#historic mansions canada

[hometoursandotherstuff]

Chance to buy the home that was featured on the show. It is stunning. The 1885 former funeral home in Chatham Kent, ON, Canada, has 6bds, 6ba, 5 levels, and is listed for $1.885M.

The entrance hall is a striking gloss red with black & gold accents.

Immediately to the right, thru double doors, is a sunny office with a great view.

Proceeding down the hall.

We come to a fabulous original staircase with a mural and a faux garden. This is cool.

Across the hall there's this lovely blue lounge.

The home is known for its secret passages, and in this room, there's a bookcase that pushes open to a room I'd like to see, but they don't show.

There's also a pretty half bath off this room.

This TV room is off the blue room, and it must've clearly been the former chapel.

This is a dining area that's a part of the huge kitchen. I'm surprised that in this very elegant home there's no formal dining room.

Moody black kitchen is way too large. Look at the scythes (well, more like sickles, but who's arguing?)

Another sitting room.

And, off that sitting room is another sitting room, but this one has lovely exposed brick.

I don't know why, but the laundry room gives me the creeps.

And, here we are on the upstairs landing. There's a stained glass window on the way up, too.

The large primary bedroom has a stunning ceiling.

This bedroom is huge, too. You could probably do a haunted bed & breakfast b/c the house is zoned for business.

A large moody full bath. This is nice.

This may be a basement suite, b/c I don't see any windows.

Then, they have what must have been the embalming room, decorated with a chart, a display of tools and stuff, plus antique barber's chairs.

On the top floor things get considerably cheerful and light.

Light bath with flowers on ribbons.

And a gigantic shower. Wow, I wouldn't want to wipe this thing down.

This fun room looks like it's on the 5th level and may be one of the secret rooms.

And, this would be the belvedere on the top of the house.

The lot is .41 acre.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/620-Cross-St-Chatham-Kent-ON-N0P-1M0/2077626884_zpid/?

[iceprincessviviane]

Last will. - Heritage series prologue.

Paring: poly!BTS (Demons) x Female!Shy!Skinny!Chosen!Reader

Type: dark romance, horror au, soulmate au, poly relationship, slowburn, yandere.

Warnings: Horror themes, some religion themes (mostly demonic), gore, blood, manipulation, witchcraft, magic themes, death (side characters), mentionings of forced marriage, mentioning about past, loss, yandere, obsessive, possessive, swearing, low self-esteem,dealing with grief, sugestive content and silly jokes created by me. (If there is more to add let me know.)

Next chapter.

Summary: When old, lonely lady is dying, some mysteries are revealed, which none is expecting. Someone is going to take advantage of that for sure.

Author's note: It was around Halloween and I was getting inspired and decided to try something in good, old scary mood. I might be not good at it, so sorry! And it's based kinda of my strange dream. Action is supposed to be in northen Canada in make up city, this is how it was in my dream so I will let it stay. Sorry if that has no logic at all. Dream was really strange and first chapters are mostly based on that, rest it just written by me as continuation. Introduction is long and whole mansion is based on one from Tonb Raider series (Legend/Underworld). English isn't my first language so sorry for all mistakes.

Dedication for the @aris-ink meance (angel) which supporter me all the way along and mostly I'm posting because she gave me a wings 💖

MINORS DNI

In modern office was sitting very old and elegant lady. She had old-fashioned dress and her white hair were in tight bun. Fine jewllery was on her neck, same was for wrist and ears. The stones were shinging in light of the lamp. She sat opposite young notary, which was writing somethine with pen on his documents. Dame was visibly getting impatient, her assistant was making meaningful glances at worker, but he didn't even noticed. After few minutes she sighed and tapped her emaciated on light brown desk.

"I am sorry ma'am, it has to be perfect."

She rolled her eyes and looked around. Office was big and bright, outside was raining heavy, wall of water and sometimes the sky was pierced by thunder. There was computer on the other side of the desk and big bookshelf filled by documents and books about the law. On the wall was hanging put some awards and certificates which notary finished successfuly.

"My boy, I am sorry to interrupting you, but in fact I don't have much time. I am going to die very soon and I need to do a lot." Old lady said bitterly.

"I am sorry ma'am." He gave her sympathetic smile and put down pen. "I have ended your last will as you wished."

Notary handed her document. She read it with little frown. It was strange for her, but the time has come and she had to take care of last things in this world.

"I have concated the curator of museum you have mentioned. He is thrilled by your proposition and agreed to all your terms."

"I am glad then. I hope this will do good for next generations." Old lady smiled warmly.

"But there is one problem. Being specific about the mansion in Grand Hillsam." Man said looking at the name of the town.

Immediately old lady's glance became cold and suspicious. "What about it?"

"I have found that in fact it's part of Canadian heritage and it was just under your custody ma'am. It can't be given to any museum or anyone unless the government agree or the owner can't take care of it. I have tried to contact the office in Grand Hillsam and they have sent me to someone higher."

Old lady scoffed and waved her head with annoying expression. She tapped desk again, looked like wanting to light a cigarette.

"But they have stated that, after your death it will become clear what will happen to the mansion. It can't be made into museum if it's not proven that mansion would be left all alone."

"But I wanted to avoid passing it to anyone. That's why I wanted to make museum there and give all historical stuff away as gifts."

"They are very thankful, but your family last will is above that. You were not living there in fact, only someone who lives there can decide about mansion." Young man sighed taking out some documents. "I have searched it very carefuly, but can't do anything about that."

"That's bullshit." She cursed not like a lady. "I have paying all the bills and sending money to take some care of this mansion. I just didn't want to live there." She frowned.

"And as your family stated, only person who lives there can decided to such things as selling or giving up the mansion. After your death your family and far family will be informed about it. If they won't be able to take care of it, it will be made into museum." Notary said shrugging with helplessness.

"But I have no family. That's why I am giving away the money and things."

