A Salty Piece of Land

The foot of snow outside has me thinking about warmer climates so in the spirit of that I thought I'd write about Jimmy Buffett's A Salty Piece of Land. We all know Buffett's music but you might not know that he's also written a few books, the most recent of which is the above mentioned. Like his other books and his music, this is pure escapism. Tully Mars is a cowboy on the lam who packs up his horse, Mr. Twain, and sets out for new adventures south of the border. In his travels he is befriended by lots of interesting characters, including the one I found most interesting, Cleopatra Highbourne, a 101 year old schooner captain. If this book were a movie Katherine Hepburn would be Cleopatra. He also becomes a fishing guide, is pursued by bounty hunters, restores an old lighthouse, and falls in love. There are way too many coincidences and "in the right (or wrong) place at the right time" instances for any of this to be a bit believable, but that's what escapism is all about. This is a fun read that makes me want to head south and meet people just like the people that Tully meets. A Salty Piece of Land, by Jimmy Buffett, is available in the Norton High School Library for anyone who wants to leave the snow behind for a few hours.