tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76477470304729286632024-03-04T23:34:02.163-05:00Dave BeynonI turn coffee into storiesDave Beynonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14798548362763570598noreply@blogger.comBlogger292125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7647747030472928663.post-6914828157899686172016-03-29T22:23:00.001-04:002016-03-29T22:23:10.894-04:00Another Turning Pages interview - this one's a little differentHere's another in the series of interviews from last season of Turning Pages. The show concerns itself with all things literary and this particular interview was a real treat for me. At the 2015 Elora Writers' Festival (following which a good number of these interviews were filmed) two of our authors were represented by the same literary agent. When I discovered that she was attending the festival I took her aside and asked her if she would allow me to interview her for the show. It was an excellent opportunity to show our viewers publishing from a different perspective.<br />
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Please enjoy my informal chat with literary agent,<a href="http://www.wcaltd.com/about/"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">Carolyn Forde of Westwood Creative Artists.</span></a><br />
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<br />Dave Beynonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14798548362763570598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7647747030472928663.post-59289232498012965532016-03-22T21:03:00.000-04:002016-03-22T21:03:12.901-04:00Clifford Jackman interviewHere's another interview from Turing Pages that we shot last season. Since the interview, Clifford Jackman has enjoyed some much deserved critical acclaim for his novel, <i>The Winter Family </i>including being shortlisted for the 2015 Governor General's Award. Here's a link to<a href="http://www.cbc.ca/books/2015/10/clifford-jackman-how-i-wrote-the-winter-family.html"> Clifford's CBC interview about the book</a> but before you navigate away, please enjoy my much better interview with him right here...<br />
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<i><br /></i>Dave Beynonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14798548362763570598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7647747030472928663.post-21259169666088271072016-03-08T15:06:00.001-05:002016-03-09T12:37:34.147-05:00Another Interview...and a near missI'd been waiting for some time to hear back from a place where I'd submitted a bit of longer fiction. They'd had the story for (quite) a while but a month or so ago they posted that they were taking longer to make decisions and asked for patience. Well, I heard back from them yesterday and although they said they really enjoyed the story they had filled their available slots and won't know if they'll continue soliciting this length of fiction until they see how this initial offering sells. They apologized for holding the story so long and emphasized how near a miss it was. <br />
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That's the way it goes.<br />
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On another note - Roxanne and I will be filming a few spots this evening for the new season of TURNING PAGES. Tonight we have a young person who I know very well speaking with Roxanne about British YA novelist, Derek Landy and Roxanne and I will review the novel IRENE by Pierre LeMaitre. <br />
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For your viewing pleasure here's an interview from last year's season. I've spoken about Richard Pierpoint, the early black settler who won a tract of land about five hundred meters from where I type for his service in the War of 1812. Author and editor Peter Meyler speaks to me about Captain Dick and another notable early black settler from up Chatsworth way. <br />
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Enjoy.<br />
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Dave Beynonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14798548362763570598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7647747030472928663.post-65428690808976795682016-02-24T13:40:00.000-05:002016-02-24T13:40:04.224-05:00More Turning Pages...Here's what might be my favourite author interview from last season. They're all good but there's a lot about my talk with Rio Youers that sets it apart. <br />
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The first is that I saw Rio read at one of my very first Elora Writers' Festivals. This was long before I was invited to get involved with the committee that presents the festival each year. He had just published his very short novel, <i>End Times. </i>It's a dark, dark little book. Rio had obviously taken a great deal of time choosing just the right passage for an reading that would pack a punch - but then he noticed a kid in the crowd - a girl - probably around 8 years old.<br />
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"Oh my," he said (or words to this effect). "I can't read that part...let's see." He did find a passage that was dark and disturbing but lacked the language and perhaps graphic content of his initial passage.<br />
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I love that Rio is local and that he, like me, chose this community to call home. He lives just five minutes from me with his editor wife and young family. There's a moment in the interview when I asked Rio about his first reader and his response could just as easily been my response. My very first reader is also my wife - with similar results. My wife laughed aloud at that part of the interview.<br />
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And he's also a really great writer. I enjoyed his book, <i>Point Hollow </i>but I loved <i>Westlake Soul</i>. Read them both - it's time well spent.<br />
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The thing I like most about this interview is that it's not the first one we taped for <i>Turning Pages. </i>Rio and I got together a few weeks before this interview was shot at the Fergus Library. We picked out a great windowed spot and Larry Peters, the show's producer, filmed a wonderful segment. The following week Larry approached me somewhat sheepishly while Roxanne and I were shooting some interviews at her bookstore. <br />
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"Say, Dave," he said. "I'm really embarrassed and this has never happened before - I somehow lost the footage of that interview you and Rio shot last week."<br />
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It was a happy accident because we had originally planned to re-shoot the Rio interview in the same spot - to kind of recreate what had been lost. When I asked the Library if I could take over that particular corner they informed me that there was a tour coming through at the time we'd arranged for the re-shoot with Rio. Since it was a beautiful day, we moved everything outside and, I think, ended up with a fairly good interview.<br />
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Here it is - enjoy my conversation with Rio Youers:<br />
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To find out more about Rio and his writing, please check out his website by following this <a href="http://rioyouers.com/">link.</a>Dave Beynonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14798548362763570598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7647747030472928663.post-40937351148420414512016-02-19T17:22:00.001-05:002016-02-19T17:29:37.865-05:00After a long absence...WOW!<br />
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The last time I posted here was following Fan-Expo last September. SEPTEMBER! 2015, no less. <br />
A lot has happened since then. <br />
A half dozen assorted holidays and at least three family birthdays.<br />
Different things are currently in the air and I'll have a little something nice to crow about in a few weeks, I think. For now, I'll talk about <i>Turning Pages</i>.<br />
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I don't think I've written here about <i>Turning Pages</i> before. Well, last year - back in the aforementioned 2015 and perhaps as far back as 2014 - local cable station, Cogeco Cable 14 here in Fergus approached our local independent book seller, Roxanne Beale, and asked her if she would be interested in creating a "book show" for their station. She told producer, Larry Peters that she was interested but that she'd need some help - a co-host - and she thought of me.<br />
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The three of us developed a format and thought of a name - I wanted to call it <i>The Book Club for Shut Ins</i> but I was (quite rightly) overruled and the show is called <i>Turning Pages</i>.<br />
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The mandate of the show is to cover all aspects of books, writing, reading, literacy, creativity, poetry etc. We have author interviews, and we've interviewed editors, librarians and had people come on the air and tell us about their favourite author or genre. It's a lot of fun and, from feedback that people give me, well-received in the community.<br />
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We shot a full season last year and have just finished an initial planning meeting (over beer and wings) to brainstorm the upcoming season. We'll maintain (mostly) our current 3 x 8 minute segments for 24 minutes (approximately) per show. But we might have a field trip (or two) and we'll try to get outside a little more and try more interesting camera work.<br />
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Now, the show is owned by the Cogeco. It is intended for their subscribers but they have generously posted the author interviews on-line so that individual authors who have agreed to be interviewed may link to them from their own websites.<br />
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Here's the first interview we did on the show. It's children's author, Lisa Dalrymple.<br />
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In the coming weeks - in a effort to be a little more diligent about the blog - I'll post other interviews from last season. For now, enjoy watching and listening to Lisa and Roxanne talk about children's stories...<br />
<br />Dave Beynonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14798548362763570598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7647747030472928663.post-40000363901174667462015-09-08T10:28:00.001-04:002015-09-08T10:28:28.923-04:00FanExpo Toronto 2015The family, still bleary and suffering from travel and jet lag from our trip to Hawai'i (I may post something about that later) made our weary way to FanExpo on Sunday. It was a day of long lines, huge crowds, celebrities and wall to wall merchandise. My daughter sported a steampunk outfit she made herself and my son wore a jumpsuit from the video game Fallout 3. My wife and I opted for the "tired parent in tow" costume that seemed popular this year.<br />