"Well... that's not true ma'am... the office searched through documents as did I. You have a very distant family, here in Europe."

"But they have been thrown out of my lineage almost three hundred years ago. The testement didn't include them in any case."

"Well... the office in Canada have stated that unless your famil won't care about mansion or simply can't because of money, then yes it will be made into museum."

Old lady sighed slowly, but then nodded. "If it's all, please let me sign it and let's end this farse."

Soon notary handed her all necessary documents. She signed them with diligence. They have left office and her assistant helped her by softly holding arm. He was middle age man, who served her long time. When they were in the car, driver almost immediately pulled into driveway.

"Damnit, it was so close to get rid of this stupid mansion and it's secrets. I am sure they have had their word in this." She said staring at the window and terrible weather.

"So what now? Your distant family will be called to Grand Hillsam that's for sure." Assistant said with worrying tone.

"I will make sure, that they won't want to stay there and will be protected. I need to be at home as fast as possible."

}*{

It was dark outside and was raining almost all time. Week has passed since old lady was in the office. Now she was lying at bed, weak and in fact annoyed. She lighted a cigarette and took a deep breath. Her assistant just left bedroom. It was quite big one, with canopy bed, balcony, big wardrobe and high bookshelf.

"You shouldn't be smoking." Happy voice said with concern.

"I am dying, I can do whatever I want." Old lady's words were horase. "I don't care how I am going to die, I am going to enjoy life till my last breath."

"You are still the same." Green eyes flashed in dim room, just on the bookshelf.

Small, dark as night cat hopped on the floor and made it's way to the bed.

"Thank's God, I was thinking that Harry was making you suspicious." Old lady said bitterly.

"It was hard to make my way here and this form." Cat said and stopped near the bed, that lady could see him.

"I need your owner'a help." She confessed.

"We know. That is why I am here, but don't know the details."

"I wanted to give up the mansion. To get rid of it, make family free. But of course they have stepped in." Old lady frowned with disgust.

"Well it was sure, that it won't be so easy."

"Officials said that until my last family won't be proven that don't want to take care of the mansion or simply can't take care, because of money, there is no way of making of it museum."

"So they even messed with office." Cat said perking it's ears.

"Yes. There is a threat, that all will start again. I have no time to meet my distant family and tell them about our messed up past. Pretty sure that they won't believe me anyway. So you will have to take care of that. They can't stay there and they have to give up this stupid building."

"Well it's not like when the building is gone, all the problems will disappear. The bond will be still there."

"Yes, but the ritual place will be no more, all the knowledge and items will be gone. Some spells will break. Even town might get free from dark influence. It will be hard for them go rebuild that somewhere else.

"I will go and tell my owner about everything." Cat promised and licked it paw. "But now let me keep your company."

Animal jumped on the bed and sit on old lady's lap demanding headpats. She gladly provided them till her hand stopped and last breath left her mouth. Cat purred softly making sure that her soul is safe.

}*{

Namjoon stepped out of the car and looked at building in front of him. He put his hands in the pockets. The gate was closed and strong walls were protecting land inside. It looked old and untreated. Through a gate you could see entrance to the garden and main entrance to the big manor. It was already late, moon poking from behind a clouds made a little light. He walked to the gate and put a hand in shadow place then

walk

through

the

darkness till he reached other side. He did the same with big doors and found himself inside. There was dust, unplesant smell and silence, but he remembered those halls too good. There was big, main space and staircase which were splitting up, leading up and to the left and right where were rooms. Entrance to the basement was also through this room, same as kitchen and second part of the manor. He wasn't alone.

Shadows shifted slighty and into his view came six characters. Wide smile appeard on his handsome face.

"Is thar true hyung? That's why we all are here?"Jimin asked coming closer.

"Better be that or I will throw hands." said Yoongi and leaned on pillar in opposite.

"Our man has confirmed that there is another descendant. They have rejected idea of the museum for now and have stated that it must to be prooven that descendant can't take care of mansion to make it museum." Namjoon has spoken quietly.

"So we have chance to take it all back?" Jungkook's wide and bunny smile appeard.

"Maybe, now they have to brought here this person."

"All right let's go back to the work guys." Jin stated and they all have disappeard in the blink of the eye.

[myemuisemo]

Doyle makes the kind of mistake that faithful readers send letters about in chapter IV of The Valley of Fear, the most recent Letters from Watson in my in-box.

At the end of the chapter, the big news is that a bicycle has been found that might belong to the killer.

It was a well used Rudge-Whitworth, splashed as from a considerable journey. There was a saddlebag with spanner and oilcan, but no clue as to the owner.

Rudge-Whitworth was a real brand... that originated from a merger in 1894. In the late 1880s, the cycle would have been a Rudge or a Whitworth, but not both. My sympathy is completely with Doyle on this one, as I've been trying just this past week to reconcile memories of the early/mid-1990s with verifiable dates of historic events.

As far as the Pennsylvania Small Arms Company, consensus is that it's fictional.

Meanwhile, I was distracted by the description of the murder mansion as Jacobean (1603-1714) and started wondering if the American victim actually lived in a 200-year-old home -- or in a newer exurban build in a revival style.

There was a Jacobean Revival in the UK (spreading to the US, Canada, and other former and then-current British possessions), starting around 1830! It continued all the way into the 1920s, which is why there are so many official buildings with liver-colored or yellow brick, big flat front gables, and those nice many-paned sets of windows.

Since I'm having to squint to read the text in the helpful handout, above, from Old Home Living, I'll summarize:

Stone or brick

Cement window trim and casement windows

Steep roofs finished with slate

Prominent chimneys

Often semi-hexagonal bays with parapets

The Jacobean Revival style (now often called Jacobethan, since it has merged with Elizabethan/Tudor Revival) hearkened to an ideal of Merrie Olde England, with everyone wearing ruffs, eating roast beast, and watching Shakespeare plays.

