A Journey of a Thousand Miles....

After much gentle prodding from my dear friends, I've decided to sit myself down and compose my first post. I apologise for the lack of photographs illustrating my journal at this time, but I will slowly but surely learn how to do this too.

Allow me to introduce myself. I am Miss Christine Isabelle McAllister of Rosehaven and Davaar. My parents were Robert Angus McAllister, a proctor with the Hudson's Bay Company and Isabelle Eleanor (nee Southerton) who was the daughter of a merchant in Tunbridge Wells in England. They met whilst my father was in the resort town and after a whirlwind romance, they married and he brought her to Upper Canada where they resided at my birth.

When I was a small girl, my father was sent out to Fort Garry and then Fort Edmonton, taking my mother, my brother and I with him. It was an unconventional childhood, but I revelled in it. Where else could a young girl enjoy such freedoms? I learned to ride and shoot as well as my brother Gunnar. However, my mother was mindful of my future prospects and made sure I learned more domestic pursuits as well. All in all, our time in Rupert's land was a very enjoyable one for me, although I'm sure my mother was very lonely for the finer things in life and the companionship of other ladies to share life's little trials with. My father decided to leave the Company and we ended up settling about 180 miles south of Fort Edmonton, where the North West Mounted Police established a fort named Fort Calgary.

Sadly, this idyllic chapter in our lives came to a close when my father was out with some of the Mounted Police and the Siksika nation tribe during a buffalo hunt. His horse stumbled in a badger hole, throwing him down where he was trampled by the stampedeing buffalo and hense, died of his injuries. My mother was devestated. She ended up selling the home place and we moved back east to the new country of Canada, settling in Montreal briefly.

It was in Montreal that she met Mr. Eclispe, a naval officer, whom she married. With this marriage came a step-brother TotalLunar as well as an elusive step-sister, Luna. Lunar (my new brother) and I grew quite close, which proved to be very beneficial when our parents contracted typhoid while exploring new lands and died.

Together, Lunar and I found Steelhead, where we took residence. My older brother, Gunnar, inherited the "itchy foot" of exploration and chose to pursue that path. Over time, Lunar and I both found niches for ourselves in the town and grew to love it dearly.

As some of you readers may know, I share my home, Rosehaven, with Mr. Gnarlihotep Abel, who is a most dear and kind man. Always a gentleman, I have no doubts he's quite adept with a firearm should anyone try to break into our home. He also has impeccible taste and who am I to argue with that?

I also have another, more recent home in Caledon Cay with Sir Edward Pearse, titled "Davaar". Sir Edward is the proprietor of "Pearse'd and Cut", which sells fine gentlemen's apparel. He's also very talented at building and has managed to win my heart completely with his vast and innumerable charms.

At any rate, I hope this journal will serve a greater purpose than me just announcing the lastest prize chair winning (I'm only addicted to one chair, I promise!!) or what wallpaper I hung today. I shall endeavour to exercise brevity in the future and learn the art of posting illustrations of my "adventures" as well. Thank you for perservering and reading this entry.