Martin Green is a retiree/free-lance writer living in Roseville, California. In 1991, the year after he retired, he started writing articles for a weekly alternative newspaper in Sacramento, Suttertown News.. In the same year, he began free-lancing for the Neighbors section of the Sacramento Bee, contributing over 100 articles until Neighbors was discontinued in 2002.. Since 2000, Hes been writing for a monthly newspaper, the Sun Senior News, which goes to over 10,000 households in two retirement communities, Sun City Roseville (where he lives) and Sun City Lincoln Hills. He currently does two monthly features, Observations and Favorite Restaurants. This book is a collection of all, or almost all, of Martins journalistic pieces. It starts with his first story for Suttertown News, about how a water district was coping with a then years-long drought, and ends with a piece he wrote about his father for the Sun Senior News. The stories include profi les of people such as David Freeman, then head of SMUD; two notable writers in Davis, Kim Stanley Robinson and Karen Joy Fowler; a number of artists, musicians and other writers; many active senior citizens, and survivors of Pearl Harbor. They also cover places such as art galleries, restaurants, museums, coffee houses and swim and tennis clubs, and events such as the Elk Grove Strauss Festival, the Folsom rodeo and the first Saturday Night Art Walk. In addition to his journalism, Martin has had over 200 short stories published in online magazines and has so far self-published three collections of these stories (2006, 2007 and 2008) as well as a longer work, One Year in Retirement (2009) and a collection of his Observations (2010). He has been married to Beverly (a water-color artist) for 46 years, has three sons (David, Michael and Christopher), three grandsons (Mason, Morgan and Logan), one granddaughter (Stephanie) and two cats (Bun-Bun and Shandyman).

Known for their woolly charm, sure-footed strength, and a propensity to spit at you if you bother them too much, llamas have had a rich and diverse history. Since their domestication high in the Andes, they have been farmed, smuggled, sacrificed, and sometimes kept around just to be petted. They have functioned at different times as luxury commodities, literary muses, and national symbols, and they have served by turns as beasts of burden, circus performers, and even golf caddies. In this book, Helen Cowie charts the fascinating history of llamas and their close relatives, alpacas, guanacos, and vicuñas. Cowie illustrates how deeply the Incas venerated llamas and shows how the animals are still cherished in their native lands in Peru and Bolivia, remaining central to Andean culture. She also tells the story of attempts to introduce llamas and alpacas to Britain, the United States, and Australia, where they are used today for trekking, wool production, and even as therapy animals. Packed with llama drama and alpaca facts, this book will delight animal lovers, fans of natural history, and anyone who just can’t resist these inimitable animals’ off-the-charts cuteness factor.

There has never been a better time to add a few camelid comrades to your camp—and in Llamas and Alpacas, author and expert Sue Weaver shows you just how to make it happen! With color photos, advice from experienced breeders and farmers, and a comprehensive appendix on common maladies, you'll learn the ins and outs of buying and caring for these remarkable creatures—and delight in what they can do for you in returns! The Hobby Farms livestock care manuals will help both experienced and novice hobby farmers realize their own dreams of life on the farm - for pleasure and profit.