If you check RightMove in East Grinstead, there are new homes being built with Jacobethan facades even now.

The presence of a moat says nothing for the murder mansion's authenticity, since follies like moats were exactly what wealthy exurbanites would adore. So my headcanon for the moment is that our victim is a wealthy American parvenue who wants to play country squire but positively has no roots in that world.

Perhaps next time, we shall learn what Holmes' "gleam of light" in this case might be. Since all the assorted detectives and doctors are discoursing with supreme rationality, I believe everyone, and they're likely all wrong.

[organ-market]

Weird White Men That Defy Classification: The Television Genre

How To with John Wilson, 2020

When you sit down to watch an episode of television it’s a real shot in the dark, you pray to find something truly special yet you brace yourself for potential mediocrity. The day I took a chance on 2020’s How To with John Wilson I sat on my couch, eyes glued to the screen, absolutely mesmerized. For those not in the know, How To with John Wilson is this odd thing that exists, it follows the daily exploits of New Yorker, John Wilson, as he goes around the city showing us how to do a certain task. At the same time it is absolutely not a walkthrough tutorial as rarely will I be able to execute the task described by the title card by the end of each episode. Likewise, the show isn’t really about the man named John Wilson as much as it is a lovely stroll through the people he meets on the street, the charming places he explores, and the little glitches in the matrix that stand out to him.

A typical episode of the show is more like a flowing conversation than a narrative arc, it branches out from its origins to go someplace entirely foreign and new. An episode about wine tasting leads to Bang energy drinks, scented bowling balls, and a lavish mansion party complete with historical wardrobe. John Wilson frequently interviews the everyday people on the street that we’ve all spent our lives passing by. He often highlights little niches in the city as he brings us to a fan club infatuated with James Cameron’s Avatar who go as far to learn the language and in another episode we explore the first ever Mandela Effect Convention. No matter how odd, John Wilson treats these spaces with respect and gives off an eager enthusiasm to learn more.

It is a show that defies classification and genre conventions. Sure it is technically a documentary but the genre usually insinuates an informative motive which is hardly the case for How To with John Wilson. If the show isn’t intending on spewing a steady stream of factual information then is it a reality television show which markets itself primarily on entertainment? Well, while thoroughly entertaining, John Wilson’s nasally narration and awkward insights aren’t the traditional host. It is a comedy that had me constantly laughing throughout its runtime and yet it is interested in so much more than just giving the audience a chuckle. Try as I might, I could not place this show in a box and I adore that about it, and in my search for quality programming I’ve found some other shows that similarly leapt out of each box I put it in. The only connection between all them besides having my undying adoration is that they prominently feature weird, extremely awkward white men talking at you.

The Rehearsal, 2022

Nathan Fielder’s 2013 comedy hit, Nathan For You, had me flabbergasted by its absurdity and awkward wit. While more clearly defined in the square labels of comedy there is something about Nathan Fielder’s persona that makes you want to unpack whatever the hell is going there. Nathan For You follows Nathan Fielder, a graduate from one of Canada’s top business schools, as he gives out business advice to real life struggling local businesses in the Los Angeles area. The only thing is, he's awkward and his solutions to their problems often read more like goofy schemes out of a cartoon than sound business advice. There is a mix of reality and fabrication as you are never really sure if what Nathan is saying is sincere or not as he constantly gives half truths and lies to the audience, the people around him, and perhaps himself all at the same time. His outlandish persona is juxtaposed with the business owners who reluctantly go along with his plots and blatantly unpolished ideas. One episode has discount Santa Claus pictures in the summer following the idea of how jackets are cheaper during the summer season.

The little oddities in Nathan For You become the core focus of Nathan Fielder’s latest TV venture. 2022’s The Rehearsal vehemently defies classification, it expands on his persona established in his previous work and blends reality and fabrication to a new degree. The premise of the show is a bit difficult to even explain, like Nathan For You he helps everyday people but rather than giving business counsel he allows real people to “rehearse” a scenario. Some episodes involve having a difficult conversation with a friend or simulating what it’s like to raise a child. It’s still a documentary, reality comedy but there is an earnest dedication to recreating and simulating the conversations and scenarios Nathan clients demand. Nathan creates an exact replica of a bar in episode one of the series, stains and all, in another he fabricates a relationship between one of his client’s and an actor posing as another actor’s grandfather to recreate something as abstract as feelings. This is a show that dissects the reality of its own production, peeling open layer after layer leaving us with something entirely unique.

In that way The Rehearsal is oddly transparent about its own continued creation, Nathan is open to showing us the monitors behind the scenes, the child labor laws that cause Nathan to have multiple actors for the same child, and the fact that extras can't talk which forces Nathan to have a completely silent birthday party in one episode. It is constantly reopening its own veins and reinventing itself, the core premise is under constant development as the show goes on. It’s an entertainment Frankenstein of mismatched ideas and concepts all slamming into each other creating dichotomy after dichotomy. Nathan draws out the acting we all do in everyday life through a show about rehearsing while Nathan is simultaneously playing a character. And yet sometimes he acts with such a sincerity the audience never knows what to expect. The final episode of The Rehearsal is absolutely dizzying in its conundrum, the lines of reality become marred as we follow a child actor who’s too young to even know he’s acting and Nathan being forced to confront this blatant contradiction. It is a supremely daunting task to write about that final episode and honestly I can barely wrap my head around it. I don’t want to spoil it too much but it is unlike anything I have ever seen and I highly encourage you to give The Rehearsal a chance.

