tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74466274167752275612024-03-05T11:05:53.808-08:00The Travelling Detective SeriesJoan Donaldson-Yarmeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03207419939273225435noreply@blogger.comBlogger123125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446627416775227561.post-47817200437658916052024-01-24T02:00:00.000-08:002024-01-24T02:00:00.169-08:00Are There Rules for Writing<p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6uoBJelpbmGb8mzGO_IQCz-oLKjqd_y4X0cywP_0Xi_k1lRVwkm42v1tI1IFx3QRIuE1Al9V1yyOa7A5E8S3XqGOwCyGCMpH3ziX6goipe8AjWm8inOxZEhTloIcnBXh7GwwILmCvVcM7YKm3iuc59OdupfNA35ajaUsvUSdKa-LoeAmNQbUV3ZsNwx2L/s1620/Sleuthing%20the%20Klondike%20cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1620" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6uoBJelpbmGb8mzGO_IQCz-oLKjqd_y4X0cywP_0Xi_k1lRVwkm42v1tI1IFx3QRIuE1Al9V1yyOa7A5E8S3XqGOwCyGCMpH3ziX6goipe8AjWm8inOxZEhTloIcnBXh7GwwILmCvVcM7YKm3iuc59OdupfNA35ajaUsvUSdKa-LoeAmNQbUV3ZsNwx2L/s320/Sleuthing%20the%20Klondike%20cover.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /> https://books2read.com/Sleuthing-the-Klondike<p></p><p>https://bwlpublishing.ca/donaldson-yarmey-joan/</p><p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.6pt; margin-bottom: 3.75pt; mso-outline-level: 2;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt; text-transform: uppercase;">Are There Rules to
Writing?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Some new writers believe there is a formula for writing, that something should
happen by a certain page in the manuscript and another thing so many pages
further. In some genres, like romance, that may be the case but for most it isn’t.
And even some of those who write romance say they just present the story. For
mystery stories, some believe it should start out with the murder, or
disappearance, or some sort of mysterious or secretive action while others begin
their story with the characters and setting. And remember there are all sorts
of sub-genres with every genre and for each one of them the story can be
started according to the author’s taste.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So, if there are no rules for writing are there rules for being a
writer? Maybe. It depends on who you listen to. Some writers follow a set pattern
of writing, such as outlining, using a certain software, or doing their first
draft with pen and paper. But there are more dimensions to writing other than
putting words on paper.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Don’t try to write like a famous author you admire. You have your own
way of writing that is your style and voice. Stay with it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Before a manuscript is sent to an editor, agent, publisher, or beta
reader, it should be free of mistakes in spelling, punctuation, and in the story
line—make sure there is no change to a character’s hair colour or what a character
did when in the story. Don’t have a character talk about something before they’ve
even experience it or witnessed it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Once their manuscript is complete some writers look for beta readers to
give them feedback on the story. It is important to remember that not everyone
will like the same story. Even famous writers can’t please their readers all of
the time. So don’t be angry or hurt if someone doesn’t like yours. Take what
they have to say about your manuscript and see if it needs changing. Bottom
line, though, is that it is your work so your opinion comes first. And to add
further, there are a lot of people who will resent your success. Ignore their cutting
remarks.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Don’t sit back after you’ve sent your manuscript away. Start your next
book, compose a short story, keep writing. And if you find that the writing of
a story isn’t going well, feel free to set the manuscript aside and start
another. You can pick the first one up again at a later time.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">And
after having said all that, here are some of my quirks about my writing. I have
a set way of developing the story before I start to write it depending of the
genre. If it’s historical I will do a lot of research to get to know the era,
the clothing, the hairdos, etc, before starting and continue researching as the
story advances to make sure I get all the facts right. If it’s a mystery then I
decide on the death or disappearance then add the characters and let them tell
the story. A lot of the time I don’t know who did it until part way through or
even at the end of the manuscript. If it’s a romance, then I start with the
characters and the setting and see what happens. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I
say that I am a pantser writer in that I don’t use an outline but once the
story progresses then I will plot out scenes that will be coming next so I do a
bit of outlining.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Bottom
line about writing: do what works best for you and ignore the rest.</span></p>
<p> </p>Joan Donaldson-Yarmeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03207419939273225435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446627416775227561.post-13576194942012055872023-11-24T01:30:00.000-08:002023-11-24T01:30:00.145-08:00Writing With My Sister Part Two<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrCQYzAD_d35-8H5aaCnUV4ZYjxLdM3RTAZRjq3oSXPFM7guswKdFJxKOaHvp-ROtiPx82cUdpbJ00LIoqEP52FFWzt47SrnzPiJHA8W4xDVlO9N7BXuZfrlK2Q_sx9XDmMU5IgXtEuO25IS7K3MF3jGOD4HEpBAw_-HemcamxQKwnCjgFaas0roI1c9M/s2560/Single%20Bells%20Ebook%20Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrCQYzAD_d35-8H5aaCnUV4ZYjxLdM3RTAZRjq3oSXPFM7guswKdFJxKOaHvp-ROtiPx82cUdpbJ00LIoqEP52FFWzt47SrnzPiJHA8W4xDVlO9N7BXuZfrlK2Q_sx9XDmMU5IgXtEuO25IS7K3MF3jGOD4HEpBAw_-HemcamxQKwnCjgFaas0roI1c9M/s320/Single%20Bells%20Ebook%20Cover.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>https://books2read.com/Single-Bells<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1fMnqEIBufO01e6SkGgt3TBwV8ZL-soLumf-GlrI8x8yYjxs6q80qtw9oq85NPFqLcvfr8Iear5z0F92RtkC36d5SeKbNzPv3r_73UmSOeUhhiy1TJL9nKzHNFOE3O4v9y1NmsziCWap-UTa1JEsI91jE_t2x-OxETtVmQ09q_tBUPmlwiE-IirBlldM/s2700/TwelveDates.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1fMnqEIBufO01e6SkGgt3TBwV8ZL-soLumf-GlrI8x8yYjxs6q80qtw9oq85NPFqLcvfr8Iear5z0F92RtkC36d5SeKbNzPv3r_73UmSOeUhhiy1TJL9nKzHNFOE3O4v9y1NmsziCWap-UTa1JEsI91jE_t2x-OxETtVmQ09q_tBUPmlwiE-IirBlldM/s320/TwelveDates.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>https://books2read.com/The-Twelve-Dates-of-Christmas <br /><p></p><p>https://bwlpublishing.ca/donaldson-yarmey-joan/<br /></p><p>My
sister, Gwen Donaldson and I have written two holiday/comedy/romance
novels together. The first, The Twelve Dates of Christmas, came out in
2017 and the second, Single Bells, was published in November this year.</p><p>Gwen
married a couple of years after high school and spent the first part of
her working life as a hairstylist in Edmonton. After that marriage
ended she moved to Toronto with her second husband where she took a
Travel Counselling Course through the Canadian Tourism College. She
began working for the school and became National Manager of Human
Resources for nine campuses across Canada. She divorced in Toronto and
moved with Head Office to Vancouver where she eventually did a managers
buyout with another manager. Gwen married again. She and her business
partner renamed the school, the Canadian Tourism College. They built it
up and had students register from all over the world. Gwen's marriage
ended and when she and her partner sold the college after thirty-two
year, Gwen began to spend her time travelling and with family and
friends.</p><p>I married right out of high school and had two children.
My first marriage ended after eight years and I remarried two years
later. Together my present husband and I began a blended family of five
children (One has since past away) and have been married for over forty
years. We now have grandchildren and great-grandchildren.</p><p>Gwen and
I approach our writing together from different perspectives. She has
led an exciting dating life and has met a great many wonderful and not
so wonderful men through dating sites. While I, on the other hand, have
only met two men with any amorous inclinations. So we say that Gwen
is the one who had done the romantic research for our novels and I am
the one
who has turned that research into a manuscript.</p><p>Our first novel, <i>The Twelve Dates of Christmas</i>
is about Stacy Martin who's friends decide she must go on at least
twelve dates and find a boyfriend by Christmas Eve. They prepay for
three sites so she can join them.</p><p>Our latest novel, <i>Single Bells, </i>and
is about sisters Simone and Serena Bell. Simone's marriage is just
breaking up while Serena is still looking for the right man. It is
available right now in e-book or print book in time for Christmas gifts
or stocking stuffers.</p><p> Here are the
first two chapters.</p><h2>Single Bells </h2><h2>Joan Donaldson-Yarmey and Gwen Donaldson </h2><br /><h3>Copyright 2023 by Joan Donaldson-Yarmey and Gwen Donaldson</h3>
<h3>Cover art by Pandora Designs</h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">All rights reserved. Without
limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication
may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or
transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the
copyright owner and the publisher of this book.</p>
<h2> Dedication</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"> To Bob G. A Very Dear Friend</p><h1>Chapter One</h1>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone Bell-Watson looked up as
Raymond Webster of the Webster Private Detective Agency entered her office. He
walked up to her desk and set a brown manila envelope on it. The envelope had
her first name printed in capital letters on the front. Raymond then went to
the coffee corner and put a pod of coffee in the top of the machine and closed
the lid. He pushed the button to start it.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone looked down at the
envelope in front of her. Did she want to open it? She’d hired Raymond Webster
three weeks ago to follow her husband, Griffin. Six months ago Griffin had
claimed to have made new friends and began spending time with them going to
hockey games, bars, or just having coffee. But he was never able to describe
the games they went to and he’d never brought his new friends to the house.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Would you like me to summarize
my report or do you want to read it?” Raymond asked as he carried his paper cup
of coffee to the chair in front of her desk. He was in his early fifties with
salt and pepper hair worn in a type of crew cut that was three centimetres long
at the top and tapered on the sides. He had on blue jeans and a black leather
jacket, which seemed to be the typical outfit of private detectives on
television.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Instead of answering, Simone
turned the envelope over and lifted the flap. She reached in and pulled out
three sheets of paper and two large, coloured photographs. She spread them out
on her desk and gasped in shock. She stared at the pictures for a long time
before finally picking them up, one in each hand. The first was typical of the
type you saw on television detective shows where the spouse is kissing another
person in front of a motel door. The other one was Griffin and a man climbing
out of the back seat of a car half dressed. Both were laughing. It was at night
and looked like they were in a deserted parking lot.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“That was taken in Stanley Park.
I had followed the man there and used a Nikon night vision camera.” </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone blinked back the tears. It
was true. Griffin was having an affair, something she’d suspected while at the
same time not really believing he would do that to her, to their marriage. What
she hadn’t imagined or expected was that it would be with another man.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“As you know, it has taken me a
long time to finally get these pictures,” Raymond said. “He must have been
suspicious that someone was watching him because whenever I tried to follow him
he would make quick turns and drive through different neighbourhoods never
stopping anywhere. It was really impossible for me to keep up with him and
still not be noticed. I lost him many times. So I tried a different tactic.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Raymond took a sip of his coffee.
“I began watching the women at his work place but nothing seemed to be going on
there. Then I sat and watched the women in your neighbourhood. Again, nothing.”
He paused. “I finally decided to watch the men.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone studied the pictures. She
didn’t recognize the man.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“This one always seemed to leave
his house at the same time as your husband. So I followed him. He wasn’t as
wary as your husband and drove straight to the park that night.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone set the photographs down
and picked up the report. It gave an itemized account of what Raymond had done
each evening that he had followed Griffin or the days he had watched Griffin’s
work place. She read them through, remembering the excuses Griffin had given
for leaving the house.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“I need some cigarettes and
beer.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“I’m meeting my friends at a bar
for some drinks.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">At the bottom of the third page
was the total amount she owed.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone took a deep breath. “Would
you like a cheque or an e-transfer?”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“E-transfer is fine.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Raymond gave her his email
address and she went on her cell phone and made the payment.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“If you ever need me again, just
give me a call.” Raymond set his cup on her desk and left the room.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone stared down at the
pictures. She and Griffin had been married three years and, until six months
ago, she had thought it was a good marriage. Then he had made new friends and
began to change. He shaved before going out and he talked about getting hair
transplants for his thinning crown. She had recognized those changes as signs
that he may have someone new in his life, someone he wanted to impress. And
she’d just been proven right.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">She didn’t know why she was more
stunned Griffin was having an affair with a man than she might have been if
he’d been seeing a woman. It wasn’t such an uncommon occurrence anymore. There
were even shows about it, shows like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Frankie
and Grace</i> starring Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Sam Waterston, and Martin
Sheen. They had been two couples for years and then the men finally admitted
that they had fallen in love. The women had taken it hard and then tried to get
on with their lives. With her blonde hair, medium height, and blue eyes she
wasn’t as sophisticated as Jane Fonda’s character or as off the wall as Lilly
Tomlin’s but she may have to watch old episodes of the show to see how they
worked their way to their new normal.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Well, it was time to put her
back-up plan to work for, in spite of her hopes, deep in her mind she’d known
what the result would be—Griffin was seeing someone else. And she had prepared
for that.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone picked up her phone and
dialed a number. “This is Simone Bell-Watson. I’d like to take that storage
unit we discussed and I will be bringing my furniture in this afternoon.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">While waiting for the person on
the other end to agree, Simone decided she would have to get busy and change
the name on her important papers back to Bell.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“We’re open until six this
evening.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Thank you.” Simone hung up and
dialed another number. “I’m Simone Bell-Watson. I phoned last week about
possibly needing your services to move my furniture.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Yes, I remember you,” the woman
on the other end said.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“I’d like your men and truck to
be at my place at one o’clock this afternoon.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Just a minute while I check our
schedule.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone stared at the wall while
she waited. She wasn’t sure what was harder to take, losing a husband to a
heart attack at the age of thirty-seven or having a husband cheat on her. Both
meant a loss of a marriage, of a lifestyle, and of a planned future with a man.
She and her first husband, Lucas, had met when she was nineteen and had dated
for two years before marrying. That had lasted until his death seven years
later. It had taken her two years before she began dating again and had met
Griffin. For a second time she’d fallen in love and looked forward to a long
marriage.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“I can arrange for a crew to meet
you at one o’clock.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone was startled out of her
reverie and brought back to the present. “Thank you.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">After Simone had given her
address, she made one more phone call. This one she dreaded but it was
necessary for, while she’d made plans for moving out if necessary, she’d left
this one until the last possible moment.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Hello, Simone,” a woman’s voice
said.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Hi, Mom. I’ll get right to the
point. I need a place to stay for a while.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“So, you’re finally leaving that
ne’er-do-well.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Ne’er do well? Why do you keep
using those old words?” Her mother, Patricia Reed-Bell, was a very successful,
historical romance writer who liked to add little-used and archaic words to her
speech. She had just turned seventy and had been a widow since the death of
Simone’s father, Craig, almost two years ago.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Because they have a lot more
flair and elegance than today’s words,” Patricia said. “Lazy and shiftless just
doesn’t express the same righteous indignation. Although, Griffin was certainly
lazy and shiftless. So what did he do that finally made you to come to your
senses?”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone thought about lying and
saying that she’d been the one having an affair and decided to leave him, but
she knew the truth would come out. After all, she couldn’t tell that to her and
Griffin’s friends. She wondered if some of them already suspected he’d been
screwing around on her. She knew people automatically suspected an affair if
they saw a married man or woman out with someone of the opposite sex. Would her
friends have thought an affair if they saw Griffin out with a man? She knew she
wouldn’t if she’d seen one of their husbands with another man. She’d have thought
it was a couple of buddies having a drink.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Griffin is seeing someone.” She
couldn’t bring herself to tell the whole truth just yet.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">There was quiet on the other end.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Patricia finally said.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“I have to go and pack my
things.” Simone didn’t want to talk about how she had found out right now.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“I’ll have Lauren put one more
plate on the table for dinner.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Lauren Huckley had been hired
part-time by Patricia to look after Craig when he’d had his first stroke three
years ago. When Craig died from a second stroke Lauren had continued to come in
three days a week to clean and cook. But Patricia enjoyed her company, so last
July had hired her full time and Lauren had moved into the house. She didn’t
have a car and used Patricia’s whenever they went out or she needed to go
shopping.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“I’m not sure what time I’ll get
there.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“We’ll keep it warm for you.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone hung up and sat looking at
the pictures. She wasn’t sure if she was angrier at being such a fool, or more
hurt that he had lied to her, or more embarrassed that she’d had to hire a
private investigator. She’d been in love with Griffin since their second date,
but she’d also known that he wasn’t ready to settle down. While they dated she
continued with the studies she’d started after Lucas died and had received her
Bachelor’s degree in English literature. After hearing for years how her
mother’s literary agent had worked hard to find the right publishing house for
her manuscripts and had gotten her many lucrative deals, Simone had decided she
wanted to become a literary agent. There weren’t any requirements such as
training, exams, or certifications to become an agent but she knew she had to
gain experience. She worked as an assistant at a publishing company to learn
the ins and outs of the publishing industry. She found that it took hard work
and determination to be an agent but the most important thing she learned was
the art of negotiation. After two years she started her own agency.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">She began by working out of her
home using the inheritance money she’d received from her grandmother to live
on. She built up a stable of clients and found publishers to work with.
Finally, last year she’d rented an office, put Bell Literary Agency on the
door, and hired two agents.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Just when Simone was about to pop
the question herself, Griffin finally asked her to marry him. At the time, she
hadn’t been sure if that was because he wanted to get married or because he was
tired of her hanging around waiting for the question to be asked. She had even
thought it might have been because her company was growing and she was earning
good money. Now, she wondered if it was because he hadn’t been able to admit
his sexual preference and had wanted to hide in their marriage.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">She’d thought he was a good
husband, although not very ambitious. He’d been working in a warehouse when
they met and he was still doing the exact same job now. They seldom argued and
while they also seldom hugged or kissed and the sex had been sparse, she was
happy in their marriage. Looking back now, she realized they were more like
housemates instead of lovers. But she’d thought that in spite of their lack of
lovemaking he was at least faithful. Now that had proven to be false. And being
unfaithful was a deal breaker for her whether it was with a woman or a man.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone wiped a tear from her eye.
Her marriage was over and nothing would change that. She was closing in on
forty and alone again. Probably would be for the rest of her life.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Rather than phone her younger
sister, Simone sent a text telling Serena that she was leaving Griffin and
would be transferring her things out of the condo and into storage and moving
in with their mother. Then she shut off her phone. She didn’t need to go
through the whole explanation right now.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone picked up the envelope,
stood, and went around her desk. She took her coat off the coat rack and put it
on. She opened the door to the outer office where her secretary, Grace, was
typing on her keyboard.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">It was the first week of December
and the room had a decorated Christmas tree in one corner and lights around the
outer door. Holiday music played softly through the open door of the office
across hers which was shared by her two agents. She could see Jilly on the
phone and Ramona reading on her computer screen through the doorway.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“I’ll be gone for the rest of the
day.” Simone told Grace.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“But you have a client coming in
to discuss his new manuscript.” Grace was dressed in jeans and a red sweater
with a reindeer brooch on the shoulder. There were matching reindeer earrings
in her ears. She’d been dressing in red or green outfits since December first.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Give him my apologies and
reschedule for tomorrow or the next day, which ever suits him,” Simone said.
She’d worked hard to grow her literary agency and always tried to be available
for her clients. But what she had to do was more important. And she had to work
fast at packing up her clothes and dishes and bedding and everything else in
the condo. Griffin got off work at five. “And I will have my phone off until
tomorrow, so just leave me a message.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Grace nodded.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone went over to the
photocopier to make two copies of each of the pictures Raymond Webster had
given her. She felt Grace watching her since photocopying was part of her job,
but these pictures were something Simone didn’t want to share with everyone.
She put the original and copies in the envelope and hurried down to her bright
red Mercedes car in the underground parkade. She drove out onto the street. It
was half snowing/half raining, which wasn’t unusual for Vancouver this time of
year. If she wasn’t so hurt and angry the snow might have put her in the
Christmas spirit.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone drove to the condo she and
Griffin shared. It was on the second floor of the building and overlooked the
city and the mountains in the distance. She loved the view and would miss it.
They wouldn’t have any trouble selling it unless Griffin wanted to buy her out.
She snorted at the idea. In their three years of marriage Griffin hadn’t looked
for a better paying job. She wasn’t sure if that was because he really liked
his work or because he didn’t care about growing and expanding his prospects.
The monthly condo payments and fees, groceries, and utilities were paid out of
their joint account but her deposits were larger than his. And he had only come
up with one-third of the condo down payment. She had kept the paperwork to
prove it.</p>
<h3> </h3>
<h3>* * *</h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Serena Bell set down the bill of
lading for the shipment of beer that had been delivered to her pub that morning
on her desk and looked at the text from her sister. She read it twice before
actually believing it. Then she nodded in satisfaction. Simone had finally
smartened up and was leaving Griffin. Serena had never liked the man, finding
him lazy and basically willing to live off his wife.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Serena decided to go to Simone’s
condo. She figured there was no use wasting this opportunity to help get her
sister away from that man. Also, it would be a chance to find out what had
happened that would cause her to leave the man she had waited so long to marry.
It must have been something drastic to cause Simone to decide to move in with
their mother.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">She finished up some paperwork
then picked up her purse and keys and hurried out into the main lounge area.
She’d owned this pub for just over a year and she still got a thrill to look
around and realize it belonged to her. She’d spent most of her twenties working
as a salesperson in a department store, or a server in a restaurant or, after
getting her mixology license, a bartender in a bar or pub. These jobs lasted
long enough for her to save some money and then she travelled throughout Canada
and the United States for as long as the money lasted. While working in the
bars she’d enjoyed mixing drinks for her customers and had learned a few easy,
flair techniques, like the basic flip, ice throwing, and the palm pivot. They
weren’t as easy as they looked but she’d perfected them through much practice.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Then two years ago she’d decided
it was time to grow up so she’d bought the original bar here in Richmond using
the inheritance she, Simone, and four other grandchildren had received from
their grandmother. At the same time, she’d put a down payment on one of the
condos above it.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">But she knew that owning a bar
wasn’t for her. She didn’t like the racket of the music and loud conversation
or having to deal with the drunks or put up with the groping hands of some of
the customers.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">When she started looking for some
place to buy she’d learned that the difference between a pub and a bar was that
bars are all about selling alcohol. They served beer, a wide selection of
cocktails, and not much in the way of food, usually snacks or appetizers. Bars
targeted a specific market. That’s why there were many different types like,
sports bars, ladies bars, and gay bars.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Pubs were half way between a bar
and a restaurant. They didn’t target an audience; they were open to anyone and
everyone. They served beer, wine, and cider and had a full menu of food from
breakfast to desserts. Because of the wide variety of food and little liquor,
minors were allowed in as long as accompanied by an adult.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">So she’d made some changes to the
original business. She renovated the kitchen to increase efficiency and flow,
expanded the menu to include more choices, and updated the front of the house,
as the area where she and her staff interacted with customers was called. She
knew that first impressions were very important, so she enlarged the
entranceway and added a comfortable couch for waiting customers or ones who had
come to pick up an order to sit on. She also placed menus on a small shelf in
the corner so they had something to read while waiting.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">She made sure the hostess station
was visible from the door, as well as from the rest of the room. That way
anyone of the staff could greet the customers as soon as they entered. She kept
the menus on the podium, handy for the server to pick up while leading the
customers to a table or booth.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Most importantly, she changed the
name to the B&B Pub. The name was a conversation starter with the customers
and always got a laugh when she explained its origin. In school she and Simone
had called themselves the BB sisters or the BB Bells: BB standing for Brains
and Brawn for Simone because she’d been smart and a tom boy. Serena was Brains
and Beauty. She made high grades in her classes and had also been beautiful,
winning two minor beauty pageants in her teens. Since then, she’d put on a
little weight and cut her long, blonde hair short. She was two years younger
than Simone and just an inch shorter.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Lenny Newman, her beverage
server/waiter, was behind the counter. She walked up to him.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“I’ll be gone for the rest of the
day.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Okay, Boss,” Lenny smiled. “I’ll
take care of everything.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Thank you. Give me a call if
anything comes up.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Serena walked out the front of
the B&B Pub and around the corner to the pub parking lot. Past that, at the
back of the building, was her metallic blue Prius in the condo parking lot. Traffic
was light and it took only half hour to get to her sister’s place in Vancouver.
There was a large van parked in the front of the building doors and three men
were unloading flattened boxes when she arrived. Serena had a key to the
building and Simone’s condo.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Where are you men going?”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“We’re moving the furniture of a
Simone Bell-Watson out of her condo.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">She nodded and opened the doors
for them. She led them up to the fourth floor condo.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Serena. What are you doing
here?” Simone exclaimed when Serena walked in.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“I’ve come to help you.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“This could take a while. Aren’t
you supposed to meet Jerry for dinner tonight?”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Serena waved her hand in
dismissal. She had found Jerry online and after six weeks of texting, they had
met in person a month ago. Since then she’d seen him twice and the last time
hadn’t gone well. Jerry had questioned her about her religion and how important
it was to her. Once she’d told him she was a Protestant but didn’t go to church
regularly his texts had slowed. “He called me yesterday and said he had decided
to go to Calgary to see his family for Hanukah. I have all day and evening to
help you so tell me what to do.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">The three men began opening up
the folded boxes and taping the bottoms.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“You can pack the dishes I’ve set
on the counter into those boxes, while I show the men what furniture I’m taking
with me.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Serena took off her coat and
threw it on a kitchen chair. The kitchen, dining room, and living room was all
one open area. Down a short hallway were the two bedrooms and a bathroom. Off
the living room was a deck where Serena and Simone had spent many an evening drinking
wine, talking, and laughing. Serena was going to miss visits with her sister
and the view of the city and mountains.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">The condo and deck were adorned
with Simone’s usual abundance of Christmas decorations, although she hadn’t put
up her tree. Serena knew that Griffin disliked the Christmas fuss and
advertising and gift giving, stating that it was only to line the rich people’s
pockets. He particularly disliked all the decorations Simone put up in their
apartment. Serena wondered if Griffin had finally had enough of the Christmas
season.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">On the counter sat stacks of
plates, dessert plates, bowls, and rows of glasses and coffee cups. Serena
picked up one of the packing papers and set it on the bottom of a box then set
a plate on top. She kept layering the plates, then did the pie plates and
bowls. She set the tray of cutlery and other cooking utensils on the bottom of
another box and wrapped the glasses and coffee cups in the papers and laid them
on top.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">While Serena was filling the
boxes, the men carried the couch, love seat, ottoman, and end tables out to the
van. One of the men smiled at her when he went by. He was the youngest and the
tallest of the three and had dark hair shaved on the sides and curly on top,
blue eyes, and high cheekbones. She guessed his age to be in the mid-thirties,
while the other two were in their forties. He had taken off his jacket and she
could see the muscles bulging under his black t-shirt. She returned the smile,
feeling a warming sensation in her stomach.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">The men hauled the bed, dressers,
and night stands from the master bedroom through the living room and out the
door. Serena paused and watched them go by. Actually, all of the men were in
good shape but the two older men were intent on doing their job. The younger
one caught her eye again and winked.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone carried plastic garbage
bags out of her bedroom and set them against the wall by the door. “These are
my clothes and they will go in the back of my car when we leave,” she told
Serena and the men. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Where is your furniture going?”
