Wild Release #403

Huck Scarry's "My First Picture Dictionary" can be found in the seat of the quarter-operated kiddie ride on the sidewalk outside the Hempfield Square Giant Eagle.

Wild Release #402

It was a lovely day for a drive, so I headed north to Cranberry, where I haven't been in many years. It's amazing how much the area has grown. I left Dean Koontz's "The Vision" at the Pittsburgh North Marriott, propped up against the wall-to-wall mirror in the ladies' room on the first floor.

Catch #53!

It seems my wish was KelleyBee's command. She found and journalled "Kitchen Privileges" and joined up as well. Thanks for playing, KelleyBee, and welcome to BookCrossing!

Wild Releases #400 & #401

Today was a day for royal releases, in a sense. Wild Release #400, Dr. Seuss's "Green Eggs and Ham," was left at the drive-thru window at Burger King in Greensburg, while Wild Release #401, "Kitchen Privileges: A Memoir," by Mary Higgins Clark, was left at King's Family Restaurant off Route 66 South in Delmont. Let the royal journalling commence.

Wild Release #399

I have been carrying this 820-page book around in the trunk of my car for months and I'm beginning to think that it was the reason for my poor gas mileage of late. "Until I Find You," by John Irving, has been set free at Unique Ink Tattoo on North Main Street in Greensburg. I left it in a BookCrossing release bag on the sidewalk-side sill of the front window around 3:30 p.m.

Wild Release #398

"The Thorn Birds," by Colleen McCullough, was released at Panera Bread in Greengate Centre today around 1:45 p.m. I left it on a table outside on the sidewalk. I hope the finder is as swept away by the story of Meggie and Father Ralph as I was when I first read it.

Wild Release #397

The window ledge outside The American Coffee Shop's back door in the alley behind the building looked a little bare, so I dressed it up with Tom Clancy's "Splinter Cell" around 1:30 p.m. Perhaps someone who is making their way from the Courthouse to the parking lot will find and journal it soon.

Wild Release #396

Today is Stephen King's 61st birthday, so I decided to take part in The Stephen King Release Challenge 2008, hosted by German BCer, Wyando. The challenge was pretty simple: wild release one Stephen King book anytime on September 21, 2008, local time. I made mine a themed release by leaving "Cujo" at Shaggy Dog Grooming on Highland Avenue in Greensburg.

Wild Release #395

Today is Nephew No. 1's 14th birthday and I stopped at the East Pittsburgh Street Shop 'n Save on the way to his party so I could get some finishing touches for his gift. He is a young man who loves to be in the woods, so in his honor, I released "Brian's Hunt," by Gary Paulsen, on the railing outside the front door.

Catch #52!

John Sandford's "Rules of Prey" checked in today, about five weeks after being released. New member TSOBarry has embraced the BookCrossing mission by reading and releasing his first find: "Found book on top of gas pump at Convenience store. After reading book, left it on tram that transports people to and from Landside terminal and Airside terminal at Pittsburgh International Airport." Thanks for joining and journalling, TSOBarry, and for helping this book along on its journey!

Wild Release #394

"Mum's the Word: A Flower Shop Mystery," by Kate Collins, has been waiting patiently for the perfect place to be temporarily transplanted and today its patience paid off. I left it with a lovely display of fall mums on the sidewalk outside Johnston the Florist on South Main Street in Downtown Greensburg.

Wild Release #393

I was waiting in what seemed like a very long line at the Burger King drive-thru in my quest for yet another Neopets Kids Meal toy, so I decided to leave a gift for one of the people waiting in line behind me. I put "The Trumpet of the Swan," by E.B. White, on the first drive-thru window they don't seem to use anymore.

Wild Release #392

"The Mouse and the Motorcycle," by Beverly Cleary, parked itself at Arby's this afternoon, on the ledge outside the front door. It was there when I went in, but had pulled out by the time I left. Happy travels!

Wild Release #391

I went to Lynch Field in Greensburg at lunchtime to indulge in some fresh air and sunshine. I also indulged in my passion for releasing books, leaving "The Glow-in-the-Dark Night Sky Book," by Clint Hatchett, leaned up against milepost 0 of the Five Star Trail.

Wild Release #390

After a full day of painting (we're finally done!), I stopped at Shop 'n Save on East Pittsburgh Street in Greensburg to pick up some snacks and leave Judy Blume's "Blubber" on a bench in the entryway.

Wild Release #389

More painting is in store for me this evening, so I stopped at Burger King for fortification (and a Kids Meal Neopets toy). On my way inside, I left Jean Craighead George's "The Talking Earth" on the shelf underneath the pay phone in the vestibule.

Wild Release #388

It was time for an oil change today, so I headed to Jiffy Lube in Greensburg with two books in hand--one to read, and one to leave. You can find "Confessions of a Shopaholic," by Sophie Kinsella, on one of the tables in the waiting room.

Catches #50 & #51!

Today gave me goosebumps with not one, but two catches of R.L. Stine Goosebumps books that were released weeks apart in different locations. Quite an eerie coincidence, if you ask me. "Deep Trouble," which I released yesterday at Jioio's in Greensburg, was journalled by new member Kiannah, and "Phantom of the Auditorium," which I released about three weeks ago at the Greensburg Garden & Civic Center, was journalled by an AnonymousFinder. Thanks for finding the books and checking in with them, and welcome to BookCrossing!

Wild Release #387

Sister No. 6 needed help painting her living room, so she bribed me with the promise of Jioio's pizza. What she didn't tell me was that *I* would have to pick it up. Being the nice sister that I am, I did her bidding, and while I was there, I left the Goosebumps classic, "Deep Trouble," by R.L. Stine, on the window ledge outside the front door.

Catch #49!

New member heavymoon will know how to cook up trouble now that they have caught "Cooking Up Trouble," by Perdita Finn. The journal entry came in more than three months after I released the book at Mark C's Diner in Greensburg for an SSM mission. Congrats on the catch, heavymoon, and welcome to BookCrossing!

Wild Releases #385 & #386

It was Chick-fil-a for lunch again today, and once again, I left a book on the ledge outside the front door: "The Bungalow Mystery," by Carolyn Keene. If you happen to go there to indulge in their nuggets, DO try the Chick-fil-a sauce. It's a mixture of honey mustard and barbeque and it's delicious. After lunch, in the course of running some errands around town, I managed to leave "Thumbelina," by Hans Christian Andersen, on the window ledge outside Just Miniature Scale on South Pennsylvania Avenue in Greensburg. Just Miniature Scale sells miniatures and doll houses--the perfect place for Thumbelina to find a new home, if I do say so myself!

RABCK #121

I always feel better when I send books I have received from other generous BookCrossing members on a new leg of their journey. Such was the case with "The Jane Austen Book Club," by Karen Joy Fowler, which I received from Lizanne in Madison, N.J. It is now on its way to elle311 in Suffolk, Va., as a RABCK, and the movie of the book is now on my to-be-seen-when-I'm-not-reading list. Enjoy!

Wild Release #384

One of the things that Eat 'n Park, our local diner chain, is known for is their pies. They have a delicious strawberry pie, coconut cream pie, and lemon meringue pie, but until today they did not have a ginger pie. In a homonymnally themed release, I left "Ginger Pye," by Eleanor Estes, on the counter next to the delicious yummy pies around 8:30 a.m.

Wild Release #383

I was running near empty again, so I stopped at Sheetz in Greensburg to check my tire pressure and fill up the tank. I left "The Murder Artist," by John Case, on top of pump number 10 for my first wild release of the month.