Joe Pera Talks with You, 2018

The final show in this little bundle of uncategorizable strangeness is Adult Swim’s Joe Pera Talks with You from 2018. It’s the only show on here I haven’t finished as I remain in the midst of season 2, hoping to really take it slow and appreciate every little moment but rest assured from episode one I was absolutely hooked. Like How To with John Wilson the premise is much more slice of life but unlike the other two, this is completely scripted. It’s offbeat and awkward as the titular Joe Pera excitedly talks about whatever is on his mind in a somehow passionate monotone. Things just seem to happen the way our everyday happenings occur. There comes a ringing at the doorbell that introduces a new cast of characters or a conga line waiting to be partaken in. Inside of these natural happenings is delivered a wonderful simplicity, Joe Pera Talks with You ignores the narrative necessity for conflict during the majority of its runtime. I often braced myself for a cringe inducing failure in moments where Joe Pera is forced to dance or when he’s reading the church announcements. Miraculously, he never trips and falls or gets booed off the stage and although not everyone he interacts with is always happy to meet him, he doesn’t seem to mind one bit. 

That might be my favorite thing about Joe Pera, his unconventional happiness that is soothing to my occasionally anguished soul. Whenever life beats me down I just turn on an episode of Joe Pera Talks with You, his indifference to people’s expectations of what a good life is supposed to resemble reassures me that everything is going to be alright. It reassures me that I am enough. It’s a message I’m not used to when consuming media, much less a show that aired on Adult Swim. It is heartfelt and simple and enough to fill my heart and lull me into a lazy night after even the most stressful of afternoons.

I do hope at least one person reading this takes a shot in the dark and watches an awkward white man talk to them for about half an hour. These are all delightful shows that oddly feel, at least for me, paired together despite their differences. Season 3 of How To with John Wilson premiers July 28, 2023 and I for one am absolutely stoked for what this man tells me next. There’s talk of a second season of The Rehearsal in the works as well. I implore you to check at least one of these shows out! If you see any awkward white men talking about interesting things do let me know so I can grab my popcorn, thanks in advance and stay tuned besties <3

-Ghost Emoji 👻

[redundant2]

Thoughts on the Olive Garden

Nothing earthshaking or resembling more than a sip of tea, but I found this Reddit user's comments to be interesting:

"I have some info on the house. It had a lot of issues when they purchased it and for Montecito, it's relatively low in price. I'm from SoCal originally and was in Santa Barbara for a friend's bday a year ago. We decided to go check out M&H's house - we both love looking at houses and were interested in M&H. What's interesting about what's fondly referred to as The Olive Garden is that we thought for sure it would be in a heavily gated community or an estate property where you wouldn't be able to see anything.

It's actually in a community with an ornamental gate, but anyone can drive though the neighborhood. Most of the houses in this little subdivision are pretty normal (for Montecito) - maybe 5-6000 sq ft on average. It's not some ultra exclusive enclave. There are tons of kids and families, just out for walks, playing with their dogs, etc. M&H's house is actually one of the few with security gates. Most are just stand alone house with a driveway live anywhere else. Both the gates and surrounding fencing are covered in heavy green tarps and there are literally at least 20 cameras in all directions on their driveway. They have one of those spheres with 6 cameras and then mounted fixed cameras everywhere. They do the ugly tarps wherever they go based on the Canada retreat photos. I had wanted to take a picture, but my friend wouldn't let me so we just drove by. I have a feeling they have committed the cardinal sin of real estate - you never want to be the biggest or most ostentatious house in a neighborhood. It's better to be the worst house in the most exclusive area.

The other thing about Montecito is that the people with the real money (Oprah, Ellen, etc ) don't live in subdivisions. They live on gated estates with massive acres of land set way back from the road, completely away from other neighbors. I was surprised how close M&H's house is to the common, everyday looking people. I would call this more entry level or tier 2 Montecito when the real trophy properties are 50-100 million plus.

I've heard that they have had plumbing problems because it was a newer house built on the cheap. The plumbing or sewage system has created an odor on the property. I am in the minority, but from the photos, I kind of like the Olive Garden. I like Spanish and the grounds with the pool, yoga studio, etc. Compared to Tyler Perry's truly tasteless La Quinta Inn new money mansion in on steroids, Montecito looks practically historic.

I can see them moving back to LA. I heard they compromised and moved to Montecito because Harry was not a fan of Beverly Hills (although it seems to have grown on him and Meghan, each with their alleged own hotel suites in the area at separate clubs/hotels). I heard they ended up in Montecito because the properties they really had wanted in Malibu were out of reach."

[eastcoastboyos]

Undertones

Charleston is a beautiful place, objectively one of the most scenic places we’ve been on this trip, but as has already been noted, the history of slavery still casts its subtle shadow over its natural beauty and architectural extravagance. It’s hard not to think about how much this place has changed — and not changed — over the past 160 years.

-

This morning, the recovering Dylan took the welcomed opportunity to sleep in while the rest of took a National Park Service tour to Fort Sumter, the place where the first salvos of the American Civil War occurred. The four us that went very much appreciated the storytelling of Ranger Walt Young, a young ranger whose knowledgeable enthusiasm for the history of the fort was infectious. On the island fort itself, the humongous cannons and mortars quickly captured our attention, but the history was rich and the time flew by as we explored the small island together. We all agreed it was a worthy expense, especially as it would be our main deep dive into the history surrounding Charleston during our brief visit.

Once back in Charleston proper, we took a brief wander through the historical market (and former canal) before splitting up. I (Joel) couldn’t resist the urge to eat and made my way to a local hip cafe for a breakfast bagel and cold brew. Once I rejoined the others, inspired by my rave reviews, the others set off to the cafe to fill their bellies as well. In the meantime, I chilled (literally) at the hotel, while Dylan – still full from his morning meal and eager to make the best of his time in Charleston, despite still feeling under the weather – set off on his own for a short wander to the nearby battery and mansion row.

Once we’d reconvened, Allen and Derek decided to chill once again (did we mention it’s been stupid hot this entire trip?), while Dylan, Blake, and I set off for some shopping and exploration. (Derek also had important work matters to attend to.)

After wandering together for a while, Dylan and I separated from Blake, who set his mind to finishing his shopping for the trip before the evening. Dylan and I wandered towards the nearby Colonial Lake, where we briefly debated its function and aesthetics before sauntering our way back to the hotel to meet up with the others.

