Betty in the National Parks, part 4

Next on our trip, we, along with Katrina and Lucius (Roses and Champagne) visited Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP.  By this time in the vacation, I'm feeling a little worn out.  I'm mentally whining and thinking "oh great, more rocks and canyons" as we approach the park.  Boy howdy, was I wrong.  Wow!  Sheer walls.  Black rocks.  Beautiful.  There is a spot called the Painted Wall, the tallest vertical wall in Colorado. The park wayside sign there said that if the Empire State Building was placed in the bottom of the canyon, it would reach slightly more than halfway up the wall.  Lucius and Katrina are posing at Gunnison Point, which is below the visitor center on the south rim.  The roaring Gunnison River is that thin green line way, way down below.

After Black Canyon, we began to head back to Texas.  We visited the Sand Creek Massacre site, which was very moving.  My PRT and I were the only people there.  I felt it was too disrespectful to pose with a Betty  book there.  The next day we visited Bent's Old Fort, near La Junta, Colorado.  I unfortunately left Katrina and Lucius in the car!  I would have loved to pose them by the old buffalo hide press in the middle of the fort.  Then we headed on back home.

I hope you enjoyed my Betty in the National Parks photos.  I had a lot of fun with it.  This fall we are heading to Maine to visit Acadia National park and also the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick, Canada, plus other national parks along the way.  I'd love to share more pictures then!

Betty AnoninTX

Upcoming Reprise

Monday, June 11th.

The Proposal

Novella, little sister Lucy and Peggy - the R1/2DD's goddaughter.

Betty in the National Parks, part 3

After Natural Bridges National Monument, we, along with Gemma and Ross (A Gem of a Girl), made our way to Canyonlands National Park.  It is a wild, rugged place.  The park is split into four districts, and we visited the Needles area and primarily the Island in the Sky area.  Most visitors to Canyonlands go hiking and backpacking, mountain biking, or four-wheeled driving.  My PRT and I took the older, flatlander tourist tour.  In other words, we drove the scenic drives and stopped at viewpoints.  We did do the shorter, easier hikes.  Gemma and Ross are posing at the Needles Overlook.  I wish you could have seen me.  The wind was blowing SO HARD.  I'm leaning against the guard fence, being whipped by sand, facing a 1600 foot sheer drop, holding my cap on with one hand.  The other hand has a death grip on poor Gemma and Ross.

Next we made our way to Arches NP!  I cannot express to you how beautiful it is at Arches.  I loved every second of our days there. We hiked and hiked, and I feel so lucky to have seen most of the famous arches.  Gemma and Ross are posing at Landscape Arch, the longest natural arch in the world.  The opening is longer than a football field!  It is very thin and ribbonlike, and I am so glad I got to see it before nature wears it away.  Already three slabs of rock have fallen from underneath since 1991.  Delicate Arch is so beautiful too.  It's just stunning country.  We lucked out and were at Arches during the solar eclipse.  Rangers set up several viewing spots and handed out solar viewers.

After leaving Arches and Utah, we made our way into Colorado.  We spent a day at Colorado National Monument.  More rocks, more canyons, but very pretty.  We did  the rim rock drive and stopped at the viewpoints.  We did get to watch (with binoculars) rock climbers on Independence Monument, which is 450 feet tall.  Gemma and Ross posed at what I believe is Cold Shivers Point.  I didn't write it down and can't remember for sure.

The Chain of Destiny--Reprise

I love the name Susannah Lightfoot but I'm less in love with this book in totality.  I never really feel like the hero and heroine get on the same page and all the rescuing feels unexciting rather then providing dramatic peaks.  So, I'm with Betty Debbie on this one.  It's just okay.  It won't be making it into my luggage for the Epic Van Voorhees Mountain States Road Trip.

Love and lardy cakes!

Betty Keira

It's a lot easier to write a review for a book that you loathe, than it is to write about one that is just "okay". So...apologies ahead of time. I find The Chain of Destiny to be inoffensive...Suzannah can pretty much give as good as she gets (which I like)...but she really doesn't get enough material to work with.

Suzannah Lightfoot, 22 year old redhead, has a part-time job as a house guide. She shepherds tour groups around Sir William's stately home as a way of staying close to her aunt and helping the household budget (after losing both parents in a motoring accident she has been living with the aunt). Don't get too attached to the aunt - she kicks the bucket fairly early on in the story. Suzannah meets our hero while house guiding...she thinks the large stranger is lost from a tour group and thus shoos him away from the private part of the house.