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Here's everyone being patient while the line crawls forward.<br />
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The great irony of this particular show is that most of it is held in what basically amounts to the world's largest basement.<br />
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There was a lot of cosplay going on and when I've gone in previous years, there was a lot of steampunk. This year - not so much. It looks like anime and gaming were well represented, as were comics. There were more Castiels (from the TV show, Supernatural) than you could shake a stick at.<br />
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There was also a cadre of Daleks.<br />
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The Red Dalek was wonderful, telling my daughter, "No need to be nervous, Human. Regardless of your emotional state you shall still be exterminated!"<br />
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It was, of course, crowded. <br />
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I've been to FanExpo before and knew what to expect. My family, I think, were a little overwhelmed by the shear volume of people. They were also impressed by the variety and (sometimes) quality of the convention's guests. <br />
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Here's Malcolm McDowell signing autographs.<br />
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Speaking of quality guests, we attended Q&A with both Gillian Anderson of X-Files fame and Hayley Atwell, star of Agent Carter. As the dad of a 14 year old girl and a 12 year old boy, I think it's a good idea for them both to see capable, independent women who play capable, independent roles. <br />
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My daughter and I attended a panel that featured authors who belong to the Horror Writers' Association, Ontario Chapter. The panel's title was "What's the next big thing in horror fiction?" I know one of the panelists and recognized the names of a few others. In all, the panel was a disappointment. Almost from the start, the seven fiction writers (most of whom had books they were trying to promote) ignored the written word. The discussion lead invariably to movies and film. Example that could easily have been made citing books and short stories were made through references to movies and video games. At one point, the moderator got onto the subject of desensitization and immediately spoke about a YouTube video that depicted a beheading. From that point forward the moderator seemed obsessed with the subject of snuff films, returning to it so often that members of the audience began to leave and members of the panel looked increasingly uncomfortable. Eventually - I think audience questions finally got the panel onto the subject of the horror fiction - there was some talk of Stephen King's recent crime fiction but the panel never really delivered on its promised subject matter.<br />
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Fortunately the panel experience didn't sour my daughter's day. She and her brother had a great time, entirely enjoying spotting particularly well pulled off homemade costumes. The best of the day was a Sharknado costume made from wire, cotton batten and toy sharks that lit up from the inside. Totally inspired.<br />
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FanExpo IS wall to wall geek and yes, a goodly number of the people there have poor hygiene and even poorer social skills but anything that can draw together so many people with shared interests in a safe environment for mutual enjoyment can only be a good thing.<br />
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God help me, we'll likely attend next year too...<br />
Dave Beynonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14798548362763570598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7647747030472928663.post-22809313298239850982015-05-26T21:32:00.000-04:002015-05-26T21:32:25.203-04:00Elora Writers' Festival 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The 2015 event happened over this past weekend and everything came together beautifully. Although not as well attended as our last two festivals, it still felt like a rousing success to me. Here's this year's poster, created in partnership with the local high school's media arts department:<br />
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They also did a wonderful job designing our brochure:</div>
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Our festival has a blog and here's a linkto follow for a description of the day:<br />
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<a href="http://elorawritersfestival.blogspot.ca/2015/05/festival-2015-great-stories-great.html">http://elorawritersfestival.blogspot.ca/2015/05/festival-2015-great-stories-great.html</a><br />
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This was the fourth EWF I've been involved with (though for my first one I just showed up and looked pretty) and I must say by the time the day rolled around I was glad to see the end of it. Don't get me wrong - I love the event and I love the sense of satisfaction of seeing a year's worth of hard work come together on a lovely afternoon in May. Three years ago I initiated a Q&A session that has been well-received and from which I derive so much pleasure that it should probably not be allowed. <br />
But this year it felt like a slog. As I was loading the borrowed plants we used to brighten the venue from the local nursery (<a href="http://littletreegardenmarket.ca/">Little Tree </a>- follow the link and patronize the hell out of them for their generosity) into my van at the end of the event I was drained. Physically and emotionally I was spent. <br />
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I still had a number of interviews to conduct for the local cable book show I host with fellow committee member and bookstore owner, Roxanne Beale once I got to the committee after party . The interviews went well (I think) and the party was a wonderful opportunity to decompress with my fellow committee members and better get to know the authors and their guests.<br />
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As I drove home in the best smelling car in the world (loaded with live flowers and likely a hundred and one bees) I was exhausted. It was a year's worth of execution all coming together and this time around it really felt like a year. I don't know exactly why this one took so much out of me and I'll ponder the reason over the coming weeks. All I know is that it's a worthwhile festival and it makes the spirit and soul of our community just a little bit richer each year. <br />
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Glutton for punishment that I am, I'm already thinking ahead to 2016.<br />
<br />Dave Beynonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14798548362763570598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7647747030472928663.post-42830081975158315762015-05-21T13:21:00.001-04:002015-05-21T13:21:30.113-04:00Wallopin' Websnappers!This happens this evening:<br />
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I had the opportunity to get a sneak peek at the exhibit last Friday. The exhibit features gems from a mysterious unnamed local collector who, I believe, has a copy of every issue of Amazing Spider-Man ever published. The crown jewel, I think, is the Amazing Spider-Man #1 signed by Stan Lee.<br />
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I am part of the panel that will speak tonight. I bring only my expertise as a person who collected many titles avidly for a span of about 20 years. I will also speak about Spider-Man as literature, focusing on a story line from 1987 written by J.M. DeMantteis and penciled by Mike Zeck. KRAVEN'S LAST HUNT was a six part story spanning the three existing Spider-Man titles that ushered in an age when Spider-Man stories became amazing again. <br />
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DeMantteis adopted William Blake's poem, The Tyger for the story-line, with the refrain, "Spyder, spyder burning bright..."<br />
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Tonight is made even more special by the inclusion in the panel of my old high school chum, Stuart Immonen. Stuart is the penciler for any number of DC and Marvel titles, as well as producing his own graphic novels with his wife Kathryn. I'm very much looking forward to catching up with him today.<br />
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I'll post more after the event.Dave Beynonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14798548362763570598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7647747030472928663.post-6437067303146974402015-03-16T00:02:00.003-04:002015-03-16T00:02:45.893-04:00John Beynon September 15th, 1939 to March 16th, 199520 years ago today John Beynon, my father, lost a brief and brutal battle with mesothelioma. There is not a day goes by that I don't think of him and when I think of him I feel cheated. Even after 20 years I still feel that it is so unfair that my children never got to know him, nor he them. But like my father taught me - life isn't fair, but we should always try our best to be fair in spite of it. Presented in no particular order save the first couple, here's a photo journey through my dad's life.<br />
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Dave Beynonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14798548362763570598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7647747030472928663.post-29616097408076640812015-03-12T16:47:00.000-04:002015-03-12T16:47:10.186-04:00Terry Pratchett<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmgpMY3kb2uCaZcg_G2EkSsD7X39qVMBwIWpczgZkzbuDpkX9QRcZZb6LEZRCske3V3Zu-3X-g8elNjaOzZ-y0NkrvRe7_oAqmEQEXWOmLhK5DYJe-bkcJFoZLaCrYtXFZ10f15zExuw/s1600/IMG_2414.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmgpMY3kb2uCaZcg_G2EkSsD7X39qVMBwIWpczgZkzbuDpkX9QRcZZb6LEZRCske3V3Zu-3X-g8elNjaOzZ-y0NkrvRe7_oAqmEQEXWOmLhK5DYJe-bkcJFoZLaCrYtXFZ10f15zExuw/s1600/IMG_2414.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a>I was just answering a telephone call from London, England when I saw on my computer that Terry Pratchett had died. It was very sad news and I found myself immediately thinking about his documentary <a href="http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/terry-pratchett-choosing-to-die/">Choosing to Die</a>, where he examined the touchy subject of assisted dying. If you haven't watched the documentary, I encourage you to follow the link above.<br />
