THE BEST BOOK STORE.

The Book Barn in Niantic, Connecticut, looks like a garden when you drive up. That’s because it IS a garden, and a quaint place where book lovers hang out, trade and buy books. And, yes, there is a barn, and many other sheds and shacks and benches and…well it is different by all accounts. So follow me for an abbreviated look.

Your first stop is a buy and sell counter with the above sign. You grab a number if you have books loaded in your car. When the counter is clear of book sorting, and your number is called, you can unload your books on the counter. If you have bags full you can carry in one hand, you don’t need a number. That was us, we turned in about 30 books.

Now its time to go shopping. You have to choose from roughly 350,000 volumes, mostly paper back. I chuckle at their designations. Perhaps you like books that bite?

Or maybe chick lit? A little building I love to browse. In one mystery barn, the alphabet stopped at G and was continued on over to another barn. Despite the widespread collections, everything is pretty easy to find with good signage and able helpers.

I have no clue what Paranormal Romance is but others must. I was after books by a new for me author, Iris Johansen. I found one in the latest arrivals kiosk, right out front at the entrance. Is she mystery or adventure thriller?  Hard to tell, maybe a little of both.

I followed the garden path.

Beauty in bloom.

A gargoyle overlooks a quiet pond. A person could easily spend a quiet day here in the garden reading.

And, they make it easy to shop with children. Besides the Peanut Butter Shanty, there are rideable and pushable toys at various wide sections of walkway, wagons to sit in and places to read for kids.  A penned goat to pet and many cats.

Then there are the graveyards.

Hey, fell victim to a dangling participle. What a hoot.

And cookbook Ken whose love of food did him in. You may have to double-click the photos to read the inscriptions.

Hovering over the graveyards, two skeletons with the sign, Death By Kindle. I expect they are writer’s skeletons.

It was at the haunted book shop building that I found 14 Iris Johansen books I hadn’t read. That’s because I’ve only read one and she’s  written about 40 books. I can see I’m going to have fun for weeks for my fourteen dollars.

Many cats sleep among the shade plants, but this one would be my choice. It was a fun day. The barn has two more stores in town and between the three, they have an average total of 500,000 books. Today, we were supposed to go raspberry and blueberry picking with Jim’s grand-daughter, Jaime, but it is raining and looks to continue for the rest of the day. Iris Johansen will keep me entertained.

ANDY ROONEY AND 60 MINUTES

I’ve always loved Andy Rooney’s wry comments on the irritating things of everyday life.  Made me think we had something in common. I admired his unflinching honesty and that he stood behind his convictions whether others thought he was right or wrong.  A number of times he apologized if he felt he had  made a mistake. Not often. I gave up watching 60 Minutes some years back when they changed their time slot. And, I gave up watching television almost completely since I’ve been on the road with Jim. Don’t miss it, but I  had to watch 60 Minutes’ tribute to their uncompromising Irishman.  It was an interview of a previously aired program. I was glad I watched it.  I was surprised at how much about Rooney I didn’t know; his years with Godfrey, Reasoner, Cronkite. His original bits with 60 Minutes as a shadow character. His early career and awards.
The Seattle Post Intelligencer aired a video of Rooney’s final goodbye on 60 Minutes.  I had never seen it. I was glad I watched it, too. His final statement that goes something like this:  If you see me out to dinner, just let me eat my dinner.  Typical crusty Rooney. I heard him say that several times over the years. He didn’t like people to bother him during his private time. He never let fame go to his head.  He had substance, a great sense of humor, often serious, funny, sometimes angry, or silly; telling it like it was. Here is a link to  his last program if you missed it to:
http://www.seattlepi.com/ae/tv/tvguide/article/Andy-Rooney-Dies-at-92-2253704.php