reading

Power of the bookmark
And why you still need one

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Remember the days …

When a bookmark was a good present?

Cowboy talks bookmarks

Well, how else were you going to remember where you left of reading. Sure, you could use a scrap piece of paper, or alternatively dog ear a page, or even try to remember the page you last left off, but none of those had the style points of a good old fashioned bookmark — especially the ones with a tassel on the end. Today, bookmarks are pretty rare. And if you read from your phone or another digital device, really what’s the point. My solution: I highly recommend picking up a “paper and ink” copy of your favorite book (i.e. think of “paper and ink” as the “bricks and mortar” equivalent of a digital book), find a comfortable chair and settle down under a good reading light and just dive into a book. And no you won’t get it done in one sitting. That’s why you’ll need a good bookmark.

Hiking out of the canyon
Destination: Campfire Talk

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Have you ever had …

An ambitious plan in mind?

This story features several “campfire breaks”

That’s the case with these two hikers. Their goal: To hike out of the canyon in time to make it to the top of the rim before dark, and most of all to make it in time for a ranger-led “campfire talk.” Will they make it? Answer: The only way to find out is to watch the short playlist of videos. And just so you’re aware, the story is broken up — not with commercial breaks — but with a series of “campfire breaks.”

More about campfire breaks: They were invented right here in Campfire Park. Their purpose? Commercial breaks sell a product, and often break the spell of the main program. Campfire breaks are meant to give you a break, and feather in some new ideas, but also give you a break from the main story line.

Hope you enjoy and thanks for stopping by!

Proper illumination
The ideal lighting for reading a book

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Any well respecting reader knows:

You need a good lamp to probably read a book.

Cowboy talks “proper illumination”

My choice is a standing lamp with an articulated arm. This allows me to get the light in the exact spot that I need it to clearly see from my paperback book. Now, I know there are a lot of fancy and new fangled devices that provide the backlighting so you can read any old where, even in the middle of the dark. My issue with that is this: Some books require the good old-fashioned paper version to properly digest, and get lost within. Case in point are the Campfire Trilogy of books written by Robert V. Sobczak and Rudi Heinrich. Yes, I could read these books on my phone, or some other digital device, it isn’t until I completely unplug and soak them up in the soft lamp light that they truly transport me to the adventure of the story flow.

Now don’t get me wrong: I’m not a Luddite. But I also equally know that sometimes the paperback is the absolute way to go. Yes, technology is great, but let’s not lose our connections to “unplugged” books.

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