It was almost dinner time, but Blake and I, feeling the lightness of our pockets, decided to set a course for the nearby supermarket to acquire some affordable beers. We would also check on the wait time at our target restaurant for the evening – Hyman’s seafood (4.9 ⭐️, ~40k reviews). However, the journey quickly turned into a wet one. Despite leaving the hotel in presence of light rain, by the time we’d acquired beers and started making our way back, the rain had turned torrential. The streets had turned into rivers (little exaggeration.) Drenched and in good spirits, we made our way back to the hotel with beers and chips in tow.

Fortunately, the rain let up, and just in time too. Appetites were growing ravenous, and we clearly ended up at the perfect place to eat. It lived up to expectations. At Hyman’s we sat at the same table where Michael Phelps, Mel Gibson, and John McCain had eaten. (It was one of their “things” to add small plaques to each table where famous people had eaten.) Amidst our delectable meal of seafood and southern comfort foods, we were also greeted by the owner who was clearly proud of his restaurant’s long family history and attention to customer service. Blake especially was in heaven.

Returning to the hotel with stuffed bellies, we settled in to chill once again. Some us watched Canada take on Argentina in the first half of the Copa America semifinal. Others showered and sprawled out to aid in their digestion. Derek and I went for one final night walk. We explored the water’s edge, stopping to admire the electrical storm in the distance and mansions that echoed the controversial history of the city. It felt like the perfect end to what a short but very sweet stay in Charleston.

Tomorrow we head to Orlando, Florida, our final state and second last stop on what has so far been a varied and unforgettable road trip.

[lahilden]

Craigdarroch Castle is located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Wealthy coal baron Robert Dunsmuir built the Victorian-era Scottish Baronial mansion in the late 1800’s. Dunsmuir died before the castle was completed, and his sons finished the castle. Upon widow Dunsmuir’s death, the castle was sold to a land speculator who divided the estate into buildable lots. He then raffled the castle to the residents of the parcels. The winner, Solomon Cameron, mortgaged the castle for other investments that unfortunately failed. Craigdarroch Castle became the property of the Bank of Montreal in 1919. The castle was restructured to serve as a military hospital until the 1970’s. Currently, the castle is owned by the Craigdarroch Castle Historical Museum Society. The castle houses furnishings from the 1890’s, and numerous stained-glass windows that are documented by The Institute of Stained Glass in Canada. There’s intricate woodwork, which includes a prefabricated 87 step grand oak staircase built in Chicago, Illinois. The exterior boasts Romanesque arches, recessed entrances, rows of windows, and cylindrical towers with conical capstones.

[shadowspellchecker]

<p>11. 10. The obligatory Ghosts AU.</p>

<p>Twins Luke and Leia inherit a mansion in Massassi, New York, and, along with Leia's boyfriend Han and his old squadmate Chewie, embark on the unique adventure of opening a B&B. But they have company! Joining them are Victorian era Chinese immigrants Chirrut and Baze (<u>1850s</u>), lost Spaniard Kay—something, Native American scout currently going by Cass, and bootlegger (or Buffalo Bill expy performer, for Saw Gerrera's Wild West show) Jyn Erso. Bodhi Rook, the unlucky first-gen immigrant <u>satellite TV installer</u> and aspiring pilot who died while installing a satellite dish on the roof in the 1980s, is the 'baby' of the bunch. Oh, and also Mon Mothma (wife of the man who built the house) or Shmi (who would be a bondservant from Ireland, second wife of the first white farmer on the land). In the Basement we meet the Company, headed by Cody– wwi soldiers who survived Jim Crow and the trenches of France only to die of the Spanish Flu. They find the underground comforting. (Fucking bombers! Ruined the sky for us!) In the next house over, owned by organic weed grower Maz Kanata, you have WWII corporal Draven. In the house on the other side there is fur trader/ revolutionary war spymaster Lucian (I burned my life to build a nation I knew I'd never live to see), who K and Cass used to spend a lot of time with before the stream and property lines shifted. He was completely wrong about Benedict Arnold. Mon Mothma's daughter is Mon's unfinished business, and so she gets to ascend at the end of the third season. In the condemned summer kitchen you have Rex, Gregor and Wolffe, who survived the flu and took employment in the town. At the time the heiress of the mansion was Miss Tano, who went missing during the Cold War. They assume that she had gone on one last mission and never came back. (Fact: she's stuck in an underground bunker on the estate. Alternatively she did go out on that mission, and will be summoned back during a Halloween episode.) These guys died in the incident that left the summer kitchen condemned, and are forever trying to work out what they did wrong with that new water heater. Their unfinished business is reconciling with the basement ghosts (there is some sort of bad blood, partial survivors guilt) and for Rex finding Ahsoka. </p>

<p>Kay, of course, died in the lightning strike and can affect electronics. Cassian was shot walking on the lake one winter while looking for his missing sister, and froze to death. Think the <u>death of Otzi the iceman</u>. His unfinished business will be finding her bones. His ghost power is cold spots. Jyn was part of an Indian act in <u>Esau Gerrera's Circus of Curiosities</u>. (Saw himself presented himself as an exotic Arabian prince or something. So people wouldn't think 'escaped slave' when he smuggled people to Canada. (Jyn wasn't exactly around for that part.) Yeah, Cass is pissed. She was left behind and went looking for some gold her father allegedly had stowed nearby. That, incidentally, is her unfinished business. Her ghost power is making people feel like they were punched. Leaves no marks, can't affect objects. People just think someone lightly punched them.</p>

<p>You know, it might be worth taking a look at it… </p>

<p>No, no Luke. It'll be like that gerbil. You see it, you get attached. It's old, it's historic, it's huge. What would we do with it? When would we have time? I say we sell it. Split the profits fifty fifty, you can get that old plane you've been saving for and I can pay off the rest of my schooling. </p>