Serena asked Simone as she went to the kitchen sink and ran some water into a
glass.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“I’ve rented a storage unit and
I’m going to put them there until I figure out where I’m going next.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Serena felt sorry for her sister.
Simone had lost one husband to a heart attack and now was losing another to
divorce. Serena had never been lucky enough, if lucky was the right word, to
find a man she wanted to settle down with. She’d had many lovers and affairs
but they had only been a ‘passing fancy’ as her mother called them.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Serena knew now wasn’t the time
to ask Simone what had happened between her and Griffin. It looked as if Simone
was in a hurry to get everything out of the condo before Griffin came home from
work. Serena noticed that Simone was leaving all the furniture in the guest
bedroom. She knew that the bed and dresser in it were the only furniture that
Griffin had brought into their marriage. The rest had belonged to Simone.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">As Serena boxed up cooking and
baking ware, the man in the black t-shirt stopped at the counter and slid a
piece of paper with his name, Doug, and phone number on it towards her. “Call
me,” he said then hurried to catch up with the other men.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Another man falling under your
spell?” Simone asked as she took down the Christmas decorations.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Serena laughed. Although they
called themselves the BB Bell sisters, their friends had also given them
nicknames: Simone with her quick smile, had been known as Tinker Bell because
she liked to tinker around on cars with their father. They’d taken an old
clunker that she bought with the money she’d saved from her babysitting and
part-time job and had fixed it up and painted it. Simone had driven her friends
to school football games and to parties in it.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Serena was called Hells Bells by
her friends because she was always getting into trouble. There hadn’t been a
week go by that she wasn’t called into the principal’s office for some prank
she pulled. And because of her beauty she’d been popular with the boys. They
would line up in school and beg her for a date causing blockades in the
hallways. That usually got her a trip to the principal’s office even though she
claimed it wasn’t her fault. Sometimes, when her sister was gone, Serena would
sneak Simone’s keys and take her friends for a joy ride. They always pooled
their money afterwards and put gas in the tank so Simone wouldn’t notice.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“He is kind of cute,” Serena
said, putting the paper in her purse.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“What about Jerry?” Simone
carefully placed the decorations in two boxes.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“I haven’t seen him enough to
consider it serious. I’m not even sure if we’re even dating.” She decided to
change subjects. She held up the decorations she’d been taking down. “Are you
putting those in storage also?” Their mother decorated her house but not as
much as Simone was used to.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“I’m taking these to Mom’s. Her
house needs more than what she puts up.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Serena smiled. Their mother was
in for a surprise this holiday season.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Do you want to come for dinner
at Mom’s?”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Oh, it’s pretty late to be
showing up unexpectedly.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“I’ll text her and let her know
you’ll be joining us. Lauren always makes extra in case she or Mom wants a
snack later so I’m sure there’s enough food for one more.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"> </p>
<h3> </h3>
<h3>* * *</h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone was tired. Her furniture was
in her storage unit and she and Serena had driven to their mother’s house on
Oak Street. They’d unloaded bags of clothes and carried them up to her old
bedroom on the second floor. Her boxes of decorations had gone in the basement.
Lauren had kept the food she’d prepared warm and she now set it on the table.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“You hired a gumshoe?” Serena
asked as she, Simone, Lauren and their mother sat down for their dinner in
Patricia’s dining room. The room was large with a glass topped table that sat
up to eight people and white straight-backed leather chairs. Along one wall was
an antique sideboard that had belonged to Patricia’s grandmother and above it
hung a large rectangle mirror. An archway led into the kitchen and another one
on the wall opposite the sideboard let into the living room. The fourth wall
had a double patio door that opened onto a deck overlooking the garden area.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“They don’t call themselves
gumshoes, I’ve been informed,” Simone said as she dished up some scalloped
potatoes. “At one time that cliché probably fit because the private detectives
wore street shoes with thick, rubber soles so they could walk softly. Now they
wear all types of footwear and have more sophisticated ways of tracking
someone.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“So what all did the detective
do? How did he find out Griffin was cheating?”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone grimaced at the word
cheating but she had decided to answer all their questions and get it over
with. “Raymond Webster of the Webster Private Detective Agency tried to follow
him, but he kept evading him. Finally Mr. Webster watched the women where Griffin
worked and in our neighbourhood. When nothing developed there he started
looking at the men. He noticed that one of our neighbours left his house around
the same time that Griffin left ours. He followed him and found them together.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone took a drink of her wine
and didn’t watch them as the news sunk in.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Oh,” Patricia said.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Really?” was Serena’s reaction.
“For sure? And he got pictures?”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Lauren said nothing.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone nodded in answer to
Serena’s question. Before she’d left the condo, she’d spread the photographs on
the counter and left them for Griffin. That was all the explanation he would
get from her. It should be all the explanation he needed.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“And you never suspected he was
gay?” Serena asked.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“No.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Really?” Serena and Patricia
exchanged glances.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Why? Did you?” Simone stared
from her sister to her mother.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Well,” Patricia said slowly. “We
did wonder.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Why?” Simone asked again. “What
did he do?”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Oh, it was nothing overt,”
Serena said. “Just some of his mannerism, like the way he occasionally waved
his hand or struck a pose. Until today, though, if I’d been asked if I truly
thought he was gay. I would have said no.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone couldn’t believe that she
had missed the signs. Had she been so much in love with him that she’d refused
to acknowledge them? Had she thought her love would keep him at her side?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Are you going to take some time
off?” Patricia asked.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone was jerked from her
thoughts. “No time off. I’ll be back in the office tomorrow, right after I see
a lawyer and a real estate agent.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Good for you, Dear. No use
dwelling on times of yore. And you can stay here as long as you need.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Thank you, Mom.” She smiled at
her mother.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Patricia was a small, pretty
woman with dark hair. She stood barely five foot two inches and had only
reached their father’s chest when standing beside him. Simone and Serena had
taken after Craig in height and with their blonde hair.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone looked at Lauren wondering
why she was so quiet. Usually she kept them laughing by telling them about the
antics she and their mother had gotten into since their last visit. Maybe she
was quiet because of the reason Simone was moving in. Maybe she thought it was
too sombre an occasion for levity.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Anything new happen since the
last time we saw you two?” Simone asked looking from her mother to Lauren.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“We went to a Christmas craft
sale and bought some candles and scented soap,” Lauren said. She was medium
height with long brown hair that she kept in a ponytail or braids. She was in
her mid-forties and had been married once. Her parents were still alive and she
had one sister.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Patricia nodded. “And we also
went shopping for gifts.” She added with a smile.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Oh!” Serena exclaimed bouncing
up and down in her chair. “What did you buy us? What did you buy us?”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone remembered the two of them
pestering their parents with that same question every year when they were
children.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Nothing for either of you,”
Patricia said, a sparkle in her eye. “You’re both on the naughty list.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone laughed for the first time
that day. That had also been her mother’s reaction to their question every
year.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Oh,” Serena pouted then she
brightened. “Christmas isn’t here yet. I have plenty of time to find out. And
speaking of Christmas, it’s time to get in the spirit. I’m going to see the
lights at the VanDusen Gardens one evening next week. Anyone want to join me?”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“I haven’t been there since Mom
and Dad took us as kids,” Simone said. “I’ll go with you.” She wanted to start
doing some Christmas activities. The news about Griffin had put a damper on her
mood but she didn’t want to let it spoil the season. She knew there was no way
they would ever get back together. If Griffin had been seeing a woman, he could
say he’d made a mistake and wanted another chance. But he couldn’t change his
sexual orientation. She knew she would have sad days, but she also knew it was
definitely over.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Me, too,” Patricia said.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">They all looked at Lauren. “I’ll
go, too,” she smiled.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"> </p>
<h3> </h3>
<h3>Chapter Two<br /></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">The next morning, Simone lay in
bed and stared at the ceiling. Her room hadn’t changed much from when she moved
out over fifteen years ago. The walls were the same light mauve that she’d
insisted she wanted when her father decided it was time to paint them. The
double bed had been her parents until they’d purchased a queen-sized one. They
had bought her a new flowered quilt with matching shams to go on it which were
still ,on the bed. Her old desk was under the window and the white dressers
were still in place, one in the corner and the other one, with a mirror, along
the wall opposite the walk-in closet. The door to the ensuite was to the right
of the closet. The familiarity of the room had been a comfort last night when
she couldn’t sleep.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone picked up her phone and
looked at the blank screen. It had been a tough night. As much as she was angry
at Griffin and hurt at his betrayal, she still was surprised that her love for
him hadn’t diminished much. She’d missed having him beside her in bed and had
thought about their vacations to exotic locations where they’d hiked through
rainforests, kayaked down rivers, and swam with dolphins. They’d rented a
catamaran for two summers with friends and gone sailing on the ocean. In the
winters, they’d leased a chalet in Whistler with those same friends and gone
downhill skiing most weekends. She wondered if Griffin had let those friends
know yet. Or was it up to her?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone also wondered how Griffin
had slept in their condo alone. Had he thought about all the house hunting they
had done together when looking for a place to buy? They’d gone to open houses,
met with real estate agents, and even checked for private sales. It had been
fun walking through houses, condos, and townhouses, petting cats and talking
with dogs that were confined in their kennels. They discussed the number of
bedrooms and bathrooms, the layout of the kitchen, dining, and living rooms,
the balconies or decks, and if they wanted the extra work of a yard. When they
finally signed the papers on their condo, they went out for dinner and
celebrated being home owners.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Did sleeping alone in the empty
condo bring back any of those memories for him or had he spent the night
thinking about his boyfriend? Maybe he’d even invited him over. Making love in
a bed would be so much easier and more romantic than in the back seat of a
vehicle.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">She wondered if he was thinking
about their life together. She doubted it; after all, he’d been seeing someone
else for months now and had time to deal with the fact that their marriage
would soon be over. She was just now discovering it was ending and had to deal
with the newness of that.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">She pressed the button to turn
her cell back on. There was a voicemail from Grace that the writer she had
cancelled yesterday would be in this afternoon at two o’clock and a text from
her friend, Melanie, wondering if they were still on for drinks this evening.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">And there were four phone
messages and eleven texts from Griffin.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone hesitated then pressed the
text icon to see what he’d written.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How did you find out?</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I don’t think it’s right that you took all the furniture.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Where are you staying? With your mother? Your sister?</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Simone, I’m sorry. I guess I should have told you.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">And then various versions of
those four. Simone deleted the voicemails. She didn’t need to listen to his
voice repeating the same messages. She phoned her office and left Grace a
message confirming she’d be there for her two o’clock appointment. She texted
Melanie and asked if they could reschedule for some time next week before she
shut her phone off again.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">After she’d showered and dressed,
Simone went downstairs to the kitchen. She smelled coffee brewing and smiled.
She needed her coffee this morning. Her mother sat at the table with a full cup
and empty plate in front of her.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Good morning, Simone,” Lauren
said from the stove. “We’re having pancakes this morning. How many would you
like?”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“I’ll have two.” Simone poured
herself a cup of coffee and sat down opposite her mother.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“How did you sleep?” Patricia
asked.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Good,” Simone lied.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Must be a load off your
shoulders to be rid of him.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone hid her grimace behind her
coffee cup. Their mother had always spoken her mind but it seemed as she grew
older she didn’t hold much back.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“What made you suspect something
was going on?”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone didn’t want to get into
the whole story. “He began to change, buying new clothes, shaving before going
out to meet his friends, spending more time out in the evenings.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Yes, those are the classic
signs. I’ve written about them enough in my books.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Are you working on a new one?”
Simone smiled her thanks at Lauren as she set a plate with two pancakes in
front of her.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Just finishing the third book of
my Regency romance trilogy.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Patricia had been writing as long
as Simone could remember. Simone could barely picture the small, two bedroom
house they’d first lived in. Patricia was a stay-at-home mom and wanted to be a
writer. She would set a clock and tell Simone and Serena that she would be
writing for the next half hour and they were supposed to be quiet. They’d play
in the living room and as soon as the alarm went off they’d hurry into her
parents’ bedroom where her mother had set up a small table and computer in one
corner. She would hug each of them and then they’d all go back to the living
room and play games or have a snack. If the weather was nice they went for a
walk to the playground. When they returned Patricia would set the alarm clock
and they’d wait until the alarm sounded. Patricia tried to write three or four
times a day during the week and half a day on Saturday while their father took
them shopping or on some excursion.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">And it all paid off. Patricia
found an agent for her first book and he got her a contract with a large
publishing company. It was an instant success and after three books, Patricia
and Craig bought this two storey house with basement on Oak Street. It had a
large kitchen, living room, dining room, full bath, and library on the main
floor and four bedrooms, all with their own ensuites, on the top floor. There
was an extra bedroom, bathroom, family room, and games room in the basement.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">The writing routine changed when
Simone and Serena started school. Their mother had taken over the library as
her office and would write all day. She tried to have finished her daily quota
of words before they got home. But sometimes they would walk in the house and
see the office door closed. They were never allowed in her office and knew not
to disturb her. They would find the snack she had made them and eat it while
they waited for her to appear. Sometimes, it would be within a few minutes,
occasionally, it would be after their father got home. The three of them would
then make dinner and usually their mother would come out in time to eat with
them.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“What do you have planned next?”
Simone asked her mother.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Well, I think I’m getting to old
to write about young lovers, so I might try something different.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“You told me you’re going to try
a cozy mystery,” Lauren said. “You said you already have ideas for your first
two.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Yes, I might do that. Of course
I would write under a pseudonym in case they aren’t very popular.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Well, that’s great,” Simone said.
“Your doctor said that writing is good for your mental health as you grow
older. It keeps your mind active and staves off dementia.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone stood and put her plate in
the dishwasher. “I have a lot to do today.” She bent and kissed her mother.
“I’ll see you both this evening.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">On her way to the bank, Simone
phoned her lawyer at Cotes and Cotes to make an appointment. Luckily, Anna
Cotes had a cancellation and Simone could get in to see her in an hour. It had
been too late after putting her furniture in storage yesterday to go to the
bank, so she wanted to be there when it opened this morning. She had her own
account for her business plus a joint account with Griffin. They had a
withdrawal limit of one thousand dollars a day, so she knew Griffin hadn’t been
able to remove much since last evening.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">She was surprised and sadden at
how her trust in Griffin had vanished since finding out he’d been cheating on
her. Now she didn’t know what else to expect from him and wanted to make sure
she got her share of their joint account.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">The manager was just unlocking
the door when she walked up. She smiled and went over to a teller and swiped
her card.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“I would like to transfer half of
the amount from this joint account into my other account.” Simone showed her
the business card and swiped it.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone had deposited most of the
money over their marriage, but she was going to be fair. After all, each of
them was entitled to half of everything and she wasn’t going to squabble over
who contributed what. She wanted this divorce to go through as quick as
possible.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">She signed the paper and picked
up both cards. Number one on her list done.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone climbed back in her car
and as she was pulling away, she saw Griffin enter the bank. A little too slow,
Buddy.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Next, she drove to her lawyer’s
office and laid the photographs out on her desk. “I’d like to start divorce
proceedings against my husband.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Anna Cotes looked at the
pictures. “I guess there’s no hope at reconciliation.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“None whatsoever.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Do you think he will contest the
divorce?”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“I doubt it. These pictures show
he isn’t interested in being married to me. I’ve already taken the furniture
that I brought into the marriage and put it in storage. I went to the bank and
removed half of the money in our joint account. I’m going to a real estate
agent next to start selling the condo.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Is his name on the condo title?”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Yes.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Then you can’t list it unless
both of you sign the real estate agreement.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone grimaced. She really
hadn’t wanted to speak with Griffin. She’d wanted others to do the negotiations
between them.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“I will file a Notice of Family
Claim in the B.C. Supreme Court and gather the other forms that you will need
to sign. If you both agree to end the marriage then a separation agreement will
establish the terms of the divorce. I will need the name of his lawyer.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“I don’t know if he has one yet.
I guess I can find out.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Good. I’ll draw the papers up
and when they are ready I’ll phone you to come in and sign them.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone left the office. She
walked slowly to her car. As much as she hated to, she had to text Griffin and
asked for his lawyer’s name. She stopped in at a deli and bought a sandwich for
her lunch then drove to her office.</p>
<h3> </h3>
<h3>* * *</h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Serena sat behind her desk adding
up the previous day’s proceeds. She was happy at how well her pub was doing.
Business had been steadily increasing over the past year and she was thinking
of starting to have theme nights for special days like Valentine’s, St.
Patrick’s Day, and Hallowe’en.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Right now her staff was
decorating the pub for Christmas. And they were given the choice of dressing up
as elves for their shifts throughout December. She, herself, had a Mrs. Clause
costume which she would start wearing the last week before Christmas.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Serena’s phone pinged. It was a
message from Jerry.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I can’t continue seeing you because I can’t marry anyone outside the
Jewish faith. The only possible way for us to continue dating would be for you
to convert to Judaism and I get the impression that you are against that.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Marriage?” Serena said out loud
in disbelief. “No one’s been talking about marriage. We barely know each
other.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">She thought about texting that
back to him then decided against it. Any relationship they might have had was
obviously over before it even began. She would just let it go.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Serena remembered the piece of
paper the mover, Doug, had given her at Simone’s condo. She’d been texting a
few men from the dating sites over the past month while waiting to see what
happened between her and Jerry. They’d been more like two acquaintances meeting
for lunch or drinks than dates and now that nothing was going to develop with
him, apparently not even marriage, she was going to start meeting the other
men.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">The question was, did she want to
try a date the old fashioned way, meeting up with Doug before knowing anything
about him? At least by texting for a while she could weed him out if she wasn’t
interested. Going on a date first and then learning the man’s history, his
plans for the future, and his likes and dislikes second seemed backwards. But
it had been done for centuries before technology and human kind had survived
and thrived.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">She thought about Doug. He was
attractive and obviously single, well, hopefully single. She dug in her purse
for his number and sent him a text using her burner. He answered immediately
and they agreed to meet tomorrow evening at the Canadian Brewhouse and Grill.
She didn’t want him to know that she owned a pub just yet.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Serena finished her paperwork and
made up a bank deposit. She walked out into the main room of the pub and smiled
at the way it was being transformed. A large artificial tree with lights
attached stood in one corner. Ethan, a bartender and one of the wait staff, was
attaching large colourful balls to the limbs. Arleth and Noah, two more staff, were
hanging decorations from the ceiling and Lenny was painting a winter scene on
the front window.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Serena walked down the street to
the bank, dropped her deposit bag in the chute, and returned to the pub. Before
entering she stopped to admire the completed window scene. Since gnomes were
popular he’d painted three of them, each with a tall red and green striped hat
and a white beard. But instead of just the nose showing under the hat he’d
added round, black eyes to each of their faces. One carried two gifts, another
held a lantern, and the third had a Christmas tree. Serena smiled at the
picture. The children would surely love it.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Serena entered the pub. Lunch
customers had arrived and one of them had been delegated the task of helping
Ethan run some garland. He was laughing as he held one end of the garland while
Ethan pinned the other to the ceiling.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">She smiled at the interchange.
This was what she’d hoped for when she’d opened the pub. The customers
considered this a relaxing, welcoming place to come to and she made sure she
hired only pleasant and outgoing staff.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Serena headed back to her office.
She wondered how her sister was doing and decided to send her a text.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How are you holding up?</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">She thought about telling Simone
that Jerry had dumped her but figured it wasn’t the time and certainly nothing
compared to what Simone was going through right now.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Serena went into the kitchen to
see how the new head chef was fitting in. When her former head chef had moved
to Vancouver Island, she’d hired Jackson Harris to replace him. Jackson had
graduated from culinary school two years ago and worked in a restaurant in
Vancouver as a station chef then a junior chef before answering her ad. Until
she owned a pub, Serena had no idea how many different kinds of chefs there
could be in a kitchen. Only high-end, fancy restaurants had an executive chef.
They didn’t cook, just spent their time managing the kitchen staff, training,
planning menus, and looking after the budget. In the smaller restaurants the
head chef did all of that and, in some places, also cooked.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Since she did the menu and budget
planning, she only needed one full-time and one part-time head chef. The head
chef was in charge of the kitchen and oversaw the day-to-day activities. She
also had two full-time and two part-time station chefs, one to cook the beef
and pork and one to cook the chicken and fish each evening. She didn’t have a
junior chef but had kitchen porters to cut up the vegetables and grate the
cheese.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Like most days, the kitchen was a
flurry of activity. Everyone scurried around doing their job and getting the
plates filled for the wait staff to deliver to the customers. Serena observed
for a while then left. No one needed her input. Jackson seemed to have
everything under control.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">She watched the wait staff go
from table to table taking orders and delivering food. Sometimes, when the pub
was full she grabbed a pad and waited the tables or delivered plates. There was
no way she was going to have customers grumble about having to wait for their
orders to be taken or their food to arrive.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Back in her office she found a
text from Simone.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bank done, lawyer done, but can’t do anything about selling the condo
without Griffin’s signature on papers and he hasn’t gotten back to me with his
lawyer’s name.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Serena had never been married but
knew love and attention and gentleness could quickly change to loathing and
animosity and disgust in just a matter of days when it came to divorce. She’d
seen that happen to some of her friends.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Need company?</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I have an appointment but maybe after that.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Okay.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Even though she’d just received a
shipment of bottled beer yesterday Serena took her order phone with its
inventory software. Many of her customers had their favourite and she didn’t
want to run out, so she checked the stock every couple of days. She ordered
from the large beer companies but also liked to stock local craft beer and
cider. She first went to the back room and clicked on the codes on each of the
boxes there then stayed out of Lenny’s way while she physically counted the
bottles and cans in the cooler.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">She returned to her office and
planned her next order. It was almost four o’clock when her phone pinged.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I can leave now. Let’s meet at Mom’s. I’ll pick up the wine.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Serena sent a smiley face and
grabbed her purse and jacket. It would be a slow drive to her mother’s place in
rush hour traffic.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>Joan Donaldson-Yarmeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03207419939273225435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446627416775227561.post-77416220215076080892023-10-25T01:00:00.001-07:002023-10-25T01:00:00.155-07:00<p> <br /></p><p> </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrCQYzAD_d35-8H5aaCnUV4ZYjxLdM3RTAZRjq3oSXPFM7guswKdFJxKOaHvp-ROtiPx82cUdpbJ00LIoqEP52FFWzt47SrnzPiJHA8W4xDVlO9N7BXuZfrlK2Q_sx9XDmMU5IgXtEuO25IS7K3MF3jGOD4HEpBAw_-HemcamxQKwnCjgFaas0roI1c9M/s2560/Single%20Bells%20Ebook%20Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrCQYzAD_d35-8H5aaCnUV4ZYjxLdM3RTAZRjq3oSXPFM7guswKdFJxKOaHvp-ROtiPx82cUdpbJ00LIoqEP52FFWzt47SrnzPiJHA8W4xDVlO9N7BXuZfrlK2Q_sx9XDmMU5IgXtEuO25IS7K3MF3jGOD4HEpBAw_-HemcamxQKwnCjgFaas0roI1c9M/s320/Single%20Bells%20Ebook%20Cover.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>https://books2read.com/Single-Bells<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1fMnqEIBufO01e6SkGgt3TBwV8ZL-soLumf-GlrI8x8yYjxs6q80qtw9oq85NPFqLcvfr8Iear5z0F92RtkC36d5SeKbNzPv3r_73UmSOeUhhiy1TJL9nKzHNFOE3O4v9y1NmsziCWap-UTa1JEsI91jE_t2x-OxETtVmQ09q_tBUPmlwiE-IirBlldM/s2700/TwelveDates.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1fMnqEIBufO01e6SkGgt3TBwV8ZL-soLumf-GlrI8x8yYjxs6q80qtw9oq85NPFqLcvfr8Iear5z0F92RtkC36d5SeKbNzPv3r_73UmSOeUhhiy1TJL9nKzHNFOE3O4v9y1NmsziCWap-UTa1JEsI91jE_t2x-OxETtVmQ09q_tBUPmlwiE-IirBlldM/s320/TwelveDates.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>https://books2read.com/The-Twelve-Dates-of-Christmas <br /><p></p><p>https://bwlpublishing.ca/donaldson-yarmey-joan/<br /></p><p>I
live in Edmonton, Alberta, and my sister, Gwen Donaldson lives in
Vancouver B.C. Together we have written two holiday/comedy/romance
novels. Gwen has been married three times and has had many romantic
relationships. I, on the other hand, spent eight years in my first
marriage and am up to forty plus years in my second. So we say that Gwen
is the one who had done the research for our novels and I am the one
who has turned that research into a manuscript.</p><p>For our first one, <i>The Twelve Dates of Christmas</i>,
Gwen recorded some of her experiences of going out with men she met on
dating sites and I transcribed them and added background, career, and
family and friends for Stacy, the main character. I also looked up
stories posted by women who have had disastrous dates and rewrote parts
of them to add to the story. <br /></p><p>Since there is seven years
between books, Gwen has had lots of time to do more research and many of
the dates in our second novel, <i>Single Bells</i>, are revamped
versions of some of her encounters. Again, I pulled her stories together
and added a story line for each of the Bell sisters. For both book,
after I had written part of the manuscript I emailed it to her. she read
them and offered her thoughts and ideas. For <i>Single Bells</i>, we
even met at my daughter's place in Peurto Vallarta, Mexico, to work on
it. And even though most of our pictures show us sight-seeing, shopping,
and enjoying wine and Mojitos, we did get some work done.<br /></p><p>So
far both novels have dealt with women who have had disastrous dates with
men they have met on dating sites but it isn't just women who have had
bad experiences. I read about a man who invited a woman out for drinks.
