dead of night, and see more spectacular sites than most people see in a lifetime.

Once Chase has ingeniously solved that problem, he becomes involved in the 420th Global Magic Carpet Game. This high adventure takes them to Australia where mysteries lurk, along with poisonous spiders, huge snakes, dangerous wild animals, and exotic, but stinky, plants. But all is not well among the carpets and their riders—arguing and unfair competition practices challenge the teams. What is the lesson to be learned from these captivating experiences?

In addition to Chase’s high adventure, The Kanyini Game offers valuable life lessons. The word Kanyini is an Aboriginal sacred principle of unconditional love, linking important areas of responsibility. As Chase’s adventure unfolds, he and his fellow game participants learn these important life lessons.

Mary Ann Hayes has again written a children’s book that will fascinate youngsters of all ages. The Carnelian Game, the first of her paranormal children’s stories, is also an intriguing read. For those children too young to read The Kanyini Game by themselves, it would be a wonderful opportunity for an adult to read to a child. If you like magic, you and the children in your life will be charmed by this enchanting story.

Book Review: A Song of Silence

Posted on May 20, 2024 by Mary

“You can kill a man, but you can’t kill an idea”
― Sophocles

A Song of Silence: A Gripping Holocaust Novel Inspired by a Heartbreaking True Story, Book 2 of the “World War II Historical Fiction” series by Steve N. Lee is a highly suspenseful novel that takes place in Poland during the World War II Nazi invasion.

Mirek Kozlowski, a well-known children’s author, runs an orphanage of 89 children in a small Polish town that is suddenly overrun by Nazis. Almost overnight their happy existence changes. Townspeople suffer losses of property and livelihood. Serious food shortages affect the health and well-being of the town’s citizens. Mirek strives to keep his orphanage running, but the daily onslaught of atrocities are a constant challenge.

When SS Captain Kruger learns that Mirek Kozlowski is also an author, he is intrigued. Kruger has dreams of becoming a writer and has, in fact, written a manuscript. Maybe Mirek could help polish the book into publication. But in the meantime, Kruger is driven to do his job to meet Nazi goals: destroy Polish culture, segregate the Jews, expand German territory, elevate the Fatherland, and create new world order with ethnic Germans at its center.

Anna-Maria Kisiell quietly brings joy to Mirek’s life. She helps where she can, assists in the kitchen, works with the children. The two find solace in each other, but with all the struggles to merely survive, how can a relationship ever develop?

As the Polish people suffer depravation of jobs and food, all while witnessing senseless killings, some resistance is organized, but any knowledge of this by the authorities leads to harsh punishments. Expressing an opinion can result in a whipping or even death.

But Mirek strongly believes that if good people do nothing, bad people will be empowered to do evil. Based on this belief, he ventures into a scheme to save his children.

A Song of Silence is a stark reminder of what the world was like in the 1940s and the unspeakable suffering at the hands of men who perceived themselves as the “racial elite” of a Nazi future. Steve N. Lee has captured the horror and raw fear instilled in a townspeople who simply wanted to live their lives under their own rule. The novel contains vivid descriptions of evil acts, but told without wallowing in sentimentality. It is history brought to life, a history we must not forget.

Book Review: Crossroads in Casa Corte

Posted on May 13, 2024 by Mary

Crossroads in Casa Corte, a novel by Anne Schroeder, is a haunting story that takes place in a Chihuahua cantina on the eve of el Día de Los Muertos, Day of the Dead, a Mexican holiday honoring dead loved ones and making peace with the eventuality of death by treating it familiarly, without fear and dread.

It’s autumn, 2020. While a storm rages outside, inside a cantina a group of eight men talk about the women they have known. Their tongues are loosened by plenty of pulque (a traditional Mexican fermented alcoholic drink) and cerveza (Mexican beer). The stories told span Zihantanejo, Mexico City, the Arizona border and California. Among the eight men, besides the owner of the cantina, is a potter, a local farmer, an American professor, a salesman, two American cowboys, a priest and a mean-spirited man called Mendoza. Mendoza is known to treat his wife badly, mistreats animals, and has nothing but negative things to say about the other men’s stories. His insults and badgering bring some to blows, others try to ignore him.

