V2 is a historical fiction account of a phase of the V2 missile attacks on London in 1944. The story is told from the point of view of a German scientist, Dr. Rudi Graf and a WAAC officer Kay Caton-Walsh. Graf is a ficntional character who worked on the rocket program with Wernher Von Braun over a long period of … Continue reading →
Some images from the flower gardens of the summer are shared here. Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption. We have mostly perennials and flowering shrubs and every month we have new flowers emerging. We take the time to celebrate their appearances each year. We will continue to see a few new flowers until the first killing … Continue reading →
Hudson Bay Mountain is located south of Smithers, rising high (2590 m) above the town. A ski hill is located on the shoulder of the mountain, providing good access to the trailhead to the summit. A video of the hike to the summit is now available on YouTube: There are many more Kamloops Trails videos on Youtube.
Continue reading →A Sleeping Life is the tenth book in the Inspector Wexford series of mystery novels by Ruth Rendell. She is a master of the craft of storytelling and she does not disappoint with this book. It is a police procedural format, with Wexford and his team investigating the murder of a woman in their territory. What makes this mystery different … Continue reading →
The 2021 Sparks Lake Fire burned the forests from Red Lake up over the Tranquille Plateau, then continued over the Bonaparte Plateau, including most of the trails in Bonaparte Provincial Park. Most of the trails are closed and some of the access roads can’t be used. We explored the eastern end of the black forests in September. It will be … Continue reading →
A Master of Djinn is the first book in the Dead Djinn series by Phenderson Djéli Clark. It was the winner of a number of Fantasy Awards and is the part of the Dead Djinn Series. Set in 1912, it is a world filled with magic, djinns, and various magical beings. The protagonist is Fatma el-Sha’arawi, an agent of the … Continue reading →
We can hike into the Trophy Meadows then up the ridge to the cirque below the mountain. We can then traverse over to Cwem Cwem Lake on a rough route down to Silvertip Creek and back up to the foot of Trophy One. We can also do a loop route past the lake by hiking both Trophy Mountain and Trophy … Continue reading →
Tangled Up in Blue by Bob Dylan was the first track on the 1975 album Blood on the Tracks. It was also released as a single. It is a song about relationships, but the narrative shifts to several different perspectives and refers to several different periods of his life. Dylan was influenced by an artist who was experimenting with non-linear … Continue reading →
Cirque of Tarns is a backcountry route on the north side of Raft Mountain. Details on the hike can be found on Kamloops Trails, and a new video is now available on YouTube: Click the YouTube link for more Kamloops Trails videos.
Continue reading →Ordinary Grace is story of a family living in small town in Minnesota in the summer of 1961. Forty years later, Frank Drum reminisces about the events in New Bremen when he was just 13 years-old. His father is a Methodist minister, his mother and sister are musicians, and his younger brother Jake suffers from stuttering and is ridiculed … Continue reading →
We hiked a 12.2 km loop route through the Arrowstone Hills on a hot day. Some video footage is now on YouTube: More information on this hike can be found at this link – Through the Arrowstone Hills or by going to Al Budreau’s book – Kamloops Backcountry Hikes Vol. II.
Continue reading →The trail to the summit of Yak Peak is steep and difficult, one to be careful on. The views from the top are incredible, well worth the effort. Although I have done this hike a few times, I won’t do it again. Every time I do it I swear I won’t again. It is a knee-wrecker, and a fall waiting … Continue reading →
The Girl on the Train has been a bestseller for years, and for a good reason. It is a mystery, a psychological thriller, and a story about secrets that can ruin relationships. There are three narrators, all unreliable, but most of the story is told by Rachel. She means well, but her drinking, her obsessiveness, her self-pity, and her self-destructive … Continue reading →
A celebration of peace through music:
Continue reading →Mt. Huntley stands above Azure Lake in Wells Gray Park. A trail starts at Four and a Half Mile Marine Campground and climbs to Huntley Col, a route used by anyone who wants to climb Garnet Peak. We veered left near the top onto Mt. Huntley. A video featuring the hikes is now available on YouTube: Click the YouTube link … Continue reading →
Canyonlands National Park has 4 Districts, all requiring a longer drive to get to the hiking trailheads. The closest area to Moab, Utah is Island in the Sky. Right at the Visitor’s Center area a trail strikes off from The Neck (a narrow ridge in the isthmus that is the “Island”). It winds across ridges and through gullies in a … Continue reading →
