I am getting back in touch with the lost art of reading during the summer holidays. I am making a conscious effort to calm and focus my mind to think more deeply about subjects. It is getting increasingly harder to do in this manic-information world of scrolling social media, listening to podcasts, bingewatching television shows, etc. It is so soothing to sink into a good book. Young people, especially young men, should be reading novels and longer works of non-fiction more. I am always surprised when I sit down with my morning coffee and reflect on what I took away from a book. I try to incorporate the ideas into my life while also being entertained. I find reading makes my life richer. That is a message schools should be passing to students. I read two more books and as always, I blog on what I learned.
Callan Wink’s “Beartooth” resonated with me because it is a story of blue-collar guys in a small town barely making ends meet. Lots of guys in the Upper Peninsula are in a similar situation to the brothers Thad and Hazen, who are the main characters in the book. Thad and Hazen are freelance lumberjacks who sell firewood to people who live near Yellowstone National Park in Montana. Thad is the older brother and takes care of his younger brother Hazen, who is a bit of a special needs person. They get mixed up with “The Scot”, a shady character who asks them to poach wildlife in the park to sell bear gall bladders and elk antlers on the black market to East Asian customers who believe in their medicinal value. The story details their misadventures doing illegal poaching in the park, which eventually leads to trouble for Hazen.
The story also struck a chord with me because when I am home in Caspian, the memory of my father is ever present. I miss him. I am beginning to play the role he did with me as an adult. I will probably have a longer time with my children as adults than the 18 or so years you get with them as they grow up. I didn’t appreciate enough the calm, wise approach he took to life as a younger man. In Beartooth, the memory of their father drives the boys to do what is right. I hope I have the same effect on Owen and Oliver.
“He said that no matter what happens between and man and a woman, it’s impossible to regret having children. He said that life can pass you by but having a family is how you make positive the passage of time, how you add resonance to your years.” Thad’s father giving him advice on finding a spouse – “Bear-Tooth” by Callan Wink
- Chinook Winds – These are warm, dry winds that hit the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains in Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado. The general wind patterns come from the west and pick up moisture over the Pacific Ocean and drop precipitation on the western slopes. On the way down the eastern slopes, they are dry and pick up heat as they descend. A good Chinook Wind can raise temperatures 10-20C in just a few hours. They are named after the Chinook indigenous tribes of the Pacific Northwest and mostly occur in winter and early spring.
- Absarokas and Beartooth mountain ranges are found in Yellowstone National Park in Montana and Wyoming.
Bill's Blog 