Shinumo Falls

A sharp turn brings me to Willie’s Necktie Rapids (100mi/160km) and its interesting story. Back in 1950, Willie Taylor’s motorized boat got pinned against the rapid’s wall, tossing him in the river. His buddies threw him a line that unfortunately wrapped around his neck. Focused on reeling him in, they pulled on the line around his neck cutting off his air supply. Luckily once pulled into the boat and his ‘necktie’ loosened he was able to regain his breath and live to tell the tale. Dying of a heart attack on the Colorado six years later, his friends, upon his final request, buried him in a small side canyon not too far from Peter Hansbrough (see postcard 4). He and Peter are the only two Grand Canyon river-runners known to be buried in the canyon.

At the tail-end of the rapid, right in the centre of the narrow river, is a massive rock the size of an apartment. Taking a left approach, once I passed it, I nearly overlooked the smaller rock jutting out of the water. I’m sure it’s caught the occasional unsuspecting runner. The large rock was named after US President Nixon and the smaller one after his Vice President Spiro Agnew. Both men were caught in political scandals in the early 1970s and resigned their office within a year of each other.

The next lot of rapids are known as the Gem Series with names such as Agate, Sapphire, Turquoise, Emerald, Ruby and Serpentine. Although smaller than Horn, Granite, Hermit and Crystal upstream, the gem rapids can be quite tricky during low water when boulders surface creating more obstacles. River runners often scout the rapids from the shore prior to tackling them because changing river conditions such high or low water levels will also change the rapids’ intensity.

Having made it to Shinumo Creek, I took a very short hike through the narrow canyon, wading through the shallow creek until I arrived at a small waterfall with a pool below it. A wonderfully clear waterfall and warmer than the Colorado it was a great place to escape the sun and float around the pool relaxing.

PS. Experience our virtual challenges in real life - The Conqueror Adventures

The team at The Conqueror Challenges
https://www.theconqueror.events

Quality Assurance Clerk

27^th October 2016

My Dear Friends,

I take interest in your position as a “Quality Assurance Clerk” as I have a BA in Psychology and a background in Uniformed Security where my duties were to observe and report. For eighteen years I have been assessing and reporting on situations from the mundane to the inexplicable.  I understand the need to report what I see rather than to make assumptions, and I understand the fallibility of human memory and the extreme need to take adequate notes.

Moreover, I have spent four years working with the homeless who have mental issues, and I have a good understanding of the needs of mental health clients. I worked with violent cases, talked clients down from suicide, and addressed health issues like bedbugs and scabies. 

If there is a problem you’re looking for I should have no trouble finding it and addressing or reporting its nature.

Best,

Richard Leland Neal

We're Going on a Bear Hunt By Micheal Rosen and Helen Oxenbury

"We're Going on a Bear Hunt" By Micheal Rosen and Helen

Oxenbury is a similar story to other books I've read with the repetitious story about a family looking for something. The group encounters a number of obstacles that they need to move through.

This is a fun story best read in the early parts of the day to start the giggles of life.  The repetitive words will help your child read with you and the book is large enough for story time.

Who should read this book: Anyone

Books read: 181 of 5000

The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories By Dr. Seuss Book Review

The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories By Dr. Seuss is a

collection of Seuss stories that appeared in magazines. The Bippalo Seed itself is the story of greed and teaches the lesson of not wanting too much.  There are other stories to this book about not believing everything you are told, accepting what you can't change, following directions, and not bragging. 

Now, this falls into the category of the lesser known Seuss so the stories are fun but not iconic. However, Seuss's art has been successfully recovered and restored so that you would never know that these stories had to be recovered from older archives that were of less than perfect quality. 

Who should read this book? Dr. Seuss fans. 

Books read: 168 of 5000

Click, Clack, Splish, Splash : a Counting Adventure by Doreen Cronin and...

"Click, Clack, Splish, Splash: a Counting Adventure" by Doreen

Cronin and Betsy Lewin is a book that helps children learn how to count. It has a minimalist story that implies a group of farm animals are going to get into some business down by the water. 