<p>I thought you'd had that ironed out.</p>

<p>Not the point, Mr GI Bill…. Shit, sorry. I didn't mean it like that… it's covered, but it…</p>

<p>Gets to you. I'm sorry, I…</p>

<p>Sigh. No, i shouldnt havr snapped… </p>

<p>Han?</p>

<p>Yessss….</p>

<p>He won't find you upstate. </p>

<p>Nice try… but youre right. Let's take a look at the place. See what we're dealing with. But don't get attached, I'm selling my half. </p>

<p>We'll see.</p>

<p>Alright, so it's the summer of 93, and we'd just conquered the Demon's Pass. </p>

<p>Really? Another of your collective daydreams?</p>

<p>You could step up and talk for a change. </p>

<p>So. The invasion.  Chirrut and bodhi are optimistic, Kay and Baze dread the change, Jyn is pessimistic, Cassian is past caring tbh, mon tries to rally morale. </p>

<p>So there is an </p>

<p>Indian (Cass)</p>

<p>Arrow Guy (Cass)</p>

<p>Temporally unusual European (Kay)</p>

<p>Relatively modern dude </p>

<p>Repressed Victorian (Mon)</p>

<p>Officer (Luthen, Draven)</p>

<p>Kick-ass performer lady (Jyn)</p>

<p>Token repressed guys (Baze and Chirrut)</p>

<p>Troop leader (Bodhi)</p>

<p>Spiritualist practitioner (Chirrut)</p>

<p>Food smell aficionado (Sass→ Cass)</p>

<p>Superchill individual (Flower →Chirrut )</p>

<p>Dubiously ethical group member (Alberta, Flower → Jyn)</p>

<p>Alternative setups include Jyn as the new newcomer, and Cass as the misplaced Spaniard (1500, see <u>Lavrador</u> (1498), <u>Cabot</u> (1497), <u>Leon</u> (1513), <u>de Soto</u> (1540), etc.) while Kay is a downright ancient ghost whose isolation has caused him to lose most of his connection to humanity and a severe case of the personality flattening we notice when ghosts aren't in contact with the living doing living stuff. Cass "saves" him by pulling him out of that state. In that scenario, Maarva and Clem might have been around at the time. Alternatively, they could have come later as an immigrant and an escaped slave and have given the duo lessons in English. Either way, they're long since sacked off. </p>

<p>Deaths:</p>

Shot by arrow

Struck by lightning

Murdered

Illness

Drugs and heart attack

Violent accidental death

Unknown but didn't leave marks

Unknown but didn't leave marks and was probably the drug of choice for that time period

<p>Circumstances </p>

Volunteering

Lost in a foreign land

After a performance in the house

In a normal consequence of living in one's time period

While partying too hard/ carelessness

While on drugs

While depressed

Multiple choice

<p>After</p>

A fight with a loved one

Being abandoned by comrades

Being unknowingly betrayed

Accidentally killing someone you liked

Doing a good deed

Betraying your allies

Being rejected

Finally tasting freedom

<p>And before</p>

Being mourned by your family

Still being alone… despite that a family member was looking for you.

Your murderer gets away with the crime

Being mourned by your secret keeper but otherwise forgotten about

Your associates hide your body and never tell your family where it is

Your accomplice turns the reason for your betrayal into something decent

Being celebrated by your brand new lonely haunting partner

Your children continue to disappoint you

<p>Marks of ghostly stuff</p>

You still have the arrow that killed you stuck in your body

You lost your hat. This matters.

You are stuck in costume

You are forever stuck in full uniform

You are lacking a vital article of clothing

You have the damage that killed you on your body

Multiple choice

Multiple choice

<p>But hey! Guess what? You… </p>

Have a positive and upbeat personality

can make electronics short out

Can create auditory stimuli

You can make people feel a specific adverse sensation related to your death by walking through them

You can touch physical objects with your finger!

Can make people feel a specific adverse sensation related to your condition at the time of death by walking through them. But you experience it too! All the time.

Are the lady of the house too

Are an amazing liar.

<p>Baze. Something to do with opium, guilt. </p>

<p>Chirrut. Knew Baze in life. Scholar visiting Yale. Blinded by a fever and walked in the wrong direction at the wrong time. Was in a fight with Baze and stormed off. Drowned. </p>

[camillasgirl]

Queen Camilla’s Patronages

Dundurn National Historic Site (Patron from 29.09.2010)

Dundurn Castle is a historic neoclassical mansion on York Boulevard in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The 18,000-square-foot (1,700 m2) house took three years and $175,000.00 to build, and was completed in 1835. The seventy-two room castle featured the latest conveniences of gas lighting and running water. It is currently owned by the City of Hamilton, which purchased it in 1900 for $50,000. The City has spent nearly $3 million renovating the site to make 42 of the original 72 rooms open to the public. The rooms have been restored to the year 1855 when its owner Sir Allan Napier MacNab, 1st Baronet, was at the height of his career. Costumed interpreters guide visitors through the home, illustrating daily life from the 1850s. Queen Camilla a descendant of Sir Allan MacNab, is the Royal Patron of Dundurn Castle.

[roszabell]

🏠🏛⚔💫👻💘

🏠 - Quick! You now live in a mansion in the middle of nowhere and you've got your choice of three nations to live with. Who do you choose as your new housemates and why? Canada, Hungary, and Romano

🏛 - If you could pick one historical event to be adapted into Hetalia, what would it be? Canada being a badass in the world wars and Netherlands' liberation!!

⚔ - In terms of the nation lore in the series, what would you like to see expanded upon or introduced? Definitely I'd love to see Canada's relationship with/influences from Scotland and the Nordics. And/or, how they travel between countries - but there are a lot of amazing headcanons for this, so maybe its more fun left open for interpretation!

