When Words Collided in Calgary

Congratulations on a successful convention for everyone involved in When Words Collide. What did I learn? I am an experienced writer, but still, I learned far too much to cover today.  However, some of it will be subjects for blogs of the future. Many thanks to presenters and volunteers.

One very important detail that I learned from casual conversations was  that anyone interested in the conference must register early. In fact, some of us registered at this year’s conference for next year! I haven’t done proper fact-checking but I understand that, despite about 600 attendees, another hundred were on the waiting list . Obviously, my earlier blog was far to late to give you a chance of getting in the door! So, watch the When Words Collide website http://www.whenwordscollide.org for when registrations are open to the public for the 2016 conference.

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A Rose From Any Other Angle

Pink Roses in Our Flower Garden by Walt Holt, 2015

With so much to do and see in the summer, I decided to make the rest of the month about capturing the season in photos.  Regarding my own photographic expertise, I can evaluate photos but I have minimal talent when it comes to taking photos. Yes, I work with old photos for my books. These days, when researching away from home and with no time to waste, I take photos of material to read at a later time. Unfortunately, usually, the quality is barely good enough to read!  Also, sometimes I take quick snapshot of friends, family, places or event, but few would be good enough to publish.

My husband, Walt, is the photographer in the family. He has always taken photos but, once he retired, it became an more important hobby. In fact, he takes the time to read and reread his camera manuals.  With his artist’s eye, patience and willingness to experiment, he has become an excellent photographer.  Of course, I am biased, but it is true!

Rose in Full Bloom by Walt Holt, 2015

In fact, making cards from some of his photos is a pleasant escape for me from my own research, writing and writing-related activities.  His photos inspire me. As a result, I decided to share some during the rest of the month.

For those of us with a passion for flower gardening, the hail season is always worrisome. Before they are all stripped by hail, wilted by heat, or give way to fall weather, our taking photos is a way of remembering and appreciating them.

What amazes me about good photographers—whether amateur of professional—is that they see what the rest of us something miss. They see more detail, more colour, more possibilities than most of us experience when looking at the same subject.

Rosebud by Walt Holt, 2015

I am always encouraging Walt to take photos of our flowers. Clearly, when a rose or one very like it is photographed from different angles, at different times or in different light, the rose can be much more than a rose. It can be an ever-changing experience and “way of seeing.”

Heritage, Rodeos and the Bar U Ranch

Happy Heritage Day! Of course, all of August is a great time to continue celebrating of our heritage. So, why not enjoy the rodeo next weekend at the Bar U Ranch. On August 9th, you can experience the best in Alberta ranch history and take in a  rodeo, too. What combination!

Local cowboy competitions held at various ranches were the real beginnings of rodeo and stampedes throughout the West. The popularity of those community events, which appeared earlier in the USA and spread to western Canada by the last half of the 1800s, was inevitable.

The Bar U Ranch National Historic site is where this old-time, ranch rodeo will be held. Initially owned by the North West Cattle Company, eventually, George Lane purchased all of the holdings of the Bar U. As early as 1893, for the summer agricultural fair in Calgary, George Lane organized a steer roping, and one of his cowboy competitors was John Ware. A black cowboy, Ware worked at the ranch and was known as an outstanding bronc rider. In the steer roping competition, he roped and tied his steer in 51 seconds. Clearly, the Bar U has a long and proud history of rodeo and ranch-related competitions.

Located in Alberta’s scenic foothills, about a 90 minute drive southwest of Calgary, the ranch is west of the junction of Highway 22 and 540. Once you arrive, you will have lots of opportunities to learn about the history of the ranch. Celebrating its 20^th year as a Parks Canada historical site, the Bar U is the only national site to commemorate our ranching history.

It remains a working ranch of about 148 hectares (367 acres) with a small cattle herd, saddle horses and some Percherons work horses. As such it is part of our living history. Yet, at one time, the ranch could boast of 160,000 acres of grassland, crucial for grazing the 30,000 head of cattle and 1,000 head of Percherons. Of course, that meant work for countless cowboys. Once the round-ups were done and other work manageable, it was time for the cowboy competitions. But which cowboys and ranches could claim to be the best of the bunch? Serious competition decided bragging rights.

Today, teams of cowboys from various ranches compete in events such as broke horse racing, wild cow milking and team sorting. The winners take home Bar U silver buckles.

That day, I’ll be signing books at the gift shop, so if you plan on attending the event, be sure to drop by and say, “Howdy” or even just “Hi.”

For more information, go to http://www.friendsofthebaru.com. For great photos, click on the photos

When Words Matter

You still might have time to attend When Words Collide in Calgary. For the August 14-16 writers’ conference, registering early was important. In fact, if you email now, you will be put on the waiting list! But at least you have a chance of attending.

Wordfest celebrations do have presentations for writers, but this conference is truly a great one for writers or those who dream of writing. As well, given the range of topics and the expertise, what phenomenal value for your money!

Having participated previously, I remember the countless presentations and panels on the art, craft and business of writing. Whether you have published or are still hoping to publish, the weekend offers something for everyone regardless of expertise and genre. If you want the scoop on events and presenters, just check out the program on the website: http://www.whenwordscollide.org.

There are so many great panels and presentations, but I will be on the following panels with these other fine presenters:

Editing Tricks Faye Holt, Ella Beaumont, Nowick Gray, Arlene F. Marks, Barb Galler-Smith (M) Catching your own goofs before you send your manuscript to your beta reader, or worse, Amazon. Developmental, structural, copyediting or proofreading: Do you need an editor before you self publish? What kind? Or have you been burned: I’m not going to let an editor touch my words!

To Blog or Not to Blog: Answer This Question Faye Holt, Maraya Loza Koxahn, Ella Beaumont, Ryan McFadden Should writers spend their little time writing their book or splitting it with a consistent blog. Panellists discuss benefits and best practices to hosting a blog.

Memoir or Autobiography?  Brian Brennan, Faye Holt, Vivian Hansen, Maraya Loza Koxahn Should your memoir start with your birth? Or is that your mother’s story? Memoir focuses on a significant event or series of events that illustrate a concept. Or do they? Panellists discuss what to include and what to leave out of memoir: the line between memoir and autobiography.

If you have registered, check the schedule for dates and times. Hope to see you there.