It is, in fact, located in southwestern Manitoba, Canada.
[Photo © Debra She Who Seeks, July 2017]
Friday, 6 October 2017
Wednesday, 4 October 2017
Small Prairie Town Travels
This seems to have been my summer for poking around various small prairie towns in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. I'll post about some of them over the course of this month.
In June, I had occasion to drive a couple of hours northeast of Edmonton to the region known in Alberta as "Kalyna Country." This is rolling, fertile farm country where the Parkland area of the prairies meets the Boreal Forest. Historically, the area was settled a little over a hundred years ago by Ukrainian immigrants, who are still the dominant cultural group in the area. Their enduring presence can be seen most strikingly in many beautiful small Orthodox Christian churches, like these two in Smoky Lake with their silver and copper onion domes:
"Kalyna" means "highbush cranberries" in Ukrainian, so I assume they must be plentiful in this region (or were plentiful when the settlers first arrived). However, pumpkins are clearly KING in Smoky Lake nowadays, judging from these giant pumpkin sculptures in Pumpkin Park.
An appropriate image for Halloween month, wouldn't you say?
[All photos © Debra She Who Seeks, June 2017]
In June, I had occasion to drive a couple of hours northeast of Edmonton to the region known in Alberta as "Kalyna Country." This is rolling, fertile farm country where the Parkland area of the prairies meets the Boreal Forest. Historically, the area was settled a little over a hundred years ago by Ukrainian immigrants, who are still the dominant cultural group in the area. Their enduring presence can be seen most strikingly in many beautiful small Orthodox Christian churches, like these two in Smoky Lake with their silver and copper onion domes:
"Kalyna" means "highbush cranberries" in Ukrainian, so I assume they must be plentiful in this region (or were plentiful when the settlers first arrived). However, pumpkins are clearly KING in Smoky Lake nowadays, judging from these giant pumpkin sculptures in Pumpkin Park.
An appropriate image for Halloween month, wouldn't you say?
[All photos © Debra She Who Seeks, June 2017]
Monday, 2 October 2017
Standard Mop-up Operation Following "Help" from HRH
Hello everyone -- Debra She Who Seeks here. Yes, I'm finally back! So now, as the post title suggests, just a bit of housekeeping to take care of and then we'll return to regularly-scheduled programming in the days to come.
1. Extorted Tokens of Appreciation
First of all, many thanks to my dearly departed cat, Her Royal Highness, for rather unexpectedly fulfilling her promise to write 3 guest blog posts during my absence. I didn't think she'd actually do it, but she surprised me. As payment for her industriousness, she demanded that I give her a beautiful new diamond tiara and an expensive gemstone necklace. She does love to keep up with those other Royals, you know. On my dime, of course.
2. Apology
Secondly, I must sincerely apologize to readers for the rude, crude, abusive and foul-mouthed posts which HRH produced in my absence. She has absolutely no filters, morals, tact or anything else to act as a check on her unbridled opinions. I'm deeply sorry if any of you were offended.
3. Legal Disclaimer
And thirdly, on the advice of legal counsel, I am obliged to state the following. Do not, under any circumstances, follow any of the advice or directions published in HRH's inspirational quotations post. Any actions undertaken or not undertaken as a result of anything whatsoever contained in that post are at your own personal risk. No liability for damages attaches to this blog or to blog management. So do not bother suing me.
Moreover, despite HRH having substantial assets like that new diamond tiara and gemstone necklace which could easily be used to pay damages, she says not to bother suing her either. Now that she's over the Rainbow Bridge again, she is beyond the reach of any court. Accordingly, here is HRH's final word on the subject:
1. Extorted Tokens of Appreciation
First of all, many thanks to my dearly departed cat, Her Royal Highness, for rather unexpectedly fulfilling her promise to write 3 guest blog posts during my absence. I didn't think she'd actually do it, but she surprised me. As payment for her industriousness, she demanded that I give her a beautiful new diamond tiara and an expensive gemstone necklace. She does love to keep up with those other Royals, you know. On my dime, of course.
2. Apology
Secondly, I must sincerely apologize to readers for the rude, crude, abusive and foul-mouthed posts which HRH produced in my absence. She has absolutely no filters, morals, tact or anything else to act as a check on her unbridled opinions. I'm deeply sorry if any of you were offended.
