The story of California can be told in terms of its land. Better still, it can be told in terms of men and women claiming the land. These men and women form a procession that begins in prehistory and comes down to the present moment. Heading the procession are Indians, stemming out of a mysterious past, speaking a babel of tongues, and laying claims to certain hunting, fishing, and acorn-gathering areas-possessory claims doomed to fade quickly before conquering white races. Following the brown-skinned Indians are Spanish speaking soldiers, settlers, and missionaries who, in 1769, began coming up through Lower California and taking over the fertile coast valleys and the harbors of California. Their laws were the Laws of the Indies controlling Spanish colonization and governing ownership of land. Missions, presidios, pueblos, and ranchos were born in the period of these people.

You know the Wacky Waving Inflatable Tube Guy. Now, meet his cheerful, dancing friend: Tube GAL! * SPECIFICATIONS: 18-inch waving purple tube gal with fan in base to make her dance, wiggle, and shake (batteries not included) * PERFECT GIFT: A hilarious, cheerful gift for every birthday, white elephant party, or holiday! * INCLUDES MINI BOOK: Includes 32-page mini book exploring the origins and ethos of Tulip the Tube Gal and her totally tubular family * MANY USES: Bring a little bit of joy to your desk, dorm room, or bedside table

Send your messages with style with Mini Office Messenger Pigeon! Kit includes everything you need to send a note with your own reliable avian. Specifications: 3" vinyl messenger pigeon figurine with a slot for notesIllustrated mini book: Includes 48-page mini book all about the messenger pigeon, along with 50 perforated pre-printed and blank message slips Great gift: A fun desk accessory gift for friends, family, and co-workers

Star Trek fans and collectors will love this one-of-a-kind, mini-size collectible communicator with light and sound. The communicator is used for voice communication and serves as an emergency-signaling device for Starfleet. Kit includes a replica of the iconic communicator, with light and sound, and a 48-page book on the history of communicators, complete with full-color photos.

Tilt the bubble tea magnets and watch the tapioca pearls move! Express your love of the popular drink with this keepsake set that includes 8 magnets and a mini guidebook. - DELUXE MAGNETS WITH MOVING LIQUID AND BOBA: This set includes 8 full-color, originally-illustrated magnets, each featuring a different flavor of bubble tea (Classic Milk, Taro, Matcha, Stawberry, Thai, Brown Sugar, Mango, and Winter Melon). - BOOK INCLUDED: Learn about the history of bubble tea and its resonance in contemporary pop culture in the enclosed 48-page, fully-illustrated mini book. - A UNIQUE GIFT: Perfect as a self-purchase or gift buy for someone who loves bubble tea, people of all ages and abilities will appreciate this adorable set.

DC Comics' wild and wonderful star, Harley Quinn, becomes your personal inspirational icon with this talking collectible figure. Kit includes:31/2-inch Harley Quinn bust figure mounted on a base, with 10 offbeat inspirational sound bites. Phrases include48-page book of telling some of Harley Quinn's greatest adventures, featuring full-color illustrations throughout

Take a guided tour of more than 15,000 years of life in Texas Mr. Marcom has authored a volume that makes the incredibly diverse archaeological record of Texas accessible to interested laypersons and beginning avocational archaeologists.

Tuck this book under your arm, jump in your car, and get ready to discover the ghosts of North Texas! These arent tall tales-- these are stories about places you can visit on your own ghost-hunting excursion! Read and enjoy interviews with the people who have actually heard, felt, and seen the spirits. nterviews with the people who have actually heard, felt, and seen the spirits.

While on vacation in Carmel, a subtropical beach town in Central California, student filmmaker, Eric De la Cruz has little time to unwind before hearing of a banshee at Dearborn Manor who stalks the beaches at night. It's said that her screams foretell death. The following afternoon, Eric encounters a friend in town for a funeral. She invites him, along with five other friends, to stay for an extended weekend. But that very night, the banshee's scream is heard throughout the manor. By the following afternoon, a freak accident claims one life. Everyone in the community, especially those who stay at the manor, are sure that the vengeful ghost of Melissa Dearborn is determined to kill again. But Eric isn't convinced. He finds a threatening letter in a drawer, discovers counterfeit art on display, and a shattered mirror along the beach. With the help of an unlikely friend, Eric and Penny must solve the mystery of the banshee and expose the real killer, or become the lastest victims at Dearborn Manor.

Documentaries of over one hundred vintage dance halls and their communities are explored in Dance Halls and Last Calls. Many entertainers, booking agents, club owners, and country music fans were interviewed for this book. In a day when there was no competition from television or video players, these shrines gleamed proudly each weekend. Today a new generation of Texas music lovers has helped these halls enjoy a resurgence in popularity.

Jon McConal, longtime columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, takes readers on a trip back through 20 years of writing about Texasits history, people, and unusual places. The native Texan writes about a wide variety of subjects including ghosts, cemetaries, celebrations, pets, veterans, and personal stories.