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A few years back I was shortlisted for the inaugural Terry Pratchett Anywhere But Here, Anywhen But Now First Novel Prize. I was able to attend the awards ceremony where Sir Terry was especially generous with his time and his suggestions regarding my shortlisted novel, <i>The Platinum Ticket. </i>He was a gentleman and an absolute class act. Here's an<a href="http://www.davebeynon.com/displayPage.php?page=The%20Pratchett%20Prize%20Results"> account of the evening</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVzTJ6ruArfx9hO1LWi60T3mOTnzj2vE43j_HQINPbvKbe1rzdNzWGdbCkBZzB7_rvdRen0KlwACyIG3pq3JTIkGpfKGmKJ2KcsL3Z9PYauk4A1FyQSkqkq2ZnfjtrWaHohuMm23HXkw/s1600/IMG_2418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVzTJ6ruArfx9hO1LWi60T3mOTnzj2vE43j_HQINPbvKbe1rzdNzWGdbCkBZzB7_rvdRen0KlwACyIG3pq3JTIkGpfKGmKJ2KcsL3Z9PYauk4A1FyQSkqkq2ZnfjtrWaHohuMm23HXkw/s1600/IMG_2418.JPG" height="200" width="133" /></a>He was a lovely, talented writer and the world is poorer without him.<br />
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-iKVXvVwUqxs%2FTfUk3BoVjGI%2FAAAAAAAAAzo%2FCPO1kruEocQ%2Fs1600%2FIMG_2418.JPG&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVzTJ6ruArfx9hO1LWi60T3mOTnzj2vE43j_HQINPbvKbe1rzdNzWGdbCkBZzB7_rvdRen0KlwACyIG3pq3JTIkGpfKGmKJ2KcsL3Z9PYauk4A1FyQSkqkq2ZnfjtrWaHohuMm23HXkw/s1600/IMG_2418.JPG" -->Dave Beynonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14798548362763570598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7647747030472928663.post-82157474080616452022014-11-20T22:07:00.000-05:002014-12-02T10:46:11.721-05:00Embracing Something New - Part 2 (Finally) <div class="MsoNormal">
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What seems like a lifetime ago now, I promised to talk about
doing something that I didn’t imagine I’d enjoy. Like the bullfighting post from a while back,
I ended up with a new appreciation that came about simply from jumping at a new
experience.</div>
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It’s important to repeat my lifelong friend, Ann Swallow’s
words at this point:</div>
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“You have the chance to do something you've never done
before. Put on your best pair of shoes, grin, and go! This applies to just
about everything.”</blockquote>
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A year or two ago I was introduced to an Irishman and, since
he’s Irish, let’s call him…oh, I don’t know…Pat. Pat is an incredibly likable man. Smart, witty, funny …and a competitive
international shooter.</div>
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Pat belongs to an organization called the IPSC
(International Practical Shooting Confederation). Basically competitors run through courses and
shoot at targets. Time, accuracy and gun
safety determine winners.</div>
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Since the current novel I’m writing has a goodly number of
folks with handguns, I thought I’d bend Pat’s ear regarding firearms.</div>
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“Have you ever fired a gun?” he asked.</div>
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I explained that I grew up on a farm. I’d fired a .22 rifle often, a neighbour’s
30.06 maybe three times and a shotgun a half dozen times at most.</div>
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“Ever fired a handgun?”</div>
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I had to admit I hadn’t.</div>
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“Would you like to?”</div>
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I’ve always been of the opinion that handguns have one use
only – killing people. I’ve never
understood the allure of the handgun enthusiast. Canada lacks the “right to bear arms”
thinking (for the most part) of our neighbours to the south, so there’s no
Constitutional imperative for me to desire a gun to protect myself from King
George III. Firing a handgun has never
even been on my radar as a thing I’d like to do someday, but if I was going to
be writing a fair deal about people handling guns and an opportunity presented
itself for some firsthand research, I’d be a fool to say no.</div>
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About two weeks later we travelled to a nearby rural gun
club where Pat is a member. Throughout
the drive, Pat drilled me on safety. Pat’s
guns were each locked in its own separate container. Each sported a locked trigger guard. The ammo was in a separate locked box and all
of these items were in a wire-reinforced carrying bag that was – you got it –
locked. </div>
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When we got to the club I was expected yahoos and
hillbillies. The first person I was
introduced to was the range captain. He
had long, scruffy hair, two days of beard and horrible, horrible teeth. He looked just like someone who might wander
into your camp while you’re on a white water rafting trip down the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Cahulawassee</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">River</st1:placetype></st1:place>.
As soon as he spoke, my prejudice fled.
The range captain (Dan, I think) was articulate and businesslike. As a guest on the range, Pat was responsible
for my behaviour and as range captain, he was responsible for my safety. He watched like an eagle as Pat taught me
all of the rules of the range, what the flags meant and what to do when the
range light was on. Only after I was
familiar with the rules that would keep me safe and, one hopes, alive, was I
permitted to actually enter the shooting range.</div>
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There was a long hallway with stalls facing the open-air
range. There were lines painted on the
floors and god help you if you cross one line or the other depending on the
colour of the light that happens to be on.</div>
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Pat took us to a vacant stall three from the end where we
waited to be “green-lighted” to enter the range and place our target. Twenty five yards doesn’t seem like far, but
when you’re aiming with a handgun at a torso-sized cut-out of corrugated
paperboard (B flute – feels like a 150lb test) it seems a long way indeed.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72xuCSRcgwY4rVgNPlMCEq0hatYMGmLvAxYF2TtcBuIRlIp1k6twqsz8qG2_QjcyhR8cqKu4UoSS7WpqKwRPPpWhFdSB9uM3wAQLTtHlC_fqHsHhIm10TjmHkPA2tvk30owX84s0zUQ/s1600/20140705_113714.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72xuCSRcgwY4rVgNPlMCEq0hatYMGmLvAxYF2TtcBuIRlIp1k6twqsz8qG2_QjcyhR8cqKu4UoSS7WpqKwRPPpWhFdSB9uM3wAQLTtHlC_fqHsHhIm10TjmHkPA2tvk30owX84s0zUQ/s1600/20140705_113714.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOptvV4lGzKaFSV0zUvBz6eXZeb4pRxsRpF3i8zKMBfVeKSEzP8zxQMoTgmIGc1OGgHFQ-8YpycmIjNjt7gJRUzWpmMA5rBBkzeG_bm9tk7j-hiU0LqnrygM8q2pqiPqkRLGSqs8VlrQ/s1600/20140705_113710.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOptvV4lGzKaFSV0zUvBz6eXZeb4pRxsRpF3i8zKMBfVeKSEzP8zxQMoTgmIGc1OGgHFQ-8YpycmIjNjt7gJRUzWpmMA5rBBkzeG_bm9tk7j-hiU0LqnrygM8q2pqiPqkRLGSqs8VlrQ/s1600/20140705_113710.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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With our target placed, we waited for a different light,
then were allowed to take our place within the stall and begin handling Pat’s
guns and ammunition. </div>
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The first thing Pat told me was the gun ALWAYS points down
range.</div>
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Pat next told me that you must always load your own gun. This meant that Pat had to teach me how to
load the magazine and then he showed me the proper way to insert the clip and chamber
the first round.</div>
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Lots of rules, many I’ve forgotten but the biggie is
this: ALWAYS assume any gun is loaded
with a round chambered and that the safety is off until you know for certain
otherwise.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqz1s73o3F0M6FwKfJn6mV2KwAXL9jlxF2MPyr8Z1m_WbxZuW_3DgrDTaTmc4XT5AnqoxnOnQgQCA3GdjNU7hdn-34H0nkqx1jeaydMXsrHwyTZIP4I1qT8KjfraaOlooKs7eA_s457g/s1600/20140705_113556.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqz1s73o3F0M6FwKfJn6mV2KwAXL9jlxF2MPyr8Z1m_WbxZuW_3DgrDTaTmc4XT5AnqoxnOnQgQCA3GdjNU7hdn-34H0nkqx1jeaydMXsrHwyTZIP4I1qT8KjfraaOlooKs7eA_s457g/s1600/20140705_113556.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a>Once I was safe and schooled, we turned to the shootin’. I shot sitting. I shot standing. I shot two-handed and one handed. Pat let me shoot his 9mm and his .45. For a guy who has never had any interest in
handguns, I sure went through a significant number of Pat’s ammo that
afternoon.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF9WCuK_GU7Q8gTD0OUAPrazr2ulkdc3eDAFfhWONLW3xb6jGwJtC4TxpZS7A7xosXuqoO60llpQsqrHZ9tthPQtvOk8PfUv6306o_wNHIWxNLbL-g2hhjocle73mR-aw-F1cpSH2Cew/s1600/20140705_113605.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF9WCuK_GU7Q8gTD0OUAPrazr2ulkdc3eDAFfhWONLW3xb6jGwJtC4TxpZS7A7xosXuqoO60llpQsqrHZ9tthPQtvOk8PfUv6306o_wNHIWxNLbL-g2hhjocle73mR-aw-F1cpSH2Cew/s1600/20140705_113605.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a>When we weren’t shooting, we watched other people shoot. My favourite guy was a Serbian-Canadian guy with
a vintage Lee-Enfield rifle that <i>sounded </i>like
a cannon and a black powder rifle that <i>acted
</i>like a cannon. What a treat it was to
watch this man prime his rifle and then the blast of flame and the cloud of thick
smoke that accompanied each shot.</div>
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There was also a young man and his girlfriend with their civilian
assault rifles. After I asked some questions,
the man asked if I’d like to hold his rifle.</div>
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“As long as you show me how to handle it safely first,” I
said. </div>
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Dan, the range captain flashed me a toothy grin. “Good answer,” he said.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDcRmQj4ziJNHyOz2JHg0_6Q2HxDZCpMAiznDIe7ThOW59IJDAEuKK9i0veojKhabMXVTiAQFuKbc_sTyKD7Q65pjqezQRmgI3CjeQVenRg9SfmYEJ6YL6aj6t-BfdL_Qm0XSKQnqZ7g/s1600/20140705_115847.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDcRmQj4ziJNHyOz2JHg0_6Q2HxDZCpMAiznDIe7ThOW59IJDAEuKK9i0veojKhabMXVTiAQFuKbc_sTyKD7Q65pjqezQRmgI3CjeQVenRg9SfmYEJ6YL6aj6t-BfdL_Qm0XSKQnqZ7g/s1600/20140705_115847.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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That rifle looks like it ought to be heavy but a lot of the pieces
are ceramic or aluminum and the gun is deceptively light. I tried this gun both standing and sitting and
though this target was 50 yards away, I was far, far more accurate with the
assault rifle than I was with either handgun.</div>
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Pat walked me around the range, showing me the different
activities and ranges located on site.
