Reginald Spittle's Blog: See my book blog, page 16

Anxiety RX: A Powerful Prescription for Healing Your Worries

Put your worrying mind aside and read Anxiety Rx by Russell Kennedy. If you are like me, you will be a changed person long before you read the last page. Kennedy is a doctor, neuroscientist, developmental psychologist and a professional stand-up comedian, but his words on these pages are no joke. I highlighted quotes that … Continue reading Anxiety RX: A Powerful Prescription for Healing Your Worries →

Lassen Volcanic National Park: Three Day Hikes

Three day hikes offer something for everyone in Lassen Volcanic National Park, located east of Redding, California. If you start from the north on Highway 89, the 1.7-mile Manzanita Lake Loop is a relaxing warmup. Head south to the other two trails: three-mile Bumpass Hell Trail and the tough, five-mile climb to Lassen Peak, 10,457 … Continue reading Lassen Volcanic National Park: Three Day Hikes →

What Happened to Ranger Randy Morgenson?

Randy Morgenson had spent 28 summers as a ranger in the wilderness of Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Parks. A passionate protector of his beloved lands, he had become perhaps the most celebrated ranger in the Sierra Nevada. He grew up in neighboring Yosemite, where his father Dana was a sought-after guide and naturalist. Photographer Ansel Adams … Continue reading What Happened to Ranger Randy Morgenson? →

Top Ten Books From My Shelf

During the past three and a half years, I have read hundreds of books; when I finish one that I want to recommend, I post a review. I have read fiction, non-fiction, children’s books, classics, and books by indie authors. It was tough to leave out some I love, but here are my Top Ten, … Continue reading Top Ten Books From My Shelf →

The John Muir Trail Calls Me Daily

It has been a bit more than a year since Sue and I set out on our greatest adventure, the John Muir Trail, which slices through the most spectacular sections of California’s Sierra Nevada. Over 243 miles, we climbed and descended 100,000 feet, mostly in wilderness. The hardest physical challenge of my life, it pushed … Continue reading The John Muir Trail Calls Me Daily →

Shoeless Ken Tries the JMT Again

We saw it, but couldn’t believe it. Was it from a shoe made to leave a print in the sand to resemble a human foot? Sue and I were near Garnet Lake, trekking northbound on California’s John Muir Trail in August 2021, when she spotted the print. Around the next bend, we found our answer: … Continue reading Shoeless Ken Tries the JMT Again →

Turn Off Your TV, Read Hunter S. Thompson

American politics got you down, angry, stressed? Then turn off your television set and read Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ’72. You may never go back to TV “news” after reading author Hunter S. Thompson’s unparalleled examination of the American democratic process. The book, serialized in Rolling Stone, may not make you more … Continue reading Turn Off Your TV, Read Hunter S. Thompson →

David McCullough: An Author and Historian Like No Other

Did you know that if not for the fog, George Washington and his troops may have been captured by the British in 1776? Where would that have put the future of 13 colonies? That is one of many anecdotes uncovered by David McCullough, one of America’s greatest historians and authors, in my favorite McCullough book, … Continue reading David McCullough: An Author and Historian Like No Other →

Carl Bernstein: An Improbable Beginning

You are a newsroom manager at the Washington Post, interviewing a man barely in his 20s who yearns to write news stories for your paper. The nervous youth fidgets as you review his background. College dropout, not just once, but several times. Started in the business as a paper boy when he was 12. Copy … Continue reading Carl Bernstein: An Improbable Beginning →

Too Old to Trek?

Sue and I take a break at the Muir Hut on the John Muir Trail in August 2021, one of six distance treks we have enjoyed, all during my 60s. For us, age has not been a major factor, except that we now have the time to do lengthier trips. Check out what these guys … Continue reading Too Old to Trek? →