Auntie is not feeling quite the thing...which worries Suzannah. The pesky inoperable brain tumor that Auntie doesn't know she has, is finally taking it's toll. Gosh, where's a brain surgeon when you need one? Staying with the local doctor, that's where. Professor Guy Bowers-Bentinck turns out to be the handsome straggling stranger from the house tour...but even his awesome brain surgeon skills are to no avail when it comes to saving Auntie. Enter Phoebe. Niece to Sir William (he of the stately home). Besides having a go for the Professor, she also takes it upon herself to evict Suzannah and give her notice as to her job. That would make Suzannah a)homeless b) jobless c) alone in the world. Yep, Phoebe's a peach. Suzannah walks out of her interview with a face like skimmed milk. The Professor sees her and That Face starts popping up in his thoughts - with increasing regularity. For some reason, he feels compelled to help her.

And thus begins Professor Bowers-Bentinck's career as a one man temp agency. A temp agency devoted to finding gainful employment for Suzannah.

Job 1: Archiver

Sorting trunks of family papers for two old ladies...zzzzz...huh? The job is ideal for her, as it comes complete with pet-friendly flatlet. Did I mention she has a cat named Horace? Yes, Suzannah is one of "those" people. A pet person. The Prof. stops by occasionally to swap compliments with Suzannah.

Him: Well, well, this is a pleasant surprise.

Her: A surprise...I don't know about it being pleasant.

Him: How outspoken of you...I should be flattered you remember me.

Her: I'd be silly if I didn't - you're vast, you must know you're good-looking; and you're here to see your aunt.

Him: Such an abundance of compliments.

Her: They're not meant to be, just facts.

Of course, this job is just temporary...as soon as the trunks are sorted and cataloged, it's time for the Prof. to find another job for her. The next one is in...wait for it...Holland!

Job 2: Keeper

Julie van Dijl is a post-surgical patient of the Professor's. After having a spot of brain surgery she doesn't need a nurse, just a keeper. Prof. B-hyphenated-B sweetens the pot by inferring that Suzannah is reliable, dependable and "what is that other virtue? - sensible?"

Him: Sorry, I put that badly...I intended nothing personal.

Her(kindly): I don't expect you did, but you should be more careful when you are talking to girls like me.

Him: Huh??

Her: I'm no beauty, I've no money, no job and the future's a bit vague; I don't want to be reminded of any of those things...It was nice of you to offer me a job, but I can't take it.

Yeah, she turns him down. There's no way she can take a job in Holland! What would become of Horace the Cat? Prof. B-B will cat-sit, that's what. The job is just about what she expects - Julie is a spoiled rich girl who expects the world to fall at her feet. Julie is not deliberately mean to Suzannah or deliberately nice. All in all, it's a job. She does have one nice day. The professor takes Suzannah on the Tour de Holland. In his great socking Bentley. He tries to get Suzannah to tell him what her future plans are...SCREECH! That's the sound of Suzannah putting on the brakes. She's just fine, thank you. She has no need of the Professor Bowers-Bentinck Employment Agency! Guy (That's what I'm going to call him, deal), drives Sue (That's what I'm going to call her. Deal again) back to England, puts her up at his house and kisses her. Huh?? Time to disappear. Editors Note: Betty Keira would like to make much more of this particular "flight". She'd like to think that Suzannah was in love at this point, which was why she couldn't accept help from Guy. I'm not sold on that theory. Suzannah doesn't show any symptoms of love...yet. We could spend hours analyzing her motives...but let's not.

