November 2, 2024

Say Nothing



Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe
Nonfiction
Narrated by Matthew Blaney
2019
Finished on October 28, 2024
Rating: 3/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

In December 1972, Jean McConville, a thirty-eight-year-old mother of ten, was dragged from her Belfast home by masked intruders, her children clinging to her legs. They never saw her again. Her abduction was one of the most notorious episodes of the vicious conflict known as The Troubles. Everyone in the neighborhood knew the I.R.A. was responsible. But in a climate of fear and paranoia, no one would speak of it. In 2003, five years after an accord brought an uneasy peace to Northern Ireland, a set of human bones was discovered on a beach. McConville's children knew it was their mother when they were told a blue safety pin was attached to the dress--with so many kids, she had always kept it handy for diapers or ripped clothes.

Patrick Radden Keefe's mesmerizing book on the bitter conflict in Northern Ireland and its aftermath uses the McConville case as a starting point for the tale of a society wracked by a violent guerrilla war, a war whose consequences have never been reckoned with. The brutal violence seared not only people like the McConville children, but also I.R.A. members embittered by a peace that fell far short of the goal of a united Ireland, and left them wondering whether the killings they committed were not justified acts of war, but simple murders.

Patrick Radden Keefe writes an intricate narrative about a notorious killing in Northern Ireland and its devastating repercussions.

I've been meaning to read Say Nothing since I first heard about it after its publication in 2018. Two friends recommended the book, but it wasn't until I learned that Hulu had adapted Keefe's book that I decided to try it on audio. Matthew Blaney's exceptional narration (and lovely Irish accent) should have held my attention, but this is a book that needs to be read in print, perhaps with a yellow highlighter in hand. I wound up listening at 1.50 speed (my usual is 1.0, but that was far too slow for this book), but it still felt excessively long. I lost track of several of the people mentioned, and the chronology was difficult to keep track of as I listened. I was expecting a more detailed story about Jean McConville's abduction (and ultimate execution) rather than an excruciatingly detailed account of the Troubles and the Price sisters' hunger strikes. I went into the book with very little knowledge of the Troubles, although I have vague memories of news reports of various bombings in Ireland. I was surprised to see (while looking up a list of "notable" bombings on Wikipedia) that there were at least 10,000 bomb attacks from 1968 to 1988, and there were additional attacks up until 2001.

Despite my lackluster response to the book, I still intend to watch the TV series. 

October 31, 2024

Golden Golf Club RV Park - Day One

Disclaimer: I am finally posting about our trip to Canada. Many of these photos were shared on Instagram & Facebook, so they may look familiar to you. Sorry for any confusion!

Canada Road Trip (Summer 2023)
June 25-27, 2023
Celista to Golden, British Columbia
Daily Mileage: 203
Site: 14
Duration: 3 nights
Cost: $53/night
Weather: Sunny and hot
Cell Coverage: 2-3 bars Verizon & 1 bar TMobile

Day One

It was a pretty warm day for our drive, but we enjoyed the beautiful scenery on Hwy 1 along Shuswap Lake. We stopped at the "Last Spike" in Craigellachie, which was interesting to learn about. The Rockies were stunning during the last hour or so of the drive. 

The RV park was a little rustic for a fancy golf club. We had electric hookups, but no water. (There was potable water at a spigot near the entrance, but we had a full tank, so it wasn't a problem.) Despite the dusty, gravel roads, our site was woodsy and peaceful. There were notices about black bears & grizzlies, but we never saw any.

We joined Lou & Shannon for drinks at White Tooth Brewing Co and had a good flight with generous pours! We were hungry, so we drove over to Riverhouse Tavern and enjoyed our dinner on the patio. It was hot in the sun, but the food was very good. Beef dip and salad for me, smash burger and salad for Rod, and a couple of refreshing Pilsners.   
















Kicking Horse River




October 28, 2024

Holly



Holly by Stephen King
Holly Gibney #3
Fiction/Thriller
2023
Finished on October 24, 2024
Rating: 4.5/5 (Excellent)

Publisher's Blurb:

Holly Gibney, one of Stephen King’s most compelling and ingeniously resourceful characters, returns in this thrilling novel to solve the gruesome truth behind multiple disappearances in a midwestern town.

“Sometimes the universe throws you a rope.” — BILL HODGES

Stephen King’s Holly marks the triumphant return of beloved King character Holly Gibney. Readers have witnessed Holly’s gradual transformation from a shy (but also brave and ethical) recluse in Mr. Mercedes to Bill Hodges’s partner in Finders Keepers to a full-fledged, smart, and occasionally tough private detective in The Outsider. In King’s new novel, Holly is on her own, and up against a pair of unimaginably depraved and brilliantly disguised adversaries.

When Penny Dahl calls the Finders Keepers detective agency hoping for help locating her missing daughter, Holly is reluctant to accept the case. Her partner, Pete, has Covid. Her (very complicated) mother has just died. And Holly is meant to be on leave. But something in Penny Dahl’s desperate voice makes it impossible for Holly to turn her down.

Mere blocks from where Bonnie Dahl disappeared live Professors Rodney and Emily Harris. They are the picture of bourgeois respectability: married octogenarians, devoted to each other, and semi-retired lifelong academics. But they are harboring an unholy secret in the basement of their well-kept, book-lined home, one that may be related to Bonnie’s disappearance. And it will prove nearly impossible to discover what they are up to: they are savvy, they are patient, and they are ruthless.