💫 - Now say you can only choose one country to add to the series. Who is it? MEXICO!!!!!! GIVE US CANON MEXICO PLEASE! I have my headcanons for him/her that are mainly just from @stirringwinds 's OC, but i NEED North American trio to be canon (more than just a mention)!!!!!!

💘 - What's the most obscure pairing you've got a soft spot for? Estonia x America (estame) :3

👻 - There are lots of explanations about what happened to Prussia after he was dissolved and why he's still around. What's yours? Well, its canon he was East Germany and lived with Russia during Soviet times, and then stuck around as Kaliningrad afterward—but that doesn’t give him much to do! It ties in with my ships mostly haha. I think he sticks aroud with Ludwig, but gets bored and makes friends with Matthew (whos fresh off nedcan breakup) in the early 90s and it eventually turns romantic! He stays at Matts house around 8 months of the year, spending holidays/winter in Germany (to be with family and becuase Matthew's winter sucks. dw they do have Christmases together sometimes, and it is quite often Matt gets to snuggle him by the fireplace in a snowstorm). Ik ik it is sappy ok 😭 He also spends as much time as he can with old friends (Aus, Hun, Poland, etc)!

[pix4japan]

Japanese Maple Tree at Historic House

Location: Yamashitacho, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Japan Timestamp: 15:11 April 4, 2023

This is a photo of a Japanese maple tree captured at Berrick Hall, a registered historical building located in Yokohama that was built in 1930.

Japanese maple trees (紅葉 / momiji) have various types, and this one might be a "green cascade" Japanese maple, which has a drooping form that would need some support structure as it grows larger. During autumn, its leaves transform into vibrant shades of red and orange.

The estate of this mansion, which is quite sizable by Japanese standards, boasts flowering plants and trees, as well as a grassy area that serves as an ideal location for outdoor wedding ceremonies. The mansion's backdrop provides a picturesque setting for wedding photos and creates an atmosphere that feels like the wedding is taking place in a foreign country.

The mansion belonged to Bertram Berrick, a British trading merchant, whose company imported cosmetics, fragrance, paper, and stationery to Japan, while exporting Japanese paper, silk, and lacquer goods to England. Due to the increasing threat of World War II, Berrick left the house in 1938 and immigrated to Canada.

Fujifilm X100V (23 mm) with 5% diffusion filter ISO 160 for 1/680 sec. at ƒ/3.2 Velvia/Vivid film simulation

[henerypaul-blog]

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[televinita]

Shelves I Am Debating Adding to My Goodreads

(talking random ideas out in a public forum helps me think)

Maps (I would like to remember which books have cool maps inside them!)

Illustrated (for books, mostly children's and vintage, with pencil sketches within the text and similar)

Endpages (we love a book with illustrated endpages) (it would also help remind me which books are Not Good Enough to get as ex-library, whose stickers and tape ruin them)

Mixed/multi-media? (I have a "unique books" shelf that already covers the coolest ones, but stuff like A Good Girl's Guide to Murder that just switches up prose with things like text messages, emails, etc. might be interesting to keep track of too. I'm just not sure exactly what the best term for this is)

Mass Market Genre (cozy mysteries and more generic/Harlequin-type romances, which just aren't quite on par with normal standalones. the recommendation feature is mostly garbage now, but keeping those out of consideration can't hurt)

Romance (genre tag for the standalone contemporary style right now, because I have an "OTP" shelf, but that's specifically for book couples I ship and that doesn't happen for me in all of them, or maybe even most)

Mystery and/or Thriller (actually criminal I don't have this yet, but for a long time I didn't read enough adult fiction so if it wasn't horror or historical I just slapped it all under 'contemporary-adult' (separate from longstanding #1 shelf Contemporary YA) but I should really divide them out)

Ugly Covers (I finally made a Cover Love shelf for the beautiful ones, and I don't usually read books with ugly covers for obvious reasons, but sometimes there's only one edition of a book that came via friend rec and whose summary sounds irresistible, and you don't have a choice. Across The Desert. I want to yell about them)

Hollywood or Celebrities (I finally made a 'music' tag but that covers pretty much any book where the main character is a musician or listens to music; I need one for actors too because I'm starting to read more of those. Celebrity memoirs will stay in the Memoir tag because those are mostly the kind I read anyway)

Film And TV (I have a TV Tie-ins shelf for those kinds of novels specifically, but I also want a place for my nonfiction related to the entertainment industry, a reading category which continues to grow)

Gift Books (this is a category in my book catalog for how I would hypothetically shelve the small and pretty books together; why not make it GR Official)

UK and Ireland (I have an International Setting tag but it never quite felt right applying that to the Isles when it evokes more far-flung lands. On that note, may also need a Canada one) (I HAVE thought about doing one for every state, too, just for data reasons, but the idea of adding up to FIFTY new shelves on one theme seems like it would overwhelm my system)

EDIT:

Movie Cover Accepted (or something like that! Most of the time I'm happy to join in on the movie cover hate bandwagon, but on occasion, I actually like them as much or more than the originals. Specific ones I've seen recently are The Storied Life of A.J. Fikrey, Daisy Jones & The Six, and It Ends With Us. also let's not forget about the random LOTR book I bought because of Viggo Mortensen on the cover...)

Beautiful Buildings (you slap a beautiful old mansion on a cover and I'm 50% more likely to read it. I have a lot of these. I would like to gaze upon them all at once)

Restoration (I ALSO read a lotta books, both fiction and non, about restoring old houses)

[ry-js-climbing-adventures]

Ry-J’s Climbing Adventures

Pembroke, situated in Ontario, Canada, lies at the junction of the Muskrat and Ottawa Rivers within the Ottawa Valley. This city serves as the administrative center for Renfrew County, though it operates independently from county politics. Located about 145 kilometers northwest of Ottawa, Pembroke is a city rich in history and heritage.