It happened to be at a restaurant where they were offering a dozen
oysters for $15. Since she liked oysters she ordered and slurped her way
through forty-eight of them. Her date went to the bathroom and never
came back. She had to pay the $184 bill plus tip. He later offered to
pay for the drinks as that was what he had originally asked her out for.</p><p>I
mentioned to Gwen that maybe our next holiday/comedy/romance book
should be about a man who tries to find the right woman through dating
sites and the calamitous results. Gwen, ever the quick mind, replied,
"We could call it Single Balls."<br /></p><p>Our first novel, <i>The Twelve Dates of Christmas</i>
is about Stacy Martin who's friends decide she must go on at least
twelve dates and find a boyfriend by Christmas Eve. They prepay for
three sites so she can join them.</p><p>Our latest novel is called <i>Single Bells </i>and
is about sisters Simone and Serena Bell. Simone's marriage is just
breaking up while Serena is still looking for the right man. It is in
pre-release right now and will be released on November 1. Here is the
first chapter.</p><p><!--[if !mso]>
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</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<h2> Single Bells</h2><h2> Joan Donaldson-Yarmey </h2>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 150%;">And Gwen Donaldson</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<h3>Copyright 2023 by Joan Donaldson-Yarmey and Gwen Donaldson</h3>
<h3>Cover art by Pandora Designs</h3>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under
copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored
in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by
any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise)
without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the
publisher of this book.</p>
<h2> </h2>
<h2> Dedication</h2><h2>To Bob G. A Very Dear Friend</h2><h2> Chapter One
</h2><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone Bell-Watson looked up as
Raymond Webster of the Webster Private Detective Agency entered her office. He
walked up to her desk and set a brown manila envelope on it. The envelope had
her first name printed in capital letters on the front. Raymond then went to
the coffee corner and put a pod of coffee in the top of the machine and closed
the lid. He pushed the button to start it.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone looked down at the
envelope in front of her. Did she want to open it? She’d hired Raymond Webster
three weeks ago to follow her husband, Griffin. Six months ago Griffin had
claimed to have made new friends and began spending time with them going to
hockey games, bars, or just having coffee. But he was never able to describe
the games they went to and he’d never brought his new friends to the house.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Would you like me to summarize
my report or do you want to read it?” Raymond asked as he carried his paper cup
of coffee to the chair in front of her desk. He was in his early fifties with
salt and pepper hair worn in a type of crew cut that was three centimetres long
at the top and tapered on the sides. He had on blue jeans and a black leather
jacket, which seemed to be the typical outfit of private detectives on
television.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Instead of answering, Simone
turned the envelope over and lifted the flap. She reached in and pulled out
three sheets of paper and two large, coloured photographs. She spread them out
on her desk and gasped in shock. She stared at the pictures for a long time
before finally picking them up, one in each hand. The first was typical of the
type you saw on television detective shows where the spouse is kissing another
person in front of a motel door. The other one was Griffin and a man climbing
out of the back seat of a car half dressed. Both were laughing. It was at night
and looked like they were in a deserted parking lot.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“That was taken in Stanley Park.
I had followed the man there and used a Nikon night vision camera.” </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone blinked back the tears. It
was true. Griffin was having an affair, something she’d suspected while at the
same time not really believing he would do that to her, to their marriage. What
she hadn’t imagined or expected was that it would be with another man.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“As you know, it has taken me a
long time to finally get these pictures,” Raymond said. “He must have been
suspicious that someone was watching him because whenever I tried to follow him
he would make quick turns and drive through different neighbourhoods never
stopping anywhere. It was really impossible for me to keep up with him and
still not be noticed. I lost him many times. So I tried a different tactic.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Raymond took a sip of his coffee.
“I began watching the women at his work place but nothing seemed to be going on
there. Then I sat and watched the women in your neighbourhood. Again, nothing.”
He paused. “I finally decided to watch the men.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone studied the pictures. She
didn’t recognize the man.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“This one always seemed to leave
his house at the same time as your husband. So I followed him. He wasn’t as
wary as your husband and drove straight to the park that night.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone set the photographs down
and picked up the report. It gave an itemized account of what Raymond had done
each evening that he had followed Griffin or the days he had watched Griffin’s
work place. She read them through, remembering the excuses Griffin had given
for leaving the house.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“I need some cigarettes and
beer.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“I’m meeting my friends at a bar
for some drinks.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">At the bottom of the third page
was the total amount she owed.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone took a deep breath. “Would
you like a cheque or an e-transfer?”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“E-transfer is fine.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Raymond gave her his email
address and she went on her cell phone and made the payment.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“If you ever need me again, just
give me a call.” Raymond set his cup on her desk and left the room.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone stared down at the
pictures. She and Griffin had been married three years and, until six months
ago, she had thought it was a good marriage. Then he had made new friends and
began to change. He shaved before going out and he talked about getting hair
transplants for his thinning crown. She had recognized those changes as signs
that he may have someone new in his life, someone he wanted to impress. And
she’d just been proven right.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">She didn’t know why she was more
stunned Griffin was having an affair with a man than she might have been if
he’d been seeing a woman. It wasn’t such an uncommon occurrence anymore. There
were even shows about it, shows like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Frankie
and Grace</i> starring Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Sam Waterston, and Martin
Sheen. They had been two couples for years and then the men finally admitted
that they had fallen in love. The women had taken it hard and then tried to get
on with their lives. With her blonde hair, medium height, and blue eyes she
wasn’t as sophisticated as Jane Fonda’s character or as off the wall as Lilly
Tomlin’s but she may have to watch old episodes of the show to see how they
worked their way to their new normal.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Well, it was time to put her
back-up plan to work for, in spite of her hopes, deep in her mind she’d known
what the result would be—Griffin was seeing someone else. And she had prepared
for that.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone picked up her phone and
dialed a number. “This is Simone Bell-Watson. I’d like to take that storage
unit we discussed and I will be bringing my furniture in this afternoon.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">While waiting for the person on
the other end to agree, Simone decided she would have to get busy and change
the name on her important papers back to Bell.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“We’re open until six this
evening.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Thank you.” Simone hung up and
dialed another number. “I’m Simone Bell-Watson. I phoned last week about
possibly needing your services to move my furniture.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Yes, I remember you,” the woman
on the other end said.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“I’d like your men and truck to
be at my place at one o’clock this afternoon.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Just a minute while I check our
schedule.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone stared at the wall while
she waited. She wasn’t sure what was harder to take, losing a husband to a
heart attack at the age of thirty-seven or having a husband cheat on her. Both
meant a loss of a marriage, of a lifestyle, and of a planned future with a man.
She and her first husband, Lucas, had met when she was nineteen and had dated
for two years before marrying. That had lasted until his death seven years
later. It had taken her two years before she began dating again and had met
Griffin. For a second time she’d fallen in love and looked forward to a long
marriage.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“I can arrange for a crew to meet
you at one o’clock.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone was startled out of her
reverie and brought back to the present. “Thank you.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">After Simone had given her
address, she made one more phone call. This one she dreaded but it was
necessary for, while she’d made plans for moving out if necessary, she’d left
this one until the last possible moment.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Hello, Simone,” a woman’s voice
said.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Hi, Mom. I’ll get right to the
point. I need a place to stay for a while.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“So, you’re finally leaving that
ne’er-do-well.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Ne’er do well? Why do you keep
using those old words?” Her mother, Patricia Reed-Bell, was a very successful,
historical romance writer who liked to add little-used and archaic words to her
speech. She had just turned seventy and had been a widow since the death of
Simone’s father, Craig, almost two years ago.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Because they have a lot more
flair and elegance than today’s words,” Patricia said. “Lazy and shiftless just
doesn’t express the same righteous indignation. Although, Griffin was certainly
lazy and shiftless. So what did he do that finally made you to come to your
senses?”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone thought about lying and
saying that she’d been the one having an affair and decided to leave him, but
she knew the truth would come out. After all, she couldn’t tell that to her and
Griffin’s friends. She wondered if some of them already suspected he’d been
screwing around on her. She knew people automatically suspected an affair if
they saw a married man or woman out with someone of the opposite sex. Would her
friends have thought an affair if they saw Griffin out with a man? She knew she
wouldn’t if she’d seen one of their husbands with another man. She’d have thought
it was a couple of buddies having a drink.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Griffin is seeing someone.” She
couldn’t bring herself to tell the whole truth just yet.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">There was quiet on the other end.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Patricia finally said.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“I have to go and pack my
things.” Simone didn’t want to talk about how she had found out right now.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“I’ll have Lauren put one more
plate on the table for dinner.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Lauren Huckley had been hired
part-time by Patricia to look after Craig when he’d had his first stroke three
years ago. When Craig died from a second stroke Lauren had continued to come in
three days a week to clean and cook. But Patricia enjoyed her company, so last
July had hired her full time and Lauren had moved into the house. She didn’t
have a car and used Patricia’s whenever they went out or she needed to go
shopping.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“I’m not sure what time I’ll get
there.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“We’ll keep it warm for you.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone hung up and sat looking at
the pictures. She wasn’t sure if she was angrier at being such a fool, or more
hurt that he had lied to her, or more embarrassed that she’d had to hire a
private investigator. She’d been in love with Griffin since their second date,
but she’d also known that he wasn’t ready to settle down. While they dated she
continued with the studies she’d started after Lucas died and had received her
Bachelor’s degree in English literature. After hearing for years how her
mother’s literary agent had worked hard to find the right publishing house for
her manuscripts and had gotten her many lucrative deals, Simone had decided she
wanted to become a literary agent. There weren’t any requirements such as
training, exams, or certifications to become an agent but she knew she had to
gain experience. She worked as an assistant at a publishing company to learn
the ins and outs of the publishing industry. She found that it took hard work
and determination to be an agent but the most important thing she learned was
the art of negotiation. After two years she started her own agency.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">She began by working out of her
home using the inheritance money she’d received from her grandmother to live
on. She built up a stable of clients and found publishers to work with.
Finally, last year she’d rented an office, put Bell Literary Agency on the
door, and hired two agents.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Just when Simone was about to pop
the question herself, Griffin finally asked her to marry him. At the time, she
hadn’t been sure if that was because he wanted to get married or because he was
tired of her hanging around waiting for the question to be asked. She had even
thought it might have been because her company was growing and she was earning
good money. Now, she wondered if it was because he hadn’t been able to admit
his sexual preference and had wanted to hide in their marriage.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">She’d thought he was a good
husband, although not very ambitious. He’d been working in a warehouse when
they met and he was still doing the exact same job now. They seldom argued and
while they also seldom hugged or kissed and the sex had been sparse, she was
happy in their marriage. Looking back now, she realized they were more like
housemates instead of lovers. But she’d thought that in spite of their lack of
lovemaking he was at least faithful. Now that had proven to be false. And being
unfaithful was a deal breaker for her whether it was with a woman or a man.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone wiped a tear from her eye.
Her marriage was over and nothing would change that. She was closing in on
forty and alone again. Probably would be for the rest of her life.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Rather than phone her younger
sister, Simone sent a text telling Serena that she was leaving Griffin and
would be transferring her things out of the condo and into storage and moving
in with their mother. Then she shut off her phone. She didn’t need to go
through the whole explanation right now.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone picked up the envelope,
stood, and went around her desk. She took her coat off the coat rack and put it
on. She opened the door to the outer office where her secretary, Grace, was
typing on her keyboard.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">It was the first week of December
and the room had a decorated Christmas tree in one corner and lights around the
outer door. Holiday music played softly through the open door of the office
across hers which was shared by her two agents. She could see Jilly on the
phone and Ramona reading on her computer screen through the doorway.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“I’ll be gone for the rest of the
day.” Simone told Grace.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“But you have a client coming in
to discuss his new manuscript.” Grace was dressed in jeans and a red sweater
with a reindeer brooch on the shoulder. There were matching reindeer earrings
in her ears. She’d been dressing in red or green outfits since December first.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Give him my apologies and
reschedule for tomorrow or the next day, which ever suits him,” Simone said.
She’d worked hard to grow her literary agency and always tried to be available
for her clients. But what she had to do was more important. And she had to work
fast at packing up her clothes and dishes and bedding and everything else in
the condo. Griffin got off work at five. “And I will have my phone off until
tomorrow, so just leave me a message.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Grace nodded.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone went over to the
photocopier to make two copies of each of the pictures Raymond Webster had
given her. She felt Grace watching her since photocopying was part of her job,
but these pictures were something Simone didn’t want to share with everyone.
She put the original and copies in the envelope and hurried down to her bright
red Mercedes car in the underground parkade. She drove out onto the street. It
was half snowing/half raining, which wasn’t unusual for Vancouver this time of
year. If she wasn’t so hurt and angry the snow might have put her in the
Christmas spirit.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone drove to the condo she and
Griffin shared. It was on the second floor of the building and overlooked the
city and the mountains in the distance. She loved the view and would miss it.
They wouldn’t have any trouble selling it unless Griffin wanted to buy her out.
She snorted at the idea. In their three years of marriage Griffin hadn’t looked
for a better paying job. She wasn’t sure if that was because he really liked
his work or because he didn’t care about growing and expanding his prospects.
The monthly condo payments and fees, groceries, and utilities were paid out of
their joint account but her deposits were larger than his. And he had only come
up with one-third of the condo down payment. She had kept the paperwork to
prove it.</p>
<h3> </h3>
<h3>* * *</h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Serena Bell set down the bill of
lading for the shipment of beer that had been delivered to her pub that morning
on her desk and looked at the text from her sister. She read it twice before
actually believing it. Then she nodded in satisfaction. Simone had finally
smartened up and was leaving Griffin. Serena had never liked the man, finding
him lazy and basically willing to live off his wife.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Serena decided to go to Simone’s
condo. She figured there was no use wasting this opportunity to help get her
sister away from that man. Also, it would be a chance to find out what had
happened that would cause her to leave the man she had waited so long to marry.
It must have been something drastic to cause Simone to decide to move in with
their mother.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">She finished up some paperwork
then picked up her purse and keys and hurried out into the main lounge area.
She’d owned this pub for just over a year and she still got a thrill to look
around and realize it belonged to her. She’d spent most of her twenties working
as a salesperson in a department store, or a server in a restaurant or, after
getting her mixology license, a bartender in a bar or pub. These jobs lasted
long enough for her to save some money and then she travelled throughout Canada
and the United States for as long as the money lasted. While working in the
bars she’d enjoyed mixing drinks for her customers and had learned a few easy,
flair techniques, like the basic flip, ice throwing, and the palm pivot. They
weren’t as easy as they looked but she’d perfected them through much practice.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Then two years ago she’d decided
it was time to grow up so she’d bought the original bar here in Richmond using
the inheritance she, Simone, and four other grandchildren had received from
their grandmother. At the same time, she’d put a down payment on one of the
condos above it.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">But she knew that owning a bar
wasn’t for her. She didn’t like the racket of the music and loud conversation
or having to deal with the drunks or put up with the groping hands of some of
the customers.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">When she started looking for some
place to buy she’d learned that the difference between a pub and a bar was that
bars are all about selling alcohol. They served beer, a wide selection of
cocktails, and not much in the way of food, usually snacks or appetizers. Bars
targeted a specific market. That’s why there were many different types like,
sports bars, ladies bars, and gay bars.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Pubs were half way between a bar
and a restaurant. They didn’t target an audience; they were open to anyone and
everyone. They served beer, wine, and cider and had a full menu of food from
breakfast to desserts. Because of the wide variety of food and little liquor,
minors were allowed in as long as accompanied by an adult.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">So she’d made some changes to the
original business. She renovated the kitchen to increase efficiency and flow,
expanded the menu to include more choices, and updated the front of the house,
as the area where she and her staff interacted with customers was called. She
knew that first impressions were very important, so she enlarged the
entranceway and added a comfortable couch for waiting customers or ones who had
come to pick up an order to sit on. She also placed menus on a small shelf in
the corner so they had something to read while waiting.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">She made sure the hostess station
was visible from the door, as well as from the rest of the room. That way
anyone of the staff could greet the customers as soon as they entered. She kept
the menus on the podium, handy for the server to pick up while leading the
customers to a table or booth.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Most importantly, she changed the
name to the B&B Pub. The name was a conversation starter with the customers
and always got a laugh when she explained its origin. In school she and Simone
had called themselves the BB sisters or the BB Bells: BB standing for Brains
and Brawn for Simone because she’d been smart and a tom boy. Serena was Brains
and Beauty. She made high grades in her classes and had also been beautiful,
winning two minor beauty pageants in her teens. Since then, she’d put on a
little weight and cut her long, blonde hair short. She was two years younger
than Simone and just an inch shorter.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Lenny Newman, her beverage
server/waiter, was behind the counter. She walked up to him.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“I’ll be gone for the rest of the
day.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Okay, Boss,” Lenny smiled. “I’ll
take care of everything.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Thank you. Give me a call if
anything comes up.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Serena walked out the front of
the B&B Pub and around the corner to the pub parking lot. Past that, at the
back of the building, was her metallic blue Prius in the condo parking lot. Traffic
was light and it took only half hour to get to her sister’s place in Vancouver.
There was a large van parked in the front of the building doors and three men
were unloading flattened boxes when she arrived. Serena had a key to the
building and Simone’s condo.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Where are you men going?”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“We’re moving the furniture of a
Simone Bell-Watson out of her condo.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">She nodded and opened the doors
for them. She led them up to the fourth floor condo.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Serena. What are you doing
here?” Simone exclaimed when Serena walked in.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“I’ve come to help you.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“This could take a while. Aren’t
you supposed to meet Jerry for dinner tonight?”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Serena waved her hand in
dismissal. She had found Jerry online and after six weeks of texting, they had
met in person a month ago. Since then she’d seen him twice and the last time
hadn’t gone well. Jerry had questioned her about her religion and how important
it was to her. Once she’d told him she was a Protestant but didn’t go to church
regularly his texts had slowed. “He called me yesterday and said he had decided
to go to Calgary to see his family for Hanukah. I have all day and evening to
help you so tell me what to do.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">The three men began opening up
the folded boxes and taping the bottoms.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“You can pack the dishes I’ve set
on the counter into those boxes, while I show the men what furniture I’m taking
with me.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Serena took off her coat and
threw it on a kitchen chair. The kitchen, dining room, and living room was all
one open area. Down a short hallway were the two bedrooms and a bathroom. Off
the living room was a deck where Serena and Simone had spent many an evening drinking
wine, talking, and laughing. Serena was going to miss visits with her sister
and the view of the city and mountains.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">The condo and deck were adorned
with Simone’s usual abundance of Christmas decorations, although she hadn’t put
up her tree. Serena knew that Griffin disliked the Christmas fuss and
advertising and gift giving, stating that it was only to line the rich people’s
pockets. He particularly disliked all the decorations Simone put up in their
apartment. Serena wondered if Griffin had finally had enough of the Christmas
season.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">On the counter sat stacks of
plates, dessert plates, bowls, and rows of glasses and coffee cups. Serena
picked up one of the packing papers and set it on the bottom of a box then set
a plate on top. She kept layering the plates, then did the pie plates and
bowls. She set the tray of cutlery and other cooking utensils on the bottom of
another box and wrapped the glasses and coffee cups in the papers and laid them
on top.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">While Serena was filling the
boxes, the men carried the couch, love seat, ottoman, and end tables out to the
van. One of the men smiled at her when he went by. He was the youngest and the
tallest of the three and had dark hair shaved on the sides and curly on top,
blue eyes, and high cheekbones. She guessed his age to be in the mid-thirties,
while the other two were in their forties. He had taken off his jacket and she
could see the muscles bulging under his black t-shirt. She returned the smile,
feeling a warming sensation in her stomach.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">The men hauled the bed, dressers,
and night stands from the master bedroom through the living room and out the
door. Serena paused and watched them go by. Actually, all of the men were in
good shape but the two older men were intent on doing their job. The younger
one caught her eye again and winked.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone carried plastic garbage
bags out of her bedroom and set them against the wall by the door. “These are
my clothes and they will go in the back of my car when we leave,” she told
Serena and the men. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Where is your furniture going?”
Serena asked Simone as she went to the kitchen sink and ran some water into a
glass.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“I’ve rented a storage unit and
I’m going to put them there until I figure out where I’m going next.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Serena felt sorry for her sister.
Simone had lost one husband to a heart attack and now was losing another to
divorce. Serena had never been lucky enough, if lucky was the right word, to
find a man she wanted to settle down with. She’d had many lovers and affairs
but they had only been a ‘passing fancy’ as her mother called them.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Serena knew now wasn’t the time
to ask Simone what had happened between her and Griffin. It looked as if Simone
was in a hurry to get everything out of the condo before Griffin came home from
work. Serena noticed that Simone was leaving all the furniture in the guest
bedroom. She knew that the bed and dresser in it were the only furniture that
Griffin had brought into their marriage. The rest had belonged to Simone.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">As Serena boxed up cooking and
baking ware, the man in the black t-shirt stopped at the counter and slid a
piece of paper with his name, Doug, and phone number on it towards her. “Call
me,” he said then hurried to catch up with the other men.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Another man falling under your
spell?” Simone asked as she took down the Christmas decorations.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Serena laughed. Although they
called themselves the BB Bell sisters, their friends had also given them
nicknames: Simone with her quick smile, had been known as Tinker Bell because
she liked to tinker around on cars with their father. They’d taken an old
clunker that she bought with the money she’d saved from her babysitting and
part-time job and had fixed it up and painted it. Simone had driven her friends
to school football games and to parties in it.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Serena was called Hells Bells by
her friends because she was always getting into trouble. There hadn’t been a
week go by that she wasn’t called into the principal’s office for some prank
she pulled. And because of her beauty she’d been popular with the boys. They
would line up in school and beg her for a date causing blockades in the
hallways. That usually got her a trip to the principal’s office even though she
claimed it wasn’t her fault. Sometimes, when her sister was gone, Serena would
sneak Simone’s keys and take her friends for a joy ride. They always pooled
their money afterwards and put gas in the tank so Simone wouldn’t notice.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“He is kind of cute,” Serena
said, putting the paper in her purse.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“What about Jerry?” Simone
carefully placed the decorations in two boxes.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“I haven’t seen him enough to
consider it serious. I’m not even sure if we’re even dating.” She decided to
change subjects. She held up the decorations she’d been taking down. “Are you
putting those in storage also?” Their mother decorated her house but not as
much as Simone was used to.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“I’m taking these to Mom’s. Her
house needs more than what she puts up.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Serena smiled. Their mother was
in for a surprise this holiday season.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Do you want to come for dinner
at Mom’s?”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Oh, it’s pretty late to be
showing up unexpectedly.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“I’ll text her and let her know
you’ll be joining us. Lauren always makes extra in case she or Mom wants a
snack later so I’m sure there’s enough food for one more.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"> </p>
<h3> </h3>
<h3>* * *</h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone was tired. Her furniture was
in her storage unit and she and Serena had driven to their mother’s house on
Oak Street. They’d unloaded bags of clothes and carried them up to her old
bedroom on the second floor. Her boxes of decorations had gone in the basement.
Lauren had kept the food she’d prepared warm and she now set it on the table.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“You hired a gumshoe?” Serena
asked as she, Simone, Lauren and their mother sat down for their dinner in
Patricia’s dining room. The room was large with a glass topped table that sat
up to eight people and white straight-backed leather chairs. Along one wall was
an antique sideboard that had belonged to Patricia’s grandmother and above it
hung a large rectangle mirror. An archway led into the kitchen and another one
on the wall opposite the sideboard let into the living room. The fourth wall
had a double patio door that opened onto a deck overlooking the garden area.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“They don’t call themselves
gumshoes, I’ve been informed,” Simone said as she dished up some scalloped
potatoes. “At one time that cliché probably fit because the private detectives
wore street shoes with thick, rubber soles so they could walk softly. Now they
wear all types of footwear and have more sophisticated ways of tracking
someone.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“So what all did the detective
do? How did he find out Griffin was cheating?”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone grimaced at the word
cheating but she had decided to answer all their questions and get it over
with. “Raymond Webster of the Webster Private Detective Agency tried to follow
him, but he kept evading him. Finally Mr. Webster watched the women where Griffin
worked and in our neighbourhood. When nothing developed there he started
looking at the men. He noticed that one of our neighbours left his house around
the same time that Griffin left ours. He followed him and found them together.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone took a drink of her wine
and didn’t watch them as the news sunk in.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Oh,” Patricia said.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Really?” was Serena’s reaction.