Job 3: Daycare Worker

Sue finds a subsistence wage job working at a day-care center. The job comes with a basement flatlet, so Horace can come with. Meanwhile Guy is annoyed at not knowing her whereabouts. And annoyed with himself for spending too much time thinking about her. The job is hard work - especially the post-holiday days wherein she spends a good deal of the day cleaning up puke. Nice. Guy spots our girl while she's out with the tykes...he tracks her down to the daycare so as to check up on her. I'm fine, just fine. No, I'm not lonely...I have Horace to keep me company. So Guy leaves and Sue decides that she kind of likes him - he's not all bad. Time for a little drama. The daycare catches fire and girlfriend is a bona fide heroine...rescuing a toddler and his teddy bear from fiery death. And Horace. Unfortunately she is injured in the process - her hand is burned. So are all her belongings...except Horace. Guy sees her in the hospital, swears quietly, uses his brain surgeon skills to bandage her hand and takes her back to his house. Don't worry, Cobb and Mrs. Cobb are there. Mrs. Cobb helps her bathe and tucks her up for the night. Guy drugs her 1am cocoa...so she can sleep again. Mrs. Cobb is pretty sure that the Professor is sweet on Suzannah, and Mrs. Cobb likes her. Which is a good thing, since Mrs. Cobb is the person who gets to buy Sue a new wardrobe (with instructions from the professor not to buy anything brown or grey). Sue is not happy to take the clothes - but Mrs. Cobb reminds her that she owns nothing. NOTHING. Not a stitch of her clothing made it through the fire, and she certainly can't leave "mother-naked" (thank you Betty). Guy sends Sue off to his aunts while she recuperates. They're happy to have her and she's happy enough to stay for a very short while...but Sue has a problem. She'd like to be able to get a job, but she doesn't have a two penny pieces to rub together - she can't afford to ride a bus, make a phone call, buy stamps, etc....Guy stops by and the first words out of her mouth are "Would you lend me a pound?"

I'd like a round of Dawning Realizations...

Guy invites Sue to visit his ancestral birthplace with him, she doesn't care what it's like, it could be a "two-up and two-down with no mod. cons." and she'd like it if he was there. Of course it's much fancier than that - it comes complete with wood carving over the fireplace and two old donkeys in the paddock. It's too bad Sue doesn't realize that an invite like this is tantamount to a public declaration of love in Neeldom. If she'd known that, she might not have allowed herself to be taken in by the lies, wicked lies, told by Phoebe, the big Phat Liar. Even though Phoebe hasn't made much of an appearance lately, she stops by and lies like a rug. According to her, she and Guy will be getting married soon, and they'd be happy to give Sue a job working for them in some menial capacity. Which leads to (after Horace ripping Phoebe's tights):

Job 4: Nanny

Sue just has to leave...and get far, far away. Her "flight" instinct is way stronger than "fight". She jumps temp. agencies and finds a job on the community message board. Horace is parked with an old friend and Sue heads off to the wilds of Yorkshire as a fill-in nanny for a family with three kids and a mother who is describes as "airy-fairy" *snort*. Guy tracks her down, and they kiss in the drizzling rain. The end.

Verdict: Suzannah is an okay heroine...sort of the archetype of the red-headed Neels orphan. In the rare scenes that she shares with Guy they have chemistry. Early on, Sue seems almost like a scientist cocking her head to the side as she observes a petri-dish...interested, but not emotionally involved. It's cute. I think the main problem is that there are far too few pages where the protagonists get to interact. Guy is an okay hero...but more than a bit two-dimensional. We do get glimpses of his growing interest...but the glimpses are just that - glimpses. I would have liked a few full on stares. I'm going to rate this somewhere between treacle tart and mince pies. On a side note, I would like to know what, if any, significance there is to the title "The Chain of Destiny". There are several other books out there with the same name and even a short story by Bram Stoker. Plus a quote by Winston Churchill...who was quite possibly quoting some other source. Help. Anyone?

Food: croissants, kas broodje, crumpets, smoked eel on toast, roast pheasant and red cabbage, paper thin pancakes with syrup, salmon in lobster sauce, caviar, cheese souffles, steak and kidney pudding, bread and butter pudding.

Fashion: fine green wool fabric for a skirt - which she HAND SEWS, very plain silk jersey dress in pewter grey, checked cotton blouse with plain dark skirt, Julie buys a gold-tissue dress with roses (can anyone picture this looking good?), blue-grey crepe with a discreet neckline, threadbare brown coat, passable gloves and handbag.

Betty in the National Parks, part 2

After Bryce Canyon, we made our way to Capitol Reef NP with Sadie and Oliver (A Girl to Love).  What a beautiful park!  It's full of gorgeous red rocks and canyons, but it has a historical aspect too.  A Mormon settlement called Fruita was established in the 1880s.  The settlers planted fruit orchards and built a school, which is still standing, in 1896.  There are over 3,000 fruit trees still growing and producing fruit.  The National Park Service maintains the orchards now.  I started to pose Sadie and Oliver with an apple pie I bought at the Gifford Homestead, but I thought one of the rock formations would be a better photo.

