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Oh my, I remember many of these from when my girls were little. What fun books. Reading is such a great time spent with youngsters. I love reading to kids, we should all do it more.

The early Disney movies were quite dark and scary. I still remember being terrified as a child by the Queen in Snow White! None of the modern Disney movies even come close in complexity.

Sounds and looks wonderful. The images look so comfortable and down to earth. Looks like my kinda place.

Hi again Sam, I read your piece on Gilgamesh with great pleasure, remembering the enthusiasm of reading a summary of it as a child. I will most certainly order a Penguin copy, and soon! Enjoyed your brief comments on the archaeology of the tablets -- how fascinating!! I never thought about the way this poem was recorded, but yes, given its origin and age, cuneiform script on tablets was the way to go!

I stayed in a youth hostel when I went to Prague, and it was great. :-) Gotta love the European youth hostels :-)

Hi Sam, I loved your quotes :-). "Die Gendanken sind frei" -- of course, with the skull cap devices that can read words (how do they do that?), it's more like "Die Gedanken sind (noch) frei," as in the video :-). People who can't speak will benefit from those, and the justice system will, too; let's hope they won't be abused.

Thanks Mira, that would be a very long detailed account, there is sooo much landscape in Scotland. It is breath taking. SY

A few years ago, one tourism minister here in Romania planted some palm trees at the beach. They didn't like our coast too much . . . Does California get more water than we do here, I wonder? I do know that parts of California are in dire need of water, actually.

Hi Mira, have fun in Scotland. Most deaths on Ben Nevis, like on any other mountain, are due to lack of preparation and lack of skills. Weather changes quickly and when you don't know how to find your way in the fog, chances are you take the wrong turn. Lack of water can impair your judgement, especially in summer, but it takes normally some days to really kill you. But sudden cold, disorientation and lack of mountaineering skills certainly can.

Speaking of RitePad, I see there's a real trend for names ending in "pad" right now :-). Thank you for your article!

Hi Sam, what a nice tribute to Scotland! :)) I loved your section on the Scottish landscape. Perhaps you'd like to write a detailed account of it someday? Interwoven with other stories as fiction, or maybe a travel piece? If so, I'd love to read it! :)

EnelleLamb, thank you, I learned the hard way and wanted to give people a heads up so they wouldn't have to. Thanks for reading and commenting.

Hi Sam, what a great article! I read it eagerly, and with vicarious pleasure. I look forward to climbing the Ben Nevis when I get to Scotland, and seeing some of the other sights you mention as well. Why do you say some people have died on the Ben Nevis though? Lack of water, perhaps?

Hmmmmm.
Next time, come onnnnn down!

What a nice change to standard bottled and canned drink! It looks fresh, healthy and original. And it also opens a lot of space for improvisation:)