Holly must summon all her formidable talents to outthink and outmaneuver the shockingly twisted professors in this chilling new masterwork from Stephen King.

Fantastic! Another winner by King. Holly is less of a mystery (the reader is privy to all that is going on while Holly is trying to find out if there's a serial killer at large), and definitely not horror (at least not in the supernatural sense), so I'd categorize this one as a thriller. I couldn't put it down! Each night I would read a few chapters before falling asleep, only to wake up an hour later, eager to read more. I knocked off half a point due to the heavy-handed commentary about Covid. I don't mind revisiting the pandemic in my reading, and King doesn't shy away from opportunities to voice his opinion (which I share) about Trump and antivaxxers. However, it's a bit on the nose for over 400 pages. 

I enjoyed meeting Holly Gibney in The Outsider and If It Bleeds, and I'm looking forward to reading the Bill Hodges' trilogy (in which she first appears) that I somehow overlooked when they were first released starting back in 2014. I may even reread Holly once I've finished those three. 

I've said it more than once, but I'll say it again. Stephen King is a master storyteller. He is on my list of all-time favorite authors, and easily in the top ten. Highly recommend!

October 26, 2024

Celista Estate Winery - Celista, BC

Disclaimer: I am finally posting about our trip to Canada. Many of these photos were shared on Instagram & Facebook, so they may look familiar to you. Sorry for any confusion!

Canada Road Trip (Summer 2023)
June 24, 2023
Barriere to Celista, British Columbia
Daily Mileage: 103
Site: open field
Duration: 1 nights
Cost: Free (Harvest Host)
Weather: Overcast & rainy
Cell Coverage: 1-2 bars Verizon & TMobile

We had an uneventful drive to Celista Estate Winery, stopping for groceries in Barriere. We followed our GPS rather than Google Maps, and wound up driving through Kamloops rather than the muddy road that Lou & Shannon took. Thank goodness! Lou said it was a pretty stressful drive. Our route was about 20 minutes longer, but stress-free.

The winery was quite nice with views of the mountains and Shuswap Lake. We parked in a large, grassy field with three other RVs, but had a quiet evening. The wine tasting was surprisingly good since it was mostly white wines, something I don't typically care for. We both enjoyed the Cuvee, which was crisp and refreshing. We bought a couple of bottles of that, as well as some port. It was sunny and warm sitting on the patio, enjoying snacks and wine, but as soon as we returned to the RV, it began to rain.

We love Harvest Hosts!












At first glance, I thought she 
was looking at her cell phone!

Lou couldn't resist buying this clock!






It's a little bit off the beaten path (as are many Harvest Host locations), but we'd return!

October 24, 2024

Chinook Cove Golf & RV (Barriere, BC)

Disclaimer: I am finally posting about our trip to Canada. Many of these photos were shared on Instagram & Facebook, so they may look familiar to you. Sorry for any confusion!

Canada Road Trip (Summer 2023)
June 23, 2023
Jasper, Alberta, to Barriere, British Columbia, Canada
Daily Mileage: 240
Site: 25 (overflow lot)
Duration: 1 nights
Cost: $31/night
Weather: Overcast & rainy
Cell Coverage: 1-2 bars Verizon & TMobile

Another long day of driving, but the scenery was beautiful with lots to look at to keep from getting bored. The roads were in good shape, although we hit a lot of construction, which forced us to slow down, making for a long day. Our original reservations were at a sketchy place, and as it turned out, they had overbooked, so we had to make a new plan. We wound up at this golf course, which was also fully booked, so we had to take a site in the overflow lot. Not a terribly nice spot, but for one night we could manage. The sites in the actual RV park were nice with plenty of grass and trees, but they were fairly close together. Since we don't golf, we probably wouldn't return.

It rained most of the day, but the end of the evening the sun came out. 


Well, at least it wasn't a Walmart parking lot!







October 22, 2024

Whistlers Campground (Jasper) - Day Five

Disclaimer: I am finally posting about our trip to Canada. Many of these photos were shared on Instagram & Facebook, so they may look familiar to you. Sorry for any confusion!

Canada Road Trip (Summer 2023)
June 18-22, 2023
Lake Louise to Jasper, Alberta, Canada
Daily Mileage: 383!
Site: 59A & 59C
Duration: 4 nights
Cost: $40.75/night
Weather: Sun, rain, and snow
Cell Coverage: 1-2 bars Verizon & TMobile (4 bars with WiBoost)

Day Five

A beautiful day! While Rod worked on his manuscript, I joined Lou & Shannon for a drive down the Icefields Parkway. We spotted one bighorn sheep, two mountain goats, a gorgeous waterfall, and walked out toward the Athabasca Glacier. If we ever go back, I'd love to take one of the snow coaches out onto the glacier.

From Wikipedia:
The Athabasca Glacier is one of the six principal 'toes' of the Columbia Icefield, located in the Canadian Rockies. The glacier currently loses depth at a rate of about 5 metres (16 feet) per year and has receded more than 1.5 km (0.93 mi) and lost over half of its volume in the past 125 years.

The glacier is approximately 6 km (3.7 mi) long, covers an area of 6 km2 (2.3 sq mi), and is measured to be between 90-300 metres (300-980 ft) thick. 

Athabasca River







Stutfield Glacier







 
Tangle Creek Falls

Athabasca Glacier & Sunwapta Lake





Those are people down there to the left of the crevasse


Back at our campsite...