The area, now known as Pembroke, was first settled by European Daniel Fraser in 1823, who initially squatted on land later found to be owned by Abel Ward. Ward sold this land to Fraser, where Moncion's Metro Supermarket now stands, and the nearby Fraser Street commemorates this early settler’s family.

In 1828, Peter White, a former Royal Navy serviceman, settled adjacent to Fraser in the current location of Dairy Queen. His arrival was soon followed by other settlers drawn by the burgeoning local lumber industry.

Initially named Miramichi, the community transformed into a police village in 1856 and was later renamed Pembroke. The name is indirectly linked to Sidney Herbert, the First Admiralty Secretary from 1841 to 1845 and son of George Herbert, 11th Earl of Pembroke.

Pembroke was officially declared a town in 1878 and became a city in 1971. In 1861, it was designated as the seat for Renfrew County, which led to the construction of the Renfrew County Courthouse, completed in 1867. The following two decades marked significant development, shaping Pembroke’s modern layout and architecture. However, many original structures have since been lost.

The courthouse and the now-unused jail underwent extensive renovations between 2005 and 2007, preserving many historic elements, like the original jail cells from 1867 and the courtroom, which now features a replica of the original brass light fixture. This site also witnessed three executions by hanging, two in the 1870s and one in 1952.

Surviving historic sites in Pembroke include a landmark synagogue, two early hospitals, the Dunlop mansion (now Grey Gables Inn), the 'Munroe Block' in the downtown area, and two residences that the White family owned. A significant fire in 1918 ravaged many downtown buildings, including the Pembroke Opera House.

In 1898, Pembroke was chosen as the headquarters for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pembroke, adding a spiritual dimension to its historical and cultural significance.

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Contact: Ry-J’s Climbing Adventures 150 Quarry Rd, Pembroke, ON K8B 0A1, Canada RV4W+4X Pembroke, Ontario, Canada (613) 735–2699 https://climbingadventures.ca/

YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2shp1GIWOjo

YouTube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvLtkwti-sKTx7qRcvgCRP688ojcXXimd

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ry-js-climbing-adventures/ry-js-climbing-adventures

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Google MyMaps: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=18g9mtP11D0EG49754gyxPMI3LZXzCsk

Google Map CID: https://www.google.com/maps?cid=10903400154571426428

Google Site: https://sites.google.com/view/ry-js-climbing-adventures/

Wakelet Collection: https://wakelet.com/wake/g2XCy5Q79-YMbMgRfRGO3

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[benfranklinlives]

:give us the history facts, stop gatekeeping🤺

I AM BEING HARASSED. ... yeah ok fine history fact cool cool uhhh AHEM

(BTW you SHOULD give a Victorian child Takis. ANYWAY)

The economy of Detroit was greatly supplemented during Prohibition by the mob running booze across the river from Canada. They were called the Purple Gang and it was a massive crime ring. When the river froze they'd basically just walk it over from Windsor. This was a major way that bootleg booze got to the rest of the US at that time. Many of the historic mansions near the Detroit River are from bootlegging money.

[crispylilworm]

I spent the weekend & past few days visiting friends in the Finger Lakes area, going to Niagara for the eclipse, and then ending in Corning for the glass museum and nearby Watkins Glen

Super fun overall but I noticed that there was a noticeable amount of retired people taking the same exact routes as me lmao

Do I have geriatric tastes? Were there just more of them because a lot of these events happened during the normal workday?? Most likely both

Moments I want to remember:

Watched a roller derby match in person, coolest and toughest gals around. Both teams and the fans went out for drinks after too and just all-around good vibes

Got the last seats at a fancy French restaurant for dinner - and the meal was on the company dime too hehe

Had a frangipane dessert for the first time and it had apricots and was amazing

Slept on a couch with a cat as my little spoon

My car may be slightly larger than my old one but the gas tank is NOT - do not wait until next rest stop bitch just go

Buffalo is actually a sizable city unlike the other upstate NY "cities"

Went to Buffalo's Dinosaur BBQ after they closed the Newark location which I miss. Ribs were so tender and tasty but overall the meal was miles short of the Texas barbeque I had last year

The NY part of Niagara Falls was far more enjoyable than the Canada side imo - it was a lot of walking paths and nature-focused attractions and the views were adjacent to the falls which I preferred. Canada side felt like an NJ boardwalk (derogatory) tourist trap and the falls views are across the river and farther away - more activities so good for families with kids or longer stays but less ideal for a 1-day visit like I did

Had my first Tim Hortons experience and it was like a cleaner Dunkin Donuts (DD my beloved I still love you more)

Went on one of the boats that goes straight into the area at the bottom of the Niagara waterfalls - a couple on board renewed their vows Jim & Pam style underneath the falls

Got DRENCHED on that boat ride, which I could have easily avoided but I was at the absolute tip of the bow, and it was cold and early April and a 30 min walk to my accommodation

Experienced ~eclipse totality~ for the first time! It was cloudy so no money-shot photo of the sun being overtaken, but got to experience the dark and the craziness with it. The birds all got confused, the streetlights all turned on, and it suddenly got so cold I could see my breath. Something about thousands of people gathered in one place and cheering and being giddy with joy together was so fun lol, felt like a concert or something but instead just staring at the sun

Stayed at the cutest accommodations, where it was a historical "castle" (mansion extended with additions to become an early doctors office and eventual B&B) and had the kindest host. The house was BEAUTIFUL and was filled with antiques and trinkets. The host was so passionate about the history of the building and making sure guests were comfy and knew about events going on nearby. She singly-handedly cooked a breakfast buffet daily and cut up a plate of fruit for each room AND cleaned all the rooms after check outs what a queen

Went to a local Niagara coffee shop that turned out to be a not-for-profit that provides a cool community space and meals for those who need it - most importantly got a delicious cappuccino

Visited the Corning Museum of Glass and easily could have spent twice as long there if it wasn't just a stop on my way home. They have an impressive collection and a bunch of live demonstrations, definitely worth a visit if you can