“For sure? And he got pictures?”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Lauren said nothing.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone nodded in answer to
Serena’s question. Before she’d left the condo, she’d spread the photographs on
the counter and left them for Griffin. That was all the explanation he would
get from her. It should be all the explanation he needed.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“And you never suspected he was
gay?” Serena asked.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“No.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Really?” Serena and Patricia
exchanged glances.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Why? Did you?” Simone stared
from her sister to her mother.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Well,” Patricia said slowly. “We
did wonder.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Why?” Simone asked again. “What
did he do?”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Oh, it was nothing overt,”
Serena said. “Just some of his mannerism, like the way he occasionally waved
his hand or struck a pose. Until today, though, if I’d been asked if I truly
thought he was gay. I would have said no.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone couldn’t believe that she
had missed the signs. Had she been so much in love with him that she’d refused
to acknowledge them? Had she thought her love would keep him at her side?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Are you going to take some time
off?” Patricia asked.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone was jerked from her
thoughts. “No time off. I’ll be back in the office tomorrow, right after I see
a lawyer and a real estate agent.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Good for you, Dear. No use
dwelling on times of yore. And you can stay here as long as you need.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Thank you, Mom.” She smiled at
her mother.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Patricia was a small, pretty
woman with dark hair. She stood barely five foot two inches and had only
reached their father’s chest when standing beside him. Simone and Serena had
taken after Craig in height and with their blonde hair.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone looked at Lauren wondering
why she was so quiet. Usually she kept them laughing by telling them about the
antics she and their mother had gotten into since their last visit. Maybe she
was quiet because of the reason Simone was moving in. Maybe she thought it was
too sombre an occasion for levity.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Anything new happen since the
last time we saw you two?” Simone asked looking from her mother to Lauren.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“We went to a Christmas craft
sale and bought some candles and scented soap,” Lauren said. She was medium
height with long brown hair that she kept in a ponytail or braids. She was in
her mid-forties and had been married once. Her parents were still alive and she
had one sister.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Patricia nodded. “And we also
went shopping for gifts.” She added with a smile.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Oh!” Serena exclaimed bouncing
up and down in her chair. “What did you buy us? What did you buy us?”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone remembered the two of them
pestering their parents with that same question every year when they were
children.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Nothing for either of you,”
Patricia said, a sparkle in her eye. “You’re both on the naughty list.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Simone laughed for the first time
that day. That had also been her mother’s reaction to their question every
year.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Oh,” Serena pouted then she
brightened. “Christmas isn’t here yet. I have plenty of time to find out. And
speaking of Christmas, it’s time to get in the spirit. I’m going to see the
lights at the VanDusen Gardens one evening next week. Anyone want to join me?”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“I haven’t been there since Mom
and Dad took us as kids,” Simone said. “I’ll go with you.” She wanted to start
doing some Christmas activities. The news about Griffin had put a damper on her
mood but she didn’t want to let it spoil the season. She knew there was no way
they would ever get back together. If Griffin had been seeing a woman, he could
say he’d made a mistake and wanted another chance. But he couldn’t change his
sexual orientation. She knew she would have sad days, but she also knew it was
definitely over.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">“Me, too,” Patricia said.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">They all looked at Lauren. “I’ll
go, too,” she smiled.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>Joan Donaldson-Yarmeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03207419939273225435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446627416775227561.post-55782985013261710262023-09-22T02:00:00.001-07:002023-09-22T02:00:00.146-07:00Pantser Writing<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheSF0DRLObbRx1L_0f3ZlpCiRyNmpd3JYIqm6lx_v8ngCN2LIGNdO6VkzQqQcCsoM2x18E1cO3IlSFP610rF_KaFPylZ5YHUFbAj4JZHddcZ4Snh8yIX-nYV8KhuMMwmu3NfjPKs01Ba6xsuGw0yc4BbfVoClI3y7Kwb14ris7kyvrCC46Zpi6Q4Et/s2700/Romancing%20the%20Klondike.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheSF0DRLObbRx1L_0f3ZlpCiRyNmpd3JYIqm6lx_v8ngCN2LIGNdO6VkzQqQcCsoM2x18E1cO3IlSFP610rF_KaFPylZ5YHUFbAj4JZHddcZ4Snh8yIX-nYV8KhuMMwmu3NfjPKs01Ba6xsuGw0yc4BbfVoClI3y7Kwb14ris7kyvrCC46Zpi6Q4Et/s320/Romancing%20the%20Klondike.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other;">https://books2read.com/Romancing-the-Klondike</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyoRi3yQsD5mN8B0v5XwfkIWJXeSNfvRu6dSZMbea1kK-N0XxZLL5US5RlFGZxnHq4zVdVNGQJwxr6Pij60-hxzSs3sPZhcCsIxnTnAGp0i-R8qjj7pYvIhd5RpXUpRXWpZyv38y9sLxS5mCsUkBWYJmdIlCTnXpB2f8uI5jLKju0yMnh8JFpHaknj/s4032/IMG_6852.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyoRi3yQsD5mN8B0v5XwfkIWJXeSNfvRu6dSZMbea1kK-N0XxZLL5US5RlFGZxnHq4zVdVNGQJwxr6Pij60-hxzSs3sPZhcCsIxnTnAGp0i-R8qjj7pYvIhd5RpXUpRXWpZyv38y9sLxS5mCsUkBWYJmdIlCTnXpB2f8uI5jLKju0yMnh8JFpHaknj/s320/IMG_6852.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other;">https://books2read.com/Rushing-the-Klondike</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN-64ths7QG7XqEtv6kA6u94u471Y1uHnJbdfuszTht646Wb2Ii-JssGQ1vV3iARE5kphorDoHq1EcqEYD2jGgiMwPxMvRfnPJHeiz5sp3i9D51vxcRBOkBQNV8zu6d6gHVbxciTH-hfeva38kI21nmPQbOFK0AbbkzRtYeaxt4uYUCGBZG512VAFg/s1620/Sleuthing%20the%20Klondike%20cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1620" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN-64ths7QG7XqEtv6kA6u94u471Y1uHnJbdfuszTht646Wb2Ii-JssGQ1vV3iARE5kphorDoHq1EcqEYD2jGgiMwPxMvRfnPJHeiz5sp3i9D51vxcRBOkBQNV8zu6d6gHVbxciTH-hfeva38kI21nmPQbOFK0AbbkzRtYeaxt4uYUCGBZG512VAFg/s320/Sleuthing%20the%20Klondike%20cover.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>https://books2read.com/Sleuthing-the-Klondike<br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other;"> <span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Pantser Writing</span>
</p><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">If I had to chose between being called a plotter or a pantser writer I am definitely a
pantser. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">I
have never worked with a solid outline or arc for my novels, whether
they are mystery, historical, romance, or young adult. And this is mainly because I
find that my characters seldom end up the way I first pictured them and
the plot never takes the route I thought it would.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">I either start with an idea or a character and decide the setting
and then start writing. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">I do begin the story
with a character in his/her everyday life so the reader can get to know
them then I put in the trigger that is out of the control of my main
character or starts the mystery. This puts the main character on his/her
quest for a solution.</span>
</p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">I
do have scenes pictured where characters are going to have a certain
conversation or be at a certain place but unexpected conversations or
character twists surface as I am writing the story. Some of these are
surprises or mishaps or problems that get in the way of my character’s
quest. I strive not to make these predictable nor so far out that they
don’t make sense to the story. They should leave the reader with the
thought that (s)he should have figured that would happen. I find that it
is no fun to read a book where you can foresee where the story line is
headed and what is going to happen before it does.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Sometimes,
part way through my story, I have to go back and add chapters at the
beginning because one of my characters has decided to say to do
something unexpected. I have even had characters try to hijack my story
and make it about them. An example is in Sleuthing the Klondike. I had
two main characters Helen and Baxter and decided that Helen needed an
lady's maid. I introduced Mattie who was supposed to be a very minor
character but she suddenly began telling her story and almost took over
as the main female character.<br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">For
the climax of my stories my character goes through the action of resolving the
problem or solving the mystery. This has to be fast paced and sometimes
at a risk to the character. By this time the reader should be rooting
for the main character and wanting him/her to succeed without injury.
Hopefully, too, this is where the surprise comes in, where the reader
goes. “Wow, I didn’t see that coming." or "I never thought it would be
that person.” I have even been surprised or saddened or happy by the
ending of my novels and have said that.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span> </div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">I believe that if my emotions are rocked by the ending so, too, should those of the readers.</span>Joan Donaldson-Yarmeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03207419939273225435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446627416775227561.post-56842013933093482702023-09-20T02:00:00.000-07:002023-09-20T02:00:00.151-07:00Canada's Deserts<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkZPXtSIsnirscd4w-kPz2ZCMJRQ8TzQDB5bPe6ioCS-L9XojJQpsUDTM0rGkQwHU5GNozDTroNplWn5Dk3UAxI46dL05cbcZrQlb7FuhjtaSTvWlvuslqD3o5eReI-LyhSxr_9y3E7j2vxJ_XNbiaCGRQEJ1E0syUzp-sE09l6ajNBFeki4B-6ySRRQ/s2700/DonaldsonYarmey-GoldFever%20(3).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkZPXtSIsnirscd4w-kPz2ZCMJRQ8TzQDB5bPe6ioCS-L9XojJQpsUDTM0rGkQwHU5GNozDTroNplWn5Dk3UAxI46dL05cbcZrQlb7FuhjtaSTvWlvuslqD3o5eReI-LyhSxr_9y3E7j2vxJ_XNbiaCGRQEJ1E0syUzp-sE09l6ajNBFeki4B-6ySRRQ/s320/DonaldsonYarmey-GoldFever%20(3).jpg" width="213" /></a></div><p></p><p>https://books2read.com/u/bapW6a</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzfNNfnKxj4TqnIxtF-PukO_USJCzMZ5t1kcbHpb76IjdGNACiQhYpO8bzc5ggGQNNP1wu-gNV2Z8hstJ_oZLlU3MCcdsdMVdJ99EQ9bmOR9aPnmxMIhPUq-cqFL9odQL61o11zklX3F6yB6I2iabwSNccRAT29llQ4cfa4nxG6cAK4fV2E2XrHbuW9Q/s640/DonaldsonYarmey-TravelingDetectiveSeries-PRINTconcept%20(1)%20(515x640).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="515" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzfNNfnKxj4TqnIxtF-PukO_USJCzMZ5t1kcbHpb76IjdGNACiQhYpO8bzc5ggGQNNP1wu-gNV2Z8hstJ_oZLlU3MCcdsdMVdJ99EQ9bmOR9aPnmxMIhPUq-cqFL9odQL61o11zklX3F6yB6I2iabwSNccRAT29llQ4cfa4nxG6cAK4fV2E2XrHbuW9Q/s320/DonaldsonYarmey-TravelingDetectiveSeries-PRINTconcept%20(1)%20(515x640).jpg" width="258" /></a></div><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHB3YMAeXxaKQPMQhSnqE_OSc3M7Nmg-Rjp3fZEMBSZim9DNfnWDDOgK8XUB-0RAfAL62W3eHtax_PMAEriJhU-yhw72ZppHwU5LN45Y38FmxP2t20c9ULQZDJLjcYesQxCvmOYuqaTKf42OV0dFW5nsTUjSJbBvfzH1mcYPOcd8lK9ft3XsQCQ2VF/s640/DonaldsonYarmey-TravelingDetectiveSeries-PRINTconcept%20(1)%20(515x640).jpg">https://books2read.com/The-Travelling-Detective-Boxed-Set
</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black;">Canada’s
Deserts</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black;">Only
forty-one of the one-hundred ninety-five countries on this earth have deserts
but the deserts cover almost one-third of the earth’s land mass. I am a
Canadian writer and all my mystery, historical, romance, and young adult novels
are set in Canada. Canada is the second largest country in the world and home
to one desert and three pseudo-deserts. </span><span class="hgkelc"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">A pseudo-desert is defined as <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">an area that has some of the qualities that
make up a desert, but does not meet the technical standards to be termed a true
desert</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black;">There
are three main features of a desert: less than 250 millimetres (10 inches) of
precipitation each year; sparse vegetation; and severe weather changes. Other
characteristics include humidity, high winds, little cloud cover, and aridity.
The types of deserts are semi-arid, cold, coastal, and hot and dry.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black;">The
people of the Southern Interior of British Columbia claim that Canada’s only
desert is in the Osoyoos area. Many of the businesses in the region have the
word ‘desert’ in their names, such as the Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre and the
Osoyoos Desert Centre. Tourists come to this part of British Columbia to see
this popular desert.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black;">But
others say that, although it does have desert type plants like cacti and
animals such as the sage grouse and tiger salamander, it is not really a desert
because of the precipitation which is 323 mm (12.7 in) annually. It is defined
as a pseudo-desert.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black;">Another
pseudo-desert in Canada is the Carcross Desert, located outside the community
of Carcross in the Yukon. At 2.6 sq km (1sq mi) it is called the smallest
desert in the world. </span>But while it is termed a desert it is actually the
remains of an ancient glacial lake which left the sand dunes when it dried up.
In spite of the strong winds from Lake Bennett which bring in more sand,
kinnikinnick, Yukon lupine, Baikal sedge, and lodgepole pines are able to
survive.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">The local people used the
dunes for sandboarding, hiking, beach volleyball, and all-terrain vehicles
and there are scenic tours for tourists.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">The third pseudo-desert in
Canada is the Great Saskatchewan Sand Hills covering 1,900sq km (734 sq mi).
Like the Carcross Desert they are desert-like sand dunes situated just north of
the village of Sceptre in southwestern Saskatchewan. Also like the Carcross
Desert, the hills were left when glaciers melted 12,000 years ago and are home
to a variety of plants and animals that have adapted to the dunes.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">The Canadian Arctic Tundra
is considered the only true desert in Canada. However, it isn’t a hot desert;
it is a cold polar desert and covers a large area in northern Canada. The land
is covered by thick layers of ice instead of sand and has a cold, harsh climate
with temperatures dropping as low as -40 degrees Celsius (-40F). Trees have a
difficult time surviving in the permafrost during the short growing season so
the tundra is covered mainly by small shrubs, mosses, and lichens. A number of
animals--arctic hares, muskoxen, polar bears, arctic foxes, and caribou--manage
to live in this cold desert in the far north because they have thick fur coats
to keep them warm.</p>
<p></p>Joan Donaldson-Yarmeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03207419939273225435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446627416775227561.post-19972614667274015502023-09-05T06:51:00.000-07:002023-09-05T06:51:04.460-07:00National Holidays<p> </p><div><div class="" dir="auto"><div class="x1iorvi4 x1pi30zi x1swvt13 xjkvuk6" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id=":r9g:"><div class="x78zum5 xdt5ytf xz62fqu x16ldp7u"><div class="xu06os2 x1ok221b"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij7ArYHcBnDtzlryk8h34MlQEjsK2mi8YRNjBHbtABJ3koJghd3w2DVlCSWpxoXWqy5tatSz7Si1SQGPbV5rs18HsEL7zfS6uIHkZs4jcTaKGw2axLIF_2nRJ730e8ZkCVmfMHqGTrQDLqXPFJtm5RSlFdI4lMDoacn81cikHgD1Z1jEsK5f-SulnpDAhb/s4032/IMG_6380.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij7ArYHcBnDtzlryk8h34MlQEjsK2mi8YRNjBHbtABJ3koJghd3w2DVlCSWpxoXWqy5tatSz7Si1SQGPbV5rs18HsEL7zfS6uIHkZs4jcTaKGw2axLIF_2nRJ730e8ZkCVmfMHqGTrQDLqXPFJtm5RSlFdI4lMDoacn81cikHgD1Z1jEsK5f-SulnpDAhb/s320/IMG_6380.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>https://www.amazon.ca/Killer-Match-Joan-Donaldson-Yarmey/dp/1990086241</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4LCjkWvpoKoFs8XNhVEfbs4gFUyQSFYql6DZgr2Tr0XmbLp9Q-LNbz0lpM5dYMI1q1sAUwZit1__ztUAEbAQNhEz3Hn8wtlATDijOvmX6TkeLSRc-dBgp3-3nLUGbpmFYE8kQ_0R0i3-wOL3BKti2YaE63hS7Kmg6qtUTfn_woZXeZa1rqfFk95QI5H8m/s1620/Sleuthing%20the%20Klondike%20cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1620" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4LCjkWvpoKoFs8XNhVEfbs4gFUyQSFYql6DZgr2Tr0XmbLp9Q-LNbz0lpM5dYMI1q1sAUwZit1__ztUAEbAQNhEz3Hn8wtlATDijOvmX6TkeLSRc-dBgp3-3nLUGbpmFYE8kQ_0R0i3-wOL3BKti2YaE63hS7Kmg6qtUTfn_woZXeZa1rqfFk95QI5H8m/s320/Sleuthing%20the%20Klondike%20cover.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /> https://www.amazon.com/Sleuthing-Klondike-Canadian-Historical-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0C18F5D72/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1685272048&refinements=p_27%3AJoan+Donaldson-Yarmey&s=books&sr=1-1#customerReviews</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">National holidays are sanctioned by each country’s government and are devoted to famous persons or events. There is usually one a month and most workers have the day off to celebrate it. However, it is a little known fact that each day of the year is dedicated to some animal, or food, or activity. None of them is a recognized holiday but they are worth acknowledging. Here are the ones for the last twenty-one days of summer. </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Sept 1- World Letter Writing Day.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Sept 2- National <span><a tabindex="-1"></a></span>Blueberry Popsicle Day.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Sept 3- Skyscraper Day</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Sept 4- Newspaper Carrier Day—I don’t think there are many of them left.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Sept 5- Be Late for Something Day—Maybe don’t make that work, your boss might not agree that it is a real holiday.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Sept 6- Read a Book Day. I am a writer so I sanction this holiday.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Sept 7- National Salami Day.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Sept 8- Pardon Day. As in “I beg your pardon ‘ or as we say here in Canada ‘Sorry’.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Sept 9- Teddy Bear Day. How many still have their childhood teddy bear?</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Sept 10- Swap Ideas Day—make sure they are good ones.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Sept 11- Make Your Bed Day.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Sept 12- Chocolate Milk Shake Day. My favourite.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Sept 13- Fortune Cookie Day.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Sept 14- National Cream Filled Doughnut Day.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Sept 15- Make a Hat Day.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Sept 16- Collect Rocks Day—take a pail.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Sept 17- National Apple Dumpling Day. Yummie.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Sept 18- National Cheeseburger Day.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Sept 19- International Talk Like a Pirate Day—Arrgh</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Sept 20- National Punch Day—I’m thinking the drink.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Sept 21- Miniature Golf Day.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Welcome to Autumn.</div></div></span></div></div></div></div></div>Joan Donaldson-Yarmeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03207419939273225435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446627416775227561.post-49357970024664500392023-07-21T02:00:00.002-07:002023-07-21T02:00:00.136-07:00My Historical Yukon Novels<p> </p><p><br />
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjucTHyvYZ2RRYfWTTxW6en3bpA0D9dBOpITwbBv4Re-ZiadNap8pQLBe-FimsEM5uCgdC5tEr_dxzRf61aM_MHZMa_TdtpxBOsGRv-WCHy46-OLdrv5rw5bYc_lw9UBjZ5H3quBje79bBdUK1KSjavlywzug0uPH5uSyDUHa-SlfLfEqgT8-C2tT5H/s1620/Sleuthing%20the%20Klondike%20cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1620" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjucTHyvYZ2RRYfWTTxW6en3bpA0D9dBOpITwbBv4Re-ZiadNap8pQLBe-FimsEM5uCgdC5tEr_dxzRf61aM_MHZMa_TdtpxBOsGRv-WCHy46-OLdrv5rw5bYc_lw9UBjZ5H3quBje79bBdUK1KSjavlywzug0uPH5uSyDUHa-SlfLfEqgT8-C2tT5H/s320/Sleuthing%20the%20Klondike%20cover.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><p></p><p>https://books2read.com/Sleuthing-the-Klondike<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfNSrPZtaSbhhG5-d86Wn8FklgTG6rQuX-LY7WQhAuuaD8tzQNqq73B10x2lAgpjVSDwYZCFXjGwnGnjZHibuuLaAd8ZCGDura5oAIpJ1IY9i9QWdQiq-DG8E-XdYWgZvl-QGqkBllyyYBu-SnAcet-lJ1HGcnvQbAlBE6cl7BT6zRvnLrcff7UmOf/s4032/IMG_6851.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfNSrPZtaSbhhG5-d86Wn8FklgTG6rQuX-LY7WQhAuuaD8tzQNqq73B10x2lAgpjVSDwYZCFXjGwnGnjZHibuuLaAd8ZCGDura5oAIpJ1IY9i9QWdQiq-DG8E-XdYWgZvl-QGqkBllyyYBu-SnAcet-lJ1HGcnvQbAlBE6cl7BT6zRvnLrcff7UmOf/s320/IMG_6851.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p>https://books2read.com/Rushing-the-Klondike<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnkYgfLBkiXSR5Svf7aLTV1OExe_xaUBWr-ZRUDp5j8_FnmxDklijGhsp6bodExtM8-sTVl4DLTGwNfdjCZfsHFu6zHBZp4yUAICkwQthp7BIgGXEbl-CaOhB9R9i2q0v0ua2l7oPue5NtQJcPPrheSKTfjFEwj-4AU1yPOMLH3pWptdcd4bUvuTnO/s2700/Romancing%20the%20Klondike.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnkYgfLBkiXSR5Svf7aLTV1OExe_xaUBWr-ZRUDp5j8_FnmxDklijGhsp6bodExtM8-sTVl4DLTGwNfdjCZfsHFu6zHBZp4yUAICkwQthp7BIgGXEbl-CaOhB9R9i2q0v0ua2l7oPue5NtQJcPPrheSKTfjFEwj-4AU1yPOMLH3pWptdcd4bUvuTnO/s320/Romancing%20the%20Klondike.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><p class="yiv8903651424ydpb9b67dd6MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; outline: none; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: New; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px; outline: none;">https://books2read.com/Romancing-the-Klondike <br /></span></p><p class="yiv8903651424ydpb9b67dd6MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; outline: none; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: New; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px; outline: none;">BWL
Publishing Inc. published twelve books of the Canadian Historical
Brides Collection in 2017, Canada's 150th birthday. Each book was set in
one of the ten provinces or two territories (Northwest Territories and
Nunavut were combined). Because I had travelled to the Yukon twice and
had hiked the Chilkoot Trail on the hundredth anniversary of the
Klondike Gold Rush in 1997, I chose the Yukon of 1896/97 to write about.
My novel,<span> </span><i style="outline: none;">Romancing the Klondike,</i><span> </span>was
published as a hard copy and ebook in 2017 with an audible version
being released in 2022. It follows the lives of two young women who
travel from Halifax to Fortymile on the Yukon River in 1896.</span></p><p class="yiv8903651424ydpb9b67dd6MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; outline: none; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: New; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px; outline: none;">Pearl
Owens is commissioned to write articles about the north for her
hometown newspaper. She is accompanied by her cousin, Emma, and they
plan on meeting up with Emma’s brother who has been in the north with
two friends for five years.<span style="outline: none;"> <span> </span></span>Gold
is discovered on Rabbit Creek just as they arrive. Emma marries one of
Sam’s friends and returns to Halifax while Pearl remains in the newly
established Dawson.</span></p><p class="yiv8903651424ydpb9b67dd6MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; outline: none; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: New; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px; outline: none;">I wrote a sequel to that book,<span> </span><i style="outline: none;">Rushing the Klondike</i><span> </span>which
was published in October of 2022. Although it is not part of the
Canadian Historical Brides Collection, it is a continuation of the
original<span> </span><i style="outline: none;">Romancing the Klondike</i><span> </span>story.</span></p><p class="yiv8903651424ydpb9b67dd6MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; outline: none; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: New; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px; outline: none;">This
year BWL, Inc has begun releasing the Canadian Historical Mysteries
Collection, which includes twelve mystery novels set in each of the
Canadian provinces and territories. My novel,<span> </span><i style="outline: none;">Sleuthing the Klondike</i>,
was published in April, 2023 and also takes place in the summer of
1898. Helen Castrel arrives in Victoria, B.C after a long journey from
London, England and hires Detective Baxter Davenport to go with her to
Dawson City to find her brother. David Castrel is a remittance man who
hasn’t been heard from for a year. While the main characters are
different from my other two books, their lives become intertwined with
the characters of the first Klondike books during their investigation.</span></p><p>
</p><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">The following is a brief history of the Yukon <br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US">The name Yukon is derived from the Loucheux
first nations word Yukunah which means `big river'. The land was mainly
occupied by the Tagish and Tlingit native people for centuries before the
non-native explorers arrived in the 1820s. In the 1840s fur traders set up a
few Hudson's Bay Company posts along the Yukon River. When the United States
purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867, there wasn’t a clear border between
Alaska and the Northwest Territories, as the land was known then. In 1887-88
William Ogilvie, a Canadian surveyor, surveyed the area making the 141<sup>st</sup>
meridian the western boundary with Alaska and the 60<sup>th</sup> parallel the
southern border with British Columbia. Hence the phrase <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">North of 60</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Prospectors
went north looking for gold in the 1880s and there was a gold strike along the
Fortymile River, which drains into the Yukon River, in 1886. There were other
smaller strikes until 1896 when gold was discovered on Rabbit Creek later
renamed Bonanza Creek. A town named Dawson sprang up on the Yukon River at the
mouth of the Klondike River. When word of the gold discovery reached the
outside world in the summer of 1897, thousands of men, women and children hurried
to Dawson during the winter of 1897-1898 hoping to find their fortune.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because
of the rush Dawson grew quickly to be the largest city north of San Francisco
and it became known as the `Paris of the North'. It had hotels, dance halls,
daily newspapers and saloons for its 30,000 inhabitants. Fresh eggs were
brought by raft on the Yukon River; whiskey came in by the boatload before
freeze-up; gambling made rich men out of some and paupers out of others; dance
hall girls charged $5 dollars in gold for each minute they danced with a miner;
the janitors made up to $50 dollars a night when they panned out the sawdust
from the barroom floors. Due to the influx of people, the region officially
entered into the confederation of Canada and was designated as the Yukon
Territory on June 13, 1898. Dawson became the capital. Eventually the word
`territory' was dropped and it was called The Yukon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A Territorial Administration Building was constructed in 1901 for the
territorial seat of government and Dawson was the centre for the government
administration until 1953 when the capital was moved to Whitehorse.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Klondike gold rush ended in 1899 when word of a gold discovery in
Nome, Alaska, reached the prospectors and they headed further north. However,
over the next few decades gold companies were formed and continued to mine the
creeks, this time using dredges to dig up the creek bottom. They left behind
huge piles of gravel called tailings. The dredging lasted until 1960 when gold
prices declined making the operation uneconomical. Today, mining is done with
big trucks, huge sluices, and back hoes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The north is known as the Land of the
Midnight Sun after the words in Robert W. Service’s poem <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Cremation of Sam McGee:</i></span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">There are strange things done in the midnight
sun <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the men who moil for gold.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US">The Arctic Circle </span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">is the most northerly of the five major circles of latitude of the Earth.
