Tonight - 8.30PM ..Earth Hour 2009

It just seems so little to ask, whatever your thoughts on the issues involved. You don't have to do it for the Earth, or to comment on global warming, or to raise energy awareness (although all are certainly worth consideration)--how about doing it just to be part of the global community? More at the global Earth Hour site or the U.S. Earth Hour site.

Lehane's Shutter Island - the movie

Dennis Lehane is fast becoming an author whose novels wind up as movies. First it was Mystic River (Book| Movie), then Gone Baby Gone (Book | Movie), and now, Shutter Island (Book | IMDB page). Heavy hitters have signed on, too, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Max von Sydow, and Michelle Williams, all directed by Martin Scorsese...wow. I was pretty sure as soon as I read Shutter Island that it would be picked for the big screen, since it is cinematic in setting, character and a monster twist. I just found a copy of the screenplay and look forward to reading it. The movie is due out this fall. And for the record, Lehane is four for eight--four movies from eight novels (the fourth is from a short story of his, Until Gwen, supposedly in the works).

New story published

My experimental short story, "Revised Standard Version," has been published in the Spring 2009 issue of The Northridge Review. You can get information on ordering by emailing mhd03 AT gmail DOT com. As I've mentioned before the publication is quite impressive, both in presentation and content, which includes art, drama, poetry and fiction.

Marathon #2 - Hello again Death Valley

Back on February 7 I returned to Death Valley to run the Death Valley Trail Marathon that goes through Titus Canyon. However, the canyon was closed due to snow and mudslides, so we ran Westside Road, a road not far from Furnace Creek, the entire course below sea level. What made this run fun was the starting temperature of about forty-four degrees and rain. In face, it rained for over two-thirds of the race for me, with the road getting increasingly sloppy, but I love cool weather and rain, so this was an adventure to cherish.

As we ran, though, the weather was causing increasing problems in Death Valley, which, despite being so dry, does not handle heavy rains well at all. By the time we took the shuttle bus to Furnace Creek, where our vehicles were, roads were being closed. I was two cars behind a Highway Patrol officer who shut down the road back to Stovepipe Wells, where I was staying. With more roads closing and the Furnance Creek resort sold out of rooms, it started to look like a long night. Finally, the Highway Patrol led a convoy of us back to Stovepipe Wells, driving through a water flows across the road ranging from a few inches to a foot or more, with rocks and sand--quite an adventure.