Next we spent an afternoon at Natural Bridges National Monument, which has three big bridges.  We did the scenic drive and stopped at the overlooks.  We did hike down to Owachomo Bridge.  Sadie and Oliver posed at the viewpoint on the way back up.

Betty in the National Parks, Part 1

Here is the first entry for a chance to win a coveted item from The Betty Neels Collection!

This is the first of a 4 part series by Betty AnoninTX.  I plan to post one each day around noon. 

-Betty Debbie

Hello all!  This is Betty AnoninTX.  My PRT (poor retired teacher, as opposed to RDD) husband and I love national parks and monuments, and we plan our vacations around visiting the parks.  We love mountains and streams and waterfalls and snow and wildlife, such as you would find in Yellowstone.  So where did we go on this trip?  The deserts and canyons of Utah.  In 2008 Wall Arch in Arches National Park collapsed.  When I read that news release, I immediately knew we needed to go before another one was lost.  We finally made it!  Someone on the blog suggested I take Betty in the Wild photos.  Unfortunately I did not read that until *after* we left the Grand Canyon, but Betty did go there too for part of the day.  It wasn't really part of the vacation, but who could be near the Grand Canyon without at least stopping for a few hours? We had a great trip, and I hope you enjoy some of the photos.  I will say that I had a few strange looks.  I just smiled and said "it's for a book challenge" and posed anyway.

The first park Betty visited was Zion NP.  Julie and Simon (A Kiss for Julie) posed against the red rocks at the bottom of Checkerboard Mesa.  I wish I had taken them along to the Weeping Rock or to Lower Emerald Pool, for better pictures, but I forgot.  This was our second trip to Zion NP, and it is truly a stunning place.  We stayed in a cabin at Zion Lodge and loved it.

After we left Zion, we drove through Cedar Breaks National Monument.  It wasn't open for the season yet.  There was snow on the ground still, and it was extremely windy and cold.  I unfortunately left Julie and Simon in the truck when we walked to the viewpoint behind the visitor center, and they did not pose for a photo here.  Standing on a cliff, looking down at the hoodoos still covered a bit in snow, was quite amazing.

Speaking of hoodoos...  The third stop we made was Bryce Canyon NP.  I cannot express how incredibly beautiful this place is.  We stayed at the Lodge, and it was just yards to the edge of an amphitheater.  A hoodoo is a tall, skinny rock caused by erosion.  The colors range from oranges and reds to browns and white.  The amphitheaters full of the hoodoos are stunning.  Julie and Simon were as close to the edge as I dared to get because I am a big chicken.

Diamond Jubilee

Though somewhat peripheral to the world of Betty Neels, we here at The Uncrushable Jersey Dress, are raising a glass (an unspirited variety) to toast the 60 years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. 

She's a figure that reminds me of The Great Betty--they both evoke a period in which ladies got their hair 'set', carried around a handbag (How certain are we that the Queen's doesn't hold a handy pair of scissors or a pocket knife should her path cross with an abandoned dog or emergency Cesarean?), and didn't turn their lives into eternal Facebook status updates.  (Guilty!  I'm so so guilty!)

The novels of La Neels are anachronistic but, if I might steal a term from the code-monkey stylings of my Mijnheer van Voorhees, it's a feature not a bug.  So, I thought it might be interesting to take a look at how the Great Britain has marched forward (and backwards) during a reign of such consistency.  (I mean, if you find a hair style you like, just stick with it, I say.)

I popped over to The Daily Mail, known for its sober and measured assessments (ahem), and found a great (or colorful) series of articles on all things Jubilee.  As with everything connected to The Daily Mail, I'll leave you to wade gingerly through the muck...or bathe in it.  Whatever.  (Guilty! I'm so so guilty!)

Look for it...

How the United Kingdom has changed in the last 60 years


A Collection of some interesting photos (She's grinning at the Coronation!)

Queenly fashion over the years

Hours after her father's death

A Jubilee QUIZ!!


Anyway, it all makes me wonder: What would The Venerable Neels be doing right now?