It </span><span lang="EN-US">is an imaginary line that marks the southern edge of
the Arctic at 66 degrees 30' north latitude in the Yukon and Northwest
Territories of Canada, and in Alaska, Scandinavia and Russia. The land north of
the Arctic Circle gets 24 hours of sunlight on the longest day of the year,
June 21st. The further north of the circle you go the more days of total
sunlight in the summer you will get. This is because the North Pole is tilted
towards the sun and gets direct sunlight from March 20 to September 22 as the
earth rotates. Conversely, on the shortest day, December 21st, the land north
of the Arctic Circle gets 24 hours of darkness because the North Pole is tilted
away from the sun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Yukon is a great place to view the
aurora borealis or northern lights. These are </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">bright dancing lights </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">that are really collisions
between the gaseous particles of the Earth’s atmosphere and the electrically
charged particles from the sun that enter the earth’s atmosphere. The most
common colours are pink and pale green produced by oxygen molecules about sixty
miles above the earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Silver, blue, green,
yellow and violet also appear in the display. Red auroras are rare and produced
at high altitudes of about 200 miles. The lights </span><span lang="EN-US">are
best seen in the winter and the further north you are the better they appear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Yukon has the smallest desert in the
world, the Carcross Desert, near the town of Carcross. It is an area that was
once covered by a glacial lake. As the glaciers melted the level of the lake
lowered until just the sandy bottom was left. Winds off Lake Bennett keep the
sand moving and prevent most plants and trees from taking root on this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During the late Wisconsin ice age (10,000
to 70,000 years ago) an arid section of the northern hemisphere was not
glaciated because of the lack of moisture to support the expansion of the
glaciers. The area, called Beringia after the Bering Strait which is near the
centre of the region, encompassed parts of present-day eastern Siberia, Alaska,
The Yukon, and ended at the Mackenzie River in the Northwest Territories. The
growth of continental glaciers sucked up moisture which led to the sea level
dropping by up to 106 metres (350 feet). As a result, a land bridge was formed
between northwest North America and northeast Asia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is believed that parts of western
Beringia (eastern Siberia today) were occupied by man 35,000 years ago. The
forming of the Bering Land Bridge allowed the first humans to travel from Asia
to North America. There is evidence that the history of man in North America
goes back 25,000 years ago.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of the animals that survived for
thousands of years in this arid land surrounded by glaciers were the North
American horse and camel, the steppe bison, the giant beaver that weighed up to
181 kilograms (400 pounds), the Mastodon, the woolly mammoth, the giant short-faced
bear, the scimitar cat, the American lion, and the giant ground sloth. All of
these are extinct.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The territory of The Yukon was founded on
gold mining, but there has been coal and silver mining in the territory also. It
is now a favourite destination for tourists.</span>Joan Donaldson-Yarmeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03207419939273225435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446627416775227561.post-14863990802055795692023-06-22T01:30:00.001-07:002023-06-22T01:30:00.319-07:00National Parks and Reserves of Canada<p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWBG3RTbY400xGJRrdVF6ijjxPZjrJP7fPirlOrauPB6A2GLUO4AgaNblefXiaepXbxQWIiPPY-XFRn5akRRA-F_qWXm7Y318ObpfqUegYJbbZeviSxTiXUQIh6inFKK9S3l7mFP8xnjnHXcKNVefwSffqfamXM0gIxtM86o1_xgWMH3agDW-30St3/s2700/Yarmey-CriminalStreak.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWBG3RTbY400xGJRrdVF6ijjxPZjrJP7fPirlOrauPB6A2GLUO4AgaNblefXiaepXbxQWIiPPY-XFRn5akRRA-F_qWXm7Y318ObpfqUegYJbbZeviSxTiXUQIh6inFKK9S3l7mFP8xnjnHXcKNVefwSffqfamXM0gIxtM86o1_xgWMH3agDW-30St3/s320/Yarmey-CriminalStreak.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>https://books2read.com/u/mKJxdd</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3zkD85XB_00UO4ss08XMM18Pzv-oiicsTDjq0CgYY-f0vmSRSvYxIGcfxQSsnxwSNRssOuwv2N53CyR-tX81Cqi7glQMw-mRPG5M83CANzQAcm3D1xboKpZP76namypMKMZoSXfG23rECVZEy8c67X9iCCAtqW1cvv0Z4PH06t1fXEskmkUgs-ZeX/s2700/Yarmey-Betrayed.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3zkD85XB_00UO4ss08XMM18Pzv-oiicsTDjq0CgYY-f0vmSRSvYxIGcfxQSsnxwSNRssOuwv2N53CyR-tX81Cqi7glQMw-mRPG5M83CANzQAcm3D1xboKpZP76namypMKMZoSXfG23rECVZEy8c67X9iCCAtqW1cvv0Z4PH06t1fXEskmkUgs-ZeX/s320/Yarmey-Betrayed.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> https://books2read.com/u/mYgK6x</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">National Parks and Reserves of Canada</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I am a Canadian writer and all my mystery, historical, romance,
and young adult novels are set in Canada. Canada is the second largest country
in the world and has forty national parks and ten national park reserves
covering an area of approximately 342,000 sq km (132,000 sq mi). This is about
3.2% of Canada’s total land area.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Canada’s first national park, Banff National Park (formerly the
Rocky Mountain Park), was created in the province of Alberta in 1885 to protect
the land around the Cave and Basin Hot Springs from being developed. Two more
parks were created in 1886: Yoho National Park and Glacier National Park, both
in the Rocky Mountains in the province of British Columbia. The land for the Waterton
National Park, in southern Alberta, was set aside in 1895.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">After Waterton it was nine more years before another park was
created. The Thousand Islands National Park, which encompasses the one thousand
islands of the Islands Parkway on the St. Lawrence River, was established in
1904. These islands are the remnants of former ancient mountains. Then, from
1907, when Jasper National Park was formed, to 2015 when Qausuittug National
Park was established on Bathurst Island in Nunavut, forty-four more parks and
reserves were created in the ten provinces and three territories. Each park or
reserved was formed to protect the habitat of some animal or plant, or for its
scenic magnificence. An example is Qautuittug which is the habitat of the
endangered Peary Caribou.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">One of the features of the parks are red Adirondack chairs. The
placing of the red chairs began in Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland/Labrador in
2011. The members of the park staff positioned eighteen sets of chairs
throughout the park and held a contest to see who could find all eighteen sets.
The winner won a pair of red chairs. Since then the other parks have followed
suit and now there are over two hundred across Canada, all made from 100%
recycled plastic.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Some are easily found while others require a bit of a hike. When
you find them, sit and enjoy the beautiful view, whether it is overlooking a
lake, taking in mountain scenery, enjoying a prairie vista, or listening to a
flowing river. The parks offer much to see.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></p>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Banff
is the most popular park in the country with over four million visitors each
year. Tuktut Nogait, in the Northwest Territories, has the least amount of visitors
with less than five. A combined total of over fifteen million people view the
beautiful scenery of all the parks every year.</span>Joan Donaldson-Yarmeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03207419939273225435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446627416775227561.post-33433119108269472272023-05-22T02:00:00.001-07:002023-05-22T02:00:00.141-07:00From Big To Little<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCNIjcIyFuDeRc1t7lgTFdiYpj45KRTJ-xUZiZ5BG341n9Ffa8Z1b9wSN6N3vKeAWenDwMbC6ZGtKwpA9iIVgB_6cLm51GjXpeMCiuI7q4Cw6c6J9bi14YKk0WUrJ0pHp7QhAog0-grkM5V0agdc0DuUFDGKSj_qbXWQo6AjlGwdB4L8ko68ySWJSO/s2700/Romancing%20the%20Klondike.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCNIjcIyFuDeRc1t7lgTFdiYpj45KRTJ-xUZiZ5BG341n9Ffa8Z1b9wSN6N3vKeAWenDwMbC6ZGtKwpA9iIVgB_6cLm51GjXpeMCiuI7q4Cw6c6J9bi14YKk0WUrJ0pHp7QhAog0-grkM5V0agdc0DuUFDGKSj_qbXWQo6AjlGwdB4L8ko68ySWJSO/s320/Romancing%20the%20Klondike.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqbQZMTNsfapLHhoWWk7DNTaj-6JWP9KcZEzf6_yxThcPGWwAYe2SthVG38U7taSQdLv6CswMbP2kiz-s8n0pDVkuHWcCDZMkStORKybTs3XKPDF8-VREknhPixgvMHmtLkitlP3ApJKpBxFVdAVNYOf7BIixaQ0wP_VPCNoeGpXLK5SI6ieOsjwJp/s4032/IMG_6851.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqbQZMTNsfapLHhoWWk7DNTaj-6JWP9KcZEzf6_yxThcPGWwAYe2SthVG38U7taSQdLv6CswMbP2kiz-s8n0pDVkuHWcCDZMkStORKybTs3XKPDF8-VREknhPixgvMHmtLkitlP3ApJKpBxFVdAVNYOf7BIixaQ0wP_VPCNoeGpXLK5SI6ieOsjwJp/s320/IMG_6851.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcZo5Tvj_bJGUITpA-_JlyxDCbt-Us86XjLj-55fTR1TQMLOibKC8mQ3K3H8QxWsdJnY7YBzySIeATOuN4J3afEUr_j9tlVCQnTPsZfXFm3Z9EdRn6ea6-URWhy2uekjUttJC4PkIV-2YitfXyKkkq_6l3TylgZjMyJ3mYNvzY957Lr1_3Bt4FHSJd/s1620/Sleuthing%20the%20Klondike%20cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1620" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcZo5Tvj_bJGUITpA-_JlyxDCbt-Us86XjLj-55fTR1TQMLOibKC8mQ3K3H8QxWsdJnY7YBzySIeATOuN4J3afEUr_j9tlVCQnTPsZfXFm3Z9EdRn6ea6-URWhy2uekjUttJC4PkIV-2YitfXyKkkq_6l3TylgZjMyJ3mYNvzY957Lr1_3Bt4FHSJd/s320/Sleuthing%20the%20Klondike%20cover.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>https://www.bookswelove.com/donaldson-yarmey-joan/ <br /></p><p>https://books2read.com/Romancing-the-Klondike</p><p>https://books2read.com/Rushing-the-Klondike</p>https://www.bookswelove.com/authors/canadian-historical-mysteries/ <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I am a Canadian writer and all my mystery, historical, romance,
and young adult novels are set in Canada. Canada is the second largest country
in the world and home to a wide variety of rocks, plants, and animals. Here are
some of the oldest, largest, and smallest examples.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Canada’s largest tree is a western red cedar called the Cheewhat
Giant. It is in the Pacific Rim National Park on Vancouver Island. It is 56m
(182 ft) tall and has trunk diameter of 6m (20ft). The Cheewhat Giant is also
the biggest western red cedar in the world.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Canada’s tallest tree is a Sitka spruce in the Carmanah Valley on
Vancouver Island. It stands 95m (312ft) high.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Canada has the oldest exposed bedrock on earth and it is the
oldest section of our planet’s early crust. It is known as the Nuvvuagittuq
greenstone belt and is in Northern Quebec on the eastern shore of the Hudson
Bay. It has been analyzed by geologists and they have determined that the rock
samples range from 3.8 to 4.28 billion years old. The earth its 4.6 billion
years old and there are very few remnants of its early crust, since most of it
has been rotated back into the Earth’s interior by the movement of the large
tectonic plates over billions of years.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Banff Springs Snail
isn’t the smallest snail in the world; that is held by the Augustopila psammion</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> species
found in a cave in Vietnam and four of them fit inside a grain of sand.
However, the only place in the world where the Banff Springs Snail is found is
in a handful of thermal springs in Banff National Park in the province of
Alberta.<span style="color: black;"> The snail was first discovered in 1926 and
the largest of the snails are about the size of a small fingernail.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The world’s largest colony of Lesser Snow Geese can be found on
the Great Plain of the Koukdjuak on the western side of Baffin Island in the
territory of Nunavut, Canada. Beginning in late May as many as two million snow
geese migrate there to breed and when the young hatch, they and their parents
go further inland to feed. By early September the young are large enough to
head south for the winter.</span></p>Joan Donaldson-Yarmeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03207419939273225435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446627416775227561.post-33332710787818191392023-05-18T12:04:00.002-07:002023-05-18T12:06:53.483-07:00Everyday Dedication<p> </p><p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWKrwwv1kHTwT6Puapw99DJU_uli9htnsqWKZoZfcarn7aONCTn0F5iMBNwFq-qvR9kD_to_XQgj6mCCosCSZcgQL_f3gKmYQzdBNet90uXdI5kbhLauCcxTDmVfy81V_5T-elh0LCn-QbWRW4jMdMcuFqzmQHNO2OpSgKVWCBXzKRE7PY0zGaD7IicA/s1620/Sleuthing%20the%20Klondike%20cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1620" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWKrwwv1kHTwT6Puapw99DJU_uli9htnsqWKZoZfcarn7aONCTn0F5iMBNwFq-qvR9kD_to_XQgj6mCCosCSZcgQL_f3gKmYQzdBNet90uXdI5kbhLauCcxTDmVfy81V_5T-elh0LCn-QbWRW4jMdMcuFqzmQHNO2OpSgKVWCBXzKRE7PY0zGaD7IicA/s320/Sleuthing%20the%20Klondike%20cover.jpg" width="213" /></a></span></div><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Sleuthing-Klondike-Canadian-Historical-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0C18F5D72">https://www.amazon.ca/Sleuthing-Klondike-Canadian-Historical-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0C18F5D72</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I am a Canadian and all my mystery, historical, romance, and young
adult novels are set in Canada. Canada (like many countries) has n</span><span class="x193iq5w"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">ational
holidays that are sanctioned by the government and are devoted to famous
persons or events. There is usually one a month and most workers have the day
off to celebrate it. However, it is a little known fact that each day of the
year is dedicated to some animal, or food, or activity. None of them is a
recognized holiday but they are worth acknowledging. Here are some for the last
part of May.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span class="x193iq5w"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">May
19—National Devil’s Food Cake Day. I love chocolate cake so will be going
shopping later.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span class="x193iq5w"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">May
20—Pick Strawberries Day.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span class="x193iq5w"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">May
21—National Waiters and Waitresses Day.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span class="x193iq5w"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">May
22—Victoria Day. This is celebrated in Canada to commemorate Queen Victoria,</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
May 24, 1819 – January 22, 1901. She reigned from June 20, 1837 until her
death. At 63 years 216 days she was the longest reigning monarch until Queen
Elizabeth II who was on the throne from February 6, 1952 until her death in
September 8, 2022.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">May
23—Lucky Penny Day. Since Canada doesn’t have pennies anymore I think it should
be changed to lucky nickel day.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">May
24—National Scavenger Hunt Day.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">May
25—Towel Day. Not sure what you are supposed to do with the towel.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">May
26-- Sally Ride Day</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">May
27—National Hugging Day</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">May
28—Hamburger Day. My hubby is going to like that.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">May
29—Memorial Day. It is celebrated in the United States to mourn and honour the
country’s military personnel who died while serving in the armed forces. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">May
30—Water a Flower Day. They will like it in this heat we are having.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">May
31--National Macaroon Day.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I
have written three books in what I call Joan’s Historical Yukon Novels: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Romancing the Klondike (Historical romance),
Rushing the Klondike (</i>sequel to<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Romancing
the Klondike), </i>and<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Sleuthing the
Klondike (historical mystery).</i> All are set during the Klondike Gold Rush
1896-1898. Here is the link to my author’s page at BWL Publishing, Inc. to find
these books or any of my other mystery, romance, and historical novels.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.bookswelove.com/donaldson-yarmey-joan/">https://www.bookswelove.com/donaldson-yarmey-joan/</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Sleuthing-Klondike-Canadian-Historical-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0C18F5D72">https://www.amazon.ca/Sleuthing-Klondike-Canadian-Historical-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0C18F5D72</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></p>
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<![endif]--><p></p>Joan Donaldson-Yarmeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03207419939273225435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446627416775227561.post-51452398216672821712023-04-21T02:00:00.001-07:002023-04-21T02:00:00.204-07:00Writing Historical Novels<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCNIjcIyFuDeRc1t7lgTFdiYpj45KRTJ-xUZiZ5BG341n9Ffa8Z1b9wSN6N3vKeAWenDwMbC6ZGtKwpA9iIVgB_6cLm51GjXpeMCiuI7q4Cw6c6J9bi14YKk0WUrJ0pHp7QhAog0-grkM5V0agdc0DuUFDGKSj_qbXWQo6AjlGwdB4L8ko68ySWJSO/s2700/Romancing%20the%20Klondike.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCNIjcIyFuDeRc1t7lgTFdiYpj45KRTJ-xUZiZ5BG341n9Ffa8Z1b9wSN6N3vKeAWenDwMbC6ZGtKwpA9iIVgB_6cLm51GjXpeMCiuI7q4Cw6c6J9bi14YKk0WUrJ0pHp7QhAog0-grkM5V0agdc0DuUFDGKSj_qbXWQo6AjlGwdB4L8ko68ySWJSO/s320/Romancing%20the%20Klondike.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqbQZMTNsfapLHhoWWk7DNTaj-6JWP9KcZEzf6_yxThcPGWwAYe2SthVG38U7taSQdLv6CswMbP2kiz-s8n0pDVkuHWcCDZMkStORKybTs3XKPDF8-VREknhPixgvMHmtLkitlP3ApJKpBxFVdAVNYOf7BIixaQ0wP_VPCNoeGpXLK5SI6ieOsjwJp/s4032/IMG_6851.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqbQZMTNsfapLHhoWWk7DNTaj-6JWP9KcZEzf6_yxThcPGWwAYe2SthVG38U7taSQdLv6CswMbP2kiz-s8n0pDVkuHWcCDZMkStORKybTs3XKPDF8-VREknhPixgvMHmtLkitlP3ApJKpBxFVdAVNYOf7BIixaQ0wP_VPCNoeGpXLK5SI6ieOsjwJp/s320/IMG_6851.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcZo5Tvj_bJGUITpA-_JlyxDCbt-Us86XjLj-55fTR1TQMLOibKC8mQ3K3H8QxWsdJnY7YBzySIeATOuN4J3afEUr_j9tlVCQnTPsZfXFm3Z9EdRn6ea6-URWhy2uekjUttJC4PkIV-2YitfXyKkkq_6l3TylgZjMyJ3mYNvzY957Lr1_3Bt4FHSJd/s1620/Sleuthing%20the%20Klondike%20cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1620" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcZo5Tvj_bJGUITpA-_JlyxDCbt-Us86XjLj-55fTR1TQMLOibKC8mQ3K3H8QxWsdJnY7YBzySIeATOuN4J3afEUr_j9tlVCQnTPsZfXFm3Z9EdRn6ea6-URWhy2uekjUttJC4PkIV-2YitfXyKkkq_6l3TylgZjMyJ3mYNvzY957Lr1_3Bt4FHSJd/s320/Sleuthing%20the%20Klondike%20cover.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>https://www.bookswelove.com/donaldson-yarmey-joan/ <br /></p><p>https://books2read.com/Romancing-the-Klondike</p><p>https://books2read.com/Rushing-the-Klondike</p><p>https://www.bookswelove.com/authors/canadian-historical-mysteries/ </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">As a historical writer it is
important to make sure that you use the words of the period you have set your
book in. For example if your story is set in the 1500s you could use the word <i>hugger-mugger</i> when talking about a sneaky person who is acting in a secretive way and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">elflocks</i> to describe messy hair. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jargoyles</i> meant that a person was puzzled about something in the 1600s while in the 1700s a person who was out of sorts was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">grumpish</i>. In the 1800s people would have felt <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">curglaff</i> when they jumped into cold water and a man going for a post dinner walk while smoking his pipe was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">lunting.</i> In the early 1900s a person who was drunk was referred to as being <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">fuzzled</i>.<br />
<br />
</p><div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
Of course, it is important when
using those words that the writer somehow explains what they mean such as, if a
man said he was going for an after lunch lunt, the person he was talking to
could reply. “I don’t have my pipe and tobacco with me today.” I feel that
writers who use terminology from a different era or words or phrases from a
different language without clarification are trying to impress the reader with
their vocabulary and intellect. Speaking as a reader, for me what they are
really doing is making me angry and interrupting the flow of the story. I am jolted
out of the lives of the characters and into my life as I try to process the
meaning of what was written.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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As a writer you want the reader to
be so caught up in the story that they don’t want to put the book down, you don’t
want them to throw the book across the room because they don’t understand what
has been said or done.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
Another important aspect of writing
historical novels or even novels set in past decades is to make sure that you
do have the characters using devices that hadn’t been invented yet.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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The ball point pen came into use in
the 1940’s so you can’t have someone signing papers with it in the 1920s. The
Charleston dance was introduced in a movie in 1923 and caught on after that, so
a story set before that time could not have party-goers dancing it. While the
computer was invented during World War II, it didn’t come into commercial use
until the 1950/60s and personal use until the 1970/80s. Don’t have a person make
a phone call before March 7, 1876, which is when Alexander Graham Bell patented
his telephone and don’t have someone send a text on a mobile phone in the
1970s.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
It is important to do your research
when writing a novel set in the past, no matter what the year.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
More historical words:<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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In the 1590s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">beef-witted</i> described something as being brainless or stupid.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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In the 1640s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">callipygian</i> described a beautifully shaped butt.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
In the 1650s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sluberdegullion</i> meant an unkempt, drooling person.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
In the 1950s two people making out
in the back seat of a car were doing the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">back
seat bingo</i>.Joan Donaldson-Yarmeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03207419939273225435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446627416775227561.post-73083950383435055282023-03-05T14:11:00.000-08:002023-03-05T14:11:00.170-08:00Sable Island<p> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhShVZbhFODBUUr3I6H6gDmJuOv-QmXGLwQg6hx8g9TTJ3cy62X653xiHVuEC-59uSBdv4_CUBukFM7_ewXeauaqPycXlgNvVnwMnaSt4eh59ch4fNvALsgBxdorBIMuWbojgq_KHJbA6PR8jMV6wWJZR49bNFpWy5DB66wIksYR-cIOpIxBP-zHWKzNA/s4032/IMG_6380.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhShVZbhFODBUUr3I6H6gDmJuOv-QmXGLwQg6hx8g9TTJ3cy62X653xiHVuEC-59uSBdv4_CUBukFM7_ewXeauaqPycXlgNvVnwMnaSt4eh59ch4fNvALsgBxdorBIMuWbojgq_KHJbA6PR8jMV6wWJZR49bNFpWy5DB66wIksYR-cIOpIxBP-zHWKzNA/s320/IMG_6380.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /> https://www.amazon.ca/Killer-Match-Joan-Donaldson-Yarmey/dp/1990086241<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">https://www.facebook.com/writingsbyJoan <br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Sable Island</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I am a Canadian writer and all my mystery, historical, romance,
and young adult novels are set in Canada. According to Statistics Canada,
Canada has 52,455 islands and ranks fourth in the world for number of island.
However, it is a long ways behind Sweden that has 267,570 islands, Norway with
its 239,057 islands, and Finland with 178,947.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Canada has three of the top ten largest islands in the world and
all are in the northern territory of Nunavut. Baffin is Canada’s largest island
at 507,451 sq km (195,928 sq mi) and the world’s fifth largest. Victoria comes
in second in Canada at 217,291 sq km (83,897 sq mi) It is the world’s eighth
largest. Ellesmere is third in Canada and tenth in the world at 196,236 sq km
(75,767 sq mi). It is slightly smaller than Great Britain.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Canada also has the world’s largest fresh water island. Manitoulin
Island is located within the boundaries of the province of Ontario on Lake
Huron, one of the Five Great Lakes. The island is so large that it has over one
hundred lakes on it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">One of the most famous Canadian islands is the crescent-shaped
Sable Island, off the southeast coast of the province of Nova Scotia. It is
believed to have been discovered by Portuguese explorer Joao Alvares Fagundes
in 1520-1521. In 1598 a French nobleman, Troilus de la Roche de Mesgouz, tried
to colonize the new world with convicts but they mutinied and, in punishment were
put on the tree-less, stone-less Sable Island. A few managed to survive in mud
huts until 1603, when they were returned to France.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Sable Island has over 350 bird species and 190 different plants
but it is best known for its feral horses. The ancestors of the present day
horses were ceased by the British from the Acadians, who were a French-speaking
group who settled in the New France colony of Arcadia. They were expelled
between 1755 and 1764 after the English took over the colony. Their horses were
purchased and some were taken to Sable Island in 1760 for grazing.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Sable Island horses number between 400 and 550 and due to
limited food supply on the island are small and stocky in stature. Although, in
the past, some of them were rounded up and taken to Nova Scotia for sale, today
they are unmanaged and left to live their lives as wild animals.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In 2008 the Sable Island Horse became the official horse of Nova
Scotia and in 2011, the Sable Island National park reserve was created to
protect the horses and the island. </span></p>
<p></p>Joan Donaldson-Yarmeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03207419939273225435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446627416775227561.post-24309490717173473172023-01-20T04:30:00.001-08:002023-01-20T04:30:00.187-08:00Canada's Coastline<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzCpf9DJAZJpniXy_it-eUjoOEhEDsuRyyWXwIBOA8wB16y-kQtYyqqY8zWkRZoE8lhyfa7-lw_IaxFWOPoY1Vj5I1K4iLJNxkgSIev1SIy0zeohtKzZGNpgDPhvlF6wdwrCCFJOBPlF704bWn9-p1q4OTLW5vd2oMwdP3d57bjQB3CAXY3-4EeKSv_Q/s4032/IMG_6852.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzCpf9DJAZJpniXy_it-eUjoOEhEDsuRyyWXwIBOA8wB16y-kQtYyqqY8zWkRZoE8lhyfa7-lw_IaxFWOPoY1Vj5I1K4iLJNxkgSIev1SIy0zeohtKzZGNpgDPhvlF6wdwrCCFJOBPlF704bWn9-p1q4OTLW5vd2oMwdP3d57bjQB3CAXY3-4EeKSv_Q/s320/IMG_6852.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p>https://books2read.com/Rushing-the-Klondike <br /></p><p>https://www.bookswelove.com/donaldson-yarmey-joan/<br /> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Canada’s Coastline</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I am a Canadian and all my mystery, historical, romance, and young
adult novels are set in Canada. Canada is the second largest country in the
world and has the world’s longest coastline. It is 243,792 km (151,485.326 mi in
length and borders on the North Pacific, Arctic, and North Atlantic Oceans and
includes the coasts of Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, and Cape Breton
island, as well as, thousands of off-shore islands. The next closest country is
Indonesia with 54,716 km (33,999 mi). The sovereign country of Monaco has 5.6
km (3.5 mi) of coastline.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Part of Canada’s coastline encompasses Hudson Bay which, even
though it is saltwater, is sometimes considered a marginal sea of the Arctic
Ocean. While politically it is considered part of Nunavut, it borders on
Ontario, Manitoba, Quebec, and Nunavut. Hudson Bay is famous for the fur trade
between Europeans and Indigenous peoples from the 1600s to the 1900s.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Canada has ten provinces and three territories. Two of the
provinces, Alberta and Saskatchewan, are land locked. The others plus the
territories all have some part of their coast on saltwater. The province of
British Columbia has the most with 25,725 km (15,985 mi) on the Pacific Ocean,
while the Yukon Territory has only 343 km (213 mi) along the Arctic Ocean.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The government of Canada has set aside five key ecosystems of
Canada’s coastline as Large Ocean Management Areas (LOMA) for conservation,
planning, and management. The Pacific North Coast comprises one-quarter of the
Canadian Pacific ocean waters. This area is home to sea lions, dolphins, seals,
porpoises, and twenty-seven different whale species. It is also the habitat of 80%
of the global population of Cassin’s Auklet plus a number of other seabirds.
The glass sponge reef along the coast dates back 9,000 years.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The people around the Eastern Scotian shelf rely on fishing and
petroleum exploration for their livelihood to the detriment of the region and
the number of marine animals that live there. LOMA is trying to improve the
area. Although, shore around the Placentia Bay area off the coast of Newfound
and Labrador<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is degrading due to
economic development, it is still the habitat for 49 bird species, 14 marine
animal species, and 23 fish species. There are also a number of plant species.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Beaufort Sea is a marginal sea (a division of water separated
from an ocean by islands, peninsulas, or archipelagos) in the Arctic Ocean off
the shore of the Yukon and Northwest Territories. This LOMA is a complex a marine
system because of the short summer free of ice, the freshwater flowing into the
sea during the spring and summer and the increased dropping of sediment. It has
been an important area for humans who have hunted and fished for centuries. Six
communities oversea the management of the LOMA and by doing so are able to pass
on their harvesting skills to future generations.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The fifth LOMA protected area is the Gulf of St Lawrence which
sits at the mouth of the St Lawrence River and covers 155,000 sq km (60,000 sq
mi). Some of the species that inhabit the waters are Greenland shark, the St.