Much to my surprise, I had a lot of fun.</div>
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So – am I a gun convert?
Do I want to become a weekend shooting enthusiast?</div>
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No, but I’ve come a long way to understanding those that are
and do. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7QnGs-PrMa9IJlbMOucJ5DkhHsyW_Gv3k45jDMLdVwcvCJkVqkH4FYlD6ugqps8euIRUp4sfvZD7WSG4ahyL53iSbQ7c6FAewbOkm19FH1z6Py4eYnTdVbFRxlbcOYQkkG5CiDcDmDA/s1600/20141020_113152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7QnGs-PrMa9IJlbMOucJ5DkhHsyW_Gv3k45jDMLdVwcvCJkVqkH4FYlD6ugqps8euIRUp4sfvZD7WSG4ahyL53iSbQ7c6FAewbOkm19FH1z6Py4eYnTdVbFRxlbcOYQkkG5CiDcDmDA/s1600/20141020_113152.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My pistol target from the range. It's easy to spot the 9mm shots from the .45s.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Dave Beynonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14798548362763570598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7647747030472928663.post-75075823047354869482014-08-30T01:57:00.001-04:002014-08-30T01:57:21.220-04:00PODCAST!!!!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTIWI0TRupyOV-c9dmQY0KbN7hWsY1wMuh73R02PEq2teURPGChT-6D8tuCeFnBEf-jhasfjziHJ-olRgPpEZqX05B4aliv3wUMdk20Fcr9rB5sG3-Hp5dvoDjvc3MIuSbJrhmZ6mYwQ/s1600/pseudopod.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTIWI0TRupyOV-c9dmQY0KbN7hWsY1wMuh73R02PEq2teURPGChT-6D8tuCeFnBEf-jhasfjziHJ-olRgPpEZqX05B4aliv3wUMdk20Fcr9rB5sG3-Hp5dvoDjvc3MIuSbJrhmZ6mYwQ/s1600/pseudopod.png" /></a>A short while ago a podcast of my story, The Lighthouse Keeper's Wife, went live at the Pseudopod website. The text is wonderfully read by Wilson Fowlie and I'm very pleased with the result. Please follow this <a href="http://pseudopod.org/2014/08/30/pseudopod-401-the-lighthouse-keepers-wife/">link</a> to enjoy.<br />
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There's been a lot going on. There's some news and I need to write part two of my last post about moving out of one's comfort zone and that's all coming when I'm less busy. For now, go and listen to the podcast. It's fun!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRgAPHtZ8tzzXMRSV0nEck4dxlnGhJfBVslYTaIEU7nPhGKcY_pBbkErrW9Fad2GAsmm1C_aRyJfSUbPkAZgVAYyNrM0yfPj4RM5jHY9_F9qzVlCH50x9VTEGHShVtpKJiFWIR9dYGw/s1600/Tess-17-Cover-vE-2.0x3.1-300dpi-C8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRgAPHtZ8tzzXMRSV0nEck4dxlnGhJfBVslYTaIEU7nPhGKcY_pBbkErrW9Fad2GAsmm1C_aRyJfSUbPkAZgVAYyNrM0yfPj4RM5jHY9_F9qzVlCH50x9VTEGHShVtpKJiFWIR9dYGw/s1600/Tess-17-Cover-vE-2.0x3.1-300dpi-C8.jpg" height="200" width="129" /></a></div>
Dave Beynonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14798548362763570598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7647747030472928663.post-45653892596145821982014-07-14T15:16:00.000-04:002014-07-14T15:16:17.810-04:00Embracing something new - Part 1<div class="MsoNormal">
My lifelong friend, Ann Swallow recently gave this bit of
advice to another friend on the facebook:</div>
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“You have the chance to do something you've never done
before. Put on your best pair of shoes, grin, and go! This applies to just
about everything.”</div>
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It’s sparkling advice from a sparkling person whose opinion
I deeply respect. I had such an
opportunity this past weekend, but there’s a bit of back story we need to visit
first.</div>
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Back before the turn of the century (so pleased I was born
at I time I can use that phase) – around ’92 or ’93, I travelled with a friend
for a weeklong getaway to sunny <st1:city w:st="on">Acapulco</st1:city>. It started with severe sunburn
(self-inflicted and the result of astounding stupidity on the part of two
people who should have known better). In
fact, there were so many opportunities for the pair of us to contend for the
Darwin Awards that week that I almost have to believe that luck is a true power
in the universe. This story involves
death and near death, but not for the two of us.</div>
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Dave (always best to travel with someone who shares your
first name. Makes it easy on those you
meet.) and I got chatting with a pair of concierges who worked at the hotel (I
believe their names were Hector and Luis).
It was late morning on our third day down there. Nursing our two day old sunburns, we hadn’t
planned on spending too much time on the beach and were looking for
suggestions.</div>
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“How about the bullfights?”</div>
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How about the bullfights, indeed.</div>
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Both Dave and I grew up on farms. Both of us had a realistic view of large
animals, a respect for their size and a farmer’s gut reaction against
inflicting harm on an animal. Both of
our new Mexican friends nodded enthusiastically and told us how much we would
enjoy an afternoon of drinking cerveza and watching the Novilleros – the novice
bullfighters slated to perform in the ring that afternoon. Like I say, Ann’s philosophy is very much my
own, so – believing it would be an afternoon that I would hate – we agreed to
go.</div>
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Shortly after lunch, we climbed into a bus with a few
American and German tourists from the hotel.
The bus driver began to tell us about the importance of bullfighting in
Spanish culture generally and <st1:city w:st="on">Acapulco</st1:city>
specifically. He told us about how it is
as much an art as a sport and that if a bullfighter fails to deliver a swift
and successful killing stroke with his sword, that bullfighter may face a hefty
fine from the City of <st1:city w:st="on">Acapulco</st1:city>
for cruelty to animals. He also told us
that in the past the meat from the vanquished bulls was given to the
orphanages. “But today?” he said and
rubbed his index and middle fingers against his thumb. “Too expensive. Now the meat is sold at market.”</div>
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How much of the driver’s tale is true and how much is
theatre? I don’t know and I don’t want
to know. I’ve never fact checked his
claims and I never will because his story readied me for my afternoon at the
bullring. </div>
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When we arrived, we tried to seat ourselves among the
Mexicans who were out for an afternoon of entertainment. I’d had enough of Americans, Germans and Dutch
at the hotel. We settled in among a few
families but an American family sat next to us.
