My earliest memories of growing up in rural north central Washington State were our regular trips to a wide spot in the road to meet the bookmobile. The bookmobile continued to be very important when I started going to school and it came regularly to the three-room and one-room schools I attended. Books were my windows on worlds and adventures far beyond our little communities in the mountains. I have no doubt that I would not be the person I am today without the early influence of books I read and that my mother read to me at home and as my schoolteacher.

I now live in Spokane Valley, Washington. I loved the bookmobile but I certainly rejoice in the convenience of at least weekly trips to the libraries and bookstores in the area. I frequently buy books but I more often find that the books I actually read are the books I've checked out for free from the library.

Thus, I have several books that I plan to register and release through BookCrossings, hoping that others will actually get around to reading the very fine books I never quite got to myself. I "caught" them; now it's time to set them free.