I was impressed with Crossroads in Casa Corte and the knowledge the author shares of Mexico and Mexican culture. The realm of experiences as told by the men are at times gritty, sometimes heart-rending, some riddled with guilt, and at times joyful. But through it all, Mendoza’s crude remarks bring the stories down to his level. It’s clear that Anne Schroeder knows the area and its people, knows how to navigate multiple story lines, and above all, knows how to tell a gripping story of change and redemption.

Book Review: The Seeds of Change

Posted on May 6, 2024 by Mary

The Seeds of Change, a novel by Lauraine Snelling is the first book of the “Leah’s Garden Book” series. The story begins in Linksburg, Ohio, 1865.

The Nielsen sisters—Larkspur, Forsythia, Delphinium, and Lilac—named after flowers grown in their late mother’s garden, have a life-changing plan. Their decision is hastened when their younger brother is swindled at a card game by a traveling gambler. The oldest sister, Larkspur, has played poker as a parlor game, and is known to be quite good. She innocently challenges the gambler and wins back her brother’s losses, plus a good deal more. Her winnings however, anger the swindler who threatens revenge. Fearing for Larkspur’s life, their older brother helps his sisters escape.

They buy a wagon and oxen and flee their Ohio community for Independence, Missouri to join a wagon train bound for Oregon. Because four unaccompanied women would draw attention, Larkspur dons a disguise, becoming “Clark” Nielson, an older brother accompanying his three sisters.

As the wagon train makes its way toward Oregon, they meet hardships, and witness tragedies among their fellow travelers. They help where they can, even informally adopting the children of fellow travelers when the mother dies in childbirth and the father dies in an accident.

The sisters decide to end their journey in southern Nebraska where they buy a homestead with a sod house. Their struggles now take a different turn—making a home out of rough land. Some chaste romance takes place between one of the sisters and a widowed doctor.

I enjoyed this first book of the “Leah’s Garden Book” series. I have read other series written by Lauraine Snelling and find her writing exceptional with impressive research, rich land descriptions, and characters full of life. Her work always has strong Christian overtones that to me, add to the story. I never tire of Oregon Trail books, and I particularly enjoyed The Seeds of Change.

Book Review: Bucking the Sun

Posted on April 29, 2024 by Mary

Bucking the Sun, a novel by Ivan Doig (1939 – 2015) is an historical novel of depth that takes place in Montana during the Great Depression era, 1933 to 1938, with brief reflective sojourns to 1991.

The Duff family, father, mother and three adult sons lose their family’s alfalfa farm on the Montana bottomland to the impending Fort Peck Dam. It’s just as well—they were about to lose that year’s crop to grasshoppers anyway. Their oldest son, Owen, was hired as the dam’s fillmaster and was responsible for moving earth and rocks to create Roosevelt’s New Deal project, damming the Missouri River which was, up to that point, the biggest dam site in the world.

Eventually, all the Duff family is employed in the project, and the sons’ wives are employed in businesses associated with the dam’s construction in the thrown-together town of Glasgow and the adjacent community of Fort Peck. The project was huge in scope working year-round in weather extremes such as 61 below zero in February and 114 above zero in July.

As the author skillfully takes us through the engineering marvel of this massive project, we follow the Duff families as they play their various roles in the dam’s construction or its supporting occupations. Doig’s impeccable sense of timing is rich in detail. Each of the Duff men have their own distinct personalities, as do their wives, and as the story progresses, their individual talents emerge.

Much of Doig’s writing takes place in his home state of Montana. He wrote of rural working-class life, and this book captures not only the Montana terrain, but also its attitudes and toughness. I have read three previous books by Doig, all different in scope, and Bucking the Sun is yet another original captivating family drama mixing fact with fiction.