Rick McBee's Writings
Explore the magic of new ideas and books to read as well as see what books I have written, my favorite photos, my opinions on may subjects, including Science, Africa, the Caribbean, the Civil War, my Book Reviews, and Much More!
The Beauty of Ice! An Alien World!
Last night we got about 1/2 inch of freezing rain here in Hood River, OR. Wow! What a dazzle to the eyeballs when the sun peaked out momentarily this AM. An alien world.
Take me to your leader! Then there were more!
Coating the roses!
Bending the Yews, plastering the Hydrangeas and the Silver Birch
Leaving the Pampas Grass shimmering! A wonderland of nature!
Can’t get out cause the roads are closed and the drive to get there like glass!
So: Dream about the Caribbean, Re-fight the Civil War, visit the sands of the Kalahari in a book! Rick’s Books on Amazon or Kindle!
Enjoy!
Let it snow…. But don’t let it rain….Oregon and California 1/9/2017
Where have all the flowers gone!
Here’s What Mt. Hood Looks like when you see it when the storms clear. Look at those wind blown snow plumes!
Here’s my house in OR after a whole month of snow/shovel/snow/shovel/sn….
Guess when I’ll use my van again? Look at those two eyes peering out over a blue nose and crooked smile!
So If you think that’s bad, look at these two sites in California that show the American River going Bonkers on flow levels!
Rover Flow on American River – Graph
and here!
What California can expect is still coming!
Let’s just stick with the snow, Oregon! OK? Stay dry and warm where ever you are folks!
GRR! BRR! Winter! Read a good book! Ghosts of Ukuthula! It will keep you warm!>))
Book review: The Sky Stone by Jack Whyte
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Author Jack Whyte has done an excellent job of portraying the Roman Empire in Britain as the end of Roman domination begins to wane and decay. The narrator, Gaius Publius Varras, writing this in the form of a memoir gives us his inside views of the decadence that ultimately brought about the downfall of the empire, as Romans turned more and more of their own border defenses over to mercenaries and locals who were not as disciplined and motivated to keep out the hoards from beyond the pale.
The story line is interesting, covering the period from around 364 through 385 A.D. and beginning with one of the first strong invasions over Hadrian’s Wall, one which caught the Romans by surprise. Varras, a first ranked Centurion under General Britannicus manages to survive the invasion. The legion fights its way back south to the London area over a period of more than a year. Reaching a fort under Roman control, they are told that they have been condemned in absentia as deserters and traitors for not reporting in. (Where were your cell phones guys?)
The narration of Varras’ adventures following his return to good graces with the Legion and his eventual marriage to General Britannicus’ sister rambles through the villages and countryside of Roman Britain and follows Varras into a new career as a smithy following a near death recuperation from a battle wound. In this capacity, Varrus becomes the renowned smith and begins a quest to find the sky stones from which his grandfather fashioned a sword and a fabulous dagger.
I loved the story and only lowered my rating because I felt that author Whyte has a tendency to become too verbose in his telling of the tales, often to the point that whole paragraphs can be skipped without losing the train of the action and story line. Additionally, I was surprised to find that the story didn’t end where I would have suspected in reading the cover and introduction, at the pulling of Excalibre out of the stone. This doesn’t diminish the ending which is unique in its anticipation of that event and introduces us to The Lady of the Lake.
Enjoy the read, you will learn a lot about Roman Britain and the legions.
Book Review: One Shot by Lee Child. Wow!
One Shot by Lee Child
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Here’s an outstanding book representing the excellence of Lee Child’s writing, plot and development of his hero, Jack Reacher. When I talk to others about this action/thriller mystery series, this is one of the titles that epitomizes the skill of a #1 best seller author!
The violence by either the villain or J.R has a purpose, and is not just thrown at you for shock value. The plot pulls you in and keeps you thinking all the way through the book, right up to the grand finale. The twists and solutions to the problems of solving a crime are logical, well thought out and spelled out within the story, such that you have to go back and reread sections to make sure you got all the detail if you are trying to figure out the plot ahead of the game.
My wife and I had great fun talking about the story after each of us had read the first fifty pages. We both figured that it was a slam dunk to send James Barr to the ‘chair’ for his sniper assassination of five persons in the heartland of Indiana. Then after we finished our separate readings, we went back to those first impressions and laughed at how wrong we were to jump to flawed conclusions based on the ‘facts’.
The book will keep you guessing through the next four hundred pages as Jack Reacher dissects the evidence and eludes the cops who have it in for him as well.
Yep, it’s a great novel. Take it on vacation, take it on the airplane, or just curl up in a corner and turn your spouse into a book widow(er) for a couple of days while you have an intense immersion experience. Then hand them the book and be prepared to take your own medicine! Discuss after the first fifty pages, but for goodness sake, don’t spoil the fun. Let them figure it our for themselves, if they can!
