La Quinta Cove

The Last Kingdom

by Bernard Cornwell

866 - 876: Osbert is 10 years old and the second son of Ealdorman Uhtred, Lord of Bebbanburg in Northumbria. Danes raid Bebbanburg and Ealdorman Uhtred’s first son, also called Uhtred, is killed and his body desecrated after he is sent out to scout the raiders. Osbert is now the oldest son of Ealdorman Uhtred and is re-baptised Uhtred. Ealdorman Uhtred seeks to avenge his son’s death. He is killed during the failed attack on Eoferwic (York) and Uhtred is captured by Earl Ragnar of the Danes during the battle. Ragnar, intrigued and amused by the boy’s attempted attack during the battle, retains him in his household. Uhtred’s uncle, Ælfric, takes Bebbanburg and the title of Ealdorman for himself although Uhtred is the rightful heir.

Uhtred describes his life among the Danes, moving to the country with Ragnar and his men, working like a slave and fighting with other boys, slaves and Danes alike. Uhtred befriends Ragnar’s son Rorik and has many clashes with one boy in particular, Sven, son of Kjartan, a shipmaster in Ragnar’s small fleet. One day, Ragnar’s daughter, Thyra, is kidnapped by Sven out in the woods, and he tries to convince her to touch him sexually. Uhtred charges Sven from hiding, taking his sword and chopping into his thigh. He then slashes at Sven’s side. Uhtred, Rorik, and Thyra make an escape back to Ragnar’s hall where they each recount the tale to Ragnar. He is offended and deeply angry. He proceeds to Kjartan, and crushes one of Sven’s eyes with the hilt of his sword.

Uhtred then goes Viking across East Anglia, and participates in the conquering of Mercia, East Anglia, and the invasion of Wessex. He is kidnapped by a priest, Beocca, a family friend. He then escapes from Wessex and joins Ragnar again.

Uhtred enjoys life with the Danes but flees after Kjartan kills Ragnar in a hall-burning. Uhtred hopes to escape the assassins of Kjartan by sending out the lie that he died. Uhtred then joins King Alfred in Wessex. There he learns to read and write, and sails with Alfred’s fleet of 12 ships against the Danes. Seeking to take command of the fleet, he gains it on the condition that he marry the orphaned Wessex girl Mildrith. After doing so, he takes part in a siege against Guthrum, and is among a group of hostages exchanged when the Danes and Saxons agree on peace. Staying with the Danes in the city over winter he meets Ragnar the younger, son of Earl Ragnar, the man who adopted him. When Guthrum breaks the peace and murders the Saxon hostages, Uhtred is saved by Ragnar’s son, and tells him of Kjartan’s betrayal. He then escapes to find his wife. She was taken by Odda the Younger, another Wessex ealdorman (earl or noble), to the north. There he fights in the battle at Cynwit, where Uhtred finds himself fighting against Ubba Lothbrokson’s Danes. The book ends with Uhtred fighting in a shield-wall and killing Ubba.

Did you know that IID will come to your home and (for FREE) conduct a review of your electrical usage?  If you haven’t arranged for the Average Payment Plan, think about it:  pay the same averaged amount all year, even though your electric bill soars in the summer.  You can predict your payments, with no surprises.  Also, use your electric bill to monitor your usage over the last year (on the graph) and look for ways to save power. 

FIRST TIP:  Get your air conditioner serviced every season.  Corrected refrigerant, cleaned coils, and sealed air leaks can save you up to $111 a year.  If your A/C is an OLD one, it probably is not  an energy-efficient model.  There’s a rebate of up to $145 if you can afford to replace it.  (Amount of the rebate depends on the size and efficiency of the unit purchased.)  The biggest saving will be your monthly payments.

 The IID website is www.iid.com.  Check out the services available, including the great “energy audit” to check out your own home. Or call 391-5951.

“Time is a River” by Mary Alice Monroe

This is a story within a story, of a survivor, Mia, who goes to a retreat in the Appalachian Mountains to gain some perspective after her battle with breast cancer.  Its aim was to teach women the art of fly-fishing, but the opportunity to bond with other cancer survivors and create a support group was implied.  The teacher was a warm and empathic woman named Belle.

When Mia returns early to her home in Charleston, she finds her husband has been unfaithful and she returns to the mountains seeking a place to hide out and regroup.  Belle allows her the use of her fishing cabin for the summer and Mia begins to rediscover some of her past interest that been set aside during her marriage, as well as continuing her new interest in fly fishing.  Before she left for the summer, Belle’s only request for the free use of the cabin had been that Mia not delve into the family scandal surrounding her grandmother.  Very soon Mia finds herself fascinated with a diary she finds in the cabin that was written by Belle’s grandmother.  Unable to keep her word to Belle, she beings to try to unravel the truth of a 70-year-old mystery, feeling great affinity with the grandmother, who is deceased.

Mia meets a man while she is fishing and forms a friendship with him around their common interest.

The story is well written and interesting on several levels; Mia’s self exploration, the mystery surrounding Belle’s grandmother and the tentative steps toward intimacy after mastectomy.  I recommend it .

Historically perfect weather: no wind, no rain, and NO HEAT.   It was a great show!   Contrats to LQAF, the community volunteers,  and all the fabulous artists.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1E1KAzkyW34&feature=channel_page

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucHKx9fJIUM

Take a look at these quick shots…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzyvzaFH3bU

Call mosquito abatement?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emsyETVtymQ

 Sunday is the last day of this year’s festival.  10-5 with beautiful weather!  Food, music, and plenty of exciting art…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mItqmW-9SuE

An ensemble of musicians from the Taiko Center of Los Angeles entertained the First Friday attendees (March 6).  Take a look at the typical large  Japanese drums and drummers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cNV21PxA8Q

“Plum Lucky” by Janet Evanovich

This is a book by Evanovich that uses the same characters as her books titled by numbers.  Her Stephanie Plum character, who is employed as a skip tracer, or bounty hunter, embarks on a series of adventures with her side-kick Lula and a new addition, a man named Diesel.  As with her other books, this one provokes some laughs at the group’s misadventures, but fails to live up to the level of quality of her previous numbered series.

I was disappointed.

Natrualist Katie Barrows discusses the red-flowering cuparosa bush on a recent Nature Walk.  (Next one on March 21)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKQATDzdtL8