We’re off to Patagonia, Chile today to visit the Torres del Paine National Park. Giant mountains, rushing rivers, gorgeous lakes, pampas, glaciers, and fjords can all be found in the park. Some of the pictures are absolutely stunning and magical. There are beautiful flowers and desert plants both. You’ll also find a variety of mammals and birds, including pumas and condors.

Today in history:

• 1891 – Silent film actress Ann Little was born.

• 1895 – Actress/film producer Anita Stewart was born. And yes she was a producer during the silent era.

• 1935 – The classic board game Monopoly was invented.

• 1940 – Walt Disney’s film Pinocchio premiered. It was the company’s second full-length animated film.

On TV tonight: New episodes of NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, White Collar, and the debut of the new show The River.

Reading: Let’s see, over the weekend I read If Fried Chicken Could Fly by Paige Shelton which I loved. Can’t wait for more in this new series! Now I’m reading Starliner by David Drake.

On TV tonight: the return of Who Do You Think You Are? and new episodes of Grimm and Fringe.

Reading: Still reading Die Job which I’m enjoying.

Today in history:

• 1876 – The National Baseball League was formed.

• 1901 – Queen Victoria’s funeral was held.

• 1913 – Grand Central Terminal opened in New York City.

• 1935 – Leonarde Keeler tested the first polygraph machine.

On TV tonight: Wipeout and The Finder.

Reading: Last night I read The Clue in the Patchwork Quilt by Margaret Sutton. Tonight I’ll be starting Die Job by Lila Dare.

Today in history:

• 1893 – Thomas Edison finished construction on the first motion picture studio in West Orange, New Jersey.

• 1894 – Director/producer John Ford was born. He began directing in 1917 and ended his career in 1966.

• 1906 – Singer/actress Hildegarde was born. Yes, she used just the one name for over 70 years. Long before Cher or Madonna. And she had a lot more class.

On TV tonight: just Ghost Hunters so I’ll probably watch some recorded stuff too. I have become obsessed with the old ’70s TV show Emergency! which I’ve been watching on Netflix. But I need to watch the series finale of Chuck and a few other things.

Reading: Last night I read The Name on the Bracelet by Margaret Sutton which is the 13th book in the Judy Bolton series.

Today in history:

• 1959 – MS Hans Hedtoft, called at the time the safest ship afloat and “unsinkable” like the RMS Titanic, struck an iceberg on her maiden voyage and sank, killing all 95 aboard. Did they not learn anything from the Titanic? Don’t brag!!!

On TV tonight: a new episode of Alcatraz. Have I mentioned how much I love this show?????

Reading: Over the weekend, I began reading Napoleon’s Pyramids by William Dietrich. It’s a historical thriller about an American who joins Napoleon’s expedition to Egypt.

• Palmyra, Syria

• Baalbek, Lebanon

• Caesarea, Israel

• Jerash, Jordan

• Bosra, Syria

We’ve had two celebrity deaths the past few days. James Farentino died at age 73 on the 24th. And yesterday Robert Hegyes died at age 60. Farentino was in many shows over the years but Hegyes is best remembered for his role as Juan Epstein on Welcome Back, Kotter.

On TV tonight: tonight is the series finale of Chuck which makes me rather sad even though they’ve really taken the show as far as it could go. We also have a new episode of Fringe.

Reading: Now I’m reading Viridis by Calista Taylor. This is a steampunk romance. It’s good, so far.

Today in history:

• 1892 – Pioneer aviatrix Bessie Coleman was born. Read about her, she was made of awesome!

• 1892 – Actress Zara Cully was born. She’s best known for her role as Mother Jefferson on The Jeffersons,

• 1905 – Character actor Charles Lane was born. I’d be very surprised if you hadn’t seen him in something. He died in 2007 at age 102!

• 1905 – Singer Maria Von Trapp was born. Yes, the woman from The Sound of Music. The real woman.

• 1907 – The Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Mk III was introduced into British Military Service. It remains the second oldest military rifle still in official use.

• 1911 – Glenn H. Curtiss flew the first successful American seaplane.

• 1920 – Former Ford Motor Company executive Henry Leland started the Lincoln Motor Company which he later sold to his former employer.

On TV tonight: The Finder and Person of Interest, but I’ve lost interest in the latter. And I have a DVD I need to watch.

Reading: I’m reading a great new book called From the Ashes by Jeremy Burns. It’s an action/adventure/thriller and I’m really enjoying it. And unlike so many books these days there’s almost no cussing. I’m 300 pages into it and there have been a grand total of 3 cuss words that I recall.

But today we’re headed to London to visit The Tate which is home to the United Kingdom’s national art. Four museums make up The Tate: Tate London (aka Tate Gallery), Tate Liverpool, Tate St Ives, and Tate Modern. You can visit Tate Online to view some of the artwork found there.

There’s nothing on TV tonight except the State of the Union address. I have no desire to watch that. Especially when I have Netflix DVDs I need to watch before my account switches to streaming at the end of the week. So I’ll either be watching Agatha Christie’s Tommy & Tuppence or Murdoch Mysteries.

Reading: Been reading a steampunk novel called The Bookman by Lavie Tidhar which was good. And I’m about to start From the Ashes by Jeremy Burns.

Today in history:

• 1883 – The first electric lighting system using overhead wires, which were built by Thomas Edison, began service at Roselle, New Jersey.

• 1915 – The neon discharge tube was patented by Georges Claude for use in advertising.

• 1937 – Howard Hughes flew from Los Angeles to New York City in 7 hours, 28 minutes and 25 seconds, setting a new air record.

• 1953 – 68% of all television sets in the United States were tuned in to I Love Lucy to watch Lucy give birth to Little Ricky.

On TV tonight: Wipeout, The Finder, and Person of Interest. But I’ll be tuned in to the Barrett-Jackson collector car auction.

Reading: Still reading Dragonseye. Should finish that up tonight.