Review: The Seed Detective

The Seed Detective
Uncovering the Secret Histories of Remarkable Vegetables (Hardcover)
by Adam Alexander

A lovely little combination of memoir and gardening. The author delights in collecting and growing (and eating, of course) all sorts of heirloom and heritage vegetables.  So this book is the story of them, both the historical origin of the vegetable and the author's acquaintance with them.  Where they originated, how they changed over time, how he met them and what he does with them now.

I'm not an expert--although I am "layman" knowledgeable--about vegetable plant history, but I didn't find any glaring errors in his stories.  So I would rate this book as both informative and interesting. Very interesting throughout.  I enjoyed it and expect someone else would too. Go veggies!

Review: Dogged Days on the Florida Trail

by Kyle Rohrig

    
So good and grueling an adventure--I could cry!  He endures and survives the most hideous of conditions--think Florida, think swamps--mushy, buggy, wet; sticky mud and unbearable humidity.  But also think southern states and walking a trail that sometimes takes automobile roads as part of the route.  Americans, especially in the southeast IMHO, are intolerant of pedestrians taking up space on their precious highways. A few drivers will move over for pedestrians, if they can; some try to scare them by near-misses; most never even see them as they blast by.

And the dogs that people let run loose--they're the worst. I've experienced it many times myself, jsut trying to walk through a neighborhood on the sidewalk or in the street. A few dogs come up just to be friendly, but way too many are aggressive and may even bite a person passing by. I've had dogs run up and bite at my ankles while I'm jogging down a public street--it sucks.

But he endured all that and wrote an entertaining travel story about it all, plus some of his own and his dog's history that made the whole thing an absolute delight!  Loved it!

Review: Wild DFW

Wild DFW: Explore the Amazing Nature In and Around Dallas–Fort Worth    
by Amy Martin

Not really a book to read, but an excellent reference to all the places where you can go and see some cool nature.  I read it all the way through, but only because it was a library book I had to give back.  I may buy a copy for future reference.

 One section describes a small selection of the flora and fauna found in the area--that part was way too skimpy for me to enjoy.  But all the places to go and what to see--spot on. Can't wait to get out and start exploring.