Lawrence beluga, giant whales, seals, tiny pink crustaceans called krill that
are near the bottom of the food chain, sea ducks, and geese. It is a very
productive and diverse estuary along the coasts of Quebec, New Brunswick,
Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Newfound land and Labrador.</span></p>
<p></p>Joan Donaldson-Yarmeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03207419939273225435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446627416775227561.post-78112770392619455352023-01-20T02:30:00.001-08:002023-01-20T02:30:00.207-08:00Canadian Lakes<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia_gzIFwvtVOa1xgPkiLZvnmoutrnhbslJ_Sx96rDieu--NYNokHaF-06m97uz3KrNpRxnArpmbO1U_TBhwmiYFXmhWM6kkY0POO6v_tihr1WKkayC88X0E0cT-6AAZzi4myh8uwy9exRfSKOKYt45zQN0kEg6SflULJXFWYpWy70Y4NcL0TSqbkvTrQ/s4032/IMG_6849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia_gzIFwvtVOa1xgPkiLZvnmoutrnhbslJ_Sx96rDieu--NYNokHaF-06m97uz3KrNpRxnArpmbO1U_TBhwmiYFXmhWM6kkY0POO6v_tihr1WKkayC88X0E0cT-6AAZzi4myh8uwy9exRfSKOKYt45zQN0kEg6SflULJXFWYpWy70Y4NcL0TSqbkvTrQ/s320/IMG_6849.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /> https://books2read.com/Romancing-the-Klondike<p></p><p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">https://www.bookswelove.com/donaldson-yarmey-joan/ <br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Canadian Lakes</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> I am a Canadian and all my mystery, historical, romance, and young
adult novels are set in Canada. Canada is the second largest country in the
world and has about 20% of the world’s freshwater. It also shares the world’s
largest body of freshwater-the Great Lakes-with the United States. Lake
Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, are divided by the border while
Lake Michigan is totally in the United States. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Nearly 14% of the world’s lakes over 500 sq km (193.05 sq mi) are
within Canada’s borders. The largest lake totally within the country is Great
Bear Lake in the Northwest Territories. It is the 4<sup>th</sup> largest in
North America and the 9<sup>th</sup> largest in the world. The name comes from
the Chipewyan word <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">satudene</i> which
means ‘grizzly bear water people’.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Great Slave Lake, also in the Northwest Territories is the second
largest freshwater lake in Canada and the 10<sup>th</sup> largest on the Earth.
With a depth of 614 metres (2,014 ft) it is the deepest lake in North America.
It was named for the Dene, the first nation’s people who were called Slavey by
the Cree first nations.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lake Winnipeg, in Manitoba, is Canada’s third largest freshwater
lake and has the largest watershed (the rivers that drain into a lake plus all
the land with streams that drain into those rivers) in Canada. Its watershed is
about 982,900 square kilometres (379,500 square miles) which is about 40 times
its size. This ratio is the biggest of any other large lake in the world. Waters
flow into Lake Winnipeg from the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba
and Ontario and from the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and
Montana making it the 11<sup>th</sup> largest freshwater lake in the world.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lake Athabasca sits on the northern border of the provinces of
Alberta and Saskatchewan with 26% in Alberta and 74% in Saskatchewan. It is the
fourth largest lake totally in Canada and waters from it flow northward through
the Slave and Mackenzie river systems to the Arctic Ocean.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It is estimated that there are about 2 million lakes of various
sizes in Canada and they make up about 9% of the country’s mass. This means
that 891,163 square kilometres (344,080 sq mi) of Canada’s total area of 9.985
million square kilometres (3.8 million sq mi) is covered by freshwater.</span></p>
<p></p>Joan Donaldson-Yarmeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03207419939273225435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446627416775227561.post-88709229220666952902022-12-20T01:54:00.021-08:002022-12-20T01:54:00.216-08:00December<p> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">The word
December comes from the Latin word <i>decem </i>which means ‘ten’. In the Roman
calendar, which began with the month of March, December was the tenth month.
The days between the end of December and the beginning of March (cold and snowy
in the Northern Hemisphere and hot and sunny in the Southern Hemisphere) were originally
unnamed. Eventually, those days were given the names January and February and they
were considered the first months of the calendar year. Although December was now
the twelfth month in the Gregorian calendar, which was introduced in October
1582 by Pope Gregory XIII,</span> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">its name was kept.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">December
has the </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #444444; font-family: robotoregular; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">shortest daylight hours and longest
nighttime hours on December 21 and that day marks the beginning of winter. It
is the opposite in the Southern Hemisphere, with December 21 having the longest
daylight hours and shortest nighttime hours. That day marks the beginning of
summer.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #444444; font-family: robotoregular; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The long, dark days of
December can cause a drop in the hormone serotonin which can lead to a depressed
mood and loss of energy. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) was first described
in 1984, by Norman Rosenthal and colleagues at the National institute of Mental
Health in Bethesda, MD., as recurrent depressions that occur at the same time
of year. But that wasn’t the first time it was talked about. In 1679, Dr. Richard
Saunders advised eating fruits (apples and pears) and vegetables (onions and
cabbage) after eating meat to counter the ‘melancholy and phlegm’ brought on by
the shorter days in December.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #444444; font-family: robotoregular; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Anglo Saxons had
two names for the month of December. One was ‘Winter Monath’, which is
self-explanatory, and the other was ‘Yule Monath’ which is the custom of
burning a Yule log as part of the pagan Yule celebrations. Yule, at the time,
meant the observance of the Winter Solstice. It is now synonymous with the word
Christmas and the celebration of the birth of the baby Jesus. When the
Anglo-Saxons converted to Christianity they changed the name of ‘Winter Monath’
or ‘Yule Monath’ to ‘Heligh Monath’ meaning ‘Holy Month’.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #444444; font-family: robotoregular; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For the Native
American first peoples, the full moon in December was called the ‘Full Cold
Moon’ because of the cold winter months that followed it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #444444; font-family: robotoregular; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The unluckiest day of
the year is considered to be December 28. On this day King Herod ordered all
baby boys to be put to death in an attempt to kill the baby Jesus. Even now, it
is considered unlucky to start a new job, begin a new venture, or even do anything
new on this day.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #444444; font-family: robotoregular; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In more modern times
and on a happier note, Walt Disney was born on December 5, 1901. He took art
classes in school and was hired as a commercial illustrator at the age of
eighteen. He moved to California and established Disney Brothers Studio with
his brother, Roy. They developed the character <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mickey Mouse</i> in 1928 and went on to produce such feature cartoons
as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs </i>and<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Bambi.</i> In the 1950s, Walt expanded into
amusement parks and television programs. Walt Disney died on December 15, 1966.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #444444; font-family: robotoregular; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">December has two birth
flowers and holly is the first one. At one time the Celts believed that the
holly brought luck and protection. The red berries of the holly represent the
bloody wounds of when Jesus was nailed to the cross. The second flower is the
paperwhite narcissus which symbolizes sweetness. The birthstone of December is
the turquoise which can range from vivid green to a blue-green, to a sky blue.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #444444; font-family: robotoregular; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There are other
important holidays observed in December along with Christmas. The Jews
celebrate Hanukkah, which takes place on the 25<sup>th</sup> day of Kislev on
the Hebrew calendar and lies between late November and late December. This is
in recognition of the rise of Jews against their Greek/Syrian oppressors, as
well as, the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in the 2<sup>nd</sup>
century AD.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #444444; font-family: robotoregular; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Buddhists
celebrate Bodhi Day on December 8. A man named Siddhartha sat under a Bodhi
tree and meditated for three days until he found the root of suffering and liberated
himself from it. On the third day he discovered the answers he sought and became
enlightened. He was then known as Buddha or the ‘Awakened One.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #444444; font-family: robotoregular; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A Hindu festival,
Datta Jayanti, commemorates the birth day of the Hindu Deity Dattatreya or
Datta, which is the combined form of the Hindu male divine trinity of Shiva,
Vishnu, and Brahma. The festival takes place between November 30<sup>th</sup> and
December 3<sup>rd</sup> in the temples throughout India.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #444444; font-family: robotoregular; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">December is a month
full of historical events, festivals, and observances of special days. And it
marks the end of the old year and a time to look forward to the new one.</span></p>
<p></p>Joan Donaldson-Yarmeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03207419939273225435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446627416775227561.post-78797834723717406552022-11-21T02:00:00.001-08:002022-11-21T02:00:00.199-08:00Be Kind to Yourself<p> </p><p> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1FRzxkatTmlxHTpnQnIGxiXormeiuXTac_7hDxMhPwO3SChDxUW-uqgXoj8Gsb7M9VrcxB6dEqyJDkO2D05YCSgk6nxOQeaJLpIbMo0LydllCEUOXBshFQB1eNnaS6VYceZVcgJ0mH-xehBcnci_2P2lUCcBhWtIktu1aI-FNJyqV-GdVl8C2ck3s/s2700/Donaldon-TwelveDates.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1FRzxkatTmlxHTpnQnIGxiXormeiuXTac_7hDxMhPwO3SChDxUW-uqgXoj8Gsb7M9VrcxB6dEqyJDkO2D05YCSgk6nxOQeaJLpIbMo0LydllCEUOXBshFQB1eNnaS6VYceZVcgJ0mH-xehBcnci_2P2lUCcBhWtIktu1aI-FNJyqV-GdVl8C2ck3s/s320/Donaldon-TwelveDates.jpg" width="213" /></a></div> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">https://www.bookswelove.com/donaldson-yarmey-joan/<br /> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Writers are
sometimes hard on themselves when it comes to their writing. As a writer I can
be my own worst critic. One moment I think I am writing something great and the
next it will seem like the most boring stuff. Sometimes I look at other
writer’s books and wish I could write like them.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Over the
years I’ve tried to keep to the following rules. These might help any new or experienced writer.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">No. One:
Remember every writer, whether a best seller or a
working-hard-at-becoming-a-best-seller, started their very first book with a
blank page.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">No. Two: Don’t
try to write your novel in one sitting, or one month, or even one year. Give
yourself time to enjoy the experience, to change the story line, if need be, as
you progress, and to get to know your characters. I attended a romance writing
course and the speaker, who wrote for Harlequin, said you should know
everything about your main character, even what type of toothpaste she uses.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">No. Three:
Sometimes, now is not the time to write the book you’re sure will be the next
great best seller. Sometimes you need to put in more time learning the craft,
like how to write good dialogue, how to flesh out your characters, and how to
decide which is the best location to set your story.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">No. Four: It
is nice to have a set schedule for writing, whether it’s from 5-7am before
work, 8-10pm after the children are in bed, but sometimes that won’t always
work. Some authors write twenty minutes here and there throughout the day. Some
try for two hours Saturday morning and an hour Wednesday evening. Find what
works best for you and try to stick to it as best you can.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">No. Five:
Whatever language you write in, make sure your language skills are up to par. I
write in English and all my life I knew that when a person nodded their head,
they agreed and when they shook their head they disagreed. In some books I’ve
seen where the character shook their head yes and nodded their head for no.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">No Six: Try
to have a separate space for your writing even if it is a corner in your dining
room or bedroom. That way when you are there you know you have replaced you mom
or dad hat, or your friend hat, or your working hat with your writing hat.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">No. Seven:
Back-up your work whether it be on a thumb drive, or the cloud, or even an
email to yourself. I’ve read of many writers who have lost whole chapters or
multiple chapters due to their computer crashing. Don’t let that happen to you.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">No. Eight: Most
of all be kind to yourself. Not every word you write is going perfect, not
every story your write is going to be a masterpiece. But each time you finish a
project you can tell yourself: “You Did it!!Good Job!!”</span></p>Joan Donaldson-Yarmeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03207419939273225435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446627416775227561.post-43403890008997766882022-10-24T02:30:00.004-07:002022-10-24T02:30:00.195-07:00The Scariest Night of the Year<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMfby3KH3on2NtXE7FgDr_JLpooqtMouXcR3veuEe456g5i5ymr3NXXPjueAN-XgFwFmH3bgP1QMJerMIY-iYce4AopATcnPM_0csprzoLT5U9mg73g5jJYMe5KWj9qFuAiDrUfJbtX0kVUKuBnVjsoZsvvHP9oJQ1gfylf3H9eed-EvgodnfFzqU/s2700/CanadianBrides-Yukon-LARGE.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMfby3KH3on2NtXE7FgDr_JLpooqtMouXcR3veuEe456g5i5ymr3NXXPjueAN-XgFwFmH3bgP1QMJerMIY-iYce4AopATcnPM_0csprzoLT5U9mg73g5jJYMe5KWj9qFuAiDrUfJbtX0kVUKuBnVjsoZsvvHP9oJQ1gfylf3H9eed-EvgodnfFzqU/s320/CanadianBrides-Yukon-LARGE.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p> https://www.bookswelove.com/donaldson-yarmey-joan/</p><p>https://books2read.com/Romancing-the-Klondike <br /></p><p>
</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a class=" link" href="https://books2read.com/Rushing-the-Klondike"><span class="image-block caption-over-image" style="float: left; margin-right: 20px; width: 200px;"><img alt="" height="300" id="mce-1676" src="https://www.bookswelove.com/attachments/Image/Rushing-Klondike-200x300-2_1.jpg?template=generic" width="200" /></span></a></p>
<p> </p><br /><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">https://books2read.com/Rushing-the-Klondike <br /></span></p><p> </p><p> </p><p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">It is Hallowe’en evening</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">The scariest night of the year.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">My friends and I are trick or treating</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">When suddenly we hear.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">A screech and a shriek</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">And out of the sky</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">A witch on a broom dives</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">At my friends and I.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">We duck and we scatter</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Consumed with great fear</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">For it is Hallowe’en evening</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">The scariest night of the year.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">“Don’t be afraid” she cackles.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">“I’ve only come to see</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">If you want to go flying</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">On my broom with me.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">We stare at the witch</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Not sure what to do</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Her hat is all black</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">And her dress is, too.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Her nose is hooked down</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">With a wart on the tip</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">But there’s a gleam in her eyes</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">And a smile on her lips.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">“Don’t be afraid,” she says</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">When we still hesitate</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">“My name is Kathy</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">And I don’t have time to wait.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">We look at each other</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Then without any frowns</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">We nod and we grin</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">And jump up and down.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">“How will we fit?”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">I ask skeptically</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">For the broom is too short</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">To hold us all perfectly.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">“Just hop aboard,” she crows.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">“And you will see.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Climb one at a time.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Right up behind me.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">We all leap on easily</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">There is plenty of room</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">For the handle grows longer.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">It is a magical broom.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">When we are all settled </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">She gives a laugh and a hoot</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">And up into the sky</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">All of us swoop.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">We zig through the buildings</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Of the lighted downtown</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">We zoom up the Whitemud</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">And then back on down.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">We stop at Fort Edmonton Park</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">An historic place that is so vast</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #2c2c2c; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The board sidewalks, the steam train</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #2c2c2c; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The covered wagons </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">of the past.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">There is a Ferris wheel</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">And a merry-go-round</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">With lots of pretty horses </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Going up and down.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Kathy calls out with delight</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">“On to West Edmonton Mall.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">And with cheers and shouts</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">We whizz through the halls.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">The stores are all decorated</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">The children dressed in<a name="_GoBack"></a> creepy gear</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">For it is Hallowe’en evening</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">The scariest night of the year.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">We streak through the night</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Down to the Edmonton zoo</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">To see the zebras and lemurs</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">And the pelicans, too.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">But instead of the tigers</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">The camels and gibbons.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">There are zombies and ghouls</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">And skeletons and goblins </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">They stretch and they reach</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">They lunge and they grasp</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Trying to catch the broom</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">While my friends and I gasp.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">But Kathy the Witch</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Laughs out with glee</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">As we dodge and we dart</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">And get ready to flee.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">“Come back, come back,”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">One of the ghouls bellows.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">“Yes,” pleads a skeleton.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">“We are really nice fellows.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Kathy turns the broom</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">As we cringe in fear.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">For it is Hallowe’en evening</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">The scariest night of the year.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">“Ah, ha,” yells the goblin</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">And as we fly by</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">He scrambles to reach us</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">But Kathy stays too high.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">“Nice try,” she chortles</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">And she waves goodbye</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">As we fly safely away </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">We all give a sigh.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">“Where are we going now?”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">I ask, looking around.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Then I see we are arriving</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">At our favourite playground.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">My friends and I laugh</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">As we dip and we glide</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Through the net climbers</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">And backwards up the slide.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">We loop de loop</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Holding on tight</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Zagging through the swings</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">As we enjoy the night.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">“On to your school,” Kathy calls</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">And we head on our way.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Flying to the building</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Where we spend our days.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">The doors swing open</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Letting us in</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">We swoop down the hallway</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Making a din.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Our teachers jump sideways</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">As we draw near</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">For it is Hallowe’en evening</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">The scariest night of the year.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">The flight finally ends</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Kathy the Witch slows her broom</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">We all climb off easily</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">For there is plenty of room.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">“Good night, my dear children.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">It sure has been fun.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">But I have to go now</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">It’s time that I run.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">“Thank you,” we call</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">As she flies out of sight.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">We look at each other.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Wow, what a flight!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">But our bags are empty</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">So to a house we scurry</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">All yelling trick or treat</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">We really have to hurry.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Someone opens the door</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Their face full of fear</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">For it is Hallowe’en evening</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">The scariest night of the year.</span></p>Joan Donaldson-Yarmeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03207419939273225435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446627416775227561.post-10949086118358844502022-09-21T02:00:00.001-07:002022-09-21T02:00:00.195-07:00Alberta History in My Writing<p> <span lang="EN-US"></span></p><p></p><div class="col-sm-4">
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</div><p><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="image-block caption-over-image" style="float: left; margin-right: 20px; width: 150px;"><img alt="" height="340" id="mce-9626" src="https://www.bookswelove.com/attachments/Image/Yarmey-TD3-WhistlersMurder-web.jpg?template=generic" width="254" /></span>
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"> </p><table align="center" border="2" style="border: 2px solid gray; height: 4px; margin: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="border: 2px solid gray;"><p style="text-align: center;"><a class="link" href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/749359"></a></p>
<br /></td>
<td style="border: 2px solid gray;"><br /></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table><p><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p><span lang="EN-US">https://www.bookswelove.com/donaldson-yarmey-joan/ <br /></span></p><p><span lang="EN-US">I began my writing career as a travel writer and I drove
and camped through all of Alberta, British Columbia, and the Yukon and Alaska,
writing about what there was to see and do in those provinces, and the
territory and state. I learned a lot of history, saw a lot of beautiful
scenery, and met a lot of wonderful people.</span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US">The following historical excerpt is about Fort Macleod, along the Crowsnest
Highway, from my travel book the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Backroads
of Southern Alberta. </i>Fort Macleod, coincidently, is the setting for the
novel, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Illegally Dead</i>, the first book
of my <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Travelling Detective Series</i>. </span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0cm 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Only Shadow in the House</i> is set north
and east of Edmonton, Alberta, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Whistler’s
Murder </i>takes place in Whistler, British Columbia.</span></p>
<span lang="EN-US"></span><p></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US">After the Hudson's Bay Company sold Rupert's Land to the
Canadian Government in 1869, <span style="color: #333333;">fur traders from Fort
Benton in Montana travelled north into present day Alberta and set up illegally
trading posts called Whiskey Forts. They brought wagon loads of whiskey and
guns to trade for furs with the natives. The watered down whiskey, laced with
any or all of Tabasco, red pepper, tobacco, ginger, molasses, tea, sulphuric
acid and ink, drove the natives wild and they brutalized and killed their own
tribesmen, other bands, and some whitemen. Sir John A Macdonald, prime minister
of Canada at the time declared that the area should be safe for settlers moving
west and he formed the North West Mounted Police (NWMP) in 1874. They marched
west and established Fort Macleod, which is southern Alberta's oldest
settlement.</span></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333;">The downtown district, on 24th Street
between Second and Third Avenues, was declared Alberta's first provincial
historical site on May 14, 1984. There are many wood frame buildings that date
back to 1890s and some brick and sandstone ones from the early 1900s.<br />
The Empress Theatre opened in 1912 and was used for vaudeville acts, minstrel
shows, silent films, political rallies and talking films. It has been
renovated, but the original pressed metal ceiling, double seats in every second
row, and the old radiators remain. The Empress Theatre Society presents movies
or live performances during the summer.<br />
The present-day Fort Macleod is a reproduction, but some of the log buildings
inside the Fort Museum are original and house numerous historical native and
North West Mounted Police-Royal Canadian Mounted Police artifacts. A Musical
Ride is staged four times a day during July and August. Young men and women
dressed in replica North West Mounted Police uniforms present an exhibition of
horsemanship and precision, similar to the world famous Musical Ride.</span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333;">Harry `Kanouse' Taylor, a former
whiskey fort owner, set up a hotel in Fort Macleod after the arrival of the
NWMP-the original name of the RCMP. Due to the changing times and transient
population, there had to be certain rules in his hotel. They were:<br />
1. Guests will be provided with breakfast and dinner,<br />
but must rustle their own lunch.<br />
2. Spiked boots and spurs must be removed at night<br />
before retiring.<br />
3. Dogs are not allowed in bunks, but may sleep<br />
underneath.<br />
4. Towels are changed weekly; insect powder is for sale<br />
at the bar.<br />
5. Special rates for Gospel Grinders and the gambling<br />
profession.<br />
6. The bar will be open day and night. Every known fluid,<br />
except water, for sale. No mixed drinks will be served<br />
except in case of a death in the family. Only<br />
registered guests allowed the privileges of sleeping<br />
on the bar room floor.<br />
7. No kicking regarding the food. Those who do not like<br />
the provender will be put out. When guests find<br />
themselves or their baggage thrown over the fence,<br />
they may consider they have received notice to leave.<br />
8. Baths furnished free down at the river, but bathers<br />
must provide their own soap and towels.<br />
9. Valuables will not be locked in the hotel safe, as<br />
the hotel possesses no such ornament.<br />
10. Guests are expected to rise at 6:00 a.m., as the<br />
sheets are needed for tablecloths.<br />
11. To attract the attention of waiters, shoot through<br />
the door panel. Two shots for ice water, three for<br />
a new deck of cards.<br />
No Jawbone. In God We Trust; All Others Pay Cash.</span></p>Joan Donaldson-Yarmeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03207419939273225435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446627416775227561.post-79121031271087850132022-08-22T01:30:00.001-07:002022-08-22T01:30:00.201-07:00Hiking the Chilkoot Trail<p> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7tCZPb_XIoJDika1ZtXzPI0n7I6gszA3jARYAdufuJ24haAiT4LONl3aZ1uyEwB24j-Wbse9y_RQ5ap7y4reZsxEWpYuRaQDWtK2vAyOOEBLYeoNxTFOnN2FdD_NHR7jZPHk9sDsaXIYJLjHv99OilaAL5-pKP-8sQZJpQSP3Iyho7tSWYVMMj5pM/s2700/CanadianBrides-Yukon-LARGE.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7tCZPb_XIoJDika1ZtXzPI0n7I6gszA3jARYAdufuJ24haAiT4LONl3aZ1uyEwB24j-Wbse9y_RQ5ap7y4reZsxEWpYuRaQDWtK2vAyOOEBLYeoNxTFOnN2FdD_NHR7jZPHk9sDsaXIYJLjHv99OilaAL5-pKP-8sQZJpQSP3Iyho7tSWYVMMj5pM/s320/CanadianBrides-Yukon-LARGE.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><p><br /> </p><p>https://www.bookswelove.com/donaldson-yarmey-joan/</p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">My husband and I
hiked the trail in 1997, on the hundredth anniversary of the Klondike Gold Rush.
We were in the Yukon and Alaska so I could research the state and territory for
my travel book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Backroads of Alaska and
the Yukon</i>. That hike and my two trips to Dawson City were what made it
possible for me to write <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Romancing the
Klondike</i>, book three of the Canadian Historical Brides Collection. The
sequel, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rushing the Klondike,</i> is out
this month.</span>
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0cm 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of the men and women who went to the
Klondike in the first year starved and froze because they hadn't brought along
enough supplies. To combat that, the North West Mounted Police decreed that the
prospectors had to have 907 kg (2000 lbs) of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>provisions in order to cross the border from Alaska into British
Columbia and then onto the Yukon. The NWMP set up a scale to weigh each
person's supplies before letting them climb the Chilkoot Pass.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0cm 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My husband and I each carried about 16kg
(35 lbs) on our five day hike up to and over the pass. Besides our food, we
carried a tent, sleeping bags, two changes of clothes, an extra pair of shoes in
case the pair we were wearing got wet or to change into in camp to give our
hiking shoes a breather.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0cm 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Chilkoot Trail was called the `poor‑man's
route'. It ran from Dyea to Bennett Lake following an old, first nations path. The
men and women who travelled to the Klondike in hopes of getting rich had to
haul their supplies up and over the summit. Some were able to hire indigenous
peoples to help but many had to do it themselves. They would carry as much as 36kg
(80 lbs) up the `Golden Stairs' (steps cut into the solid snow of the pass)
each trip, then slide back down to their cache and begin again. Most made 40
trips to do so. Once a miner got onto the steps he didn't dare get off until
the top. If fatigue forced him to step out he seldom managed to make it back
on.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0cm 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of the people who started for the
Klondike were Cheechakos, a native word for `greenhorn'. It was after a person
had spent a winter in the north that he or she became known as a Sourdough.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0cm 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 53 kilometre (33 mile) long Chilkoot
Trail is called the `Longest Museum in the World'. There are 10 campsites along
it so we had plenty to choose from. We wanted to make sure our daily hikes
weren’t very long.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0cm 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trail started out with the Taiya River
to our left. We were continually climbing and descending beside it through a
rainforest whose tall trees created a nice, cool shade. We had to watch for
tree roots, stumps, and rocks and in places there was a drop-off so we made
sure our packs were secure and didn't wobble. We crossed a number of bridges,
made of metal, split logs, planks or boardwalks.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0cm 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At kilometer 8 (mile 5) we reached
Finnegan's Point, the first campground on the trail. This was named after Pat
Finnegan and his two sons who set up a ferry service here in 1897. Later they
built a road through the damp, boggy areas and charged a toll. This worked only
in the summer because the prospectors pulled their goods on sleds on the frozen
ice in the winter. This point was also used as a cache where the stampeders
left their first bundles of supplies while they went back to Dyea for the rest.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0cm 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>4.8 kilometres (3 miles) from Finnegan's
Point we reached Canyon City campsite our first stop. We set up our tent then cooked
our supper. Once we had washed our dishes, we drained the water down the
screened-in pipe for gray water and scrapped the small food particles off the
screen into our garbage. This we hauled out with us. At the time we had to
hoist our food and garbage up on the bear pole to keep it from attracting bears
into the camp. We also made sure not to keep any food with us in our tent.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0cm 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To reach the actual site of Canyon City, we
continued down the trail 0.8 kilometre (0.5 mile) past the camp until we reached
a sign with the distances to places: Canyon City Shelter 0.5 mile; Dyea 8
miles: Sheep Camp Shelter 5 miles; Chilkoot Pass 8.5 miles.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0cm 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We followed the path to the left, crossed
over the suspension bridge and came to a sign that stated: Canyon City
Historical Site. We were now walking where Canyon City stood over 100 years
ago. We passed an old, rusted, cook stove and come to a huge, rusted boiler.
