Wednesday, October 28, 2020

Sunrise and Satan


When I stepped out the front door yesterday, this is the sunrise that greeted me, over the rooftops of the houses across the street. It lasted only a few minutes and then the sun rose above the cloud cover, restoring the sky to a flat gray. It pays to be fast with the ol' camera.

I started another Newbery book yesterday, "Strawberry Girl" by Lois Lenski. To my surprise, the story takes place in Polk County, Florida, in the early 1900s. I used to live and work in Polk County, so I'm getting a kick out of it already! I'm surprised I never heard of this book growing up, though it was published in 1945 so it was well before my time.

Otherwise, life goes on as usual around here. I'm having very busy days in the library, keeping up with all the book orders from kids. It's good to see they're still reading, never mind the pandemic! We also weeded about 12 boxes of nonfiction during the parent-teacher conference days last week, so I've been boxing all that stuff up for donation to charity.


One of the books I've considered deleting is about witches -- a huge tome that covers Wiccans, paganism and even satanism. It hasn't been checked out in about nine years, and it's much bigger than the average kid's backpack. I'm wrestling with whether we really need a gigantic book on satanism. What would the average parent do if their kid brought that home?! I don't want to be censorious, but then again, no one's checking it out anyway.

We wind up with some very weird stuff in the library. Years ago a colleague found a book on our shelves called "Light Up and Live," which is basically about how to smoke safely. (I can write that book in two words: IT'S IMPOSSIBLE.) We weeded it but I saved it just because it's so bizarre.

I think we obtained some of those peculiar books through donations, which we used to accept much more readily than we do now. These days we decline most donations, preferring to build our collection more deliberately.

Anyway, now it's time to walk the dog and, if we're lucky, see another sunrise.

29 comments:

Yorkshire Pudding said...

Fast with the ol' camera? I guess there's a gunslinger in every American fellow. Trouble is there isn't much duelling with pistols in the mean streets of West Hampstead. I picture you strolling off to work in a cowboy hat with chewing tobacco in your mouth, your leather chaps flapping in the October breeze and your smartphone in your holster.

Anonymous said...

It is a beautiful soft sunrise. Light Up and Live sounds like a good read and I am pleased you kept it. No doubt it was written back in the days when your doctor would have his own ashtray overflowing with cigarette butts on his desk and cigarettes offered to patients would be tax deductible, that is a business expense, and suggested smoking to calm your nerves, lose weight or if you were asthmatic, menthol cigarettes to clear your throat and lungs.

Debby said...

I'd be interested in learning the year that the book was written. I have a hunch it was written in the 50s or early 60's. However it is interesting to note that Mike Pence wrote an op ed article 19 years ago that began "Despite the hysteria from the political class and the media, smoking doesn't kill." 2001. Which is, ironically, the same year that my father's unfiltered Camels habit killed him.

Moving with Mitchell said...

Oh, when I saw the word Satan, I thought this was going to be about that jerk in the White House. That sunrise is gorgeous. It's amazing how quickly you have to grab those shots. Sometimes, I'll see a spectacular sunrise from bed. By the time, I get my camera from my office, it's completely changed. I've taken lately to sleeping with my camera on the night table.

Ms. Moon said...

I think I have a copy of "Strawberry Girl" but I've never read it. And I love Lois Lensky! I need to rectify that.

Sharon said...

Wow, very impressive sunrise. The sky lit up beautifully. "Light Up and Live"...that's a good one.

The Bug said...

I will use as an excuse the fact that I basically live in a holler, but really we all know that I will never be up (willingly) in time to see a sunrise. Ha! That one is just lovely though.

gz said...

Blink and you miss it!
I like reading Ian Rankin's books as I can visualise what is happening in places I have been to. It adds something extra to reading a story when you know the location.

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful sunrise. I'm so glad you are fast with the camera.

Linda Sue said...

The witches and satanism book sounds like a true treasure! Inspirational. So lucky that you awoke to that amazing sunrise- holy cow!! The colors are fantastic, it looks like a painting, I love it!
Where we grew up never leaves us, does it? It is who we are in our core.

Edna B said...

What a beautiful sunrise sky. As for the books, it's always difficult to choose which books to get rid of. You have a wonderful day, hugs, Edna B.

37paddington said...

Stunning sunrise photo!

ellen abbott said...

the sky and the leaf match.

libraries don't really want people's old books. our library here has a used book store in the lobby for books that get donated that they don't want and are in good condition.

Catalyst said...

Beautiful sunrise shot. Good work!

Steve Reed said...

Quickest shot in the West! (Hampstead, that is.)

Steve Reed said...

Well, we didn't really keep it. It's no longer in the library collection or catalogue. It's just sitting on my desk as a curiosity! (It's mostly about taking vitamins to counteract the harmful effects of tobacco, which I'm 99 percent sure doesn't work.)

Steve Reed said...

It was written in 1989, surprisingly! It seems to blame tobacco companies for putting toxins into cigarettes and advocates nutritional methods to counteract them. My father smoked Larks, and they killed him too.

Steve Reed said...

I was definitely drawing a subconscious parallel with our current White House occupant. It pays to keep the camera close at hand!

Steve Reed said...

Yeah, you should read it! I'm getting a kick out of it.

Steve Reed said...

I'm pretty sure no one who read that book lit up and still lived.

Steve Reed said...

The sunrise here comes late enough that I've been up an hour or two by then. Of course, we get up ridiculously early in order to get to school.

Steve Reed said...

Ian Rankin's books are always enjoyable! I've only been to Edinburgh once but I'm just familiar enough with it to be able to picture his settings.

Steve Reed said...

I'm shooting more and more with the phone, which is just so darn convenient even if the pics aren't quite as good as those from the big camera.

Steve Reed said...

LOL -- I'm not sure if it's inspirational or what but it's gone now. And yes, it's true, I will always be a Floridian no matter where I go.

Steve Reed said...

It IS difficult. I wish we could just keep everything but there's not enough space!

Steve Reed said...

:)

Steve Reed said...

They do! That's why I blogged them together. These golden colors really are omnipresent at this time of year.

Books used to be much rarer and comparatively more expensive than they are now. And yeah, donations are actually something of an imposition these days. (Sad to say.)

Steve Reed said...

Thank you!

Debby said...

That is amazing. 1989. I guess we were denying science even then.