In Texas "Yankee" is a loose term covering a lot of ground. If you're not a Texan or a southerner, you're a Yankee and therefore, to many Texans, suspect. There are many rites of passage to being a Yankee in Texas: the first time you spot a pickup with a gun rack; the first time you realize that a week is a long time to go without Mexican food; the first time you recognize a change in seasons; your first thunderstorm; your first honky-tonk. Culture Shock in Texas can be intense and is exacerbate by local rules of propriety that tell us to keep out mouths shut. But here in this book we are going to talk all about it with good old Yankee outspokenness. We'll clear the air, share experiences, orient newcomers, and have some good laughs.

Legends of abandoned old graveyards and some not so abandoned abound-the crying dog in the cemetary well, the wandering ghost of Long Tom March, who carries a deck of cards and won't rest until he finds a winning poker hand. Next to a graveyard where an arm is buried, the old piano in the fogotten church plays. These and other tales along with some more recent real-life experiences will intrigue you, skeptic or not. Read the tales with an open mind. They are for pleasure, a bit of paranormal, a little seriousness, and hopefully a laugh or two. If you are a nonbeliever in the supernatural, you may change your skepticism is etched in stone. Then again the author learned that nothing is etched in stone forever. This humorous book also includes some unusual coffins, tombstones, and epitaphs as well as some early Texas burial traditions.

Punish or put your dice in a time-out when they roll critical fails or put your friends (and yourself) in danger with the Mini Dice Dungeon. * LIGHT-UP DICE DUNGEON: Includes a 3 inch mini dungeon with LED light feature in green * SPECIAL BRANDED D20: A translucent d20 branded with the D&D ampersand for the 20 * ILLUSTRATED MINI BOOK INCLUDED: With tips, advice, and the basics of dice care, and tear-out shame cards * PERFECT GIFT FOR D&D FANS: Display on a shelf, desk, or bookcase and show off your love of Dungeons & Dragons * OFFICIALLY LICENSED: Authentic Dungeons & Dragons collectible Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, their respective logos, and the dragon ampersand, are registered trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC. (c)2021 Wizards of the Coast. All rights reserved.

Fall under the spell of the #1 New York Times Bestseller, Enchanted Forest! This stunning coloring book by Johanna Basford takes readers on an inky quest through an enchanted forest to discover what lies in the castle at its heart. As well as drawings to complete, color, and embellish, there are hidden objects to be found along the way. Can you spot the wild flowers, animals, and birds? What about the lanterns, keys, and treasure chests? Beginning at the entrance to the forest, the journey progresses through woodlands, rocky caves, and tree-lined mazes. Color your way past streams and waterfalls and over treetops, until you finally reach your destination: a secluded, magical castle. Hidden throughout the book are nine symbols. Readers must find all the symbols to unlock the castle door at the end of the quest and discover what lies within. Additional special features include a gate-folded two-page spread and a colorable jacket. Praise for the book and author: The colorists have a queen, and her name is Johanna Basford. --New York Magazine Consider trading in your yoga mat for a set of markers and peruse the gorgeous gardens of Basford's imagination. --The Huffington Post The best coloring book for anxiety. --Teen Vogue This book celebrates the glory of all things green and nature-y in the best way possible: coloring book form! Even if you don't want to add color, the illustrations themselves are frame-worthy loveliness. --Brit+ Co Other popular titles by Johanna Basford include: - Secret Garden - Johanna Basford's Secret Garden Journal - Secret Garden: 20 Postcards - Enchanted Forest: 12 Color-in Notecards - Enchanted Forest: 20 Postcards Fans of Leila Duly, Millie Marotta, and Daisy Fletcher will devour Johanna Basford's intricate scenes of flora and fauna.

Women have a nearly universal passion for shoes Our shoes are inseparable from our joys, heartbreaks, challenges, and dilemmas. These 50 true tales of shoe moments, memories, and mishaps reveal a wealth of humor, insight, and encouragement that every woman can appreciate. From the humorous to the heroic, the funny to the profound, the heart-warming to the heart-wrenching... It's All About the Shoes. Inspiration is only as far away as your feet

Nicholas I and Official Nationality in Russia, 1825 - 1855 developed from a much more modest interest in Uvarov's doctrine of "Orthodoxy, autocracy, and nationality." During the author's study of the Slavophiles in particular, he became increasing aware of the paucity of our knowledge of this so-called Official Nationality frequently combined with a deprecating attitude toward it. Unable to find a satisfactory analysis of the subject, the author proceeded to write his own. This book largely organized itself: an exposition and discussion of the ideology naturally occupied the central position, preceded by a brief treatment of its proponents. But Official Nationality reached beyond intellectual circles, lectures and books; indeed, for thirty years it ruled Russia. Therefore, the author found it necessary to write a chapter on the emperor who, in effect, personally dominated and governed the country throughout his reign; to add a section on the imperial family, the ministers, and some other high officials to an account of the intellectuals who supported the state; and to sketch the application of Official Nationalty both in home affairs and in foreign policy. In this manner this title is able to bring the state doctrine and its role in Russian history into proper focus.