Prairies and Dales

Haven't put any books up in ages.

At night I've been reading the Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  Over the past couple of months I've finished "By the Shores of Silver Lake", "The Long Winter" and "Little Town on the Prairie".  

These books cover the Ingalls' leaving Plum Creek (Walnut Grove) and moving out to De Smet, South Dakota where they settled, and the first few years they spent there.  They arrived at the very beginning of the settlement of De Smet, and had to endure the harsh winter of 1880/81 when there were literally no supplies in the town, and no way for trains to get through.  Must have been pretty scary.  

The books are getting more and more interesting as they go along.  I'm finding it hard to stop at just one chapter before bed!

On the bus over December/January I read a couple of James Herriot's books.  Firstly "Vet in Harness", a Book Crossing book I've had for a few years, and then "If Only They Could Talk", which I started reading in about Year 11 (~1990) but never finished.  The stories in these books are quite amusing, but it was a little disappointing to read that they were more fiction than fact.  Surely some of the actual veterinary experiences must have happened, but presumably the stories around them were embellished somewhat.  But his actual practice building is now a museum and can be found in Thirsk in Yorkshire, and there is even a Darrowby Inn in the town!