This 50 horsepower steam boiler was used to operate an aerial tramway between
here and the Chilkoot Pass. It cost 16.5 cents per kilogram (7.5 cents per
pound) to send goods over this tram. Few of the Klondikers could afford it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0cm 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stamped on the boiler was: Union Iron
Works SF 1886.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0cm 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next morning we headed to Pleasant
Camp which was 4.5 kilometres (2.7 miles) from Canyon City. The climb out of
the canyon between the two camps was thought to be the worst part of the trail
by some stampeders. A little ways past the Pleasant Camp we crossed a suspension
bridge over a series of cascades. And in 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) we arrived at
Sheep Camp beside the Taiya River. This camp is the last stop before the
Chilkoot Pass and a ranger gave a talk about the conditions of the pass at
7:00pm Alaska time. Other words of advice were to leave by at least 7am, drink
2 litres of water on the trail and expect to take 10 hours to reach Happy Camp.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0cm 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we left Sheep Camp the next morning
the ground was level for the first bit and we came across a building that
looked almost like a train station. After we began climbing there was an old
log building with glass windows, little patio, and cooking utensils hanging on
the wall. We were climbing mainly on a path but sometimes over boulders and we left
the trees and were in alpine meadows.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0cm 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bears like to use the trail so we had
to be on the lookout for them, since they own the trail. It’s best if one gets
far off into the trees and let them have the right of way.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0cm 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a 6.8 kilometre (4.2 mile) climb to
the Scales. This is where the prospectors who had hired professional indigenous
packers had to reweigh their goods. The packers wanted more money, up to $2.20
per kilogram (1 dollar per pound) to carry the supplies up and over the pass.
Consequently, many items were left behind and some still can be seen.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0cm 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From the Scales we could see the Chilkoot
Pass and we crossed alpine tundra to reach the base. Past the Chilkoot is
Peterson Pass, a longer but easier alternative to the Chilkoot which was used
by some Klondikers.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0cm 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those who travelled the trail in the
winter climbed the 'Golden Stairs' cut in the ice and snow up the side of the
pass. Those who came in the summer, when the snow was melted, had to traverse
over the huge boulders and loose rock left from a slide. That was what we climbed
on.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0cm 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The climb was steep and we had to lean
forward as we went from solid rock to solid rock. If we straightened up the
weight of our pack threatened to pull us over backwards. Other hikers walked up
it as if they were on stairs. Near the top we reached a plateau. To our right was
a cairn marking the border between Alaska and BC.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0cm 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
we reached the top we had climbed 823 metres (2700 feet) from Sheep Camp. At
the summit was a shelter and outhouse. We stayed only long enough to use the
outhouse and take pictures because it was still a 6.4 kilometre (4 mile) hike
to Happy Camp.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0cm 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we hiked down the Canadian side of the
summit we had the most magnificent view of Crater Lake, the short purple,
white, red, yellow, pink flowers of the alpine tundra, and the mountains. We didn’t
walk on the tundra because it’s not easy for the flowers and grass to grow that
far north. At Stone Crib there was a pile of rocks that anchored the cables for
the aerial tramway on this side of the summit. Here also is a large saw blade
from a saw mill that someone decided he didn't need any more.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0cm 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Happy Camp is on a river between Crater
Lake and Long Lake. After spending the night we continued our hike and when we
reached a sign pointing for Deep Lake we turned in that direction and climbed
above Long Lake. We came over a rise and saw a lovely lake, a bridge over a
river, trees, and a camp in the centre of the mountains. We crossed that bridge
and arrived at Deep Lake Camp. A wagon road ran from here to Lindeman City and we
could still see some old sleigh runners.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0cm 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we left Deep Lake Camp we walked beside
the lakeshore and came upon a metal boat frame. Then we left the lakeshore and
followed along Deep Lake Gorge. The further down we went the more trees there
were. It was very beautiful and peaceful as we walked through the tall pine
trees and finally reached Lake Lindeman Camp (4.8 kilometres (3 miles) from
Deep Lake Camp.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0cm 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some Klondikers set up a tent city here
and built boats during the winter for sailing across the lake. At the other end
of the lake they portaged around the rapids between Lindeman and Bennett lakes.
Others carried their supplies along frozen Lindeman Lake and built their boats
at Bennett Lake.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0cm 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We visited the museum near the river and
looked through the gold rush exhibits. A Rufous hummingbird flitted in front of
me attracted by the red hoodie I was wearing.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0cm 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next morning we passed Bare Loon Camp
and made it to Bennett Lake. The largest tent city in the world was set up here
during the winter of 1898. In the spring, the residents of this tent city built
boats from the trees around the lake. Over 7100 crafts set sail down Bennett
Lake, beginning the 900 kilometres (560 miles) journey to Dawson City. Records
show that about 30,000 people travelled from Bennett Lake to Dawson City in
1898. Sadly, when they arrived they found out that the best claims had been
staked by the prospectors who already lived in the north.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0cm 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bennett grew after the railway reached it
from Skagway in 1899 and it had warehouses, shipping offices and steamer docks.
The St. Andrews Presbyterian Church was built in 1898 by volunteer workers and
it is the only gold rush building still standing in Bennett. There is also a
train station and a train that takes hikers back to Skagway.</span></p>Joan Donaldson-Yarmeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03207419939273225435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446627416775227561.post-27182361491954964652022-07-21T03:00:00.001-07:002022-07-21T03:00:00.214-07:00Staking A Gold Claim<p> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-QCgWB3uyxNMT3-VIC0jYjf1wwq3IVMUDkTtEgvOLIG0zhYr-GvUBSDza2ZpkMZAx5vhuYs5k_Gnbvt4DSW-xT-OdDn1ss3qI5smiJxzjqofE7842SUgp1yFkCfzdFYAEMFIVVnnsGQU4aR4j6-6k37_IIPu3tDlo8F6SSGL3zDKc9BI-lkBARWuQ/s640/DonaldsonYarmey-GoldFever%20(1)%20(427x640).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-QCgWB3uyxNMT3-VIC0jYjf1wwq3IVMUDkTtEgvOLIG0zhYr-GvUBSDza2ZpkMZAx5vhuYs5k_Gnbvt4DSW-xT-OdDn1ss3qI5smiJxzjqofE7842SUgp1yFkCfzdFYAEMFIVVnnsGQU4aR4j6-6k37_IIPu3tDlo8F6SSGL3zDKc9BI-lkBARWuQ/s320/DonaldsonYarmey-GoldFever%20(1)%20(427x640).jpg" width="214" /></a></div><br />https://www.bookswelove.com/donaldson-yarmey-joan/<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4wEF2LX7icAaJGCZrZq29Lezalf7Y58so5SwVsY4M0YRfq4AN40bKXiyDEUA5yXvbpfGdXZhqtS9A6u2v_Fl-5Hu0d_vVs6cQxeOLnQJuc2azKtuBnS5QfwgFQizmGwzrF9chdGi7TSeXNjJ4vEGbH5oKTZ7pwlo15djKbfxrFQc1rVbfk2_kzjbz/s2700/CanadianBrides-Yukon-LARGE%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4wEF2LX7icAaJGCZrZq29Lezalf7Y58so5SwVsY4M0YRfq4AN40bKXiyDEUA5yXvbpfGdXZhqtS9A6u2v_Fl-5Hu0d_vVs6cQxeOLnQJuc2azKtuBnS5QfwgFQizmGwzrF9chdGi7TSeXNjJ4vEGbH5oKTZ7pwlo15djKbfxrFQc1rVbfk2_kzjbz/s320/CanadianBrides-Yukon-LARGE%20(1).jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">https://www.audible.ca/pd/Romancing-the-Klondike-Yukon-Audiobook/B09Y62PLWV?ref=a_series_Ca_c10_lProduct_1_3&pf_rd_p=e54256e9-89bd-44c1-980b-adcad688db4e&pf_rd_r=Q9TGZH9B27KBHZP9Z7XY<br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> https://www.bookswelove.com/donaldson-yarmey-joan/ </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the late 1930s my father, Oliver
Donaldson, and his brothers, Gilbert and Albert, made their living by panning
for gold on two gold claims on the Salmon River, now called the Salmo River, in
southern British Columbia. In 1980, Dad, my Mom, my husband Mike, our five
children, and I went on a holiday to the Salmo River and the site of the former
claims. We found the bottom two rows of logs, all that was left of one of the
cabins they had lived in and the second cabin, which was still standing, on the
other side of the river.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Under Dad’s direction we all panned the
river. The children were quite excited at finding gold to take home. We toured
the area seeing where Dad and his brothers had walked into town to sell their
gold and buy some staples and where they had hunted for deer and picked apples
to live on. After the trip, Mike and I vowed that someday we would return.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the spring of 1992, Mike, and I found
ourselves preparing for a death and a wedding in our family. At the beginning
of that year, Mike’s oldest sister Sallian had been diagnosed with terminal
pancreatic cancer and one of our sons and his fiancé had set a wedding date.
For almost five months we visited Sallian, first at home and then in the
hospital. I cannot describe the anger, sorrow, and frustration I felt as I
watched what the disease was doing to her. She lost weight and the ability to
look after herself. During her final month she was hardly more than a skeleton.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those same five months I experienced
a mother’s delight and happiness as I helped with the marriage plans. I made
the cake, watched my son pick out his tuxedo, found my dress, arranged for my
hairdo, and planned a mixed shower of friends and family.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Balancing my life while dealing with the
opposing emotions was truly hard.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sallian died on May 25 at age 54. On
June 27 over 300 people attended my son's wedding and partied well into the
night.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like most people it took the death of
someone close to me to make me realize how important <i>really living</i> is. I
knew Mike and I had to do something adventurous with our lives, something out
of the ordinary.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That summer of 1992 we decided to leave
life as we knew it and get a gold claim. Mike found books on gold panning and
spent many hours talking from my Dad. He bought new rectangle-shaped, plastic
gold pans, vials, and snuffer bottles. I phoned the Minerals Branch of the B.C.
government and they sent us a map showing the separate gold claim regions of
southern B.C. We set our sights on the Salmo River area.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For our home we found a used twenty-four
foot holiday trailer that had a floor plan we liked. Coincidentally, the people
we bought it from had two gold claims in the Yukon. We sold our house, quit our
jobs and on September 1, we began our journey west. Mike was pulling the
holiday trailer with our half-ton truck, which had our all-terrain vehicle in
the back. I was in our smaller four-wheel drive pulling a utility trailer with
our prospecting equipment and other paraphernalia we thought we might need.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took two days of slow travel to reach
the Selkirk Motel and Campsite on the side of the highway at Erie, about three
kilometres west of the town of Salmo. We set up camp, hooking up to the water
and power. We had until freeze-up to find a claim.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next morning we were up early and off to
the Gold Commissioner’s Office in Nelson. There were no changes in the maps we
had been sent. Since there was no need for both of us to get a Gold Miner’s
Certificate, Mike bought one, two red metal tags, and a topographical map, and
was given his recording form. We were hopeful as we headed to the Salmo River.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although the open spots we were looking
for were on a different section of the river from my fathers, we didn’t mind.
Getting a claim on the Salmo was what mattered. As we neared one location we
slowed down and began watching the bush for a post with a tag on it that would
show the boundary of the neighbouring claim. When we found it we checked the
number on the tag with the number on the map and it matched. We went down the
steep bank, holding onto small trees and bushes to keep from sliding. Mike ran
a few pans from the downstream side of a large rock, one of the places Dad had
told us that gold collects. Others were on the inside of curve on rivers and in
the roots of trees beside the water. However, at this part of the river there
wasn’t any gold to be found.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We drove to another site further
downstream. The bank was a sheer drop to the river. Discouraged, we returned to
the campsite.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next day we went to find Dad’s
former claim. We drove down to the border crossing at Nelway and turned right
just before the Custom’s office. We travelled beside ranches and alongside the
Pend D’Oreille River. After we crossed the bridge over the mouth of the Salmo
River we turned right onto a narrow, gravel road. It was steep in places and
there were many sharp curves just as we remembered. We drove over Wallach Creek
but after that we couldn’t find anything else that looked familiar. It had only
been twelve years since we had been there. When we went in 1980, it had been
forty years since Dad had lived there, but he found it. Our memories were not
quite as good as his.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With a growing sense of urgency we spent
days checking Rest Creek, Erie River, Limpid Creek and many others with little
success.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Salmo River kept calling us and we
returned to the bridge and mouth of the river. Mike tried for gold. No luck. We
drove along the south side of the river where we found the second cabin Dad had
shown us. There was a truck and camper in the yard. We stopped to talk to the
man there and learned that four people, three men and a woman, now had my Dad’s
and my uncle’s claims. He told us they were the two best claims on the river.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
explained where the cabin had been on the north side and he told us how to
reach it. This time we found the trail to the river and came upon the remains
of the log cabin. Just past it we stood on the bluff looking down on the river
as we had done twelve years earlier with my parents and our children. The
memories came flooding back: the walk to the river with each child carrying a
pie plate to use as a gold pan, finding gold only to discover that we had
nothing to put it in, one daughter coming up with the idea of sticking it to
bandages, camping near the river. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we didn’t have time to linger. We
were working against the weather. Mike went over our maps of the Salmo River
again and this time noticed that there is a small portion on the curve of the
river that was open near the old cabin. Because the claims on either side
formed rectangles it was missed by both of them. We found the posts of those
claims then hurried to Nelson to confirm that the piece was available. It was.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There wasn’t time to stake it that night
so we had to wait until morning. We rose early, went out to the river and put
one of Mike’s red tags on the post of the claim to the east of ours. Mike took
a compass and orange flagging and we began to mark off the distance, tying the
flagging to trees as we went. At the end of five hundred yards Mike cut a tree,
leaving a stump about three feet high. He squared off the top and I nailed up
our final tag with the information scratched by knife point onto it. The claim
was five hundred yards by five hundred yards and was called the Donaldson.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We hurried back to Nelson and handed in
the recording form. We were ecstatic. Not only had we located an area on the
same river as my father, but we actually had part of his old claim. We went to
the river and found a clearing for us to set up camp when we came back the next
spring. Mike took his gold pan and headed down to the water’s edge.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I followed and sat on a large rock. As I
watched the water flow sedately by, a deep sense of relaxation settled over me,
the first I had felt since the beginning of the year. It helped me begin to
deal with the fact that I had witnessed Death at work.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sallian was the first one in either of
our immediate families to die. I had seen the tragedy of death strike my
friends but didn’t understand how devastating it could be until it happened to
me.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
spent the winter in our holiday trailer in a campground in Vancouver and
returned to the claim in the spring. Our campsite was in the middle of tall
pine, birch, spruce, and cedar and I could just barely see the mountain tops to
the south. The mountains to the north were higher and made a lovely backdrop to
the trees. Each morning I walked through the bush to the river. I sat on a
large triangle-shaped rock and watched the water drift by. A partridge
sometimes drummed in the distance. Birds sang in the trees. I would take a deep
breath of the cool, fresh air. It was a good place to be.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We panned for gold, explored the area,
and generally enjoyed our freedom but soon our adventure was over and in the
fall we returned to the real world. We never did find much gold but then, for
me, it really wasn’t about the gold.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My mystery/romance novel, Gold Fever, is
loosely based on my gold claim experience.</span></p>Joan Donaldson-Yarmeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03207419939273225435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446627416775227561.post-27746261362122423172022-06-22T03:00:00.001-07:002022-06-22T03:00:00.193-07:00Sayings<p> <span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYBjVW-g0PIt6uI56zB9RXJMsKBxBFuWrDxrmGa6WRiK-1SIB9-lPipFZL7bxkbWbrZtQCoUkOGIttjB7tcuU4YFiF0U5hKntj3IgQyU61snhUWZaQrxgqKf9gfZNPSJchBwmd8MFbw_CqPFyjZBOPFDJVhctce59WrA-TGTcPAePR23TsU75uO32v7Q/s2775/9781990086243.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2775" data-original-width="1850" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYBjVW-g0PIt6uI56zB9RXJMsKBxBFuWrDxrmGa6WRiK-1SIB9-lPipFZL7bxkbWbrZtQCoUkOGIttjB7tcuU4YFiF0U5hKntj3IgQyU61snhUWZaQrxgqKf9gfZNPSJchBwmd8MFbw_CqPFyjZBOPFDJVhctce59WrA-TGTcPAePR23TsU75uO32v7Q/s320/9781990086243.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>https://www.amazon.ca/Killer-Match-Joan-Donaldson-Yarmey/dp/1990086241</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzfFUfGpIVd-fjmOR6QVmFzpsSBM5P31X9AaLOxmM02fX7lMp7A5t4GyajWlA4uYAUUamLKdbhew1szzo9zWB5QnGkhagUvtFxx5ZHVd9AgVLfifRho06m9R_gcsyKRkj4IlTLRFr6nM3fQGMawOreVFuua1P92haqqbbA7d1Mq8l5k6wAdhmHOwr0QA/s2700/CanadianBrides-Yukon-LARGE%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzfFUfGpIVd-fjmOR6QVmFzpsSBM5P31X9AaLOxmM02fX7lMp7A5t4GyajWlA4uYAUUamLKdbhew1szzo9zWB5QnGkhagUvtFxx5ZHVd9AgVLfifRho06m9R_gcsyKRkj4IlTLRFr6nM3fQGMawOreVFuua1P92haqqbbA7d1Mq8l5k6wAdhmHOwr0QA/s320/CanadianBrides-Yukon-LARGE%20(1).jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">https://www.audible.ca/pd/Romancing-the-Klondike-Yukon-Audiobook/B09Y62PLWV?ref=a_series_Ca_c10_lProduct_1_3&pf_rd_p=e54256e9-89bd-44c1-980b-adcad688db4e&pf_rd_r=NK4TC033H9WRYYTRK4FJ<br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> https://www.bookswelove.com/donaldson-yarmey-joan/</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> <br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Be
Careful What You Wish For</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> is an old saying with an ominous warning
to it and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining
</i>is also an old saying but it has an upbeat tone to it. Both of them apply
to my story.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Be Careful What You Wish For</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">For years women who had had breast cancer surgery
were told not to use their arms for any strenuous activity for fear of causing
lymphedema, a build up of fluid in the arm. Don McKenzie, a Canadian sports
medicine specialist at the University of British Columbia, opposed this idea.
In 1996, he formed a dragon boat team composed of 24 women with a history of
breast cancer in Vancouver, B.C. They called themselves Abreast in a Boat. And
they proved that strenuous exercise was good for their arms and for their
overall health.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">A few years later, they entered in the Vancouver
dragon boat festival and I saw them on the television news. I had never heard
of dragon boating before and I said to my husband. "That looks like fun.
I'd like to try it sometime."</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In January of 2001, I was doing a breast self
examination and found a small lump. My annual mammogram at the Breast Centre in
Edmonton was scheduled for February but I called the centre and told them my
news. They booked me an appointment in two days. Although no one said the C
word, after the questions, the mammogram, and the ultrasound, I was pretty sure
it was cancer. Then I was told that I needed a biopsy and that it could be
scheduled for the next week. However, they added "We have an opening in
the next hour and we can do it today." I knew for sure it was cancer.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">At my pre-op session a woman came in to tell me
about a group of women living with cancer or who had had breast cancer that met
every month for coffee and to offer support. I asked her if she knew of a
breast cancer survivor dragon boat team in the city. She found the contact
information for Breast Friends and two weeks after my surgery I joined the
team. I wasn't allowed to get in the boat until three months after my last radiation
treatment so I didn't get to actually paddle until 2002. Each summer we
practiced on the North Saskatchewan River and attended dragon boat festivals in
Alberta and British Columbia.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">When I moved to Vancouver Island in the fall of
2004, I joined Angels Abreast in Nanaimo. We practiced in Departure Bay
(staying out of the way of the ferries) and on the narrow strait between
Vancouver and Newcastle islands. We went to festivals up and down the island
and in Vancouver.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In 2006, an international festival was held in
Vancouver to celebrate the ten year anniversary of breast cancer dragon boating.
Besides the teams from Canadian, teams came from the United States, Australia,
New Zealand, Poland, Italy, and Asia. It was great to walk through the
paddler's village and meet fellow survivors from around the world.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In Sept. 2007, another international breast cancer
festival was held in Caloundra, Queensland, Australia, and Angels Abreast went
to that. What a wonderful time we had. The residents of the city were friendly,
the venue was excellent, and the hosts did a great job of organizing. The 100
teams of twenty-four paddlers, steersperson, and drummer paraded through the
streets dressed in pink, and many people yelled "Canada" or honked
their horns when they saw our Canadian flag hanging from our balconies. The
festival lasted three days and again I met many special women. After the
festival some of us toured around Queensland and New South Wales. We went out
to the Great Coral Reef and even with my fear of heights I climbed the Sydney
Harbour Bridge. From Sydney we flew to Fiji for a week.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The next international festival was held in
Sarasota, Florida, on October 24, 25, 26, 2014, and the team decided to attend.
The other members were going to fly down, tour around some of the sites and
head home. I wanted more than that, so my husband, Mike, and I decided to do a
three month tour of the U.S. Since I needed to be in Sarasota by October 22 to
practice with the team, we picked September 23 as our leaving date and Dec. 16
as our return date. I applied for and was given three months off work.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">We had such a great time touring through nineteen
states. In Sarasota I stayed in the hotel with my team for the three day event.
Again, such a wonderful venue, although at 6:00am it was dark and cool. Once
the sun came up, we warmed up fast.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The last international festival was in Florence
Italy in 2018. Again, rather than fly there for just the festival and maybe some
local touring, I opted to spend nine weeks in Europe. I did two bus tours, travelled
by train and stayed in hostels and hotels for eighteen days and then did a
Baltic Sea cruise.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Since my diagnosis I have met so many strong,
caring, fun-loving women plus I have visited some awesome places around the
world. I am now back living in Edmonton and paddling with Breast Friends again.