A big thing about this book is that you need to infer much of the story because it's not spelled out so that young children can read this book on their own. That's not a bad idea at all. This book is a fine learning tool for children. If I had a child learning to count I just might get this book for them. 

Who should read this book? Children learning to count to ten. 

Books read: 165 of 5000.

Cyclops by Don Nardo and Bradley Steffens

'Monsters: Cyclops' by Don Nardo and Bradley Steffens is one of a

group of books designed to inform children about mythology, it's likely origins, and it's impact on our culture in the modern world. 

This book is well made and can stand a pounding from a child with no dust jacket and a hard cover. The art work and images are not made for the book but, like those you would find in any textbook, taken from other sources. 

The truth about Cyclops is that it has a lot of information that I didn't have going into the book. It will expand your understanding of the one eyed monsters from myth and film. 

Who should read this book? Folks who want to learn about Cyclops.

Books read: 152

'Monsters: Medusa' by Don Nardo and Bradley Steffens Book Review

'Medusa' by Don Nardo and Bradley Steffens is a book about the

mythology, screen appearance, and cultural impact of the most well known gorgon.  

Like all the books in the Monsters series this is a hard cover with no dust jacket. This book is built to suffer the wrath of playtime. 

The worst of the violence depicted in the book is the removal of Medusa's head which is depicted on the cover. Medusa may be disturbing to some children, but unless your child is very sensitive this should be a fine book to teach them about this well known monster. 

Who should read this book? Children over six

Books read: 143 of 5000

Ten Birds: Read Aloud Rhymes to Bend and Break by Jurg Amann and Helga Gebert

Ten Birds: Read Aloud Rhymes to Bend and Break by Jurg Amann

and Helga Gebert is a book that teaches children to count to ten. It revolves around, you guest it, ten birds that have nothing in common other than they hang around together. We count down as the birds get separated. 

One of the great things about this book is that it's shaped to allow parents and children to read together. The artwork is cartoonish and fun but not too fun. I really had a good time reading this books, and I think many children will do the same. 

Who should read this book: Parents and kids. 

Books read: 117 of 5000

Sorting at the Ocean (Math All Around) by Jennifer Roy and Gregory Roy

Sorting at the Ocean (Math All Around) by Jennifer Roy and

Gregory Roy is a book that gives you a basic idea of how to sort animals into categories. This is a great book for the future biologist as every biology student will need to attend a lecture on the subject but as for the laymen it's not all that great. 

It will however entertain your child with images of the see. 

Who should read this book? future biologists

Books Read: 106 of 5000

Strawberry Bullfrog: Fun with Compound Words by Laura Hambleton and Sedat Turhan

'Strawberry Bullfrog: Fun with Compound Words' by Laura

Hambleton  and Sedat Turhan is a book that gives you the basic idea of the concept of compound words. It gives you the idea that compound words are made from other words and that they may not be the some of those words.

After that, this is a book with bright colors and fun images, but not much in the way of substance. This is a great book for preschoolers with it's simple idea and direct information.

All in all, this is a good book for very young children who still have trouble reading.

Who should read this book? Preschool children 

Books Read: 103 of 5000

'The Flying Fox Warriors' by Percy Trezise and Dick Roughsey Book Review

'The Flying Fox Warriors' by Percy Trezise and Dick Roughsey is

the story of how the largest bat in the world came to be. In the world of some Australian Aborigines all creatures were once human and at some point they changed and became what they are now. 

In this book we see the creation of birds and bats as a result of tribal warfare. It should be understood from that point that this book may be too graphic for children. This is further illustrated by the bare butt warrior on the cover in the left hand corner. 

Who should read this book? People who can deal with bare butt warriors. 

Books read: 76 of 5000

'Are You a Spider?' by Judy Allen and Tudor Humphries Book Review

'Are You a Spider?' by Judy Allen and Tudor Humphries is a book that teaches children

about spiders and engages them with the question 'are you a spider'.

Well, I'm not a spider and not all spiders are really well defined in this book. Still, there is a lot of fun to be had in this book so long as your child is smart enough not to eat flies. 

Otherwise, I thought this book was nicely done and well illustrated.  

