Forgive me if I go on a bit here, Scott, but your posts about Burma Shave and the Scott-Shackleton expeditions were a perfect start to my Saturday. I wanted to mention, in reference to the former, a lovely book by Frank Rowsome, Jr. which has had a spot on my shelf for decades, The Verse By The Side of the Road. The story of the Burma Shave signs are delightfully retold here. As for Shackleton, my first reading of Alfred Lansing's book Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage, was turning point in this bibliophile's life. I began deep dives into everything I could find on the Antarctic and Arctic expeditions. But of all of them, Lansing's book was the one I kept returning to. And this is where this all gets personal. One year I gave a copy of the book to my father (Bob as I think you know, died last year of Covid.) I had given away my copy of Endurance, so as I was cleaning out his books, I found the copy, with the inscription "Happy Father's Day! This story is a vivid reminder that things could always be worse. Love, Curtis." That was nice to see after all this time. But there's more. Sometime after I had given him the book, he had leant it two friends, Peter Dawson and his wife Julie, inveterate travelers both, who were going on a long trip and needed books to keep him occupied during the dull stretches. On returning from his journey, he returned the book to my father, with a bookmark on the back of which was written the following by Peter's wife Julie: "This book has been fully authenticated by a voyage to the Antarctic. Peter's journey more vivid as he read about Shackleton's incredible experience! Thanks so much for loaning it to us. I also enjoyed it-vicariously-through Peter, while I took a prone position during the high seas of the Drake Passage." This is one book I'll keep forever, for multiple reasons!
Forgive me if I go on a bit here, Scott, but your posts about Burma Shave and the Scott-Shackleton expeditions were a perfect start to my Saturday. I wanted to mention, in reference to the former, a lovely book by Frank Rowsome, Jr. which has had a spot on my shelf for decades, The Verse By The Side of the Road. The story of the Burma Shave signs are delightfully retold here. As for Shackleton, my first reading of Alfred Lansing's book Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage, was turning point in this bibliophile's life. I began deep dives into everything I could find on the Antarctic and Arctic expeditions. But of all of them, Lansing's book was the one I kept returning to. And this is where this all gets personal. One year I gave a copy of the book to my father (Bob as I think you know, died last year of Covid.) I had given away my copy of Endurance, so as I was cleaning out his books, I found the copy, with the inscription "Happy Father's Day! This story is a vivid reminder that things could always be worse. Love, Curtis." That was nice to see after all this time. But there's more. Sometime after I had given him the book, he had leant it two friends, Peter Dawson and his wife Julie, inveterate travelers both, who were going on a long trip and needed books to keep him occupied during the dull stretches. On returning from his journey, he returned the book to my father, with a bookmark on the back of which was written the following by Peter's wife Julie: "This book has been fully authenticated by a voyage to the Antarctic. Peter's journey more vivid as he read about Shackleton's incredible experience! Thanks so much for loaning it to us. I also enjoyed it-vicariously-through Peter, while I took a prone position during the high seas of the Drake Passage." This is one book I'll keep forever, for multiple reasons!
Thanks again for doing what you do!