Rules Of Writing

 It pays for writers to periodically revisit the basics. One of the writing gods we worship is Elmore Leonard (1925 - 2013), author of classic novels, many of which were turned into films: Hombre with Paul Newman, Valdez is Coming with Burt Lancaster, 3:10 to Yuma with Glenn Ford, Joe Kidd with Clint Eastwood, Get Shorty with John Travolta and Gene Hackman, Out Of Sight with Jennifer Lopez and George Clooney, and two dozen others!

Leonard is widely thought of as a master of dialogue.

Every serious writer has a copy of Leonard's Rules for writing. If you are a writer and don't have it, print this out and tape it above your desk.

1 Never open a book with weather.

2 Avoid prologues. (Yes, I'm guilty!)

3 Never use a verb other than "said" to carry the dialogue.

4 Never use an adverb to modify "said."

5 Keep your exclamation points under control.

6 Never use the words Suddenly or All hell broke loose.

7 Use regional dialect sparingly.

8 Avoid detailed descriptions of characters.

9 Don't go into great detail describing places and things.

10 Try to leave out the parts that readers skip. 

11 If it sounds like writing, rewrite it.

Incredible Avalanche 40 Years Ago At Alpine Meadows And The Amazing Dog Who Saved A Woman's Life

This post is in memory of the first avalanche dog in the U.S. to save a buried person. Roberta Huber's German Shepherd Bridget found and saved 22-year-old Anna Conrad's life 40 years ago.

The recent Sierra storms have prompted thoughts about late season storms. We're so grateful for the precipitation of the last few days. While significant, it's nothing compared to what can happen.

In 1982, it started snowing at the end of March. While accounts of snow totals varied, most agree that somewhere around 11 or more feet of snow fell in four days. Despite constant avalanche control efforts throughout the duration of the storm, a massive slab avalanche swept down Alpine Meadows on March 31st. (Just northwest of Lake Tahoe.) 

The slide snapped off massive old-growth trees, took out chairlifts, crushed the three-story base lodge, and buried the parking lot 15 feet deep. The resort had been closed due to the storm and avalanche danger, and most of the people had left. But seven of those who hadn't yet gotten out were killed. One more, Anna Conrad, was nearly killed. She was buried for five days.

Many people searched for days. Five days after the slide, Huber's dog Bridget was searching when she picked up Anna's scent. The dog was excited and nervous with barely controllable energy. The dog knew what she had found: A live human.

Search workers followed Bridget's lead and dug out Anna. The young woman had eaten no food for five days and had only snow for water. The cold had taken its toll, and the woman lost one leg and the toes on the other from frostbite. But she survived thanks to Bridget.

When we first moved to Tahoe in 1990, there were very few trained avalanche rescue dogs. Now all the resorts have full-time avalanche rescue dogs on staff. Goldens, Labs, and others. They have saved multiple lives.

Moral of the story? Never underestimate what the weather (and a dog) can do.

Best Community College In California?

 A company called Niche dot com studies education opportunities across the country. Are they the best there is at this sort of activity? Maybe. Maybe not. Do their rankings matter much? Maybe. Maybe not. But let's just say we wanted to find a good community college for our kid. We might check Niche. 

If so, we'd see that Lake Tahoe Community College is rated #1 in California. And, for a time, #13 in the entire country.

Really? Not some college near Stanford or Caltech? Not some ocean idyll on the Central Coast or next to San Diego? 

Lake Tahoe Community College.

LTCC ( https://ltcc.edu ) is worth checking out. On Tahoe's South Shore in the middle of the town of South Lake Tahoe, LTCC has great facilities a great faculty and is close to everything a kid might love. (Maybe too close.) Boating, skiing, snowboarding, hiking.

Full disclosure: The above photo isn't on the LTCC campus. However it is only a mile away.

As with Sierra Nevada College on the North Shore, we are proud of our educational facilities in Tahoe. Come join us.

Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care - Saving Animals For 40 Years

 Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care https://ltwc.org/ has saved more animals (tens of thousands) than you can count. Bears and eagles and owls and porcupines and racoons and coyotes. The list is suprisingly long. If an animal is injured or orphaned, LTWC will capture it, nurse it back to health, and, hopefully, release it back into the wild.

Here's a recent story about a bobcat that they are nursing back to health.

https://www.tahoedailytribune.com/news/tahoe-wildlife-care-gives-injured-bobcat-2nd-chance/

We are very lucky to have such a dedicated group focused on the health and well being of our wildlife.

Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care is supported by donations. Please visit their website to learn more and find out how you can help: https://ltwc.org/