An Epic Battle

I came across this funny story last week while idly surfing the net. At a recent medieval re-enactors event, one helmeted warrior impulsively knocked a photography drone out of the sky with his spear. Maybe he was pissed off because it was a modern anachronism and not historically accurate? Who knows? But here's how it looked from the drone's point of view!

Anyway, the warrior felt bad and offered to pay for the damage to the drone. But the drone's owner was so impressed by the warrior's feat of arms that he suggested organizing a competition next year for spear warriors to compete at bringing down drones disguised as flying dragons. Plans are currently underway.

The original daring act of skill and bravery has now been memorialized in a runestone as well. Who says history is dead?

Let the mead flow as the bards recount this mighty tale across our lands!

Stanley Cup Finals Start Tonight!

The Ottawa Senators played a great series but alas, the Pittsburgh Penguins triumphed in overtime in game 7. Now there's no chance the Stanley Cup will come home to Canada this year *sob*

But we must be strong and carry on.

So the Pittsburgh Penguins are playing the Nashville Predators for the Stanley Cup. The first game in the series is tonight.

As between those two teams, we are cheering for the Penguins and Canada's current greatest hockey player, Sidney Crosby. He's a good Nova Scotia boy. Go, Sid, go!

Rockyview Hotel and Texas Gate Bar 'n Grill

So as I said in an earlier post, Cochrane is a pretty kickass, happenin' kind of place in the heart of Alberta's cowboy country just north of Calgary. Its historic town centre has great gift shops, restaurants and MacKay's ice cream (always a huge lineup!) Plus it has the vintage Rockyview Hotel, built in 1904 and still operating!

I have fond childhood memories of my grandparents' country hotel in Saskatchewan which was of a similar vintage, so I was looking forward to staying at the Rockyview. The owner has done a marvelous job of ensuring that the hotel remains a tribute to Cochrane's heritage and history.

Several of the guest rooms have been modernized and renovated as "theme rooms" to reflect local historical culture. There's the Trapper's room, CPR Railway room, Victorian room (it's apparently haunted!) and the room we had -- which I think of as the Pioneer room. And do you know who was the decorator for the hotel's theme room project? Lynne of Insomniac's Attic!

The Pioneer room has vintage furniture like I remember from my grandparents' hotel. Look at that old radiator, the horse collar on the wall, and the reproduction mini ewer-and-bowl set!

And lovely framed doilies on the wall!

The Rockyview Hotel also houses the Texas Gate Bar 'n Grill. We played some pool at the Bar and had breakfast at the Grill. And OMG, was that breakfast good! Can't remember when I last enjoyed a classic brekkie so much! Oh, and I should also mention that the Grill has an exquisite pressed tin ceiling which I just love!

All in all, a marvelous little foray into Alberta's past and present!

[All photos by Debra She Who Seeks, May 2017]

The Beverage of the Gods

Accompanying the resurgent popularity of paganism, heathenry, vikings and craft beer-and-wine making is a newfound interest in mead. Mead is made from honey, can be produced as beer or wine, and is the traditional beverage of the Germanic-Norse gods. Apparently it's all they drink in Valhalla.

So while My Rare One and I were in Water Valley last weekend, we took the opportunity to go to Alberta's finest commercial maker and purveyor of mead -- the Fallentimber Meadery!

We enjoyed a lovely tasting of various types of mead while browsing around the sales centre. I came home with a bottle of traditional mead wine and a couple of small bottles of their latest product -- meadjito -- like a regular mojito but with mead instead of rum. It's carbonated, has a minty citrus taste, and will be very refreshing on a hot summer's night, we figure.

[All images from the internet except photos #4 and #6 by Debra She Who Seeks, May 2017]

Alberta Gothic

This past weekend My Rare One and I went on a road trip to the beautiful Rocky Mountain foothills of southern Alberta -- cowboy country -- ranches, cattle, horses, oil wells! We were headed to Cochrane, a town of 25,000 just north of Calgary that is nestled in a valley overlooked by a huge statue of a cowboy up high in the hills.

Now, Cochrane is a pretty kickass, happenin' kind of place but more about that later this week. Our road trip's immediate purpose was to go to Water Valley, which is very near Cochrane. We were going to visit Lynne of Insomniac's Attic blog at her new store!

If you read her blog, you know that Lynne The Insomniac is an extremely creative devotée of all things dark, mysterious and gothic! Her blog is always a delightful read. And you know what? She is even more delightful in person! My Rare One and I had an absolute blast meeting and spending time with her!

Lynne's new store is a gothic treasure house of the most unique items, decor and clothing! Here's a few photos I took which hopefully give you the feel of it --

I could not resist buying this reproduction antler horn frame with a Victorian-era photo of Odin and his ravens! Isn't it awesome? It's gracing my den/library/computer room now.

And then, when Lynne had closed her store for the day, she did us the great honour of giving us a tour of her acreage home. With characteristic humour and understatement on her blog, Lynne refers to her home as "The Little Gothic Cottage in The Spooky Forest in The Wilds of Alberta, Canada." It is all that and so much more! However, her storybook house is considerably larger than a cottage, thank goodness, because she needs the space to display all the gorgeous gothic furniture, decor and objets d'art that she has collected over the years from all corners of the world.

My Rare One and I were amazed and charmed by both The Insomniac and her home. Thanks so much, Lynne, for a wonderful time!

[First two photos from the internet; all other photos by Debra She Who Seeks, May 2017]

The Tragedy of a Nation Divided

NOOOOOOOOO, I don't mean Trump supporters vs Trump resisters! I mean something much, much more serious!

Are you on Team Waffle or Team Pancake?

Is this your attitude to the whole issue?

Or this?

What, exactly, is your position on syrup? Does it reveal where your true sympathies lie?

Okay, here's the real test of loyalty. Cue the pancake porn!

Or maybe hardcore waffle porn is more your style?

Are you a pushover for waffles?

Or do you hold out for the good stuff?

Oh yeah, baby, yeah!

Don't be fooled, my friends. There is a powerful secret organization pushing the Waffle Agenda!

They want you to believe all their waffle propaganda!

But don't be taken in! I'm here to tell you the truth! THE TRUTH!

On a Scale of . . . .

Sorry if you've seen many/most/all of these memes before around teh interwebs, but I'm clearing out my stash o' stuff so thought I'd just make a quick 'n easy post of them!