In this account of life in Australia during the extraordinary years of ‘The Great Depression’ and World War II, Mary Thorogood has depicted the extremely harsh conditions her family endured, as they struggled to put food on the table, with little or no money or regular income. This book exemplifies how love can keep families together despite such hardships. They derive pleasure from the simple things in life: wildflowers; sunsets; the antics of children and animals; storytelling at the campfire. They are Professional Fishermen; Dinkum Ausie Battlers, who strived to keep their families fed during hard times. Always short of money, they are honest, hardworking, industrious, and innovative people who persevere despite horrendous problems that are no fault of their own.

It's bad enough that PD's husband left her a childless widow at 42, but when she heads west to the Oregon coast to remake her life with a new name, a new look and a new determination to become a professional musician, things keep going wrong. Her cabin has problems. The landlord is missing. Her first gig is a disaster. And the tsunami is coming.

The history of the Tar Heel State is filled with mysterious and creepy tales. Legends say that several places in North Carolina have been visited by the devil, from the Devil's Tramping Ground near Siler City to the footprint he left in the Devil's Rock in Warren County. Learn why the Banshee of the Tar River first appeared and why her bloodcurdling screams continue to be heard. The Catsburg Ghost Train still appears on moonless nights. Sightings of Normie, the monster of Lake Norman, have been reported since the lake was created in the early 1960s. Join master storyteller Sherman Carmichael as he explores the lore of North Carolina's Piedmont.

A clueless beaver discovers the impact his actions have on others.