It was just as well. I was
interested to see how a pair of middleclass teenagers reacted to <st1:place w:st="on">Mexico</st1:place>’s
favourite bloodsport.</div>
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As it turned out, not very well.</div>
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The afternoon began with colour, fanfare, lots of beer,
music, laughter a number of friendly pats on the back from Mexicans who were
more than happy to share their sport with us.
An older gent worked with all the English he had to encourage us in our
appreciation of bullfighting.</div>
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The afternoon wore on and novice after novice faced the
young bulls. Some showed skill and were
rewarded by cheers. Some were not so
skilled and gained the contempt of the crowd.
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“Toro! Toro! Toro!”</div>
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Once the crowd starts cheering for the bull you’re done,
son. If I remember correctly, that
particular novice ended up being gored high on the thigh by the bull to the
thunderous delight of the assembled crowd.</div>
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Sometime during the afternoon I came to the realization that
bullfighting isn’t about watching the bull die – it’s about the real chance
that you might get to watch a person die.
And this isn’t just about bullfighting.
Car racing isn’t about running around in perfect ovals forever and
ever. Car racing is about the crashes
and the chance that someone might die.
Alpine skiing, too.
Football. Boxing. Even diving.
Anything with that element that something can at anytime go terribly
wrong and injury and death are only a small misstep away.</div>
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As I rode the bus back to the hotel with the Dutchmen, the
Germans and the Americans and their traumatized teens, I realized I kind of
enjoyed my afternoon at the bullfights.
It’s not something that I think I’ll ever do again, but because I had been
prepared for it by <st1:place w:st="on">Acapulco</st1:place>
natives and I sat among the Mexican crowd, I think I could see how compelling
the sport could be. Later that night,
Dave and I happened upon the nightclub where those Novilleros were spending
their evening and drank each of them under the table with their libation of
choice. That might also be a factor in
my enjoyment of the day.</div>
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There have been other experiences that I was either hesitant
to take part in or felt from the start that it was something I would neither
understand nor enjoy. I had just such an
experiential opportunity a few weeks ago and I relate that next time…</div>
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Dave Beynonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14798548362763570598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7647747030472928663.post-9365641067507209672014-05-09T08:28:00.002-04:002014-05-09T08:33:58.974-04:00The Last Repairman<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjceEGu-cuU_97rqv1G9QVXKT-cigPKtf0NQkX5DsrqFOHTOB8xXPtYmxM2kNgm5Gqa6IELrVjoU6yKkE7tqyrCtu5aNji0mf7KjPafSX129lzbdJxDvU-c3nZVeg8EnzYBdDppSDyOIg/s1600/DSF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjceEGu-cuU_97rqv1G9QVXKT-cigPKtf0NQkX5DsrqFOHTOB8xXPtYmxM2kNgm5Gqa6IELrVjoU6yKkE7tqyrCtu5aNji0mf7KjPafSX129lzbdJxDvU-c3nZVeg8EnzYBdDppSDyOIg/s1600/DSF.jpg" height="195" width="200" /></a>Today my short story, The Last Repairman, is published on the Daily Science Fiction website. <br />
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Here's the<a href="http://dailysciencefiction.com/science-fiction/disaster-apocalypse/dave-beynon/the-last-repairman"> link.</a><br />
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<br />
I hope you enjoy The Last Repairman. If you do, rate the story and maybe leave a comment here on on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DailySF">DSF's facebook page</a>.Dave Beynonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14798548362763570598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7647747030472928663.post-23382502063419714212014-05-08T15:49:00.000-04:002014-05-08T15:49:02.912-04:00Treasure Hunt 2014Each year <a href="http://www.elorafestival.ca/">The Elora Festival Singers</a> hold their major fundraiser, a massive<a href="http://elora.info/events/elora-festival-annual-fundraiser-booksale/"> Book Sale </a>during the first weekend of May. <br />
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As always, the Beynon family found a horde of treasure. Here's a look at my share of the booty:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_0WeCzgEx6BgJjx-O5SXJJHqNJ7uURHofdOd6m_EesUDxdwnfQYxaebxxZXysIU7_Myq1cNbBBZyQIITmyHrit3VjGZh7rVrQ_xNnGajjjFAW1frI0hvoxC4-Y4_oZDceUu7aAeNNZQ/s1600/IMG_4207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_0WeCzgEx6BgJjx-O5SXJJHqNJ7uURHofdOd6m_EesUDxdwnfQYxaebxxZXysIU7_Myq1cNbBBZyQIITmyHrit3VjGZh7rVrQ_xNnGajjjFAW1frI0hvoxC4-Y4_oZDceUu7aAeNNZQ/s1600/IMG_4207.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
Here's a H.G. Wells book I'd never heard of before and, lucky me, it's a first edition.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLf-mwNPNF6o9_Wl68ppTqWn5spNVmvOjW6-sw7B9MirUggU3JX6F8Vhjuc0RTClmoZY4MUDX3rmLvc095-mXQp7NtxbYq4X1Rd8xHeAynCHB6wzIDj3Q5YRKsbfL0g4c3zWNIxyq1MA/s1600/IMG_4208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLf-mwNPNF6o9_Wl68ppTqWn5spNVmvOjW6-sw7B9MirUggU3JX6F8Vhjuc0RTClmoZY4MUDX3rmLvc095-mXQp7NtxbYq4X1Rd8xHeAynCHB6wzIDj3Q5YRKsbfL0g4c3zWNIxyq1MA/s1600/IMG_4208.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
The Works of Alexandre Dumas, Volume Five, 1893.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHqsIGRERO9dTcbAsR8kj63hn049n0uDpSF8lgCGYH5tWSJr0Y5jO39FrzsgSF-G_Asl_VYYaGZVD5wZ8q1FNzllVnS8NkxkHXlUo-y3HKMQbx-SXr-CgDOI0zrmCmBfvTDjKTmC7eg/s1600/IMG_4209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHqsIGRERO9dTcbAsR8kj63hn049n0uDpSF8lgCGYH5tWSJr0Y5jO39FrzsgSF-G_Asl_VYYaGZVD5wZ8q1FNzllVnS8NkxkHXlUo-y3HKMQbx-SXr-CgDOI0zrmCmBfvTDjKTmC7eg/s1600/IMG_4209.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
This one is kind of awesome. The worn leather cover looks fairly unassuming. Let's have a look inside...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgephTSu7GNR7gd2it55bEshJsupBfbi0Sm5I9FlrQcda3NVRvDJGOj4FTjR5zEzGmQormTcOXTn8tJ-FjXTT4XF2JC8MiRNGw4Dt6JTQ6jW8J8-w5d12c6uSgKgUvVBM9nRgbsCv7Afg/s1600/IMG_4212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgephTSu7GNR7gd2it55bEshJsupBfbi0Sm5I9FlrQcda3NVRvDJGOj4FTjR5zEzGmQormTcOXTn8tJ-FjXTT4XF2JC8MiRNGw4Dt6JTQ6jW8J8-w5d12c6uSgKgUvVBM9nRgbsCv7Afg/s1600/IMG_4212.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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The cover is mighty loose (in fact, it's not attached) but let's look at those Roman Numerals...<br />
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MDCCLXXIX .....hmmm.....that's 1779<br />
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The book is in pretty rough shape but it is 235 years old.<br />
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Wow...235- that's old.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifHKbAWm3uOc6NDy2iuUTG2dqXpBrDQRB-3WVuYHb3kdf7KZFxucRWL23lFO_CrKcGu2lO2gUrv1JN23Lnk7MaLfrzFcyXu1ZrxyxBnbiITE2blPBldGlBkA-FZnEOlimWEhAutxegyA/s1600/IMG_4211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifHKbAWm3uOc6NDy2iuUTG2dqXpBrDQRB-3WVuYHb3kdf7KZFxucRWL23lFO_CrKcGu2lO2gUrv1JN23Lnk7MaLfrzFcyXu1ZrxyxBnbiITE2blPBldGlBkA-FZnEOlimWEhAutxegyA/s1600/IMG_4211.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
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This other leather book is an infant by comparison.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhByC2gPr0t1TYHJZ5fi12sPIu17sFQelvVdd9Kb3btFx8gThWzhVKUENIfCwGgsfsLqSbwLojgl6camdTIBGNwCk-JZOTJLRPRrMszEY8DPYfy5Hz24dX1hkLfs971Rp6EJk6llMTuEg/s1600/IMG_4210.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhByC2gPr0t1TYHJZ5fi12sPIu17sFQelvVdd9Kb3btFx8gThWzhVKUENIfCwGgsfsLqSbwLojgl6camdTIBGNwCk-JZOTJLRPRrMszEY8DPYfy5Hz24dX1hkLfs971Rp6EJk6llMTuEg/s1600/IMG_4210.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
Printed in 1801, this book is a mere 213 years old. <br />
