Friday, May 08, 2009

Reading Challenges, Yucatan Photos and other stuff

I’m bone tired. I did get to the gym twice this week, but work (not working out) is killing me. I don't see much of a break till after the middle of June. And it doesn’t look like I’ll get out of town for more than a day or two till July, when I’ll head west for a couple of weeks. I've got a lot to do to catch up on folk's blogs—hopefully I can do some of that this weekend!


Maggie’s 3rd Annual Southern Reading Challenge is about to begin. I have decided on the three books by southerners that I plan to read this summer. The first is David Brinkley: A Memoir. Brinkley grew up in Wilmington, North Carolina and spent his summers on Wrightsville Beach—my old stomping grounds (a few decades later). A friend lent me this book back in the fall and I really need to get it back to him. My second book is by Texas naturalist John Graves, Goodbye to a River: A Narrative. I admit, it’s hard to include a Texan in the Southern Reading challenge, but the state was a part of the Confederacy, so I'll make this allowance. Thinking of confederacies, there's a classic I've not read. My third book will be John Kennedy Toole’s comic A Confederacy of Dunces. I’ve been told by many people that this book is funny and I hope so because I may need some laughter after the next month.

I should do a non-fiction challenge this summer. In the past few months, two of my former professors have published what will probably be their life's major works. One of my former professors is now retired and just writing, the other is still teaching although he's past retirement age. Both are biographies; one on Abraham Lincoln and the other on John Calvin. These guys, whose field is history, must have picked up a course or two in marketing along the way. This year is the 200th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth and the 500th anniversary of Calvin’s birth. What great timing! Lately, when I’ve had a few minutes, I’ve been enjoying Edward Berkowitz’s, Something Happened, a history of the 70s.
Let me close with my last set of photos from the Yucatan.
Notice the Mayan dresses of these women on this village street.
A side street. Unlike other areas in this region of the world, I found the villages to be very neat and clean.
I love taking walks in the early morning hours...

A closing shot...






15 comments:

  1. Great pics. Which village is it?

    Cheers.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is my first time to visit your and I just wanted to let you know I enjoyed my visit! I look forward to reading your southern reading challenge book reviews--your books sound interesting.
    *smiles*
    Kim

    ReplyDelete
  3. Randall, I had to pull out my notebook--the first photo is from Tzucmuc. The second and third photos are from Xecompich. I think the last one is in Xcalacoop. All are in the state of Yucatan--about half way between Merida and Cancun.

    Kim, thanks for visiting and I'll be interested in reading your book reviews for the SRC.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Gosh !
    Im the new visitor of yur blog n m gonna learn a lot frm yur blogs....

    Jollies

    Escapist

    ReplyDelete
  5. Your books do sound interesting. You must do the Non-fiction 5 challenge too. You read so much of it. You fit in right!

    Loved the photographs. Liked the nnames of the villages too.

    :D

    ReplyDelete
  6. How do you get time to work out, work, take great photos, blog and read?????????

    ReplyDelete
  7. The pictures are wonderful.

    I should do the Southern reading challenge :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Your book list is incredible and of course as a broadcast journalist, I find David Brnkley a fascinating topic. Always a joy to come here and experience such richness of experiences in travel! :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. nice photos. I was glad to have you visit. I just posted some more pictures and a new picasa web album

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thanks for stopping by my blog.

    I am glad I got to visit your blog, you do have a lot of interesting pictures and happenings to share!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Neat idea for reading. I love your early morning picture. The best time of the day fore me.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Yippee! I'm so glad you are playing again, Sage! Joy's nonfiction five should be gearing up soon, too! :D

    ReplyDelete
  13. Confederacy of Dunces is very funny, but a bit tragic too. I hope you enjoy it.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love the second to last photo.

    I have over 250 posts in reader and my laptop died last night on top of everything else that is keeping me busy. I don't foresee a lot of blog reading in my future :(

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hello
    I'm originally from tzucmuc
    I am happy to know where the beauty has come from my village

    Greetings

    ReplyDelete