and unwarranted condemnation Here is an excerpt from "The Making of Jake McTavish", Chapter 6. At this point in the story Jake has had a successful winter, despite it having been one of the worst in decades. He is proud of that success and the prospects for the future. However, the man he has been working for has made a serious error at a poker game ... One of Canada's Rocky Mountain Rangers, John Clarke with 1776 Winchester Picture from mid 1800s Calgary cowboys in 1883 Three years before the "winter of blizzards" An excerpt from The Making of Jake McTavish Chapter 6 Southern Manitoba , 1887   It was May 16, 1887 when Egan and four other men rode up to the cabin. Jake had just finished having lunch and was on his way out, intending to ride around the cattle. Jake was feeling cocky and proud of himself. Of the hundred and fifty cows he first started out with he still had one hundred and four. They had also increased their number...

            From left; Bill Studley, Theresa Gladue, Dave McGowan, Linda Studley, MC Greg Wandling, Barb Munro, Preteek Jain           The “Peace Songwriters” had a successful night (Nov. 30, 2019) with our “Place at the Table” concert and raised a few dollars for the Salvation Army as Christmas approaches. Contributors to the show included; Bill and Linda Studley, Theresa Gladue, Barb and Ian Munro, Denise Gardiner, Preteek Jain and Greg Wandling who was also the very entertaining MC. Denise Gardiner The work presented was a variety of original songs and rhymes as well as ‘covers’ of traditional seasonal work. Clayton Studley did some video work and I expect there will be a DVD available sometime in the future. The 2018 “Place at the Table” can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikHVkwkE3X4 Door Prizes drawn during the evening       ...

             Once again Remembrance Day is just around the corner so I present what has become an annual event, the story of a young Canadian who served with many US citizens in the British Royal Airforce under British Officers.             This is a story I’ve posted before but I think it should appear again in recognition of Remembrance Day and of a very good friend with whom I loaded and unloaded many cartridges of a variety of calibers. I also had the pleasure of hearing his guitar behind my vocals on several occasions and playing both bass and guitar behind his excellent vocals.             I’ve changed a few things but those who knew him will recognize the story and the man it portrays.             Following the Battle of Britain he returned to Canada   and taught fighter pilots for the last...

Writing Outside the Lines           I was reading an article in the “Roundup” magazine from Western Writers of America about “writing outside the lines.” I wasn’t into it very far when I realized, that is exactly what I do. In my stories I often include back ground that is not in keeping with accepted and promoted history. The reason for that is that I’ve found things that sometimes don’t support the usual teaching. The following are a very few facts I’ve found over several years of research that disagree with what is often accepted. 1.      “Nothing of significance happened in Canada” Several dozen significant events took place in Canada. Several wars where fought on her soil; between France and England (several times), between England and the USA, between several aboriginal nations and Norwegian, French and British forces. Events in Canada had an impact on and continue to have an impact on world event...

“Into the Mountains”   background Gabriel Dumont Louis Riel's Children Jean Louis and Angelique In 1885 after years of unfulfilled promises from Canada’s Federal Government the M é tis of the North Battleford and Frog Lake areas of the North West Territories (in today’s province of Saskatchewan) rebelled over their treatment. It was known as the Northwest Rebellion or the Second Riel Rebellion since it was led by Louis Riel who had led a rebellion in 1870 in the Fort Gary/Red River area (today’s Winnipeg). Riel was indeed the leader but the military leader or M é tis General was Gabriel Dumont and they were joined by some Assiniboine and Cree people. Despite being ill equipped in relation to the Canadian Militia and North West Mounted Police … (Though both sides had some repeating rifles about half of the M é tis’s were muzzle loading/percussion weapons. Toward the end when supplies where disappearing a few flint locks appeared. ) Martini-Henri 1871 in...

Apparently there are those that think our ancestors always had the worst of motives when they presented their ideas. John A. McDonald and Sir Isaac Brock were not creating a country they were stealing. Samuel de Champlain, Henry Hudson and Giovanni Caboto were not mapping new country they were subjugating the populace in “new” lands. Having read some of the writings of John A. and of those around him I’m 100% sure that he wanted free of the oppressive, ignorant demands of the British Colonial Secretary. His second concern was that the neighbor  to the south would attempt to absorb “his” country. He also thought that the various “Indian” (ie: aboriginal) peoples would be defeated by a more efficient economic system and history proved him correct. He also thought that they should learn some of the systems brought from Europe or the peoples, their societies and language would also disappear. History almost proved that to be correct as well but due to an understanding impar...