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Some impressive treasure, for sure, and everything at a bargain price.Dave Beynonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14798548362763570598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7647747030472928663.post-50228199749315628022014-05-02T15:26:00.002-04:002014-05-02T15:26:53.815-04:00The Last Repairman<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc_2PsSMHNSjwv333Kc6MMGy2BNnDwk1qrmXYGUDvQL5HKrcuvY-IgY7GlepKrouf2lFGzQ2wNmqBhS3ZroRgSZBcx0uNZk8B-5XlFLF2If34YzDwWwPlw983Tu9G2ZBjaL41GKa7gvA/s1600/DSF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc_2PsSMHNSjwv333Kc6MMGy2BNnDwk1qrmXYGUDvQL5HKrcuvY-IgY7GlepKrouf2lFGzQ2wNmqBhS3ZroRgSZBcx0uNZk8B-5XlFLF2If34YzDwWwPlw983Tu9G2ZBjaL41GKa7gvA/s1600/DSF.jpg" /></a>Here's some nice news - my science fiction story, <i>The Last Repairman </i>is set to be published on the <a href="http://dailysciencefiction.com/">Daily Science Fiction Website</a> on Friday May 9th, 2014. It will also be distributed to their 8,500 subscribers on the very same day.<br />
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Today I am doing line edits of the manuscript. I've been through the thing twice now and haven't found a mistake. That speaks to the editing I did before sending it to DSF but also to their editorial process. They've been through the thing and cleaned up typos. I'll have my usual editor (my eagle-eyed wife) read through the proofing manuscript, too. The more eyes the better.<br />
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I'm very excited about this particular publication. With a subscriber base of 8,500 and access to anyone with a web browser, this story has more opportunity to reach readers than any of my previous publications.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbo0S5BQ46CM1GlIesRzSImiA6NkwkPGkEe6CSvYVhiHW730H6EIC4gwdfTDj5q0ilucDIMdOYmQarU9myx7HZb_yBF_37d_-akwiEp-4XQ0iXARRBc-n9XGrnzP2NyG8EMIslDdGEFw/s1600/Tess-17-Cover-vE-2.0x3.1-300dpi-C8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbo0S5BQ46CM1GlIesRzSImiA6NkwkPGkEe6CSvYVhiHW730H6EIC4gwdfTDj5q0ilucDIMdOYmQarU9myx7HZb_yBF_37d_-akwiEp-4XQ0iXARRBc-n9XGrnzP2NyG8EMIslDdGEFw/s1600/Tess-17-Cover-vE-2.0x3.1-300dpi-C8.jpg" height="200" width="129" /></a>Also in the news, I recently sold the audio rights for <i>The Lighthouse Keeper's Wife</i> (published in Tesseracts Seventeen (Edge, 2013)) to Escape Artist Inc to be podcast on their horror podcast website. . The story will be read by a professional voice actor and<a href="http://pseudopod.org/"> Pseudopod.org </a>will feature the story towards the end of August 2014.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO7w4pzD-Fz5Sprs7qikydeoCWhPmaRBQcuuyfHsyQ7rXRh69aECgpSBprNdYWQCb7Hh8q69OcaSu5D2TVRsd7eH-SrGKGIImkmPn4f6xl0nSZVFXoItNeLiD9x0AbEu-l06wWAmONBQ/s1600/Pseudopod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO7w4pzD-Fz5Sprs7qikydeoCWhPmaRBQcuuyfHsyQ7rXRh69aECgpSBprNdYWQCb7Hh8q69OcaSu5D2TVRsd7eH-SrGKGIImkmPn4f6xl0nSZVFXoItNeLiD9x0AbEu-l06wWAmONBQ/s1600/Pseudopod.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
Dave Beynonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14798548362763570598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7647747030472928663.post-21021422641892778842014-01-13T15:35:00.000-05:002014-01-13T15:35:44.550-05:00Showering With The Old Guys<div class="MsoNormal">
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Odd title for a blog post.
I know. We’ll get to it shortly.</div>
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Last August, I did something I hadn't done in almost thirty
years. The kids expressed interest in
visiting the CNE, the Canadian National Exhibition. </div>
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It was an annual ritual when I was growing up. My parents would drive to a GO train
station and park the car. The train ride
was a treat for a couple of rural kids who only encountered transit in the form
of a school bus. The train would take us
to Exhibition Station and we’d be off for a day of games and rides and exhibits
and, of course, the international flavours of The Food Building.</div>
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I honestly don’t know why it had been thirty or so years
since my last visit. It might be that as
I’ve grown older my tolerance for line-ups and crowds has decreased. It might be that my love of midway rides has
dwindled. I think that the most likely
reason of all (isn't that my heart is two sizes too small) might have to do
with the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Food</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Building</st1:placetype></st1:place>. </div>
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My mother was born in <st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region> and I was exposed to curry
(of sorts) at an early age but beyond the liver curry with far too many
raisins, it was typical British fare with very well done meat and vegetables
that had been boiled into submission.
When I was young, the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">International</st1:placename>
<st1:placename w:st="on">Food</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Building</st1:placetype></st1:place>
was a chance to sample cuisine from all over the world and every vendor
presented free samples. <st1:country-region w:st="on">Canada</st1:country-region> has
grown more cosmopolitan. When my wife
and I lived in <st1:city w:st="on">Mississauga</st1:city>,
any food from any part of the world you can imagine was available within a ten-minute
walk of our condo. In our little town
of <st1:city w:st="on">Fergus</st1:city> we have an Indian Restaurant that’s
just as good as anything our friends in <st1:city w:st="on">Vancouver</st1:city>
can find in their city and our Sushi restaurant, while not the best sushi
restaurant I've ever eaten at, is among the top three. I've eaten food from around the world and
tend to love it all and although a new culinary discovery is still an
adventure, it’s not an adventure I’m likely to have in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">CNE</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Food</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Building</st1:placetype></st1:place> of 2013.</div>
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Anyway, the kids expressed a desire to go and other than my
dislike of crowds and line-ups, I saw no reason not to. Hearkening back to my childhood, we parked at
a Go station (not the same one as in my youth) and took the train to Exhibition
Station. I girded myself for crowds and
line-ups and got neither. It turns out
that a multi-cultural society’s <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Food</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Building</st1:placetype></st1:place> is a different
place. Not able to entice the crowds
with now commonplace international cuisine, they resort to things like “THE
CRONUT BURGER”. Here’s a link to the
question floating in your mind: <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/maple-bacon-jam-identified-as-culprit-in-cne-cronut-burger-illnesses/article13968451/">What on earth is a cronut burger?</a></div>
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We had a line-up free day at the CNE because the previous
two days a goodly number of patrons fell victim to that failed culinary
experiment. Just as well – I didn't feel
crowded at all.</div>
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During our day of no line-ups and food-poisoning reduced
crowds, I rediscovered my love of midway rides.
I was doubly delighted to discover that my 12 year old daughter loved
them too. Anything she wanted to try, I
tried as well. Everything was good and
happy until we rode The Avalanche! It’s a magnificent ride that teaches you the
wonders of centrifugal force. The
problem is, last time I rode this thing I was…ahem…let’s just say considerable
lighter. The ride caused parts of me to
exert pressure in new ways on other parts of me that became increasingly
unpleasant. I was carrying too much
weight to enjoy midway rides with my children.</div>
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Here’s where we get to showering with old guys. Once the kids started back a school a few
weeks later, I signed up at the gym.