3. Legal Disclaimer
And thirdly, on the advice of legal counsel, I am obliged to state the following. Do not, under any circumstances, follow any of the advice or directions published in HRH's inspirational quotations post. Any actions undertaken or not undertaken as a result of anything whatsoever contained in that post are at your own personal risk. No liability for damages attaches to this blog or to blog management. So do not bother suing me.
Moreover, despite HRH having substantial assets like that new diamond tiara and gemstone necklace which could easily be used to pay damages, she says not to bother suing her either. Now that she's over the Rainbow Bridge again, she is beyond the reach of any court. Accordingly, here is HRH's final word on the subject:
Tuesday, 19 September 2017
Blah Blah Blah Number Nine
Hello everyone. Her Royal Highness the Cat here once again. Before my human, Debra She Who Seeks, selfishly disappeared and stuck me with this stupid guest blogger gig, she told me I absolutely MUST post something on today's date. She mumbled blah blah blah number nine or similarly unintelligible gibberish to that effect. But frankly, who was listening? Not me.
So now I'm trying to remember what number nine refers to. Hmmm . . . .
The Nine Circles of Hell?
That's certainly what this thankless and unpaid guest blogger job has been like for moi.
A Cat's Nine Lives?
Unfortunately, all nine of mine are used up or I could escape this indentured blog servitude via the Happy Despatch.
The Nine Rings of Power?
I wish I had just ONE preciousssss ring so I could disappear too.
*heavy martyred sigh*
How tiresome this all is. Okay, okay, just let me rack my brain a little more . . . .
Ohhhh, now I remember!
Ninth Blogoversary!
Yeah, that's right. Today this blog is nine years old.
Big whoop-dee-doo, right? It's so strange what humans get all worked up about.
Weirdos.
Friday, 1 September 2017
InsPURRation from Moi, HRH
Hello everyone. Her Royal Highness the Cat here once again from the Afterlife, filling in as Guest Blogger for my lazy human Debra She Who Seeks who has irresponsibly buggered off for a couple of months.
While I have your momentary attention, I feel obliged to impart some feline wisdom to you. Please take each and every one of these inspirational quotations to heart and perhaps you too can approach the spiritual heights on which we cats reside.
Hahahahahahaha, just kidding. You'll never attain that kind of enlightenment, being mere humans instead of cats. Nevertheless, for Bast's sake, just try to learn what you can from them with your substandard brains and inferior comprehension.
My blessings to you all.
Thursday, 17 August 2017
The Things I Do For You People
Hello, everyone -- Her Royal Highness the Cat here.
Because I was pressed into service against my will as a guest blogger on this crappy blog, I was forced to leave my comfy existence in the happy Afterlife and come back to your miserable world again.
And you know what? The friggin' police have looooooooong memories. Yes, those bastards were here to greet me as soon as I crossed The Veil.
Our reunion did not go well.
So, okay, perhaps a wild 'n crazy police chase did kind of ensue.
The SWAT Team caught up with me later, though, at my human's place.
They were very unreasonable about the whole situation.
And my rights were denied! As usual!
Plus I was railroaded in court by false and malicious testimony!
But don't worry, no jail cell can hold me for long!
I'll be back to do some more blogging soon, you lucky people!
Because I was pressed into service against my will as a guest blogger on this crappy blog, I was forced to leave my comfy existence in the happy Afterlife and come back to your miserable world again.
And you know what? The friggin' police have looooooooong memories. Yes, those bastards were here to greet me as soon as I crossed The Veil.
Our reunion did not go well.
So, okay, perhaps a wild 'n crazy police chase did kind of ensue.
The SWAT Team caught up with me later, though, at my human's place.
They were very unreasonable about the whole situation.
And my rights were denied! As usual!
Plus I was railroaded in court by false and malicious testimony!
But don't worry, no jail cell can hold me for long!
I'll be back to do some more blogging soon, you lucky people!
Tuesday, 1 August 2017
Short(ish) Blogging Break
Hi everyone -- just to let you know, I'm taking a BLOGGING BREAK in August and September. Got places to go, people to see, things to do -- including a road trip across the prairies to see my sister and my Mom.
But I've lined up a GUEST BLOGGER who promises to write two or three posts while I'm away. WHO could it be?
YES, THAT'S RIGHT! My dearly departed cat, Her Royal Highness, will be coming back again from The Great Beyond to pound out a few of her thoughts on the ol' laptop.
As long-time readers know, however, she's NOT the most reliable cat in the world, so we'll see if she ACTUALLY carries through on her promise.
In any event, I'll see you all again in October! CHEERIO and PIP PIP!
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