Saddled Up and Ridin’ the Trail

Posted on June 14, 2018 by russtowne

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With the recent release of Desperate Journeys, Desperate Journeys my book of five suspenseful, action-packed crime stories, I have now saddled up and am ridin’ the trail of writing western stories that will be included in several books of western tales by the best-selling western author Scott Harris.

I’m also about half done with my own book of western tales. I don’t have a working title for it yet but trust one will come to me. I love writing about the old west and the people in it. how they talked and how things were much simpler then. Not easier. Definitely not easier. But simpler.

Attention buyers who pre-ordered autographed copied of Desperate Journeys and Beta Readers who provided feedback regarding several of my stories: I plan to deliver your autographed copy/ies to the USPS this week. 

Thank you!

With Love,

Russ

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve been focused on writing

Posted in Action, Beta Readers, books, Suspense, Uncategorized, Westerns | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Playing a New Game in the Middle East

Posted on June 13, 2018 by russtowne

 

 

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Photo Credit: Josh Pepper via Unsplash.com

Jatta, Tel-Aviv-Yavo, Israel

A New Game

“We have all become friends.” Such sweet words, especially when the “We” are leftists, right-wingers, Orthodox Jews and Arab Muslims in the Middle East.

With Love,

Russ

Snippets:

Backgammon is an ideal game for bringing Jews and Arabs together, Djemal says. Known in both Arabic and Hebrew as shesh-besh, the game long has been a staple of Middle Eastern culture.

“So far, more than 6,000 people have come to our events, and there’s an even broader following online,” said Djemal, a 30-year-old Harvard graduate who studied behavioral economics.

“This is not a competition between enemies. We just want to come and play,” said Matan Hayat, 28, a religious school teacher in this city’s Katamon neighborhood. “Here we have leftists, right-wingers, Orthodox Jews and Arab Muslims. We have all become friends.”

Sources: JTA via Leo at Not All News is Bad

Posted in Friendship, Fun, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

A Sweet Joke

Posted on June 13, 2018 by russtowne

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Photo Credit: Pete Wright via Unsplash.com

today’sFUNNY===========================
As I left the grocery store, I noticed two little kids, maybe six or seven years old, selling candy bars in front of the store to raise money for their school band.
“I’ll buy a chocolate bar on one condition,” I said to the boys. “You eat it for me.”
I bought one and handed the candy back to one of the boys. He shook his head. “I can’t,” he said.
“Why not?”
Looking me in the eye, he responded gravely, “I’m not supposed to take candy from strangers.”
today’sThot============================
I was going to post a time-traveling joke…but you guys didn’t like it.
Source: www.mikeysFunnies.com
With Love,
Russ
Posted in Children, Humor, images, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

A Pregnant Fireman

Posted on June 11, 2018 by russtowne

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Photo Credit: Arny Mortgensen via Unsplash.com

today’sFUNNY===========================
“Give me a sentence about a public servant,” said a teacher.
The small boy wrote: “The fireman came down the ladder pregnant.”
The teacher took the lad aside to correct him: “Don’t you know what pregnant means?” she asked.
“Sure,” said the young boy confidently. “It means carrying a child.”
today’sThot============================
Isn’t the best way to save face to keep the lower part shut?
Source: www.mikeysFunnies.com
With Love,
Russ
Posted in Humor, Public Service, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

My Writer’s Lair

Posted on June 10, 2018 by russtowne

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I’ve often been curious as to where writers go when they create their worlds. In case you’ve ever wondered where I go, the above are images of my writer’s lair. You may notice the ever-present dogs and at least one of the dog beds around and under my desk, and the dining room table I prefer to use as a desk (as it doesn’t feel as confining and I can slide back and forth beneath it.) In case you’re also wondering, no, my desktop rarely looks this clear. I tidied up a bit before taking the shots. I’m a writer, so taking little poetic license is okay. ;-D!

With Love,
Russ

Posted in Uncategorized, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 25 Comments

New Hope for Desert Dwellers

Posted on June 10, 2018 by russtowne

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Photo Credit: Levi Xu via Unsplash.com

Progress continues in the goal to provide greater water supplies for desert dweller. Below are snippets from an article linked below about a unique water harvesting method from desert air.

While there are numerous methods for collecting water from the air, many require power or parts that need to be replaced; what professor Omar Yaghi has developed needs neither.

“There is nothing like this,” Yaghi explained in a Berkeley news release. “It operates at ambient temperature with ambient sunlight, and with no additional energy input you can collect water in the desert.”

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2018/06/08/this-box-sucks-pure-water-out-of-dry-desert-air/ via Leo @ Not All News is Bad

New Hope for Desert Dwellers

With Love,

Russ

 

Posted in Uncategorized, water | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

The Pack is Back!

Posted on June 9, 2018 by russtowne

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Meet the pack that has my back and keeps me company during the day:

Sadie the Black Lab

Penny the cattle dog (mostly white)

Coda (the tiny one that acts like he’s a Great Dane)

Kit (the one in the foreground)

 

The latter two are guests. All four tend to stay within arms reach of me most of the day and follow me around like furry shadows. I work “alone” but never lonely with them around.

With Love,

Russ

 

 

 

Posted in Dogs & Other Wonderful Creatures, images, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 14 Comments

A New Ride for an Inspiring Lady

Posted on June 6, 2018 by russtowne

Here’s a story that brightened my day and put a smile on my face.

“For years, Debra Davis has been a loving role model for her local high school students … So as a means of repaying Davis for her years of kindness, the students rallied together to give her a shiny new Mazda.”

A New Ride for an Inspiring Lady

Sources: Good News Network, Leo @ Not All News is Bad

With Love,

Russ

 

 

 

Posted in good news, students, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

What Caught My Eyes

Posted on June 5, 2018 by russtowne

I stepped out of an underground parking garage and saw neon-blue tree trunks and branches at Palo Alto’s Civic Center. They were clearly painted, but I don’t know why. I’ll bet some of you will.

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Proof that dragons love to read. I saw this painted on a wall asI walked to the gorgeous ornate Stanford Theatre to see two Alfred Hitchcock movies, North By Northwest and The man Who Knew Too Much. A friend and I are seeing Hitchcock double features per week for three weeks.

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We were greeted by two very curious snouts when we walked up the driveway to visit our local son Ben and his family.

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My Mom’s fairy garden. I’m blessed to have living parents at my age.

 

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As some of you know, I love sunsets and silhouettes, especially involving trees. I’m always amazed when I think how lucky I am to live in a place where I can experience redwoods and palm trees, sometimes at the same time (though this scene is only of the latter.)

With Love,

Russ

Posted in Beauty, dragons, images, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 14 Comments

I LOVE This Idea

Posted on June 1, 2018 by russtowne

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Image: Cedric Frixon via Unsplash.com

This news brought a big smile to my face and likely will do the same for you:

“You’ve probably seen the heart-wrenching photos of the damage plastic six-pack rings can do to marine life. They tangle the wings of sea birds, choke seals and warp the shells of growing sea turtles.

“A Florida brewery has a solution: six-pack rings that that can either biodegrade or serve as a snack for wildlife. After years of research and development, the rings – made of wheat and barley – are now popping up in south Florida stores.”

Source: NOLA.com The Times-Picayune via Leo @ Not All News is Bad

Great Idea

With Love,

Russ

Posted in Animals, great ideas, Oceans/Sea Shores, Science/Research/Discovery, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment