Kim McMahill

Bookstore, 109 N Bent St, Powell, WY The Bookworm, 8702 Pacific, Omaha, NE Hotel Terra, Teton Village, WY Teton Mountain Lodge & Spa, Teton Village, WY The Wild Burro Bookstore, Hot Springs, SD Probst Western Store, Greybull, WY Cooke City Store, Cooke City, MT For all book titles, ISBN numbers or publishers’ websites see post on May 27, 2011. Books can also be purchased at Amazon and Barnes and Nobel and Deadly Ruins is now available in Kindle and Nook formats.

I love my tiny garden. Most people would find it laughably small, but by the end of June I had enjoyed lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, peppers, a host of herbs from lemon grass to basil, rosemary, mint and chives, and enough zucchini that I was able to share with friends. I recently watched a show on Cuba. It appears things are slowly changing for the better, but during the strict days of Communism subsistence farming was prohibited. Wow – why wouldn’t a government want its people to try and feed themselves? I’ll leave that perplexing question to those who understand politics. I tend to look at things through a more logical lens, and as we all know, politics no matter what the system and logic seldom belong in the same discussion. So, for now I’ll continue to appreciate the bounty of my small garden and the freedom to grow it.

A free outdoor concert on a beautiful evening at a great venue featuring Incendio, a Latin guitar world fusion group, had the crowd dancing. The combination made for a night to remember, and made me itch to get on the road and explore.

I hope everyone had a happy and safe Fourth of July. The highlight this year for me was seeing a living history event at Fort Atkinson State Park which included a reading of the Declaration of Independence. It was a great reminder of why we celebrate the holiday.

For the last month I’ve watched the waters of the Missouri rise and the destruction has been devastating for so many. I usually love summer, but it’s difficult to feel joy in the presence of such heartbreak. Hope will rise as river levels fall, and our thoughts and prayers will remain with those affected.