Our first much anticipated monsoon rains of the season hit the White Mountains in the last couple of days. Sunday we just got a light rain here at our house in Show Low, but yesterday the entire region received a good long soaking. We really needed it because we’ve been under Stage 2 fire restrictions ever since we got here. And the good news is that we’re supposed to get more of the same today. As the old saying goes, let it rain, let it rain, let it rain!
The rain didn’t stop Terry and I from going out yesterday afternoon. Our first stop was at Bear Wallow Antiques in Lakeside. It’s hands down the best antique mall we’ve found in the area since we moved back, with several rooms filled with anything and everything vintage that you could ever dream of. While we were there, I found something I’ve been wanting for quite some time now, a hall tree to keep all of my fedoras on. Up until now they’ve been in a closet wherever we’ve lived, and more times than not I forget to put one on when we leave the house, instead just grabbing a baseball cap. But I really do like my hats, and now hopefully I’ll remember to wear them more often.
From there we went to the post office to mail off a book order, then stopped at a combination pawn shop/gun shop/indoor shooting range called The Hub. They have a very good selection of firearms and accessories, but I didn’t find anything I absolutely had to have. That didn’t matter, it’s always fun looking.
In other news, the previous owners of our house told us about a couple of feral cats that live in the neighborhood. One of them, a shaggy black female, showed up at our door every morning begging for food. The poor thing looked like she was starving to death, and we just couldn’t stand to see her in that condition, so we started to feed her every day. Now she pretty much lives on our front porch and Terry named her Declan (pronounced deck-lin). At first she was very wary of people and if we got within ten feet or so of her she would run off. But after a few days of feeding her and talking quietly to her, slowly moving a little closer every day, she has gotten to where she will let both of us pet her, and when she sees me coming she rubs herself against my pant legs and meows. I’m not really a cat person, but I always have a soft spot for the underdog, even if the underdog is an undercat.
It’s Thursday, so it’s time for a new Free Drawing. This week’s prize is an autographed copy of Dog’s Run, my mystery set in a small Ohio town in 1951. I have almost 50 novels out, as well as 11 nonfiction books, and I have to say that Dog’s Run is my favorite. It’s a gritty tale that is loosely based upon an actual crime that took place in that part of the country when my father was a young police officer there, and I warn you in advance that there’s some rough language, but it’s appropriate to the time and place.
To enter, click on this Free Drawing link or the tab at the top of this page and enter your name (first and last) in the comments section at the bottom of that page (not this one). Only one entry per person per drawing please, and you must enter with your real name. To prevent spam or multiple entries, the names of cartoon or movie characters are not allowed. The winner will be drawn Sunday evening. Note: Due to the high shipping cost of printed books and Amazon restrictions on e-books to foreign countries, only entries with US addresses and e-mail addresses are allowed.
And finally, here’s a chuckle to start your day from the collection of funny signs we see in our travels and that our readers share with us.
Thought For The Day – If it won’t matter 5 years from now, don’t worry about it now
Nick Russell
World-Famous, New York Times Best Selling Author, and All-Around Nice Guy!