Only one woman is still with the team from when I paddled here years ago. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I am looking forward to paddling this year and many
years to come, the silver lining to my cloud.</span></p><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></div><br /><p> </p>Joan Donaldson-Yarmeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03207419939273225435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446627416775227561.post-53386739255351678932022-05-21T06:00:00.023-07:002022-05-21T06:00:00.196-07:00Putting Puzzles Together VS Writing a Mystery Novel<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcmpytQDUnVbJNsDQogbyj9f4uehov9e3dVKlxmcTFx2nXycdljTU6oDMW9-Chq1g5K2FLq7kiAvQd6V6RxpgP5BEsRJNjVKMUr4De3QbpRs2e9VuyFAXSmQqvvPRpmBKudc2rzE3o9D_KNdQTcU-Tsyo5U0jJ2vYcO0NHwwhlen2NJylrbHaN0Pra4A/s2775/9781990086243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2775" data-original-width="1850" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcmpytQDUnVbJNsDQogbyj9f4uehov9e3dVKlxmcTFx2nXycdljTU6oDMW9-Chq1g5K2FLq7kiAvQd6V6RxpgP5BEsRJNjVKMUr4De3QbpRs2e9VuyFAXSmQqvvPRpmBKudc2rzE3o9D_KNdQTcU-Tsyo5U0jJ2vYcO0NHwwhlen2NJylrbHaN0Pra4A/s320/9781990086243.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>https://www.amazon.ca/Killer-Match-Joan-Donaldson-Yarmey/dp/1990086241<br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmxKldHOFss7Sir_sfCNeSB_zU3mqbP8iABr9j0kKWhMggOaQibBY3YXHN9fj3YSvr5rKXodqu4B85EspzMCUG3hXBtUaEOvbhlnBLAcbx0yVg_Pj45SYYjQqoi_i8rkzvM7dEpg-RnxQVeRhHcNzPNszHphV45zCJRL58nm-_NZSZmapnW4ourYW5-A=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmxKldHOFss7Sir_sfCNeSB_zU3mqbP8iABr9j0kKWhMggOaQibBY3YXHN9fj3YSvr5rKXodqu4B85EspzMCUG3hXBtUaEOvbhlnBLAcbx0yVg_Pj45SYYjQqoi_i8rkzvM7dEpg-RnxQVeRhHcNzPNszHphV45zCJRL58nm-_NZSZmapnW4ourYW5-A=s320" width="240" /></a></div><b>https://www.rcn.media/product-page/secrets-of-a-town-s-cursed</b><p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEja8hu8EiGA0ItbjJL9lMqpQx4ZaaMZxNRTVAgF6SByxaKjlSbgdM_36igh0lWGDdhwywwI_pM95CRrn4K6Vcx2ApSfvl6KPzOXeCPcQZic52veEJ3ZSv__24IfqJLJ77HL4kYw2ZxdICQ1BYJj-fQGExSIdqXrwmY8RVpinh3SCVyBLk-M5bZSv2OtOg=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEja8hu8EiGA0ItbjJL9lMqpQx4ZaaMZxNRTVAgF6SByxaKjlSbgdM_36igh0lWGDdhwywwI_pM95CRrn4K6Vcx2ApSfvl6KPzOXeCPcQZic52veEJ3ZSv__24IfqJLJ77HL4kYw2ZxdICQ1BYJj-fQGExSIdqXrwmY8RVpinh3SCVyBLk-M5bZSv2OtOg=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">https://www.rcn.media/product-page/Banished-To-The-Fifth-Planet</span></h3><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name"><br />
</h3>
<div class="post-header">
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-OcsJFvetYDUOSl_PdwMh6OvplpQiuwAwDLhOI0opTI2FWwsdmytkewrkVM1WsAvTh26IMyoyiHV6K9oOMCbIRsJakU8wkurQEdEP5s7TBeS4GQyMIpEoAcxvm7u_LWsbNJZau3_vUi__/s1600/DonaldsonYarmey-TravelingDetectiveSeries-PRINTconcept+%25281%2529+%2528515x640%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="515" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-OcsJFvetYDUOSl_PdwMh6OvplpQiuwAwDLhOI0opTI2FWwsdmytkewrkVM1WsAvTh26IMyoyiHV6K9oOMCbIRsJakU8wkurQEdEP5s7TBeS4GQyMIpEoAcxvm7u_LWsbNJZau3_vUi__/s320/DonaldsonYarmey-TravelingDetectiveSeries-PRINTconcept+%25281%2529+%2528515x640%2529.jpg" width="257" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_G4UAQrixnfhKWbiKBwi_rcpfDTF2DH6XHtj9wGIo6RQRmU3FONpzu7bzotvx-wsN_15JQCQ_PgbbivDLLsU-quuz6gm-D8oWPltOnTxty13vsTIESWLUxf4VtlzLEXJWqy8z7ytPoEbZ/s1600/DonaldsonYarmey-GoldFever+%25281%2529+%2528427x640%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_G4UAQrixnfhKWbiKBwi_rcpfDTF2DH6XHtj9wGIo6RQRmU3FONpzu7bzotvx-wsN_15JQCQ_PgbbivDLLsU-quuz6gm-D8oWPltOnTxty13vsTIESWLUxf4VtlzLEXJWqy8z7ytPoEbZ/s320/DonaldsonYarmey-GoldFever+%25281%2529+%2528427x640%2529.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<b>https://bookswelove.net/donaldson-yarmey-joan</b>/<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">My daughter and son-in-law gave me a one-thousand
piece puzzle. It has been years since I’ve put a puzzle together
and I thought it would be fun. However, as soon as I dumped out the pieces on
the table I realized that putting the puzzle together would be much like me writing
a mystery novel.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, the
big pile of pieces is like the big mishmash of ideas, clues, scenes,
characters, and settings that make up the notes I have for my mystery. Before I
can start the puzzle I have to turn all the pieces upright so I can see their colour,
just as I have to sort through my notes when I start my novel. I have to decide
where in the story my book begins much like I have to decide how to start my
puzzle. I can outline my novel as some writers do or I can jump in and start
writing. With the puzzle, I can find all the outer edge pieces and put them together
or pick scenes of the picture and find the colours to match.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I decide to
start with outer edge and I sift through the pile to find them. I return the
rest to the box. As I work on the edge I have to go back through the box to
find edge pieces I missed, just like I have to go through my manuscript and
find where I have missed adding some important information or missed putting in
a misdirection.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because of
the way they are cut, it is hard to decide if a piece is part of the outside
edge or if it is a regular piece. Just like writing, is that a clue or a red
herring?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the
puzzle I know at the beginning what the end result will be because of the
picture on the box. Sometimes when I start my mystery, I know the ending,
however sometimes the characters say or do something that I hadn’t planned on
and I am left trying to figure out how to get them out of a situation or how to
diffuse something they have said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I learned
that there are various names for the parts of a puzzle piece: </span><span class="e24kjd"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">loops and sockets; knobs and holes; tabs
and slots; keys and locks; even outies or innies. Sometimes </span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">it is frustrating to try and get knobs to fit into the
holes. The colour looks the same only the tab doesn’t fit correctly into the
slot. Or the pieces lock perfectly but there is a slight difference in colour. If
one doesn’t seem to fit in a spot, I have to match it somewhere else. That is
the same with my writing. Sometimes I come up with a good line or a scene only
to find that it doesn’t suit where I want it and I have to find a better match somewhere
else.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I get
stuck with trying to figure out where my story goes next, I can work on a
different section in my novel. In the puzzle if I can’t seem to make a scene
come together I can go to a different part and work there. Every puzzle piece is
tailored to go with the rest to make the picture just like every clue, every scene,
every red herring has to fit into the story properly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is
frustrating to a puzzle solver is finding that one or two pieces are missing at
the end. This is true for the reader of a mystery. All the clues have to be
pulled together, the red herrings explained, the mystery solved, and the
murderer caught. I can’t leave any pieces out.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the
last thing I realized about how putting puzzles together and writing mysteries are
similar is that both of them are an excruciatingly slow process for me.</span></div>Joan Donaldson-Yarmeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03207419939273225435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446627416775227561.post-21993467374870479572022-04-21T06:00:00.032-07:002022-04-21T06:00:00.204-07:00How I Became a Published Author<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBVKsL4PE0KyIMRJ6xYa5K2dEiPQdW31MrH9lTvbn9jnKCFLTHE0rUSX2Dd0CyDLfW3_og_al_KWui0gF7gQTU0uM6725zQgdwZRLooRHxad-Q3sB1xbKw3r_BtY0MMcZ4Q1sziKzPidZ-tCM8-ZPODL09nTdNO3qNTzp6Gk-ACplw-wRuAngXdYm1QA=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBVKsL4PE0KyIMRJ6xYa5K2dEiPQdW31MrH9lTvbn9jnKCFLTHE0rUSX2Dd0CyDLfW3_og_al_KWui0gF7gQTU0uM6725zQgdwZRLooRHxad-Q3sB1xbKw3r_BtY0MMcZ4Q1sziKzPidZ-tCM8-ZPODL09nTdNO3qNTzp6Gk-ACplw-wRuAngXdYm1QA=s320" width="240" /></a></div> <p></p><p>https://www.rcn.media/product-page/Banished-To-The-Fifth-Planet</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_3i3FQv0X-IWdFXAtVNVGGWtDVc8cJGn5j8Tg5YYDfnBI4xrbO5fAc0gYRKurfmnakkDHpE7hPCPj_s27DXPc2L9tTxfJcRT7yq0Eeb9OBtFF5-3bNxzouKrvBWU5XQygUjhEtPSJfKBgnA-uNe1hRmR5o4hopVstrQD9YKH3a2C31u2GgaNoPeS7WQ=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_3i3FQv0X-IWdFXAtVNVGGWtDVc8cJGn5j8Tg5YYDfnBI4xrbO5fAc0gYRKurfmnakkDHpE7hPCPj_s27DXPc2L9tTxfJcRT7yq0Eeb9OBtFF5-3bNxzouKrvBWU5XQygUjhEtPSJfKBgnA-uNe1hRmR5o4hopVstrQD9YKH3a2C31u2GgaNoPeS7WQ=s320" width="240" /></a></div> <p></p><p>https://www.rcn.media/product-page/secrets-of-a-town-s-cursed</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKPSvUX1W4-eYRZ-3kVeuTm3tptJhs4eC54mnBIP7jAqT3d-aaKbhRZ38JFibxp_OU3mbh9h-mnT0sBBOrsZLoi4o_5aS1ONMGCt8_Thk_vo-eIWr8wAjXf-1lg2T_8e_v8nDHHq_d177Yg_MXZtaXKerKgJpulHDBjU0Y19Bdo58TOYLP1Bg8aIgh=s2700" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKPSvUX1W4-eYRZ-3kVeuTm3tptJhs4eC54mnBIP7jAqT3d-aaKbhRZ38JFibxp_OU3mbh9h-mnT0sBBOrsZLoi4o_5aS1ONMGCt8_Thk_vo-eIWr8wAjXf-1lg2T_8e_v8nDHHq_d177Yg_MXZtaXKerKgJpulHDBjU0Y19Bdo58TOYLP1Bg8aIgh=s320" width="213" /></a></div>https://www.bookswelove.com/donaldson-yarmey-joan/<br />
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">I
took a few writing courses and began my published, writing career (as
opposed to my unpublished writing career) with a short story titled <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Hawk's Reluctant Flight,</i> in a small
magazine called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Western</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">People</i>. With that on my short resume, I
had travel and historical articles accepted by other magazines, one
of which didn't pay anything to the author. Then I took another writing course
and one of the speakers was Grant Kennedy owner of Lone Pine Publishing in
Edmonton, Alberta.</span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the time Alberta was divided
into tourist zones and I had been thinking about doing a book on what there was
to see and do in each zone. I sent a query letter to Lone Pine Publishing and
the senior editor responded with a phone call. We set up a time for me to go to
the city and meet with her and Grant
Kennedy. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I outlined my idea and Grant said yes it
was a good one but he thought that the books should be more on the people and
culture of each zone. He liked his idea and I liked mine so we decided we
couldn't work together. As I stood to leave I said. "Well, at least as I
research the zones I will see all the backroads of Alberta." He replied.
"I've always want to do a book on the backroads of Alberta." I sat
back down and that was how I began my backroads series. Over the next ten years
I travelled through and wrote two books on Alberta, four books on British
Columbia and one on the Yukon and Alaska.<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My favourite books to read have
always been mystery novels and after much thought I decided to write
one. Since one of the mantras of writing is to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">write what you know </i>I made my main character a travel writer. She
was headed to southern Alberta to do research for a magazine and was drawn
into the mystery of a skeleton found in a septic tank. When I was finished I
sent it out to a few publishers. One wrote back that they liked it but my
travel background was coming out and I had too much travel information in it. I
was asked to remove some. So I did and resent my manuscript. Again, I was asked
to cut back on the travel info. Again I did. The third time I was told that
this was a mystery and I should stick with the mystery and leave out the travel
stuff. I wrote back and said that the main character is a travel writer and is
working on an article. She is not going to drop that and concentrate on the
mystery. So needless to say we parted ways.<br />
</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">I sent out the
manuscript again and another publisher said they were interested in publishing
it. They had one stipulation and that was that I should add
in more travel information.<br />
</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">I sent the second
novel of what I was calling my Travelling Detective Series to the same
publisher. After about a five month wait I received a letter that told me the
publishing house had been bought out by another one and that my manuscript and
all my information had been sent to them. I waited a few months the emailed the
new publisher to find out what was happening. A couple of days later I
received an email stating that they had no record of my manuscript. My heart
sunk. But a few days after that I received an email from another editor at the
publishing house that they had found my manuscript and they wanted to
publish it.<br />
However, in the time between that email
and the publishing date for my novel, the publishing house was sold again.
The new owner was going to honour my contracts, but in the future wasn't going
to publish mysteries. I knew there was no use sending my third manuscript to
that publisher and after checking around I sent it to Books We Love. They
immediately accepted it and e-published it. After two years of talking
with my former publisher I was able to get the rights to my first two novels of
the series and now all three are published with Books We Love Ltd. as a boxed
set.</span></p>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since then I have published one more
mystery novel, two young adult historical, and one adult historical romance, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Romancing the Klondike</i> through Books We
Love. The sequel to that historical romance, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rushing the Klondike,</i> will be out in September 2022. </span><p> </p>Joan Donaldson-Yarmeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03207419939273225435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446627416775227561.post-46017119286660845922022-03-21T06:00:00.019-07:002022-03-21T06:00:00.200-07:00Virtual conferences VS Physical Conferences<p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYmjdYJdtCOLEK6BdA-BWpcmSeyUoVXqmrpqOGuZ5NBSmZGM4CQgT9pu1HVGM5GC9ro1_PktbyNeYozieo5HHW1PTPIdgZNVAXl6hB-3F6-LRExtlJuIUwV08xpQnN7eR8p29zvIRnvyrDMIgR4SzJSNHksoi7kizXPl9lVPZimA6NfKRZsjyCyuXSiQ=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYmjdYJdtCOLEK6BdA-BWpcmSeyUoVXqmrpqOGuZ5NBSmZGM4CQgT9pu1HVGM5GC9ro1_PktbyNeYozieo5HHW1PTPIdgZNVAXl6hB-3F6-LRExtlJuIUwV08xpQnN7eR8p29zvIRnvyrDMIgR4SzJSNHksoi7kizXPl9lVPZimA6NfKRZsjyCyuXSiQ=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>https://www.rcn.media/product-page/Banished-To-The-Fifth-Planet</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifXnY3SqGy3UZbcuMnNvjJUHLDMeAbWmeDFC_4K7NlGv131413Hzl1Lv7gk0NDHqO3RWd6pxuzh3DTPGX-19LguzAIkByMUA5Jz4qYgfB1NIy9cYMauNGHL-AmopOKoWL4KSJsWreK_GllraVBqQMHmnhHFy288EXQ2yVglSiLzOZ0WZ2fxFNdiFZLiw=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifXnY3SqGy3UZbcuMnNvjJUHLDMeAbWmeDFC_4K7NlGv131413Hzl1Lv7gk0NDHqO3RWd6pxuzh3DTPGX-19LguzAIkByMUA5Jz4qYgfB1NIy9cYMauNGHL-AmopOKoWL4KSJsWreK_GllraVBqQMHmnhHFy288EXQ2yVglSiLzOZ0WZ2fxFNdiFZLiw=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /> https://www.rcn.media/product-page/secrets-of-a-town-s-cursed<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8u08A9PLYvNUJjouGQaxj9BMD6rVp9I0HreiChV7oBz1ZITK9Ux_09SDQP5-MzWxSw2sLuvZbOVxgi_o90rxbXmRwP-NnU6Mp-NwXPcOAhHsm8oUD3NpqnVLKDI0upo26dkLeOEAUEq5QzWI-pmuBXq582_SmLdPxYqwJMf7iWrNEmvCSIqaLerhk=s640" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="515" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8u08A9PLYvNUJjouGQaxj9BMD6rVp9I0HreiChV7oBz1ZITK9Ux_09SDQP5-MzWxSw2sLuvZbOVxgi_o90rxbXmRwP-NnU6Mp-NwXPcOAhHsm8oUD3NpqnVLKDI0upo26dkLeOEAUEq5QzWI-pmuBXq582_SmLdPxYqwJMf7iWrNEmvCSIqaLerhk=s320" width="258" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6sKecDeOuVbOivUsD-Q3Iq4vRY9vOFxXepadDzO5grXnmASTQUEFjBzMax-K4Olt9doQvdTVYCRFMbSmSteTcCVVUew6CzFk1rtSUImXay-lfEFJ6W2eY3ZupIfj0d44EqFucUSnUmkaXjaI1H46A2wA4XB6UONIHiBgFYUyXgUPceANXQcMy6iWg=s640" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6sKecDeOuVbOivUsD-Q3Iq4vRY9vOFxXepadDzO5grXnmASTQUEFjBzMax-K4Olt9doQvdTVYCRFMbSmSteTcCVVUew6CzFk1rtSUImXay-lfEFJ6W2eY3ZupIfj0d44EqFucUSnUmkaXjaI1H46A2wA4XB6UONIHiBgFYUyXgUPceANXQcMy6iWg=s320" width="214" /></a></div><br /> https://www.bookswelove.com/donaldson-yarmey-joan/<br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">In the time of virtual everything because of Covid, I took part in my first virtual writing
conference last year. I was both a panelist and
in the audience for some sessions. I have attended physical writing conferences
in Victoria, Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton and there is a definite
difference between the two. In my opinion each has its own pros and cons.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a
lot of coordinating and cost for the organizers of the physical conference.
They have to find a venue usually a hotel with boardrooms. This allows the panelists
and attendees to book a room and stay close to the conference. There are
usually guests of honour who have to be paid. Besides monetary costs it takes a
lot of time to figure out the panels: subjects, panelists, and the timing of
sessions to accommodate writers or editors publishers who are on more than one
panel. They also have to recruit volunteers to look after the rooms. These volunteers
make sure the moderator runs on schedule, the audience clears out in time for
the next one, and there are fresh glasses and jugs of water for each new
session. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are
also costs for the panelists and audience members of the physical conference.
If they don’t live in the city where the conference is being held they have to
travel which entails gas, hotel, and meals or plane tickets and car rental plus
hotel and meals. If a presenter wants to be in the audience of any of the
sessions they have to pay the registration fee just like everyone else. There
is the also the extra cost of a banquet ticket if one is planned.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I lived on
Vancouver Island at the time and in order to attend any physical conference off the island I had to drive
1.5 hours to the ferry, and to make sure I get on it I have to be there about
an hour early or pay for a reservation. Then it is almost two hours ferry
travel to Vancouver. So that is four hours. If I am going to Calgary or
Edmonton, it is another day’s drive. I could fly which is quicker but I would
still have to pay for the ticket and to rent a vehicle to get around once there.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like the
physical conference it would have taken a lot of time to plan the arrangement
of the panels and panelists of the virtual conference. Monetary costs were
probably low because there was no venue, no banquet, and no guests of honour.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It cost me,
and everyone else who took part, nothing to attend the virtual conference either
as a panelist or an audience member. I had no plane ticket or vehicle gas and
parking to pay for, no hotel room to book, and no new clothes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The length
of the physical conference has to work around the time frame of the panelists
and attendees. Unless they take a day off work the first panels can’t start too
early on the Friday because of ability to get there. For that same reason, it
has to close early on the Sunday so those leaving can start their long drive
home or get to the airport in time to catch their plane.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because
there is no travel involved, the first session of a virtual conference can
start around the time people get home from work on the Friday. The only thing
everyone has to remember is the difference between time zones. Being on the
west coast the morning sessions started very early for me. The evening sessions
ended before my supper time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When it was
time to be a panelist I set my computer up and clicked on the link a few
minutes before the session was to start. Pictures of the other panelists showed
up on my screen and we visited a few minutes before the moderator started the
session. When I was in the audience I clicked on the link and waited for the
panelists to show up on my screen.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being on a virtual panel, the guests only see a shoulders and head shot of me so I just
have to wear a good top and comb my hair. I have to make sure there was no light
like a window behind to put my face in shadow. Also, depending on where I was I
could have some unexpected interruptions—pets, children, phone ringing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Getting
ready for a physical conference I have to pack enough clothes for the weekend.
If I am on a panel I have to make sure I have all my material with me when I
leave home. If I forget anything, I am out of luck. No packing for a virtual
conference and all my material will be in my house somewhere.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At a
physical conference there are many panels taking place at the same time which
can be frustrating if I want to attend more than one of them. For this virtual
conference only one panel was offered each hour so I was able to take part in
as many as I wanted. When I finished my panel or the presentation was over I could
leave my office and pet my cats, pick strawberries, sit on my deck, or train my
chickens to run an obstacle course.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
downside to the virtual conference is that the only people I see are my fellow
panelists. I don’t see the audience expressions so there is no interaction
between me and them. I like to watch them to see if they are bored or glad that
they came. I am happy to see that ‘ahah’ moment when something I say answers a
problem they have been having.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At both
conferences there is time for the audience to ask questions. When answering a
question at a physical conference I can speak with the audience face to face, I
can judge to see if my answer is making sense. The questions at a virtual
conference are typed so I don’t see the person asking. When I answer it I am
only looking at my fellow panelists.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Part of the
fun of going to a physical conference is the contact with my fellow writers. We
can meet for meals or a drink or have a quick chat between panels. I can walk
through the conference centre soaking up the writing atmosphere. I meet
readers, talk about books, and get feedback on my own books. It is wonderful
when someone comes up to me and tells me they enjoyed a presentation I made or
want some advice, or liked one of my books. This does stroke my ego because we
writers need to have our egos stroked once in a while. We spend months, years even,
alone writing a book, wondering if a publisher is going to like it and if a
publisher does, will the readers like it and if they do will they tell us. It
is a great feeling to go to the Vendor’s Room and see my books displayed on my
publisher’s table. Even better to have someone buy one of mine and ask for an
autograph.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During a
virtual conference, there is a Vendor’s Room showing a picture of all the panelists
and their books. There is also a chat room where authors and readers can
connect.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are a
lot of differences between the two conferences. Most physical conferences have
been cancelled for this year or turned into a virtual conference which is
perfect in today’s time of lockdown and social distancing. In the future I am
sure they will return as writers and readers decide what they like best: the
convenience of the virtual conference or the comradery of the physical
conference. I like both and if, in the future, I am able to attend either of
them, I will.</span></div>Joan Donaldson-Yarmeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03207419939273225435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446627416775227561.post-40697799693193530782022-02-21T01:00:00.000-08:002022-02-21T01:00:00.198-08:00My First and Only Stage Play<p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNiswJsVX23NIwXQK5hrsivryErQGuNrvEAvbO3N6bvQUzKm_XJcRCkcDLfbv4BgG6KlKHhuo4oVduHg5IsAijL9jaJ3XHKYtVBzCkllNiuGcmDxmFZu2uN3tNspTS9pWu88EwFHYXYCH3d30nTYWyiAnQD9XEMjYW3D7-YnsrP_6S_ttaRIMDcvGHJQ=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNiswJsVX23NIwXQK5hrsivryErQGuNrvEAvbO3N6bvQUzKm_XJcRCkcDLfbv4BgG6KlKHhuo4oVduHg5IsAijL9jaJ3XHKYtVBzCkllNiuGcmDxmFZu2uN3tNspTS9pWu88EwFHYXYCH3d30nTYWyiAnQD9XEMjYW3D7-YnsrP_6S_ttaRIMDcvGHJQ=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgu3X56rWDbbRyVt5UdC46Yjv1cQNRkZ9f4CAZuEfKCvQVaFSqCx-VaE7_joB1mOAlqjOTWyA5zVwEb_rpMYIdt3gH9QLlGOy8ueAQevn6UokJmwzIIsO2Q6PjFAwazvKduyco1GzbAYWm4EaHVGzhr9_SsagETMZuJUT354Rac7m7hk_ziv7UQzJ0kJw=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgu3X56rWDbbRyVt5UdC46Yjv1cQNRkZ9f4CAZuEfKCvQVaFSqCx-VaE7_joB1mOAlqjOTWyA5zVwEb_rpMYIdt3gH9QLlGOy8ueAQevn6UokJmwzIIsO2Q6PjFAwazvKduyco1GzbAYWm4EaHVGzhr9_SsagETMZuJUT354Rac7m7hk_ziv7UQzJ0kJw=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>https://www.rcn.media/product-page/secrets-of-a-town-s-cursed</p><p>https://www.rcn.media/product-page/Banished-To-The-Fifth-Planet</p><p> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhuOs7ievZWYwARQJzwvUZOMYXtLEbMjqXd3W5dwygaYS76hIaNozmoxrfZg4XEUNG3is7P1hvfffg9ON4GZSlgVRSpva8KabV683I3n0LUMT4kUV0NzUPdTZYfB-oEDtEzXEzYpHVhigESs-_C6RB0OA2xHhByC2zDFsn4jDhAYG6HMvUrCs3OsXhv=s640" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhuOs7ievZWYwARQJzwvUZOMYXtLEbMjqXd3W5dwygaYS76hIaNozmoxrfZg4XEUNG3is7P1hvfffg9ON4GZSlgVRSpva8KabV683I3n0LUMT4kUV0NzUPdTZYfB-oEDtEzXEzYpHVhigESs-_C6RB0OA2xHhByC2zDFsn4jDhAYG6HMvUrCs3OsXhv=s320" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLfFr87ZQZtpsoGURdfLfHUkcoemeqIO04ZtnPUnTnVpCApXfnzciqqbBfgkUsJYsHYaDBjDX-xbWB1V8CcItsqmgRe9pp61u9OCq3EfmNWPD_uhq7peLzvC7-t6ZtsaCiWu8TY_U60fZkKYKNWeSyirQ2CATWqyzOaQgM8GOSwOmRRfMtxrmT701R=s2700" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLfFr87ZQZtpsoGURdfLfHUkcoemeqIO04ZtnPUnTnVpCApXfnzciqqbBfgkUsJYsHYaDBjDX-xbWB1V8CcItsqmgRe9pp61u9OCq3EfmNWPD_uhq7peLzvC7-t6ZtsaCiWu8TY_U60fZkKYKNWeSyirQ2CATWqyzOaQgM8GOSwOmRRfMtxrmT701R=s320" width="213" /></a></div><br /><p> https://www.bookswelove.com/donaldson-yarmey-joan/</p><p> <br /></p><p>Over
my writing career I have written non fiction travel books, and mystery,
historical, and holiday romance novels. One year, after taking a two
day, play writing course, I wrote a stage play. I entered my
play in the Fringe held in the small town where I lived. It was accepted
and then came the hard part: finding actors and props, producing, and
directing it.
</p><p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I needed a male
and a female lead actor and I asked two people who had been in plays in our
local theatre before. They agreed and I gave them each a copy of the play. We
met and had a run through with us discussing how we each saw the characters.
Their interpretation of their character's actions and attitude were sometimes
different from mine, but, other than a few places where I felt a certain
delivery was needed, I let them decide how to play the part. Through our many
rehearsals with the props, which my husband, Mike, was in charge of, the
characters evolved and took shape as we discovered better ways for them move,
react, and relate.
</p><p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also needed
actors for a party scene and I approached people I knew and/or worked with in
my quest. Even though I told them that they would only be on stage for less
than five minutes, that all they had to do was listen to the male actor beak
off about how good he was, and that they had no lines, many gave a flat no,
explaining that they could never get up on stage in front of an audience. Some
agreed so I gave them the times of our next two rehearsals. Most of them never
showed up. I kept asking people: my cats' vet, the owner of a new store in
town, the person who donated some props. But I only had the same two people
show up for any of the rehearsals and it looked like Mike and I would be making
our acting debut. I was beginning to worry. Maybe I would have to drag up some
of the audience members.
</p><p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the evening of
the first presentation, two of the three who had attended rehearsals, two
actors in another play and I made up the attendees of the party. For the
Saturday matinee the partiers were, one of my three regulars along with two
members of my dragon boat team, the two actors from the other play, a theatre
volunteer, and myself.
</p><p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One thing I did
learn was that for something like the Fringe where plays are being presented
one after the other, having a lot of props is not a good idea. Because I was
showing a story instead of telling a story, I had over forty props, some large
ones being: fridge, stove, desk, computer, sewing machine, two chairs, table;
smaller ones being: duster, broom, envelope, paper, boxes, material, pens, wine
bottle and glasses, and many more. The play after me had only two tables, two
chairs, a laundry basket and some beer bottles. Another play I watched had some
tea cups and teddy bears.
</p><p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the first
evening there were going to be four separate plays, mine being the first. That
was perfect because it gave us time to set up our scene. However, at the end,
we had to get our props off stage so that the next play could set theirs up
before their showing. Our actors became stage hands and things disappeared in a
hurry. The same happened on Saturday afternoon.
</p><p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The important
thing I learned was that while I had written the words, I was at the mercy of
the actors to show up for the rehearsals, learn their lines, and speak those
words on stage. My female lead was off book (I did get to know some of the
lingo) quickly, but the male lead found it harder to remember his lines. He
also missed some of the rehearsals.
</p><p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Putting on a
stage play isn't like making a movie. You don't get to go back and redo a
scene. When asked, the way I put it is, opening night did not go as rehearsed.
To be honest, it wasn't even close. The male character kept forgetting his
lines or changing them which threw the female character off, as well as the
lighting guy and Mike who had to operate a smoke machine.
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Saturday
afternoon presentation went better. He still missed many of his lines but the
audience laughed when they were supposed to and they understood, and laughed
at, the twisted ending. I was elated and hearing that laughter made the whole
process worthwhile. And I do believe I will try another play for next year, but
I will keep the props to a minimum and have the actors tell the story instead
of show the story.
</p><p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While there were
many mishaps and problems getting my play to the stage, the most memorable is
about our wine bottle. We needed a wine bottle for the opening scene, so I
rinsed one out and filled it with water. We used it for our first on stage
rehearsal and left it along with our other props for our full dress rehearsal
the next evening. When I went to find it for that rehearsal, it was gone. We
searched everywhere and couldn’t find it, so we used a beer bottle in its
place. We laughed and hoped that the person hadn't decided to take it as a
hostess gift to some fancy dinner. I found another wine bottle for our opening
night. At the end of the evening I discovered our first bottle by the back
door, empty. That person must have thought it was the weakest, worst tasting
wine ever made.
</p>Joan Donaldson-Yarmeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03207419939273225435noreply@blogger.com0