Everything was sore and rusty to start, but with time and effort, I’ve
lost some weight and my stamina is remarkably increased. There’s still work to be done, but I do an
average of 5 miles on the elliptical trainer (or just over 40 minutes) daily
with a bit of weight training thrown in for good measure. </div>
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I work out in the mornings, after the kids have caught the
bus. The vast majority of folks working
out at that time of day are retired…very retired. Most are in their seventies. It’s great working out with seventy year
olds. Not because I feel more fit – I don’t. These guys are in terrific shape. All stringy and lean. I like working out with them because they
talk.</div>
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After the elliptical machine, I rest a bit and chat with the
guys. They come from all walks of life
and each have fantastic stories that come out with very little prompting. All of them are characters and, as a writer,
they are fodder <i>for</i> characters. </div>
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The new exercise routine gives me forty minutes of uninterrupted
“thinking time” each morning before I come home and sit down in front of the
keyboard. I get real-life experiences
that can be woven into the fabric of characters I create. Most days I feel like a Viking, ready to
conquer the world. And I’m making it
possible to enjoy years and years of midway rides for as long as my kids will
let me ride with them.</div>
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And the showers with the old guys? Doesn’t actually happen too often that we’re
showering together. Whether by unconscious choice or happy accident, most often I have free run of the change room with nary a soul about. But when we do share the change room and find ourselves in the shower together...well,
that would be telling.</div>
Dave Beynonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14798548362763570598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7647747030472928663.post-46039424078786329762014-01-07T20:50:00.000-05:002014-01-07T20:50:59.785-05:00Painting <br />
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Last year I started painting again. After a great long while – let’s just say
about 20 years and be done with it – I picked up a paint brush and started
splashing paint on a canvas. And it all
came about because of my daughter’s acting career.</div>
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My daughter has talent in spades and the passion to go with
it. One of those talents is acting. She’s proud, enthusiastic and struts the
stage like she owns it. She auditions for
local theatre productions and gets parts.
For me, that means playing chauffeur to the aspiring starlet on a fairly
regular basis and because I’m an over-protective dad, I tend to show up early
to pick her up. </div>
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Last year, a round of rehearsals were held at our local
Centre for the Arts. I showed up early
with a book and was about to settle into one of the far too comfortable
wing-backed chairs when I heard a familiar voice from a nearby room.</div>
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Inside the room were a half dozen easels with painters
applying oils and acrylics over canvases of all sizes. The voice I heard belong to a woman who I met
through a mutual friend. Here’s a<a href="http://www.meredithblackmore.com/index.html"> link to some of her art</a>.</div>
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<st1:personname w:st="on">Meredith Blackmore</st1:personname>
is a fabulous painter. As I walked into
the room she introduced me to everyone there.
Being a small community, I knew a few of the people, including the local
newspaper editor and a yoga instructor who lives just down the street from
me. I was so impressed by the quality of
the art that was being made. I told
Meredith that it took me back – way back – to the days when I used to dabble in
painting with acrylics. </div>
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“Well,” she said, “we just happen to have an empty table
every other Thursday.”</div>
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That was all the encouragement I needed. Painting exercises a whole different set of
creative muscles than writing and though I’ve a number of false starts and only
one painting I really consider finished, the last year has been a blast. </div>
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I know my paintings aren’t very good. Some are downright bad but the painting
adventure looks like it will be continuing…at least for another year.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh84MULpXkoBLtKiqLzqdcFbZFB-mrSCD7FsRID5uR83Se1YGWjfpfSILpDlfubmQh60InQe3Km6J68KwJxeLH1aXGQoo2khXuqG1b3yzZ8GLaMOlnADYC3XRtK2gUMPy0itLDpqwE8cw/s1600/IMG_4059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh84MULpXkoBLtKiqLzqdcFbZFB-mrSCD7FsRID5uR83Se1YGWjfpfSILpDlfubmQh60InQe3Km6J68KwJxeLH1aXGQoo2khXuqG1b3yzZ8GLaMOlnADYC3XRtK2gUMPy0itLDpqwE8cw/s1600/IMG_4059.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was my initial painting. Unfinished.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I rather like the wheels on this truck, but the rest of it is out of perspective.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is my interpretation of the Pentre Ifan Burial Chamber in Wales</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's the photo I worked from.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Painting of a bridge at Wakehurst Place in England</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The photo I worked from<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Easter Island - this is the only painting I consider finished.<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A local haunted farmhouse - started but only just.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The current project - this will be a painting of a bowstring bridge<br />when I'm done.<br /></td></tr>
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Dave Beynonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14798548362763570598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7647747030472928663.post-1991497704821935652013-12-19T17:16:00.000-05:002013-12-19T17:16:28.311-05:00InterviewI've been very poor about posting lately and I promise an end of year post soon. In the meantime, here's a link to an interview I had recently with the talented Colleen Anderson, co-editor of <i>Tesseracts Seventeen</i> regarding my story, <i>The Lighthouse Keeper's Wife</i>. Here's the <a href="http://colleenanderson.wordpress.com/2013/12/19/tesseracts-17-interview-dave-beynon/">link.</a><br />
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Dave Beynonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14798548362763570598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7647747030472928663.post-89347863302790078482013-10-27T19:38:00.001-04:002013-10-27T19:45:50.476-04:00Reading at Roxanne'sOn Saturday October 26th at 2:00 pm I was at Roxanne's Reflections Book & Card Shop reading The <i>Lighthouse Keeper's Wife</i> in <i>Tesseracts Seventeen (</i>Edge, 2013). I had a blast and I want to pass along my heartfelt thanks to Roxanne and Abby who set the whole thing up and to all of the patrons who braved the October snow to come and share the day with me.<br />
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Here's a video of the reading:<br />
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There was a question and answer period after the reading followed by book signings and snacks. It was a wonderful event.Dave Beynonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14798548362763570598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7647747030472928663.post-1454715288742147402013-10-04T12:16:00.000-04:002013-10-04T12:16:22.289-04:00Lighthouse Keeper's Wife - Readings Update<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5PKt7hrO_i5cC3dmKaSuSJ8KFU7v4OBOXbJoJ_LL3l231QJJcykeJaQo6kb8vZMmZIvCMm-2YAayhN6ah4zjiVLSk8waagfsgqsPYK8-8ofmSo9a6UHLGdIVuzh6bb_c7yOLp5rkAGg/s1600/01-Tesseracts-17-Cover-100dpi(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5PKt7hrO_i5cC3dmKaSuSJ8KFU7v4OBOXbJoJ_LL3l231QJJcykeJaQo6kb8vZMmZIvCMm-2YAayhN6ah4zjiVLSk8waagfsgqsPYK8-8ofmSo9a6UHLGdIVuzh6bb_c7yOLp5rkAGg/s640/01-Tesseracts-17-Cover-100dpi(1).jpg" width="412" /></a><br />
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Here's a little more info regarding a pair of upcoming readings:<br />
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<b>Saturday, October 19th at 3:00 pm:</b> <a href="http://www.bakkaphoenixbooks.com/"> Bakka Phoenix Books</a> at 84 Harbord Street, Toronto. This is a triple book launch at a great book store that deals exclusively in speculative fiction. <i> Tesseracts Seventeen </i>authors will be joined by <i>Urban Green Man</i> and <i>Chilling Tales 2</i> authors. If you are in Toronto, stop by for some readings and signings.<br />
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<b>Saturday, October 26th at 2:00 pm:</b> <a href="https://www.roxannesreflections.ca/">Roxanne's Reflections</a> in beautiful downtown Fergus (152 St Andrew St. West). I'll be reading some selections from <i>The Lighthouse Keeper's Wife</i>, then signing and answering questions and chatting, too, I'm sure.<br />
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A ton of thanks go out to Roxanne. She and her staff are going all out to help promote the book.<br />
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The window by the front door is prime promotional real estate.<br />
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Inside the store, she's made sure I'm shoulder to shoulder with the biggest of the bestseller new releases:<br />
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I haven't yet received my author copy of the book but it seems Roxanne has the inside track with the distributor. So far both<i> Evolve Two</i> and <i>Tesseracts Seventeen</i> were available at Roxanne's before they were available elsewhere (including Amazon!). I picked up a copy of the book from Roxanne's and you know what...<br />
