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Willett of the Day: The Willett House(s)
View Larger MapNot all interesting Willetts are people. There are also businesses, such as The Willett House, which "has made a name for itself as one of Westchester Country's premier steak houses." (Fair warning: its web site also features a really annoying theme song. )Located approximately one hour north of Manhattan and hugging the Connecticut border, the Willett House occupies a turn-of-the-century grain storage facility on the Byram River in the industrial town of Port Chester.The restaurant emulates the old-style New York steak house, giving those outside the city a chance to sample prime U.S.D.A. steaks and chops ...Snow slogging and photo blogging in the Warehouse District
My final trudge through the snow taking photos for Historic Walks of Regina and Moose Jaw took me to the Warehouse District, where I saw--you guess it--lots of warehouses.Here's a favorite:This 1920 building was built for the hardware and school supplies wholesaler Wood Vallance Ltd. It merged with Marshall-Wells of Moose Jaw in 1926, and remained here until 1970.I like this one, too:Sidney Comber, the Montreal architect who designed this 1929 building, gave it a distinctly Mediterranean look, ...Snow slogging and photo blogging–in Moose Jaw!
Yes, today I took my Historic Walks of Regina and Moose Jaw travelling photography act on the road to Moose Jaw.Moose Jaw has many fine old buildings. Look, there's one now! Specifically, Central Collegiate:Built in 1909-1910 and designed by John D. Atchison and Richard Bunyard, this was Moose Jaw's first high school building. During the Second World War, the building housed a military corps and the grounds were used for drill practice.There are also grand houses. This is probably the grandest:...Snow slogging and photo blogging, the sequel
The second tour I photographed Friday for my Historic Walks of Regina and Moose Jaw book was Germantown.You may be wondering about the name. From the introduction to this section in the book:Germantown...emerged as a distinct residential and commercial neighbourhood in the early 1900s. Regina Market Square, established in 1892, was a public marketplace that became an important commercial district in the city's early years, particularly for the grocery and produce trade, although its businesses also provided agricultural and building supplies, clothing, housewares, furniture and a variety of services. Delivery stables and blacksmith shops abounded in the area, and at one time three hotels bordered the square.The district took its name from the large ...Snow slogging and photo blogging
Yesterday I photographed two of the tours from Historic Walks of Regina and Moose Jaw. First: Lakeview.Lots of very nice houses. Lots of other scenic things to shoot, starting with Wascana Centre:As you can tell, it may be March, but it definitely ain't spring yet:Of course there were the obvious things I had to photograph:And other things I photographed just for fun, like Regina's version of Jupiter's Red ...Trudging through the snow, carrying a camera…
...was how I spent a large chunk of today. Still working on Historic Walks of Regina and Moose Jaw, and having been stymied in my plan to do two, count 'em, two tours yesterday by snow. (Snow! In Saskatchewan! In the winter! Who'd have thunk it?) today I at least managed one, in the General Hospital area.I started off from CBC, where I'd had a meeting regarding my science column (more on that later this month), and where I took my first photo:I liked the contrasts between this snow-covered tree and the back wall of the Canada-Saskatchewan Production Studios....Photos of the Day: The Centre Block
That's what they call the part of the city (formerly known as the Transition Area) I was taking pictures in today. Here are a few:This municipal heritage property has long been one of my favorite houses in the city, and no wonder. It was built in 1911 (at a cost of $30,000) for Lorence Kerr of the Kerr Land Co., who lived here until 1919. It received national attention--it was featured in the January, 1915, issue of the trade journal Construction. Harry Bronfman also lived here briefly before moving to Montreal in 1928 to join other family members in establishing Distillers Corp. ...My apologies for the light blogging…
...I've been struggling with computer problems that culminated today in my taking my desktop machine to the shop. Then I spent several more hours getting my laptop (on which I'm writing this) set up as my temporary desktop machine.By way of making amends, I offer several photos taken while I was strolling around the Cathedral district of Regina Friday taking pictures for my upcoming book Historic Walks of Regina and Moose Jaw (Red Deer Press).That's Holy Rosary Cathedral, of course, built in 1913. It was designed by Joseph Fortin, who also designed the cathedrals in Saskatoon and Gravelbourg....Belated Photo of the Recent Past: Hopkins Dining Parlour
The cosy interior of the Hopkins Dining Parlour, located in a restored century-old house in downtown Moose Jaw.More photos here.Photo of the (Yester)Day: Crystal Star
More photos here.