Who should read this book? Smart children 

Books read: 69 of 5000

'Gidja the Moon' By Percy Trezise and Dick Roughsey Book Review

'Gidja the Moon' By Percy Trezise and Dick Roughsey is a story of the creation of the moon from an Aboriginal tribe in Australia. In this case the moon started as a rather ill formed human who was

made fun of but had strong magic. 

Now I will have to point out the the people in this book are depicted an a slightly abstract but natural way. That is to say you've got bums and knockers in this book, and it's up to the parent to decide if that's right for their child. 

I mean, can you imagine if a six year old drew something from this book in their class? The parents would get phone calls I'm sure.

Who should read this book? The open minded. 

Books read: 58 of 5000

'Wait Until the Moon is Full' by Margaret Wise Brown and Garth Williams Book Review

'Wait Until the Moon is Full' by Margaret Wise Brown and Garth Williams is the story of a young raccoon who wants to know what the world is like at night.

I find this odd because I know that raccoons are nocturnal animals and that they should mostly know what the world is like at night. 

Still the raccoon's mother bids him to wait until the moon is full so that he can see all of what goes on at night.

This is a silly book that is meant to entertain but not be taken seriously. 

Who should read this book? People who want to have a fun read.

Books read: 52 of 5000

'The Very Fairy Princess: Here Comes the Flower Girl' by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton Book Review

'The Very Fairy Princess: Here Comes the Flower Girl' by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton is the continuation of a group of books I have no experience with, but that involve a girl who thinks of her self as a Fairy Princess. In this case she is to be the flower girl at her aunt's wedding to the Fire Chief. 

It must be admitted that this is a story that catches the wonder of youth with a girl who is clearly playing make believe. I like that aspect of the story, because we all wanted to be something we weren't as children. 

Further along, this is a story where the main character is not given everything she wants but learns to make do with what she is given. She keeps her fantasy alive even when told what to do by others.

I found this story worth reading and the art work to be fun and lighthearted. This was a fun little story. 

Who should read this book? Children and parents. 

Books Read 43 of 5000 

Give and Keep

Guts to Bite - August Strindberg

Spoils Nothing - George Santayana

Letter to a Soldier: Lost Three Guards

I had forgotten about the time we had lost three guards at once and I was working so many hours that I couldn’t tell my head from my tail.

Would I trade now for then? Yeah, the economy was better.

25^th June 2007

Dear (Soldier),

Well, we lost another guard, and another guard, and another guard. I didn’t get to know number two but the first man was a long time officer and the last was a big guy who was new. The older guard quit because they started messing with his overtime. They can’t get people and now I’m working ridiculous amounts of overtime. It seams as if they should leave well enough alone.

(The big guy) was terminated, really terminated, for scribbling on the guard shack. I’ve been working double time all week because of this. It’s worse than normal. I really hope that I get a reliable guard in the morning shift. Well, you play the hand your dealt.

(Your wife) called me the other day and we talked for two hours. We are getting on as old friends now. She is happy, or appears to be happy, with the way things are working out, and that is also good.

My writing has taken a dive this week. I’m just not feeling in much the mood for it lately. Yet the world doesn’t weight for moods. I was working on yet another short at work last night when I just felt so spent that I couldn’t go on. I propped myself up in a corner of the shack and spent most of the night in a half asleep half awake state.

My relief officer came half an hour early, but it was (the swing shift Guard). He has been in the United States for about two years and came early so that I could help him with his English. He’s a Pole. “I will never speak as you,” he keeps saying. I ended up leaving right on time and had to drop things off at the main gate, some paperwork, which my company had misplaced.

I have to say that the state of things is very discouraging. Then you have it worse then I so I shouldn’t complain. When I was at (the junior college) it seemed as if every time something came within my grasp it was pulled away. Now I wonder, having to stay late is a really big issue. I was thinking of taking three years more to get my degree yet now I just want to get out of security.

Anyway, my friend I hope all is well with you. I’m once again off to work. They haven’t told me yet, but I’m working a twelve again. At least I’m paid by the hour.

Peace and long life,

Richard Leland Neal