Hot take: Our book club read 'The Road' and 'Station Eleven' back to back and one hit way harder

We read Cormac McCarthy's 'The Road' in March and then Emily St. John Mandel's 'Station Eleven' in April. I mean, both are about the end of the world, but 'The Road' just left me feeling empty for days. The dad and son's journey felt so real and heavy, while 'Station Eleven' had more hope with the traveling theater group. The difference for me was the focus on pure survival versus trying to save art and culture. Which kind of post-apocalyptic story works better for a group discussion?

Warning: A horse at the county fair in Boise taught me about thrush in dry climates.

The owner swore it couldn't happen there, but the frog was soft and black. Anyone else see this in arid regions?

I finally got why that old guy at the supply house was so picky about his mud knives

I was grabbing a 12 inch taping knife at the place on 5th Street last week, and this retired installer, maybe 70, was there. He saw my cart and said, 'Kid, you're buying the wrong flex. The blade's too stiff, it'll leave ridges.' He handed me a different one, a Marshalltown, and told me to feel the difference. I tried his way on a ceiling patch the next day and the finish was way smoother. Anyone have a favorite brand for finishing knives they swear by?

Had to remove a huge willow oak in a tight backyard in Charlotte. The crane company showed up late and then we found a massive hornet's nest in the main trunk. What should have been a one day job turned into three. Anyone run into something like that?