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Magebane
“Spectacular” – Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Evil wizards, multi-level conspiracies, hidden kingdoms…Lee Arthur Chane…has done a marvelous job…Magebane is a very entertaining book and well worth the time.” – A.M. Donovan, Night Owl Reviews
I happily recommend Magebane and I’ll certainly give Chane’s next novel a try based on this one.” —Bill Capossere, Fantasy Literature
“…an original and delightful tale of epic fantasy and magic, steampunk science, adventure, tragedy, and love…” – Errant Dreams Reviews
Eight centuries ago, the world changed. A devastating war swept the lands, and the MageLords, who had long ruled by virtue of their spell powers, were driven to a distant place, separated from those they had ruled by a magical Barrier. With magic banished from the rest of the world, the MageLords became mere legend and people turned to science to improve their lives. But if one man has his way, all that is about to change….
Written as Lee Arthur Chane (the middle names of my older brothers, Jimmy Lee and Dwight Arthur, and myself, Edward Chane Willett).
Marseguro
Winner of the 2009 Prix Aurora Award for Best Long-Form Work in English
Water world Marseguro is home to the Selkies, a water-dwelling race created from human DNA. When an unmodified human seeks revenge on a Selkie by activating a distress beacon taken from the remains of the original colony ship, a strikeforce is sent from Earth to eradicate the genetic abomination. Yet Marseguro will not prove as easy to conquer as the Earth force anticipates…
Terra Insegura
Finalist for the 2010 Prix Aurora Award for Best Novel in English
Marseguro, a water world far from Earth, is home to a colony of humans and the Selkies, a water-dwelling race created from modified human DNA. For seventy years the colony has lived in peace. Then Earth discovers Marseguro, and a strike force is sent to eradicate this “abomination.” But Marseguro has created a genetically tailored plague to use against Earth’s Holy Warriors. With the enemy defeated, the people of Marseguro feel they are safe. But Chris Keating, the traitor who signaled Marseguro’s location to the Holy Warriors, has fled to Earth, unknowingly carrying the deadly plague within him. The people of Marseguro feel they must send a ship to Earth with a life-saving vaccine. Only time will tell what awaits them when they reach their destination.
Lost in Translation
Kathryn was a human empath whose world and life had been destroyed when the alien S’sinn slaughtered her parents before her very eyes. Jarrikk was a young S’sinn, an unproven warrior who’d seen his flight mates slaughtered by the humans who’d sought to colonize his world.
As humans and S’sinn found themselves on the brink of war, these two Translators had to work together to find a common ground and avert catastrophe. But whether their Translators’ oath and training could overcome the enemies leagued against them was very much in doubt…
Archives
Song of the Sword
My new YA fantasy novel from Lobster Press
Before the Lady called her, Ariane’s life was a mess. Two years ago, her mother disappeared. She bounced around different foster homes until her aunt finally took her in. The meanest clique at her new high school has decided to make Ariane their prime target. And to top it all off, she is having frightening premonitions, and they are becoming more intense. The moment water touches her skin, she sees visions of a lake, a lady, and a sword. When a staircase opens up in the middle of Wascana Lake and the water begins singing to her, she has no choice but to answer the call….
Historic Walks of Regina and Moose Jaw
Ten walks to points of historic and architectural interest in the cities of Regina and Moose Jaw (eight walks for Regina, two for Moose Jaw).
Johnny Cash: The Man in Black
When country music legend Johnny Cash took the stage at Folsom State Prison in 1968, he solidified the public’s perception of him as a rebel who followed his own path. Born in Arkansas during the Great Depression, Cash endured poverty, the death of his older brother, and a difficult relationship with his father. He turned to gospel and country music to express the pain, and after many years of struggling, his songs of hardship and hope would finally reach the ears of those waiting for an artist who represented them, ordinary people fighting to survive.
Andy Warhol: Everyone Will Be Famous for 15 Minutes
“Paintings are too hard. Machines have less problems…” In the 1960s, Andy Warhol became the most famous creator of a new style of art called pop art, which transformed mass-produced items of popular culture into fine works of art. From Campbell’s Soup cans to photographs of Marilyn Monroe, Warhol’s willingness to use anything and everything from the mass media in his work expanded the range of subject matter available to artists. His avant-garde films, artistic usage of American icons, and unconventional social life made him a controversial figure, both greatly admired and deeply reviled. A trendsetter rather than a trend-follower, a dispassionate observer of both the seamy and celebrity sides of life, Warhol was a true American rebel.
Disease-Hunting Scientist
The true stories of six real disease hunters. Epidemiologists travel the world trying to keep us safe from deadly diseases—from high-tech labs in Canada to remote villages in Africa. Learn how these “disease detectives” are coming up with new ways to fight disease, and find out if you have what it takes to become an epidemiologist, too!
The Bounty Mutiny
The Bounty was a British ship visiting Tahiti in 1789 when some of the crew overthrew the captain, William Bligh, and set him adrift in a tiny boat with sailors loyal to him. The mutiny resulted in a number of trials–both of the men who mutinied and of Bligh for losing command of his ship. These fascinating events have been the source for numerous Hollywood movies, most recently The Bounty. The Bounty Mutiny: From the Court Case to the Movie explores the famous case and the movies it inspired.
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