Lookout Mountain – Cold! But Great Views!
My buddy Dale Hill and I took a quick hike up to the top of Lookout Mountain just South of Hood River, Oregon right after a big snow storm came through Nov. 17. We slogged through a couple of feet of powder snow in the warm sun following the storm. Look at those trees behind Dale! 
BRRR! As we neared the top of Lookout Mountain, you can see from the way the ice and snow is plastered on this dead snag how the wind whipped through the Cascade Range and plastered the snow and ice right onto the trees. 
Then just below the summit we saw this perfect little spruce all decorated out in natures finery with the watershed hills of The Dalles in the background.
Finally, looking back to the West a bit higher, Mount Hood, 11,249 feet (3,429 m) looms in the distance against the stark blue of the sky. Now that’s one Gorgeous Mountain! Love it!
Want more info on Mt. Hood? See this Wiki link!
ENJOY!
Book Review: “Higher Love” by Kit Deslauriers
Higher Love: Skiing the Seven Summits by Kit DesLauriers
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I have been a mountain climber since the age of 8, in 1952 when I first went up 10,110 ft. Mt. Blackmore outside of Bozeman, Montana with my father. That introduction to the heights has stayed with me spiritually for all these years. As such, I love Kit’s descriptions of both her he athletic feats on the mountains she climbed and skied, as well as her spiritual trip, especially on Everest. What always amazes me is the ability of the extreme mountaineers to withstand the cold, hunger, altitude sickness and drain if energy for not just one or two days, but for weeks on end. Kit’s expenditures of energy, the deprivations and necessity to endure on Denali and Mt. Vinson are certainly equal to or greater than the obstacles of Everest. Her feat is simply amazing, and a real model for mountaineers of all ages for all time! The dedication of Kit’s husband Rob to her goals and project is also a model for partners in marriage who need to support one another to achieve individual and joint goals. I will read this book again to re-live the high points of her journey. A great book!
Billions of Africans – Ready to Take over the Planet!
Wow! What a story! If you’ve never seen African driver ants coming through the forest, or stepped on their warpath inadvertently in your open sandals, then you’ve got something coming! …
Source: Billions of Africans – Ready to Take over the Planet!
Billions of Africans – Ready to Take over the Planet!
Wow! What a story! If you’ve never seen African driver ants coming through the forest, or stepped on their warpath inadvertently in your open sandals, then you’ve got something coming! We used to abandon our kitchens and houses when they came through in Cameroon in the 60’s and the ball of ants two feet wide and four feet high would latch onto the side of the building and clean out everything! No rustling cockroaches for weeks after they devour everything and move on. Bring on the drummers and juju men to route them into someone else’s village! 
To Check out this Ethiopian Invader! Click here!
Holiday Gift Time – Africa Novel and Shell Book still free on a couple more dates!
Dear Friends and Followers:
African Book, African Story, African Hero – The Ghosts of Ukuthula
Below: The Author – 1967 Sasse College, Buea, W. Cameroon, taking off for Christmas ride up through Mamfe to Bamenda. Traveling light! Cover of my latest novel “The Ghosts of Ukuthula”
I hope you will take advantage of my next Amazon Kindle and PC giveaway of my new 2016 book, The Ghosts of Ukuthula. It is part of the story behind the ANC liberation movement in the 1980’s leading to the presidency of Nelson Mandela. Written as historical fiction, it illustrates the conflicts, the racial stigmas and the human side of life in southern Africa as our hero, Jacob Nkwe strives to defeat a force which had its sights on taking over The Republic of South Africa.
See inside the book at: http://www.amazon.com/Rick-McBee/e/B001K8HIXI
This book is FREE on these dates: November 26 and 28 (1AM to 12PM Pacific Standard Time). That’s the same as 8AM on those dates to 8AM the following day for those of you on GMT. It is also available on Dec. 10 in time for Christmas.
My Website for more Africa pictures: Rick’s Web – Africa Pictures
Enjoy the American Thanksgiving Holiday!
Rick McBee, Author
Interactive Snapshots of Shell Book: “Beachcomber Seashells of the Caribbean” for 19 Nov. Freebie!
This set of pictures, some of which are interactive, will give you a good view of what is inside my Kindle free book being offered for 24 hours (PST) this week on November 19, 2016. Make sure you check out: Beachcomber Seashells Freebie – 19 Nov. 2016
Cover Some Sanibel Island Shells
Beachcomber Seashells of the Caribbean has over 300 pages of photos, identifications and keys so that you can take your IPhone/Samsung (the non-explosive type)/ Laptop/etc. to the beach with you and DO IT!
Here is what it looks like! shells-caribbean-book-snapshots
Enjoy! Here are some places to look on Sanibel! Sanibel Shelling
All the best, Author, Rick McBee
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