Up River at Doug's

Dinner and Acknowledgments

Our dinner on Friday was typical Doug--excellent and understated.  From the blackened salmon to the root vegetables to the Ginger Stout Cake, Doug's meal was the perfect mid-winter accompaniment to our discussion.  

Note to Doug:  You didn't mention it, but I assure you no one failed to grasp the significance of the blackened fish.  

Note to MBC: Doug's Ginger Stout Cake recipe was courtesy of now-defunct The Marrow and its celebrity chef Harold Dieterle (winner of the first season of Top Chef).  

With us for dinner was one of MBC's two Nevada exiles, George, who came from Scottsdale by way of Reno.  George, you earn bonus points for your visit and for your unfailing ability to keep up with the reading.  Good to see you again in person!

Doug's hand-carved fish. RIP Wynn!

Our Discussion of The River by Peter Heller

Written by Peter Heller (author of a prior--and very fine!--MBC selection, The Dog Stars, and fellow Outside magazine contributor with Hampton Sides, who penned our October read, Hellhound on His Trail), The River tells the story of two Dartmouth students who take the fall quarter off and head to Canada for a canoe camping trip.  During their final two weeks there, Wynn and Jack simultaneously find themselves in the path of a rapidly approaching forest fire, carry out a badly injured woman, and fight with other men on the river. The story's climax is the death of one man and its denouement the crippling guilt of another.

What does it mean when everyone (ok, everyone but Roy) thinks the story is terrific but finds fault with one detail or another?  I'll catalog the faults; you can identify their proponents:

• The writing is a bit like a poor man's Hemingway
• Heller tries too hard to showcase his own expertise on the river
• Why would Wynn and Jack leave all their provisions behind with the bad guy?
• Bah! A Texas hat doesn't symbolize evil!
• The ending was rushed (3x)
• Impulsively taking the motorized canoe wasn't believable (2x)
• Simplistic in an "upper level Young Adult" way [Which is it, Terry? It's either YA or it's not YA.]

Much like our reaction to The Dog Stars, we appreciated Heller's skill in spinning a classic adventure tale.  He populates it with good guys and bad guys, he infuses it with a palpable sense of foreboding, and he deftly builds suspense towards an inevitably violent climax.  But he also distracts his reader with a few too many stray details to make it all work seamlessly.  

  

Our Rating of The River

Our 6.8 rating doesn't do justice to the quality of our conversation or our enjoyment of Heller's novel.  With the exception of Roy, this was a story that we all found engaging and well worth the time we gave it.  (Again, much like The Dog Stars!) Interestingly, The River was the all-time favorite selection of Doug's wife's book group--an all women's group!  

Next Up: Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger

We had a very eclectic list of titles to choose from (including memoirs from Matthew McConaughey and Mike Rowe, Coelho's The Alchemist, and Mason's Bad Muslim Discount).  We opted for Krueger's Ordinary Grace, a novel about murder and its effect on a small town.

Ski Weekend 2023!

After a 4-year hiatus (thanks first to drought, then to Covid + drought), we finally made it back to Tahoe earlier this month for our annual ski weekend.  Thanks to the historic storms in December and January, there was plenty of snow. In fact, our departure on Sunday was threatened by a classic Sierra storm that dumped 6 inches overnight.  The details are in the pictures below....

John strikes a pose in new boots and skis

Larry, Doug, and I skied Northstar on Friday, and the only distressing thing about the short lift lines, perfect weather, and abundant snow was the $166 advance ticket price! The next day, Doug paired up with John at Homewood so one of them could pose for a classic lake shot. Not everyone skied, of course.  Tom persuaded Dan to drive to his cabin near Sierra City so he could instruct Dan on the finer points of snow removal.  We understand it involved Tom directing and Dan shoveling. 

No ice on the deck...easy!

While they labored, Larry and I swam laps in the outdoor pool.  Despite the snow around the deck, the blue skies and warm water made for perfect conditions.  Perfect enough to justify a trip into Truckee for a Dark Horse special (and a search for just the right blender--thanks again, Paul!).  

Sun and snow

Apart from skiing and swimming, there was the obligatory hiking.  I promised everyone an arduous snowshoe trek...and no one was game.  Instead, we avoided the knee-deep snow and stuck to groomed trails.  

Tom's lasagna never disappoints!

With plenty of calories expended during the day, our evenings were focused on food (and drink).  Tom's world famous lasagna was served our first night, followed by Paul's butternut squash soup and my baked salmon the next night.  Dan reputedly made Manhattans (none was offered to me) and, of course, the finest varietals from San Marino Cellars were poured each night.

We left Sunday morning, but only after Paul and Dan dug out a track for our vehicles. Tom showed his management skills one more time by directing me on the installation of a new wine fridge.  Thanks to all of you for a fine weekend!