Date: 2012-10-13
To: Prep #10 - Kindle 22 and Counting
Miles today: 0.0

My husband gave me a Kindle for Christmas 2011 and it was a real surprise because he's not into technology very much. He knew I loved to read but I think his main impetus was to stop the growth of my library. While I enjoy the Kindle, it¢s NOT the same as holding a real book in my hands if you know what I mean but the price of books is nice and the ease of downloading is incredible.After listening to Wade Chandler, Assistant Manager of Len Foote Hike Inn talk about his thru hike of the AT and seeing his pictures during the slide show this past Valentines Day, I started reading about the Appalachian Trail. Oh, it was from his talk that I learned about trailjournals.com and having read his journal, I was hooked. I am not counting the number of journals I followed this year, but here¢s the list of the books I¢ve read since February:A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail (Official Guides to the Appalachian Trail) ¢ Bll BrysonAWOL on the Appalachian Trail ¢ David MillerBecoming Odyssa: Epic Adventures on the Appalachian Trail ¢ Jennifer Pharr Davis        Footpath My Ass!:And Other Keen Observations Made by a Middle-aged Woman Hiking the Appalachian Trail - Terry Croteau ¢BluebirdSkywalker--Close Encounters on the Appalachian trail ¢ Bill WalkerHow to Hike the A.T.: The Nitty-Gritty Details of a Long-Distance Trek ¢ Michelle RayUltralight Backpackin' Tips: 153 Amazing & Inexpensive Tips for Extremely Lightweight Camping- Mike ClellandThe Grace to Race ¢ Karin Evans and Sister Madonna BuderThe Ultimate Hiker's Gear Guide: Tools and Techniques to Hit the Trail ¢ Andrew SkurkaAppalachian Trials: The Psychological and Emotional Guide to Successfully Thru-Hiking The Appalachian Trail ¢ Zach DavisTwo Winters in a Tipi: My Search for the Soul of the Forest ¢ Mark WarrenWalking ¢ Henry David ThoreauThree Hundred Zeroes ¢ Dennis BlanchardHinds Feet on High Places ¢ Hannah HurnardMeditations of John Muir ¢ Chris HighlandWalkin' on the Happy Side of Misery ¢ J.R. TateA Walk For Sunshine- 3rd Edition: A 2,160 Mile Expedition For charity On The Appalachian Trail ¢ Jeff AltThe Things You Find on the Appalachian Trail: A Memoir of Discovery, Endurance and a Lazy Dog ¢ Kevin RunolfsonWild (From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail) ¢ Cheryl StrayedA Life Without Limits: A World Champion's Journey ¢ Chrissie WellingtonMy Own Hike: A Woman's Journey On The Appalachian Trail ¢ Nancy ShepherdHike Your Own Hike: 7 Life Lessons from Backpacking Across America (WanderLearn Series) ¢ Francis TaponI am reading #21 presently. Today I discovered something new on my Kindle but I suppose it¢s been there from the beginning. It¢s called My Clippings. I was curious about how many books I¢d read about the trail and/or trail related and saw it on my Home list. Every time I have underlined a part of a book, it has gone to My Clippings. In a real book I highlight with yellow or fold down a tiny corner of a page when I want to recall something that spoke to me. In a book it¢s easy to see the highlighter or the fold of a page. Now, I can go to My Clippings on the Kindle and find those parts but it¢s still not as easy as having a real book.From time to time in my journal you¢ll see quotes from these books. I consider the authors as friends who are sharing their wisdom and helping me to prepare for the adventure.I'll never forget Mrs. Thixtun, my first grade teacher. We sat around a phonics chart and she taught us the sounds of the alphabet while pointing to a letter on the chart. I learned to read from the Dick and Jane series of pre-primers and primers. What a gift - the ability to read.