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I'm never going to get tired of seeing my words in print.<br />
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Please consider attending one of the two reading events. It will be a real pleasure to share some time with you.<br />
<br />Dave Beynonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14798548362763570598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7647747030472928663.post-72910244719808090902013-09-25T19:54:00.000-04:002013-09-25T19:54:23.778-04:00The Lighthouse Keeper's Wife - Upcoming ReadingsIn just about a week or so, this will be released:<br />
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featuring my new short story, <b><i>The Lighthouse Keeper's Wife</i></b>.<br />
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You could <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/books/dp/1770530444">pre-order it from Amazon</a>, but I'm a big fan of supporting your local bookstore (or<i> my </i>local bookstore, if you're so inclined).<br />
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I've signed on for a few things, on-line and in the real world. <br />
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There will be an author chat book launch thing on the internet over at <a href="http://bittenbybooks.com/">Bitten By Books</a> on October 23rd. I'll have more details as the date draws closer.<br />
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I'll also be at <a href="http://www.bakkaphoenixbooks.com/">Bakka Phoenix Books</a> in Toronto on October 19th for signings and readings with a number of other authors. If you're in Toronto, please plan on attending. I'll post more information regarding timing as details come to me.<br />
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A week later, at 2:00 pm on October 26th, please make your way to <a href="https://www.roxannesreflections.ca/">Roxanne's Reflections Book and Card Shop</a> in downtown Fergus where I'll be signing, reading and answering questions. I'd love to see you there.<br />
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Here's a link to the <a href="http://www.davebeynon.com/uphotos/Fergus-Launch-Beynon.pdf">promotional flyer</a> for the reading at Roxanne's.<br />
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<br />Dave Beynonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14798548362763570598noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7647747030472928663.post-88661381358819138182013-09-03T08:34:00.002-04:002013-09-03T08:34:46.733-04:00Procrastination - at least while the coffee perks.<br />
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Today is the day the kids went back to school. My wife has gone to work and I'm in the office, listening to the burble of percolating coffee with my faithful golden retriever asleep by my feet. It's a whole new start into my writing routine but where to start?<br />
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<i>Doc Merl's Rolling Apothecary</i> is well under way with a good deal of life breathed into it during Clarion West's Write-a-thon. There's also a short story called <i>The Question, </i>a little bit of political science fiction. Then there's another short story, <i>The Last Repairman</i>, about run-down cyborg people after the fall of civilization. <i> Doc Merl </i>is the one I'm in the mood to move on but both of the others are for anthologies that have deadlines so I'll need to flip a coin and get flying.<br />
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Listen to that - the coffee's ready. Time to get to work.<br />
<br />Dave Beynonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14798548362763570598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7647747030472928663.post-17803222581714985682013-07-24T11:59:00.001-04:002013-07-24T11:59:46.922-04:00The Porch...Last year our front porch was showing its age. It was drab and tired and the front steps were evolving from rickety and loose to downright dangerous. The afternoon my son leaned on the railing and narrowly avoided tumbling with it onto the lawn four and a half feet below was my call to action. I made a temporary fix that lasted through the winter but springtime illustrated that something a little more permanent needed to be done.<br />
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Last year, we had a garage/office built by an excellent contractor. We knew who we'd ask to fix our porch. <br />
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This is how the porch looked shortly after we pulled down those deadly stairs and the aged and weathered siding.</div>
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Here's how it looks now, from pretty much the same angle:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh8goCLdmMx-4o1pSKSDV3vZF5NZYS0dE0P4zFSKdKyHxi3_qYZqdTVSeUvLUPeMYO8jcXsfvp2bhG0YZb1XHjlW5xtM9wAq3oTMmDbjiK9p1CRE9TRUIiIUwmL1_a1AebYITsrLFKKw/s1600/IMG_3015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh8goCLdmMx-4o1pSKSDV3vZF5NZYS0dE0P4zFSKdKyHxi3_qYZqdTVSeUvLUPeMYO8jcXsfvp2bhG0YZb1XHjlW5xtM9wAq3oTMmDbjiK9p1CRE9TRUIiIUwmL1_a1AebYITsrLFKKw/s400/IMG_3015.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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We added a bit more deck area on the exterior landing of the porch. Enough room for a chair:</div>
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And I've always resented the amount of wasted storage space under our enclosed porch. I asked our contractor if there wasn't some way we could access that space. We sussed it out and here's the solution:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTOr5m8axdsLHO7aOPr6nsQDusKNznmY4gf_9mLkdLXDyE-wV9_uNOQNa3j8Kk6YZaYqtuULkdDh_UiQNH3Ac0wmVwQQ6DjXLZK9HesG25u2ufEq8Yu0sU6xU3CKS3jywpAmOvTSaDnw/s1600/IMG_3022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTOr5m8axdsLHO7aOPr6nsQDusKNznmY4gf_9mLkdLXDyE-wV9_uNOQNa3j8Kk6YZaYqtuULkdDh_UiQNH3Ac0wmVwQQ6DjXLZK9HesG25u2ufEq8Yu0sU6xU3CKS3jywpAmOvTSaDnw/s320/IMG_3022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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If you look to the right of the steps you...well, you really can't see anything, can you? Let's have a closer look:</div>
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This shot is a little blurred but the hardware is the only thing that suggests there might be a set of doors here. Let's open them and take a look:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSraNmoRyMLkSu1CovBSDhzJkSoybbe4ii9UXQIFg3Tpzsl1rIIYuvnJI_sVn1e7y3SPD8PKutpzEFY4vr65sa4FrI9eQpygBC5LYIo55SA0CSb1GnDtDpBWi2eCc8JiB-gjop1vlr5Q/s1600/IMG_3025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSraNmoRyMLkSu1CovBSDhzJkSoybbe4ii9UXQIFg3Tpzsl1rIIYuvnJI_sVn1e7y3SPD8PKutpzEFY4vr65sa4FrI9eQpygBC5LYIo55SA0CSb1GnDtDpBWi2eCc8JiB-gjop1vlr5Q/s400/IMG_3025.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Access to all of the space under the interior and exterior parts of the porch. He even came up with a hinged, fold-out ramp so I can roll the lawn mover and wheel barrel over the lip at the base of the porch.</div>
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Very pleased with the way the porch matches and compliments the garage. There's still some landscaping to be done to bind everything together but we've got a good start on that.</div>
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Once the landscaping is finished I'll add some more pictures.</div>
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Dave Beynonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14798548362763570598noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7647747030472928663.post-43577924419969694072013-07-04T10:56:00.000-04:002013-07-04T10:56:12.709-04:00Travelling GnomesI love gnomes. I have for years. <br />
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The fault belongs to Rien Poortoliet and Wil Huygen.<br />
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Who are Rien Poortoliet and Wil Huygen? you may ask and I wouldn't blame you a bit. They were a pair of Dutchmen who created these:<br />
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Since reading these books as a teenager, I've had a special place in my heart for well-made gnomes. There are a couple of beat-up gnomes hidden in our garden and I have my two office gnomes that keep me company while I'm writing. Imagine my delight when we were visiting Rockwood Conservation Area on the weekend and saw this:<br />
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Right under the front gate was a person of Gnomish persuasion. He had a tag:<br />
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And on the other side was his name:</div>
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So an adventure, huh?<br />
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We had originally gone to Rockwood for a swim but a sign warned us of high bacteria. I grew up eating rotten raw chicken from stagnant mud puddles but when it's your kids sometimes it's best to err on the side of caution. So off we went to Guelph Lake Conservation area to swim with Gnomeo along for the ride.<br />
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Gnomeo seemed to enjoy the water of Guelph Lake, but insisted on staying on the floatie. Then he joined me for a snack.</div>
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When we got back to our house, I introduced him to Rocky, the little fella who guards my office garden:<br />
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And showed him the Smartcar. He seemed to like it (especially the colour).<br />
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Last night we went to a performance of The Three Musketeers at the Festival Theatre in Stratford. Gnomeo told me he'd never been to live theatre, so we took him along.<br />
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We'll be returning Gnomeo to his home in Rockwood soon so that another family can show him a good time.<br />
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I'm gonna miss that silly little gnome...Dave Beynonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14798548362763570598noreply@blogger.com0