Questions Answered and Two Book Recommendations

Thanks to all for the positives on our backyard re-do thus far. It's a lot of work, with years still ahead of us until we're finally done, but it's coming together. Sunday's sod project was essential. I've had a couple of questions that I'll try to answer. 

We're trying to avoid erosion like this in a rainstorm. We're
part of a larger watershed district and need to keep our
property intact during high waterflow times. 

The creek - I'll try to get a photo or two tomorrow, but the creek is actually quite a bit lower than the top of our yard. At least MOST of the time. When we get a real dousing thunderstorm, the creek acts as the water cache for the rain for the entire neighborhood. It flows between Oasis Pond, less than a mile to our south, and a larger lake forming the northern boundary of the Christian university located directly to our north. It's part of the watershed, and during a big rain, the water level can easily rise 10 feet or more in a matter of minutes. Scary! Our tree-filled lower banks and the work we're doing on the sculpted banks now are what will keep my house flood-free from the east. We can still have problems from other directions, but we've shored up our defenses against water from the creek. 

Snapping turtles are common in our area. They live along
the creek on our eastern border. 

The turtles - that's another photo I'll try to get later on this week. The "nest" itself is non-descript. If DH hadn't seen the turtle bury the eggs, we would have no idea where it was. Snappers bury their eggs and then leave - not warm and fuzzy parenting. The eggs usually hatch in early August and the little turtles are on their own. We've rescued baby turtles before, and I suspect if we see them we'll try to take them to a safer place again. The road to our north is very busy and we don't want flattened snapping turtles on the pavement. 

This book is lovely - beautiful, with sad and happy
parts and wonderful characters. 

I have two book recommendations for you today. Some wonderful authors. First is "The Inexplicable Logic of My Life" by Benjamin Alire Sanchez. I first found his work in a wonderful book called "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe", a coming of age story set within a Mexican-American framework. It resonated with my heart. "The Inexplicable Logic of My Life" was the second book I've read by this author and it's gentle loving characters and the cadences of language and life brought me back to the Southwestern US, a place I've loved for most of my life. I highly recommend either of the two books, but "Inexplicable" is the one I finished earlier this week. 

I adore TJ's books, and have been looking forward
to this release for a LONG time. Happy me! 

Also, today is the release day for the second book in TJ Klune's Green Creek saga. If you loved "Wolfsong", you'll love "Ravensong". I've been on pins and needles waiting for "Ravensong" to be released - have had it sitting in my cart as a pre-release for a week now. TJ Klune is a young author whose work I've followed for years. I'm not fond of 'shifter' novels, but "Wolfsong" pulled me in and it was wonderful. I've been reading excerpts from "Ravensong" when he's released teasers and it's going to be magnificent. Remember this author - he's got two $100,000 contracts for books coming in the next few years and there are talks of movies based on some of his work. He's been one of my Top Ten Authors for several years now and I'm keeping that status for him. I can hardly wait to finish my current book so that I can dive back into Green Creek. 

So there you have it - Le Tour is over, projects are ongoing, and July is coming to an end. It sounds like a wonderful time to pick up a book and spend some time reading, doesn't it? Happy Tuesday to all, I'll be back tomorrow.